From: ender@rodan.UU.NET (Pete "Ender" Walsh)
Newsgroups: alt.romance.chat
Subject: Space Cadets, episode #27
Date: 5 Jan 1993 03:01:46 -0500
Organization: UUNET Technologies Inc, Falls Church, VA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net


Back after a holiday sabbatical...

It coulda been worse... we coulda done reruns like the networks... }=>


Spaaaaaaaaace Cadets, episode #27:  "Between A Rock And..."

===============================================================================

{MROC here, I was just recounting the last few moments before Dohram and
 Andrea boarded the Shark to Ender...}

"Dohram had picked up Andrea, who had collapsed from running at exosuit
 speeds for some time, and siad she had a very weak pulse.  He switched
 on the cloaking field but there wasn't much power left in the cell.  I
 sent the Eeel to him with a spare cell, at which time he cloaked again
 and used the bioenhancers to leap towards the transport.  In mid-leap
 he activated a tractor and landed on the topside of the transport.  He
 ran for the Shark and I kept the Eeel right on his tail.  The chance
 that anyone would see the Eeel on the topside were minimal during the
 liftoff procedure.  Things got even more interesting when the ship began
 to lift.  Dohram switched off the cloak and activated the magnetic soles
 of his boots.  Finally they reached the Shark and collapsed inside.  I
 closed the canopy and cycled the internal atmosphere... with two of them
 in there it's gonna get a little ripe before long."

E:  "At least they're aboard and undetected, as far as we can tell.  How
     long until we make that asteroid field?"

M:  "We're almost on it now.  One other thing, Dohram's vitals indicate
     some confusion..."

E:  "Confusion?  I guess that's to be expected."

M:  "Agreed, but it's not confusion over their chances of success.  The
     confusion seems to center on those times when Andrea was making use
     of her greater than human abilities, such as the long run to the
     transport."

E:  "I see.  Hmmmm.  Well, he'll have to work it out for himself I suppose.
     If they both regain consciousness soon they'll have plenty of time to
     work it out one way or the other, though a cramped space with an
     overworked atmosphere is probably not the best place.  If he's still
     `confused' as you put it when they're back aboard I'll have a chat
     with him.  I understand where he's coming from..."

M:  "Meaning?"

E:  "None of your business...  the past...  anyway, I'll explain some of
     the advantages of the situation to him.  And speaking of advantages,
     Hello Kathy!"

K:  "Hiya...  looks like we've reached the asteroids.

E:  "Yeah.  MROC was just filling me in on Dohram and Andrea.  Have a seat
     and we can bring you up to date and go over my plan..."

===============================================================================

{Ender had me move the GGPlat as close to the center of the asteroid field
 as possible, no easy task I'll have you know.  I found a point slightly
 "southwest and up" from the center of the field that was relatively devoid
 of the tumbling terrors and "parked" the GGPlat there until I could find
 a suitable candidate for Ender's plan.  I soon located a roughly potato
 (no `e') shaped asteroid approximately 3km long, .3km in diameter, and
 with only a slight spin along its major axis.  It wobbled a little bit,
 but not as much as some of its smaller brothers.  I pointed it out to
 Ender and he had me plot an intercept course.  An hour later we matched
 course and velocities and made our initial landing...}

M:  "We've landed."

K:  "No kidding...  that was quite a thud."

E:  "Heh heh.  One learns to avoid chairs during asteroidal landings...
     and to stand with your knees slightly flexed."

K:  "Gee, thanks for the warning...  Now what?"

E:  "Now I suit up and take Oingo and Boingo out for a look."

K:  "You mean WE suit up."

E:  "Now listen...  MROC said the spin and wobble were minimal, but 
     minimal for asteroids is still pretty significant.  One wrong step
     and you could be flung away from the surface at a pretty good clip."

K:  "Are you suggesting that I'm clumsy... Captain?"

E:  "Far from it...  BUT..."

M:  "Sorry to interrupt you two, but I've detected a metallic object and
     faint power readings about .24km spinward."

