Space Rescue One (2 page)

      "Affirmative. Good luck to your people, Captain Shortner."

***

The Team Leader bellowed, "Heavy armor for outside rescue. Team One, suit up!"

      Richard Saber entered the Ready Room with the rest of Team One. He opened his locker to suit up.

      "Not you, Richard Cranium. We don't need any slushes outside. I'd rather work short-handed than have you out there," Chief Dickson, the Team Leader, said.

      Richard glared at Chief Dickson while ignoring the insults. "I'm still a member of this team. No one's removed me yet. I'm going."

      Chief Dickson replied, "You're not going, so just forget about suiting up. I don't want you out there. I don't need you."

     Shelly Laumer said, "Maybe next time, Richard," as she suited up.

      Richard looked at Shelly's cool green eyes. He shrugged, ashamed that there was only sympathy in them for him. With a sigh, he replied, "All right, I'll stay."

      The intercom blared, "Ship is in blocking position. Team One may exit when ready."

      The team members finished suiting up procedures, then filed into the airlock behind the Team Leader. Moments later, the hatch clanged shut and locked. A light over the hatch changed to red as air left the chamber. Only a few seconds later, a second red light came on over the hatch indicating that the outer hatch was open.

      As the team left the ship, they linked up with a cable much like mountain climbers might do. The Team Leader shoved off, using his feet to propel himself rather than use his suit thrusters. Those he would conserve as a precaution. The other team members followed him at intervals, watching for marks on the cable so they would know when to jump. If anyone jumped too late, the whole team could go into a lopsided spin. Then using the suit thrusters would become necessary. However, like a well-oiled machine, the team members jumped at the right intervals and stretched out toward the
Excelsior
like cut-out paper dolls.

      "Is she still alive?" Chief Dickson asked.

      "I can't tell yet. She's covered by the hull shielding they erected to protect her. I think we'll have to take the whole thing apart. No, I'm sure of it. We can't collar the
Excelsior
with this in the way."

      "Chief, are we going to collar the
Excelsior?"

      "From the looks of those two engines, I would say we will. Grabbing hold," Chief Dickson said.

      Chief Dickson grabbed onto the
Excelsior,
then activated an electromagnet to lock himself in place. The rest of the team soon followed him onto the cruise ship's hull. "Get that Quik-Cut in place. Laumer, break into that shielding and see if the crew woman is still alive."

      Technician Laumer took her Space Jaws and attacked the seam of the temporary shelter. Moments later, she had a small crevice open, enough to peer inside to see that the woman was still alive. "She's still alive."

      "Good. I'd hate to do this for nothing," Dickson remarked. "Try to put in an Air Link to her. She's probably running low on air."

      Technician Laumer slipped in a hose with a special fitting on the end. If the woman inside could grab it and had enough room to reach her own tank, she could extend her oxygen supply out of the danger range. That would give the team more time to do the rescue safely.

      "Has she got it yet?" Dickson asked.

      "I can't tell. The hose is in the way. I'm going to open up another part of the shielding to find out," Laumer replied.

      "Ready to cut!"

      "Heads up! Fire in the hole!" Dickson called out.

     He activated the Quik-Cut. Laumer was locked onto part of the shielding as she pried it farther apart. The Quik-Cut broke through to a previous cut made from the inside of the ship. Without warning, Laumer spun off into space.

     Unbalanced suddenly, Laumer turned off the Space Jaws just as the sharp edges of the shielding cut through her safety cable. The Air Link hose snapped when it reached the breaking point between the trapped crew woman and the air tank Laumer carried. Without a controlling nozzle, the air shot out, complicating the trajectory Laumer was on. She and the loose hull plate began spinning wildly out into the asteroid field away from the protection given by the hull of
Space Rescue
One.

      "Chief! Laumer's line broke. She's out of control!"

      "Get back to working on the victim. Laumer knows what to do. She has suit thrusters to return on," Dickson said.

      Shelly grabbed for the Air Link hose. Catching hold of it, she fought for control as it whipped around past her hands. Thinking quickly, she tied it in a knot to shut off the air flow. Before she succeeded, her suit thrusters and radio were hit by the hose.

      "Laumer, you all right?" Dickson asked.

      Shelly finished cutting off the escaping air from the broken Air Link hose. She reached down for her thruster controls. She pressed on them without any reaction. Her outward spinning action continued without abatement.

      "Chief! I think Shelly's in trouble."

      Dickson replied, "No time now! We're all needed here to get this woman into the ship. Everyone take your place. Synchronize thrusters to mine."

      Shelly felt the tiny asteroids pinging against her armored space suit. She knew it wouldn't be long before something large enough to be lethal came her way. She hoped it would be quick and relatively painless.

      "Hold it, Chief! We're still attached. We need another Quik-Cut before she's free."

      "Chief, let me go after Shelly while you all work here."

      "No. Stay put. We're short-handed. None of us can be spared to go after Shelly," Dickson said.

***

The light over the airlock hatch on
Space Rescue One
changed from green to red to double red. The hatch opened permitting a solitary space suited person to exit. Glancing around, he shoved off in Laumer's direction without a safety line. As he left the ship, small jet thrusters shot out for a few moments, adjusting his trajectory and increasing his speed.

***

"Fire in the hole!"

     The Quik-Cut burned brightly, cutting through the last of the slag.

     "She's free, Chief."

     "Everyone take hold. Synchronize your thrusters. Activate!" Dickson said.

***

Richard stared out at Shelly as she tumbled wildly. He spotted the large asteroid heading her way. If he judged the distances and angles correctly, it was going to hit her. He was her only chance. Without thinking of his own safety, he activated his suit thrusters once more, increasing his speed and correcting his course to reach Shelly before it was too late.

