Over the six days it took to reach the Omega-245 system, Will and Debra’s initial optimism began to fade. After all, it’s not like it would have taken much effort to destroy the cruisers on the ground that were too damaged to fly. Why wouldn’t they have done it? And yet they flew on because it was the only chance they had.
They reached the Omega-245 system without incident. Entering the system, Will slowed the ship down while Debra used the sensors to scan the area of space around them. “Not seeing any ships,” she reported. “But we’re still too far away from the fourth planet to see anything.”
Will nodded. “I’ll take us in slow.”
“No ships orbiting the fourth planet,” said Debra once it was in sensor range.
“Good,” answered Will. “I’ll bring us into an orbit that will take us over the facility we destroyed.”
A half hour later, Debra was bent over the scanner display as the facility came into range. “Nothing, but rubble and chunks of metal,” she cried angrily,” lifting her head. “If nothing else they were thorough,” she said bitterly.
There was a slight beep from the sensor display. “Wait,” she cried quickly going back to the display. “I’m reading something, but I can’t quite make it out.” She twisted some knobs. “It seems to be coming from about fifty miles to the northeast.”
“Let’s take a closer look,” called Will as he brought the ship into the upper atmosphere.
Debra kept her gaze on the sensors as they flew over the site. “Sensors are showing something metal, but we’ll need to get closer to get any more detail.”
Will began flipping switches. “I’m taking us down.”
“I think it’s a ship,” called Debra excitedly as they drew closer.
As the ship dipped through the clouds Will flipped on the external view so they could get a look. An image of a huge mound of dirt and rocks pushed up out of the ground appeared on the viewscreen. However, as one looked along the mound, there appeared to places where metal appeared to be poking through the dirt and rocks. At the far end of the mound was what appeared to be the engine nozzles sticking out of the ground.
Will thought back to the battle they’d fought with the two cruisers after the facility has been destroyed. He’d sent the ship diving towards the ground and one of the cruisers hadn’t been able to pull up in time. That had to be the ship they were seeing below.
“It’s definitely a cruiser,” reported Debra. Suddenly, she looked over at Will. “I’m reading life signs inside.”
“Are you sure?” asking Will.
She nodded. “They’re coming from the aft end of the ship. The readings are too weak to get anything else, but they are there.”
Will shook his head as he brought the ship in for a landing as close to the cruiser as possible. He’d seen people survive crashes before, but people surviving in the wreckage for over two weeks was unheard of.
“How could they have just left them there?” asked Debra furiously.
“I don’t know,” answered Will. “My only guess is that they assumed the ship was destroyed and all the crew was lost. Even you had trouble bringing it up on sensors.”
Debra nodded. “But still, they should have sent someone to check.”
As soon as he shut down the engines, he and Debra unstrapped themselves from their seats and put on their jetpacks. “I’d think any survivors would have to be the engine section,” explained Will. “It’s the most structurally sound section of the ship.”
Before leaving the ship, they attached medikits, emergency oxygen, and other first aid supplies to their equipment belts along with blasters and a scanner. A cold wind blew by them as they stepped out onto the gantry. Activating their jetpacks, they flew over to the ship and landed near where the engines were sticking out of the ground. Even though it was half buried in the ground, the ship still towered over them.
After taking off her jetpack, Debra brought out her scanner and began walking towards the ship. “They’re in here,” she said. “I’m getting four human lifeform readings, all very weak.”
Will looked along the ship. “Our blasters can’t cut through the ship’s skin. We’ll have to find another way in.” He looked forward along the ship. “We could try digging out one of the forward hatches,” he suggested.
“Not sure we’d be able to find them though all the rubble,” answered Debra.
Will started walking towards the back of the ship. “As I recall, this class cruiser has as access tunnel near the engines to get to the electronics. We might be able to get in through there.”
The massive nozzle assemblies of the engine kept the area around the engine in deep shadow. Will and Debra brought out their lights and made their way past the nozzles to where they attached to the ship. “I think the access tunnel’s on the port side,” said Will.
The two of them made their way over, pushing past hanging cables, climbing over chunks of rock which has been pushed out of the ground, and squeezing through the small openings left by engine components which had fallen off the ship. As they went along, they shined there lights around them looking for the hatch which led to the access tunnel.
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Finally, they found it. It was a circular hatch about fifteen feet off the ground. However, there was a ladder which led up to it. “There should be a manual entry mechanism,” explained Will. “I’ll see if I can get it open and you can follow me in.”
“Okay,” said Debra. “So that will get us into the ship?”
Will shook his head. “No, but it will get us inside the ship’s skin so we can use our blasters to cut our way in.”
He climbed up the ladder while Debra positioned her light so he could see. Reaching the hatch, he wrapped one of his arms around the ladder and grabbed the circular hand wheel which would open the hatch. He tried turning it with all his strength but it wouldn’t budge. “No good,” he called down to Debra. “I’ll need a long piece of pipe or something to get better leverage.”
“I’ll find something,” she hollered up to him. There were a lot of ship debris on the ground around the engines and it didn’t take her long to find a solid metal tube about five feet long. “I’m coming up,” she cried as she began climbing the ladder with an arm wrapped around the tube. When she was close enough to Will, she reached up and handed it to him.