{Note:  We had agreed to land parallel to the major axis and had dubbed the
 direction the GGPlat was facing "north".  Of course the rear of the ship
 faced "south".  We decided to use "spinward" and "antispinward" as opposed
 to "east" and "west" due to the small circumference of the asteroid.  I
 hope that it is obvious that "spinward" is in the direction of spin, 
 "antispinward" would be moving against the spin.}

K [with finality]:  "Why don't WE go take a look?"

E:  "Right.  MROC, we'll keep in touch by the suit comms.  Be ready to lift
     at a moment's notice and watch for incoming asteroids."

===============================================================================

{I monitored their progress through Oingo and Boingo.  The EVA suits we had
 onboard were nearly the latest technology (provided by Ender and probably
 stolen on one of his pirate raids), with a few modifications by Dohram.
 The suits were far from bulky, almost formfitting, and very flexible.
 Still they were quite rugged...  they could stop an average 9mm bullet
 (assuming one chose to use such antiquated technology) at close range,
 though the occupant would get quite a bruise.  They made good time and
 arrived quite quickly at the location my sensors had indicated.}

E:  "Would you look at that...  It looks like a cross between an Incom 
     T-65 Mk IV and the old "Starchaser"."

M:  "Indeed.  It seems to be some sort of one man fighter, though the class
     and design are unknown to me.  It does LOOK a bit like a T-65 crossed
     with the "Starchaser", but the design is much more fluid.  Can you see
     any writing or markings on the exterior?"

K:  "None.  And I can tell you that nothing like this has ever landed on
     Nymph.  I've seen thousands of ships go in and out of the spaceport,
     yes even fighters, but other than T-65s nothing came close to this."

E:  "I'm going to pop the canopy and peak inside.  Oingo and Boingo can
     scout the area for the pilot... or his remains.  MROC, any idea
     how long it's been here?"

M:  "Impossible to say without further analysis."

E:  "Figures... say, the controls look familiar enough.  Stick, stick
     controls, four floor pedals, toggles and buttons on the panels, three
     flat vidscreens.  There are markings here, but in no language I've
     ever seen.  Looks similar to the phoenetic alphabet.  I'd like to
     power it up but..."

M:  "Ender?  Captain?  Kathy, what has happened?"

K:  "He sat down in the seat and the canopy closed.  Interior lights have
     come on.  He tapped his helmet a few times, now he's signaling that
     he's okay and motioning for me to pop the canopy from the outside."

E:  "Wow...  the cockpit must be energy sealed in some fashion.  As soon
     as I shut it my comm squealed for a moment then went dead.  All the
     systems seemed to activate.  The screens all came on but I couldn't
     make much sense of them.  One, probably a nav screen, was showing
     what appeared to be a realtime display of the asteroid field.  I was
     slightly incorrect about the screens, the "glass" of the cockpit
     also had numerous heads-up type displays.  The interior must have
     at least partially pressurized because I could hear a voice...  I
     don't know if it was a recording, computer, or comm signal...  I
     definitely didn't understand the language, though it sounded almost
     Gaelic.  We've GOT to get this ship aboard the GGPlat somehow."

M:  "Difficult."

E:  "Did Oingo or Boingo find any sign of the pilot?"

M:  "Yes.  Boingo report finding a pressure suit containing mummified
     remains in a nearby fissure.  He and Oingo are transporting it back
     to the lab now."

E:  "Hmmmmm.  When they're done send them back out here with two of the
     larger repulsorlift kits.  Maybe we can float this baby back to the
     'Plat."

M:  "That won't be easy... and there are several asteroids in paths which
     may soon intersect with this one."

E:  "Then we'll hurry."

===============================================================================

What's Ender's fascination with a space relic?  Who was the mysterious
pilot?  Will Dohram and/or Andrea wake up?  What exactly is Ender's plan?

More questions (and maybe a few answers) in the next episode of:

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCE CAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDETSS!!!!


=============================================-=================================
Ender, Secretary to the President of the RFA | InterNet: ender@triryche.uu.net
	   CoHost of the ARC/RFA BeaChat '92 | UUCP:  {anysite}!triryche!ender
		CoAuthor of Spaaaaace Cadets | UUNet Tech., Falls Church, VA
       & Grace's Big Bro and Official Poster |  The following is umop apisdn.
=============================================-=================================
"If you can keep your head while all those about you are losing there's,
 then perhaps you have misunderstood the situation." - _The_Long_Run_