Marooned on Giri Minor
"Right," Indrian says, "we're coming in."
"Great," Siggo says. "I'm firing up the thrusters, so don't be alarmed if it looks like we're leaving without you. Let me know when you're in the clear and I'll start reeling in your tethers."
"Will do," Indrian says. "Follow me, professor."
She thrusts off in the direction of the airlock, and you quickly follow. "Holy!" she shouts. "Did you see that? I nearly got clipped by some kind of tiny asteroid!"
You didn't see it, but now that she has mentioned it the space around the ship is starting to become inundated with streaks of white--speeding rocks that are zipping past you. Some of them are starting to pelt the ship's byrillium hull plating.
"This can't be good," you say.
"No, it's not," Indrian agrees. "Captain, I think it's time you start reeling in our tethers!"
"Got it," Siggo says. Within moments the lines connecting you to the ship go taut as you are pulled like a caught fish back toward the airlock. "Just so you know," Siggo says, "I'm picking up what looks like an entire cloud of debris coming our way. I don't know if it's an uncharted band of asteroids trapped in Giri Minor's orbit, or if it's the professor's exploded moon, but I do know that it's big. I don't think we're going to get out of here without getting a little dinged up."
Indrian tries to force a chuckle, but it's obvious she's grown tense. "That's all right," she says. "We'll get Hatuso to buff out all the scratches."
Siggo doesn't respond. There has still been no sign of the lieutenant.
With all of the rocks streaking past the ship, you feel tiny, frail, and exposed out here at the end of your line. The asteroids are ricocheting off the hull, but a direct hit would tear right through your body. The reel is pulling you in fast, but not fast enough!
Then the unthinkable happens: a speeding rock strikes Indrian's tether and severs it cleanly. Instantly she is pulled backward by inertia, spiraling away as the ship attempts to pull out of the path of danger. "Nooo!" she screams over the comm.
"Chief Indrian, what is your status?" Siggo asks.
"Her line has been snapped and she's falling behind the ship," you say.
"All I have are my EV suit's thrusters, and they'll never catch up!" she says, clearly starting to panic. "You'll have to come back!"
Siggo doesn't respond. You feel chilled; you've apparently lost Hatuso when no one was even looking, but now here is Indrian, still seemingly within reach.
"Great," Siggo says. "I'm firing up the thrusters, so don't be alarmed if it looks like we're leaving without you. Let me know when you're in the clear and I'll start reeling in your tethers."
"Will do," Indrian says. "Follow me, professor."
She thrusts off in the direction of the airlock, and you quickly follow. "Holy!" she shouts. "Did you see that? I nearly got clipped by some kind of tiny asteroid!"
You didn't see it, but now that she has mentioned it the space around the ship is starting to become inundated with streaks of white--speeding rocks that are zipping past you. Some of them are starting to pelt the ship's byrillium hull plating.
"This can't be good," you say.
"No, it's not," Indrian agrees. "Captain, I think it's time you start reeling in our tethers!"
"Got it," Siggo says. Within moments the lines connecting you to the ship go taut as you are pulled like a caught fish back toward the airlock. "Just so you know," Siggo says, "I'm picking up what looks like an entire cloud of debris coming our way. I don't know if it's an uncharted band of asteroids trapped in Giri Minor's orbit, or if it's the professor's exploded moon, but I do know that it's big. I don't think we're going to get out of here without getting a little dinged up."
Indrian tries to force a chuckle, but it's obvious she's grown tense. "That's all right," she says. "We'll get Hatuso to buff out all the scratches."
Siggo doesn't respond. There has still been no sign of the lieutenant.
With all of the rocks streaking past the ship, you feel tiny, frail, and exposed out here at the end of your line. The asteroids are ricocheting off the hull, but a direct hit would tear right through your body. The reel is pulling you in fast, but not fast enough!
Then the unthinkable happens: a speeding rock strikes Indrian's tether and severs it cleanly. Instantly she is pulled backward by inertia, spiraling away as the ship attempts to pull out of the path of danger. "Nooo!" she screams over the comm.
"Chief Indrian, what is your status?" Siggo asks.
"Her line has been snapped and she's falling behind the ship," you say.
"All I have are my EV suit's thrusters, and they'll never catch up!" she says, clearly starting to panic. "You'll have to come back!"
Siggo doesn't respond. You feel chilled; you've apparently lost Hatuso when no one was even looking, but now here is Indrian, still seemingly within reach.