“Thanks,” he said as he slipped in through the spokes on the hand wheel. Once it was in place he pulled down on it, putting as much weight as he could on it while maintaining his balance on the ladder. Finally, with a loud squeal, the wheel began to move. After each half turn, Will had to reposition the tube, but at last he was able to swing the hatch open.
He crawled inside and turned on his light. Shining it down the tunnel he saw that with the exception of some wires and cables the way was clear. “Come on up,” he shouted as he began crawling forward. Debra was soon behind him and they moved deeper into the tunnel.
“How long is this thing,” called Debra after about ten minutes of crawling.
“Don’t know,” called back Will. “It must run at least the length of the engines.”
The continued on until the tunnel ended at a small opening where was sufficient room for the two of them sit beside on another. The walls around them were covered in electrical panels which were all dark. Debra pulled out the scanner and looked down at it.
“They’re definitely behind this wall,” she said, concern in her voice. “But their life signs are growing weaker.
“Help me pull off these panels covers,” instructed Will. “We should be able to cut through here.”
They set to work pulling off the covers and in a few minutes they’d exposed the wiring, components, and the wall behind them.
Will pulled out his blaster and set it to fine beam. “Let’s move back in the tunnel.”
Debra backed her way in followed by Will who moved just far enough inside to protect his head. Reaching forward with the blaster he began firing. Darkness was immediately transformed to brilliant light that even reached back into the tunnel. Smoke and sparks shot from the wall as the beam from the laser hit it. Will stopped firing every few minutes to peer past the tunnel exit to see his progress. After about fifteen minutes, there was a melted outline in the wall that was big enough for them to fit through.
Will moved out of the tunnel and leaned back so his feet were facing the wall. Kicking with both feet, he pushed it through and it fell to the floor on the other side with a loud echoing clang. A blast of foul smelling air came through the opening which almost made Will gag.
“Masks,” he cried as he pulled the emergency air supply from his utility belt. Debra immediately followed suit.
The opening they’d made was about five feet off the floor. Will jumped to the floor and then helped Debra down. Shining their lights around, they couldn’t see any of the other walls.
“Definitely the engine room,” observed Will as they made their way forward. The walls were covered with control panels many of which had been damaged. Cabinets and tables were on their sides, their contents lying beside them. Oxygen canisters, water containers, and food packs where strewn around the floor. All appeared to be empty.
Debra pulled out her scanner. “Over here,” she called rushing over to one of the walls. On the floor lay three men and a woman, huddled by a crack in the engine room wall that let some air in from outside. One of the men had a splint on his leg and the woman had a bandage wrapped around her head.
Will and Debra pulled out the extra emergency oxygen they’d brought and slipped the masks over the faces of the four unconscious people. Debra looked down at the scanner. “They’re all suffering from severe dehydration, low oxygen levels, and likely haven’t eaten for at least a week.”
Debra and Will pulled out their medikits and immediately got to work. They gave them injections of trateronlin to help increase their oxygen levels then a concentrated glucose/nutrient injection to counter the effects of not eating. Finally, Will and Debra applied hydro packs to the four of them to replenish their water levels. When they finished, Debra took out her scanner. “Better,” she said, “but we need to get them back to the ship.”
Will looked back toward the way they came in. “Might be difficult to get them through the tunnel.”
“Then let’s see if we can find another way out,” said Debra.
“The main entrance to the engine room is over here,” called Will, leading the way.
However, when they reached it, they found a massive door had sealed the entrance off.
Will shook his head. “Blast door,” he explained. “Without power there’s no way of opening it.”
They continued looking. “What’s that?” asked Debra pointing her light at a hatch on one of the walls.
“It’s an escape pod,” said Will coming over, excitement in his voice. He opened the hatch and looked inside. “Looks like it’s been damaged,” he said with a sigh. “Normally escape pods have their own power system, but this one’s dead.” His face suddenly lit up. “However, there should be another two of them in here.”
They looked around and eventually found them, but they were in the same condition as the first. Will sat down on the floor by the escape pop. “Looks like we’ve no choice but to take them back through the tunnel.”
“So there’s no way we can use the escape pods to get out.”
Will shook his head. “Without power, there’s no way to initiate the explosive bolts which hold the escape pods to the ship.”
“Couldn’t we cut them away with a blaster like you did the wall?” asked Debra.
Will just sat there and stared at her. “That’s it,” he cried. “However, it’s not cutting we need to do, but heating. We can use our blasters to heat the wall around the escape pod and when it gets hot enough, it should cause the explosive bolts to detonate.”
Going to the escape pod furthest from the four injured people, Will and Debra crouched down behind a nearby console. “I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen, so stay down,” warned Will.
“Right.”
They drew their blasters and aimed them at the escape pod hatch. After ducking down they began firing. After a few minutes, Will peered above the console. “It’s starting to turn red,” he called. “Keep firing.”
He’d barely finished speaking when an explosion ripped through the wall shaking the ship and sending shrapnel flying throughout the room.