Episode 5

'I always hated the trip down to the hallway.'

Michael looked over at the Head of Security.

'What?  There's something that break through that implacable shell?'

Craig grimaced.  'It's the gravity shift.  I'm all right at zero.  I'm all right at the end of the arm.  Heck, I'm all right in the middle.  It's the slow change.  Makes me want to hurl.'

Michael shrugged. 'I didn't ask you along.  You could have just sent the Wonder Twins down with me.'

Shannon and Elizabeth glanced at each other.

Craig shook his head.  'Orders is orders.  I'll ride down the hall with you.  S'only.. what, 2 miles?'

'Eh, give or take.'

The elevator lapsed into a sullen silence.  The three headed outside spent there time reviewing each others suits, making sure everything was closed.

Magnets in everyone's shoes kept them firmly attached to the floor, while the three helmets stayed attached to the wall. 

'Remind me again why we have to go so slow?'

Shannon's eyes rolled heavenwards, catching themselves with a glance to ensure her bosses eyes were still closed.

'Craig, you know very well...'

'Just say it.'

A hint of green was beginning to show in Craig's cheeks and Michael knew it was time to stop pushing buttons.

'As the elevator moves from the area of heavy gravity to zero gravity, a certain speed needs to be kept in order so that an average human being will not experience certain medical conditions that would be uncomfortable to say the least.  That is not to say that people who feel the effects of the movements at a slow speed have a lower constitution, merely that their inner ear is-'

The bell rung and doors slid open, revealing a long corridor disappearing into the distance.  Both cars sat on their tracks, one having been warmed up before the group entered the elevator.

Craig strode out, leaving the others behind, trying not to laugh.  'I'm driving.'

'Aye aye, sir.'  Michael parroted the honest salute of the security detail and wandered over to the tool closet, pondering his options.  He looked at his satchel by his side and picked a few random tools that were rarely used.  'Well,' he thought 'a rare, unknown occurrence calls for a rarely used tool.'  Walking carefully back over to the car, he strapped himself into the rear seat beside Shannon.  'Let's go.'

The car accelerated quickly and before anyone realized it, they slowed to their destination. 

'Wait here, Jeeves, we'll only be a couple shakes of a lambs tail.'

Michael unbuckled, pushed off and floated through the hole in the ceiling towards the upper airlock, although in zero gravity, 'upper' had little meaning.  The two guards floated in behind him.  Slowly, they made sure that all three helmets were securely locked down and they were ready to seal the airlock.

'Have either of you ever been on an EVA?'

'No.'

'Me either.'

'I probably should have asked that before we got all the way down here.'

'Yessir, you should have.  We've trained in these suits down in the hallway enough hours to qualify for EVA work.  We have your back.'

'What about the rest of me?'

'What was that sir?'

'Nothing, nothing...  Well, lets go.'  Michael reached over and keyed the airlock cycle sequence, sliding the inner door sealed.  'Radio test, 1.2.3.  Shannon?'

'Aye.'

'Elizabeth?'

'Call me Beth.  It's faster.'

'Bridge?'

'Sharon here.  You're go for evac.'

'Roger.'  The green button depressed and the sound of rushing air drowned out everything else.  As the air pressure dial rolled down, the outer door slowly slid open. 

'Bridge, first report.  It looks like the rock shield around here has come a little closer.  I'd estimate about 8.3 feet headroom.'

'Rg...... err, you'd *estimate* 8 *point three* feet?'

'Sorry Bridge, I don't have a ruler to be more exact.'

'Right... well... Carry on.'

The three slowly emerged from the airlock, feet clamping down on the deck after pushing back down from the low surrounding ceiling.  'Ok, ladies.  This is local only, so no one needs to hear me giving you instructions, right?  Ladies?  Hello?'

Both guards were staring around the outside of the ship, extending all the way back to the stern miles and miles away, a shell of asteroids surrounding them.  Michael shook his head.  'Ok, girls, it takes a few minutes.  I'll let you get used to it.  Bridge?  The rocks are close, but seem pretty stable.  Hold for one second.'  He fumbled in his bag and pulled out a small instrument and pointed it at the rocks.  'Just a single spot check or two, but thickness seems to be uniform.  Nothing coming in.'

Michael pointed over to a thin walkway.  'Ok, girls we go up that ramp.  Just follow me.  Think you're ready?'  He assumed the murmurs were both in the affirmative and headed up onto the problem container.

'Ok, bridge.  I'm on the container, I'm going to start on the top side, work my way in, bottom, and then outside.'

'What about the endcaps?'

'Uhhh.  Good point.  I'll look over the edges when I get there.  Shannon, Beth, just follow me.  We have roughly five soccer pitches to look over.  Not that I expect you guys to know, but, if you see anything odd, just hollar.'

Square foot by square foot inspections take time.  Progress was slow, but uneventful.

'Bridge, we're coming up on the last bit of the outside and, I have to tell you, there's no-'

Craig glanced at the radio.

'.... Michael?'

'There's something here.  It isn't part of the container design.  It does not look friendly.'

Craig grabbed at the radio.  'Bridge, Craig here.  Send a remote viewer, now.  Beth, look at the ... something.'

Sharon's voice could be heard bellowing orders in the background as Beth spoke slowly.  'Boss, it's a device.  Definitely not friendly.  No identifying marks.  No obvious point of entry.'

'Michael, Craig...'

'Sharon?'

'Get that off my ship.  That damn light just started blinking faster.'

Michael looked at the deck.  'Ok, ok, ok.  No removable panels.  Shit.  Why couldn't someone place something like this on a removable panel.  Shit shit.  Sharon, I need the rock cover moved from here.  Now.  Do you have my location?  Aft end, outside panel.'  He grabbed a spool of wire attached to his suit.  'Shan, go hook this to that eyelet right over there.  Quick.'  Digging through his bag, he quickly came out with a cutter.  'Lets see... 7 inches thick.  Craig, the panel at that junction, log in, go to Cargo Controls.'  The cutter sparked to life.  'If you want to keep breathing, you need to lock down container A.  the bridge could do it, but they sound a bit busy.'  Looking up, he could see the glint of light flash off the service droid flying towards him. 

'Uhhhh... done.  I think.'

'Well, if it doesn't get windy there in a second, you'll know you did it right.'

The droid quickly pulled up beside him, breaking into separate units.  A smaller unit, more eyes than anything else, settled down next to the aberration on the hull, taking as many pictures as it could, while the other units started opening a skylight above.

'Girls?  Go away.  Quick.'  Grabbing a magnet in one hand and slamming it against the hull, Michael quickly began to slice into the hull as drop of molten material flew past his helmet propelled by the expelling air from the cargo unit.

Shannon looked at the air.  'All those people........'

'.... are in airtight shells and won't even notice a vacuum.'

Minutes passed, the gash in the hull grew.

'Bridge.  I am almost done.  2 more minutes.'

'Good.  The light is solid red.'

'Did not need to know that.'

Michael stopped and looked at his work.  'Dammit, I hope this is worth it.'  Sliding his fingers into the gash, he lifted the piece of skin and looked up at the new open roof.  'I never thought I'd see the stars again on this trip.'  Flexing his legs, he pushed off, pushing the skin and it's attachment ahead of him as his tether grew taut, he pushed with one last bit of strength at the skin, hoping that Newton's Law would be enough.  A droid flew by him, coming up on the ships new traveling companion and continued to accelerate.  'Uhhh, good idea, Bridge.'  Reaching down to activate the pulley to drag him back to the ship, he took one last glance at the tiny speck.

A tremendous flash of silent, white light rewarded him as he zipped back into the rock cocoon.