Marooned on Giri Minor
"Very well," Siggo says. "I'm too busy to argue. You can man the comm. Get Commander Andrade to secure the rest of the passengers, and then see if you can raise Hatuso and Indrian."
"Yes, sir," you say, and then signal Andrade. During the course of this voyage you've been observing her, and she seems like one of the most capable officers you've ever met. You feel at ease around her almost as much as you do around Siggo.
"Commander," you say, "this is the bridge. Our situation is not good up here. The captain is trying to use thrusters to regain control of the ship, but he says it's going to be a rough ride."
"We know," Andrade says. "We've had a grand view of everything outside the viewports."
"I'm helping Captain Siggo at the controls," you say, "so can you get everybody into secure seating?"
" I'm on it," she replies. Then she adds: "I'll take care of Yiggy and Easa."
"Thanks," you say. This may be the first time a starman gave instructions to a lieutenant commander, but a critical situation requires unusual measures, you suppose.
As for Hatuso and Indrian, you have no luck getting them to respond. You can't even get a read on the transponder signals from their space suits. They are almost certainly lost.
"The thrusters are not responding," Siggo says. He doesn't need to explain to you that with the hyperspace system offline, and with no thrusters to push you out of Giri Minor's gravity field, no other options are left to you.
"I do have some good news, though," he says. You can't help but notice how he still appears outwardly calm. "I think I found what's left of that outcast colony. If anybody survives what's about to happen, it will be the only place on the entire planet that might have supplies and equipment. Otherwise Giri Minor is one big barren wasteland."
He pauses to adjust one of his controls, then looks at you. "No one knows where we are. They'll wonder why we never showed at Ishtria, but we have to assume they won't know where to look. It's a long shot, but that colony might have something useful, even after 200 years. It might be the only place where you can get a transmission through to the star base. It looks like the place is located on a plain, so we might even be able to bring this space bird in for a landing without shredding her to pieces."
You don't see a thing, but you trust Siggo's experience.
"We're about to enter the planetary atmosphere, so I really think you need to go in back with the others," he says.
"Yes, sir," you say, and then signal Andrade. During the course of this voyage you've been observing her, and she seems like one of the most capable officers you've ever met. You feel at ease around her almost as much as you do around Siggo.
"Commander," you say, "this is the bridge. Our situation is not good up here. The captain is trying to use thrusters to regain control of the ship, but he says it's going to be a rough ride."
"We know," Andrade says. "We've had a grand view of everything outside the viewports."
"I'm helping Captain Siggo at the controls," you say, "so can you get everybody into secure seating?"
" I'm on it," she replies. Then she adds: "I'll take care of Yiggy and Easa."
"Thanks," you say. This may be the first time a starman gave instructions to a lieutenant commander, but a critical situation requires unusual measures, you suppose.
As for Hatuso and Indrian, you have no luck getting them to respond. You can't even get a read on the transponder signals from their space suits. They are almost certainly lost.
"The thrusters are not responding," Siggo says. He doesn't need to explain to you that with the hyperspace system offline, and with no thrusters to push you out of Giri Minor's gravity field, no other options are left to you.
"I do have some good news, though," he says. You can't help but notice how he still appears outwardly calm. "I think I found what's left of that outcast colony. If anybody survives what's about to happen, it will be the only place on the entire planet that might have supplies and equipment. Otherwise Giri Minor is one big barren wasteland."
He pauses to adjust one of his controls, then looks at you. "No one knows where we are. They'll wonder why we never showed at Ishtria, but we have to assume they won't know where to look. It's a long shot, but that colony might have something useful, even after 200 years. It might be the only place where you can get a transmission through to the star base. It looks like the place is located on a plain, so we might even be able to bring this space bird in for a landing without shredding her to pieces."
You don't see a thing, but you trust Siggo's experience.
"We're about to enter the planetary atmosphere, so I really think you need to go in back with the others," he says.