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Message #:1062
Time to look for the author...*** X-Eagle "And the Fun Just Keeps On" |
"And the Fun Just Keeps On"
by Commodore Fyrstk
"As soon as ya cain, get me some kahnd of sensor readings," Ronov Fyrstk ordered as he rushed to the front of the shuttle.
Rohan and Noble both remained aft, and started tapping on the different consoles, referring back to the schematic diagram Rohan had found.
"Subspace comms are still out," Noble noted. "I think I see the problem with sensors though." He, again, slipped inside the panel, spanner in hand. A moment later Rohan watched the primary sensor console come to life.
"That has got it, Noble," the twin reported. He immediately tapped the scanners to get try and get a fix on their location.
"Let me know if you need any additional calibration," Noble called from inside the cabinet.
"No. This looks fine," Rohan reported. "You can... uh-oh..."
Noble popped his head out of the control cabinet. "What is it? Did we lose connection?"
"No. That is fine," Rohan answered. He tapped the inter-comm. "Ronnie, have you got sensors up there?"
"Yes," came the other twin's voice. "Ah was hoping what Ah see on there was a glitch."
"It is no glitch," Rohan said. "There is a ship headed our way. It looks to be a scout ship of some sort, but we cannot hail it. Subspace comms are still out."
"Maybe they can provahde hel..."
Ronov's statement was suddenly cut off by the shuddering of the shuttle. The children in the passenger section of the shuttle started screaming as the lights once again flickered.
"Forget that thought!" Ronov shouted through the inter-comm. "They're fahrin' on us! Roe, Ah need some place ta hahde us. Goin' ta full impulse."
Ronov tapped on the helm console, putting the shuttle at full impulse. He frowned as he could actually feel the hesitation, and the intermittent pulse, but that would be something to worry about later. If they had a later.
The scout ship volleyed a couple more blasts at the fleeing shuttle. Fortunately, they were slightly out of range, and the shots barely grazed the hull. Still, the shuttle rocked with each hit. Ronov could hear the crying and screaming coming from the kids in the passenger section. He wanted desperately to be among them and screaming too.
"Ronnie," came Noble's voice over the comm-speaker. "Roe's got a asteroid field, course 53.53, Mark 3."
"Are you crazy?" Ronov shouted. "Ah cain't flah into an asteroid field!"
"Yes you can," Rohan returned. "You do it all the time on the simulator."
"That's a simulator!" Ronov complained. "This is real!"
"You got us through the wormhole," Noble reminded his friend.
"But Ah had mom...." Ronov started to say, but quickly cut himself off. They would think he was seeing things. Still, remembering what he had seen in the wormhole gave him renewed strength. He changed course toward the asteroid field.
"The scout ship is gaining," Rohan reported. "It should be too large to enter the field."
"Copy that," Ronov replied. He could now see the field ahead of them. The shuttle shuddered more violently. Please... just a moment more....
They reached the edge of the asteroid field. The pursuing scout ship fired another blast, trying to keep them from entering, and the shot struck the shuttle on the part-aft section, sending the shuttle hard to starboard and into one of the asteroids. Ronov heard even more screams.
"We have a breach!" Rohan called over the speaker. "One of the plasti-steel portals! Force-field in place, and Noble has gone forward with a emergency patch."
Ronov tried his best to block out the report and the screams of his fellow school students. He wished his mother would appear again and give him more strength. He wished he were back on the station. He wished this was all over. He fought back the tears that he waned so badly to just break down and cry. Despite this, his hands worked the helm controls, directly the school shuttle around the huge asteriods, which came at him way too fast.
"Ronnie, you can slow down," came the report from aft. "The attacking ship was too large to enter the asteroid field. I am not dtecting any pursuit as of yet."
Without answering, Ronov again tapped the console, bringing the shuttle to a halt. He looked at the sensor report. They were almost to the center of the field. They would have to watch for pursuit. For the moment, he could relax. That's when the tears held back not longer.
###
