Chapter 3

I awoke to the knowledge that we were just entering the planetary system of the star that Dr. Torbalt had discovered. A yellow-orange star with 4 planets and tens of thousands of asteroids. As I ate my meal and caught up on my duty logs I read the entry from the watch following mine and saw where the tech in the cycle before me had been testing the computer systems and had left the pole switch in the wrong position. I also read of his reprimand.

I finished my meal and was headed for control when: AAAAAUUUUGGGAH; AAAAAUUUUGGGAH; alarms were going off everywhere. I tucked in and ran to control and just as I got there CRAAAAASSSHHH!!!!! We hit something and I was thrown off my feet.

When I came to I was on the deck and could tell we were in real trouble. There were alarms and warning lights on every console in the control room. My superior Lt. Tudor ordered me to auxiliary control and to start closing safety hatches and bulkheads everywhere. When I got to Aux-Con it was in chaos but I managed to get to my station and started closing atmosphere seals on all decks and in all compartments. As we fought for control I could see on the view screen that we had hit another ship and that it was falling out of orbit as we watched. I watched as the other ship though bent, twisted and broken nearly in-half gained some control and rather than burn up on re-entry actually attempt a controlled atmospheric re-entry. I took time to admire the skill of the pilot as he fought to maneuver his ship to a soft landing. Then we were out of viewer range and had our own hands full. In less than 5 minutes he had gone from being happy to arrive to scared to death we would all die.

Over the next four days we did everything we could think of to try and salvage our ship but to no avail. About mid of the fourth day the Capt. spoke on the intercom and explained the situation: "Crew of the 8751 this is the Capt. Botor. We are not going to be able to save the ship. The controls for the space engines are destroyed; completely burned out; the atmosphere engines are gone, destroyed in the impact. We are leaking atmosphere to space and can no longer maintain orbit on thrusters. Within the next hour we will begin to feel the effects of atmosphere on the ship and approx. two hours after that we will impact the planet. Much of the hull plating will burn away on re-entry and some parts of the ship may survive to impact but we cannot be certain. It has been a privilege to serve as your Capt. and I bid you all farewell. May you make your peace with the Creator in the time we have left. Thank you and good-bye."

I sought out my brother and we sat in silence as the sounds around us rose to a shriek as the ship slowly at first and then faster and faster sank into the atmosphere that would surly destroy us all. Suddenly I saw a glint in my brother's eye; he pulled me to my feet and he said, "Come with me. By all that I hold dear you must survive." We went toward Aux-Con and noticed as we passed others were holding each other or sitting in silent repose.

When we got to Aux-Con he pulled a pulse weapon from his tunic and at gun point ordered me into the supply closet just out-side Aux-Con. "Why, brother?"

"Because this is the most likely part to survive and it will give you the best chance."

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