      As he neared, he recognized that if he missed her, there wouldn't be enough time to try a second time. If he missed, Shelly was as good as dead. Richard stretched his arms wide, opening his fingers as if that would make his reach wider. His body approached Shelly's faster and faster. She became larger and larger as the distance narrowed.

      Too late! Richard could see that he was going to miss. He was less than a single degree off course when he started his pursuit. It grew to just a few millimeters too far apart for him to reach her as he caught up to her. He sensed himself going past, his fingertips clawing out for her, wanting desperately to save her. Gripped in agony over his failure, Richard cried to himself while hanging his head within his helmet. His fists clenched as he closed his eyes to suffer his defeat and the pain of his loss. Without thinking twice about it, he decided to continue on into space to die alongside the woman he secretly loved.

      Then he felt the jerk!

      Richard opened his eyes and glanced at his left hand, amazed to see that he somehow snagged Shelly's broken life line in his clenched armored fist. Until it returned him back to reality, he didn't even know he had anything. Quickly, he pulled Shelly hand over hand to himself so that he could jet them both out of danger. Moments later, Shelly's hands hugged him. Then his own hands activated his suit thrusters once more, sending them away from imminent danger.

      Shelly pressed her helmet against Richard's. "Richard! I'm glad to see you. My radio is broken. So are my thrusters."

      "I'm almost out of thruster power. I might only be prolonging your life rather than saving it."

      "At least you tried. Thank you, Richard. I owe you."

***

"Come on! Hurry up and get her inside. She's passed out. We don't have much time," Dickson said.

      "Chief Dickson. I'm with Shelly. Her radio and suit thrusters are broken. I'm almost out of propellant. I doubt if I can get us both back."

      "Hellfire, Richard! Why the hell did you disobey my instructions?" Dickson replied.

      "Can't we forget that for now, Chief? Shelly needs help. Now are you going to help her or would you rather waste everyone's time chewing me out publicly?"

      "Yeah, I guess chewing on you can wait. Are you two together?"

      "Affirmative. I'm using what propellant I have left to dodge asteroids," Richard said.

      "Very well. I'll see what we can do from this end," Dickson said.

      "Chief! I'll go after them."

      "No way, Clarke," Dickson replied.

      "Chief Dickson, is your team aboard?" Captain Shortner asked.

      "All except Laumer and Saber," Dickson replied.

      "That's what I'm asking. Stand by for maneuvers. Be ready to bring them in as soon as we're in position," Shortner said.

      "Yes, sir," Dickson replied.

***

Shelly removed her armored space suit, glad to be back inside the
Space
Rescue One.
Beside her, Richard was just getting his suit unsealed.

      "Saber, in my office now!" Dickson bellowed.

      Over the intercom, Captain Shortner's voice came through clearly. "Chief Dickson, Technicians Laumer and Saber, report to my briefing room at once."

***

Captain Shortner looked at the three personnel standing in front of him in their underwear. "I understand that we have a personnel problem in Rescue Team One. Am I correct?"

      "Yes, sir, a slight problem. I ordered Technician Saber to remain on board. I felt he was too much of a risk to take out with us," Dickson answered.

      "Technician Laumer, tell me what happened to you."

      She replied, "Sir?"

      "Just tell me what you know. Why did you wind up in the asteroid field? I want to get this over with quickly. Right now I've got Team Two handling the sleeve maneuver instead of your team," Shortner said.

      "I was handling the Space Jaws and the Air Link. While opening the shielding to see if the victim was getting the air hose, the Quik-Cut broke through the piece of shielding I was attached to. That sent me flying through space after the shielding edges cut my tether cable and the Air Link hose. The hose damaged my suit and sent me spinning. Then Richard, I mean, Technician Saber came out to my rescue. If not for him, I would have been crushed by the asteroids."

      "Is it standard team practice for one technician to handle both pieces of equipment?" Captain Shortner asked.

      "It's been done before. All of our technicians are qualified on all equipment," Dickson answered.

      "Shut up, Chief. I'm still getting information from Technician Laumer. Go on, Shelly," Shortner said.

      "Sir, uh, I guess it's not. I'm not sure on that," Laumer said.

      "I happen to know that it's not. Technician Laumer, you can leave now," Captain Shortner said.

      Shelly left the briefing room. When the door shut, Captain Shortner said, "You both are a pair of assholes. Chief, I ought to break you down in rank for going out short-handed like that. What you did led directly to one of our technicians being put in jeopardy of death. I can guess your reason for going out like that. I presume it has something to do with Technician Saber's drinking. Am I correct?"

      "Yes, sir," Dickson replied.

      "I thought as much. Well, if he's as much a hazard as you appear to be saying, then why haven't you put in paperwork to have him removed?" Shortner asked.

      "Well, sir, I wasn't sure anyone else would agree with me," Dickson answered.

      "That's not good enough. If Saber is a menace, then document it and request his dismissal. Otherwise, don't take your team out short-handed again unless it's because of an injury or I okay it. Now as for you, Technician Saber. You disobeyed a direct order from your team chief. What have you to say for yourself?"

      "Sir, his order was illegal in the first place, so I couldn't be guilty of disobeying it," Richard replied.

      "You're skating on thin ice here, mister. All that's keeping me from dismissing you from his team is a mere technicality. From here on out, you better get control over your drinking. You better not disobey any more orders, either, even if you believe them to be illegal. Am I understood?"

      "Are you ordering me to follow illegal orders when I know that they are?" Saber asked.

      Captain Shortner said, "Mister, you're pushing me and I don't push. What I'm telling you is that you're not a space lawyer and you don't interpret which orders are illegal. You follow your orders when they're given or I'll personally see to it that your career is over. Now get out before I put you in the brig."