|
|
| Story |
 
|
(Page 2 of 7) Re-Entry by Ronald Faltus Security craft have been scrambled and will soon be approaching your position."
"Have you not heard a word I've said? This is Gareth Kahel of the personal transport, The Scry. I am here under assignment for Calan Mining, and I am here to meet Thos Hennison, director of mining operations." If Gareth had a spare hand, he would have smashed it against the communication counsel in hopes that he could somehow get the spit and polished GPS officer on the other end of the line to get the point. But right now, he need both hands on the control yoke, it was taking all his strength just to keep it in place. If he lost the stick, he could end up in a roll that due to the ships crippled condition would be impossible to pull out of. But he did manage hazard a glance over to the communications board on the co-pilot side of the cabin and did a quick scan to see if he got stuck talking with some jarhead that was too route in his GPS training to realize that sometimes proper procedures just don't work or was his transmitter out forcing him to be only a passive participant in what could be the last conversation he would ever have. All indications from the status board showed that he was indeed transmitting.
Even though he had lost both of his stabilization wings, Gareth still had some marginal control over the rudder, which thankfully was on the upper rear section right above the engine housing. It was safe form the super hot gasses that were now scorching the under carriage of his ship. The Scry, an older UAS T-469 model, was built to take a punishment, but right now it was being pushed much further than its original designers had intended. The central habitat was along a cylindrical frame. The front part of the ship held the communications and navigation arrays. Direct behind that was the cockpit, with enough room for two people to sit side by side and look out the two hundred and seventy degree windows. Further back along the central core, the ship widened and housed the living space; meeting room, kitchen and three small births and a sanitation station. A small hatch at the end of the hallway led into the cramped engine compartment. Two small swept back atmospheric wings use to jut out at a slight downward angel just below the cockpit, and right behind them protruding on pylons were the Vent-Nor distortion engines.
He decided to try one last time to explain the situation to ground control, at his current speed, he would hit the planets surface in less than a minute, assuming of course that The Scry would hold together that long. He could smell the friction induced gasses seeping into the rear compartments already. Most ships have thick layer of molecular-ceramic tiles lined along the bottom of the ship to help dissipate heat during a high speed reentry. But from the way cabin was beginning to heat up, Gareth was sure most of that protection had already burnt away. Now all that separated him form the inferno that blazed below his pilot's chair were a few inches of hull.
| |
|
|
|
(3 ratings)