Chapter 51

“Captain, we need to change our speed and angle,” Hercules said.

“What do you suggest, Hercules?”

“Captain, if you increase speed to orbital plus five percent and incline the nose by six degrees, you will catch it in eighteen minutes and be able to deploy the net. However, we will enter the edge of the zone you have deemed as dangerous to operate in.”

“We could go to plus ten percent speed with a ten-degree incline. However, to stay out of the zone, we would have to brake harder to achieve optimum speed to release the net and snare the object.”

“What’s he on about?” asked a rattled and concerned Manny.

He had never seen anyone fly a ship in space and do the manoeuvres Zeke had just done. The man hadn’t even cracked a sweat.

“Well, Herc is implying that because I have passengers and he doesn’t know if you can handle high gees, he offered a safer speed. Most people can handle two to three gees for a few minutes.”

“However, he is programmed to remind me that if we choose that option, we may end up closer to Morpheus than I’ve deemed safe with the load I’m carrying. If I choose to go faster and slow down faster, I can avoid the danger zone, but it will put more stress on you and him.”

“The compensator can negate some of the gees and inertia for us, but not all, at the faster speed changes. My other option is to wait until the bottle goes past Morpheus and then collect it.”

“The danger here is if it deviates. I don’t know if the gravitation effect Morpheus generates is strong enough at that range to pull the cylinder close enough that it will hit.”

“Captain, I have run several computations. The cylinder has been slowly speeding up since we first observed it. It is moving into a lower orbit. I calculate either the container or the ship may have hit it.”

“Will it still miss, Hercules?” Lindsay asked before the others could.

“I am sorry, Lindsay. Several unknown factors make it impossible to give a definite answer. I initiated the probability program. It gives an eighty-four-point-seven percent chance that the object will hit Morpheus Station. The projected zone of impact is on Section F.”

“Ah-oh, the big wigs will not be happy. The shopping precinct for the rich, their offices, Head Office for UNSEC, and Central Control are in Section F,” Tean said.

Manny groaned, knowing what sort of trouble that would cause.

“Captain, we have a new problem.”

“What’s up, Hercules?”

“A ship is leaving Section F. I calculated that it would intercept the cylinder on its present course before we can, at our current speed.”

“Put me through to Central Control on the emergency channel, and then speed this ship up as fast as you dare, Hercules. Monitor ship stresses and us. Alter the compensators, as required.”

“Complying, Captain,” Hercules answered.

“Central Control here. What’s your emergency?” a male voice answered.

“Control, you are ordered to tell the Captain of the ship leaving Section F that he is on a collision course. He must boost towards Earth at the steepest angle he can and do it now!”

“What are you on about? There are no ships in the path of the Brigadier’s ship.”

“Are your scanners active? There is a meter-long compressed-air cylinder heading for that ship. At the very least, it should have been on your radar for the last half an hour.”

Zeke heard the sigh, and then moments later, they all heard, “OH SHIT!!” before his comm link was dropped.

Manny raised his eyebrows at Zeke, “Oops!”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, they all chuckled.

Your speed slows down to the orbital speed at higher orbits if you no longer have thrust.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you have to brake or want to slow, you use your rear drives to rise to a higher orbit. To go faster, you use the forward drives to push you down into a lower orbit.

To break the hold of Earth’s gravity, you must go a lot faster and ensure your nose is pointing in the right direction. Hercules had done exactly that. He dropped his tail lower and nose higher and boosted hard.

While he didn’t wish to leave the orbital height he was at, he did need to go towards, or rather, faster to meet with the station quicker, but not drop into a lower orbit. It’s hard to explain, so let’s not worry about it too much and just understand that it can be done.

They all felt the heavy gees for several minutes even though the compensators tried to negate them. As they sped closer to the station, Zeke took back control of the runner.

“Hold onto your hats,” Zeke said as he rolled Hercules a hundred and eighty degrees to starboard.

The perspective of up and down for his passengers changed. They had gone from racing away from Earth to the top of the huge multi-sectioned barrel, which was Morpheus, to racing to the bottom with the Earth above and behind them. Up and down can be confusing in space.

They watched as the Frigate valiantly tried to change course, so it was clear of Morpheus and the uncaring cylinder that was tumbling towards it.

“Are they going to make it?” Tean asked in alarm.

“No,” Hercules stated.

“But we will,” Zeke replied.