Chapter 13: Problematic Journey

The massive sphere of Jupiter diminished on the central hologram as the Endurance pushed away, burning a course across the blackness of space toward the planet Saturn. When we were well underway, I signaled through my console for Leo and Sheila to join me for a meeting. It took only a few minutes for them to arrive and take nearby seats around the circular counter.

"Are you aware of what we've been planning?" I asked Leo.

"The population of the Endurance is diminishing with every colony established, so word travels fast among those who remain," Leo replied.

"The Endurance is filled with the supplies we needed for the Saturn base," I went on. "We can't get them out, so the logical choice is to leave them where they are now. We can either keep the Endurance as part of the base, or we can collect the necessary seeds when the plants release them and build an entirely new environmental area on the Saturn station. Opinions?"

"Even if we wait for the seeds, we'll still have a period of time where the Endurance is the sole provider of environmental support," Sheila commented. "I think we should keep the Endurance as the primary base."

"Alright," I said. "Leo, what do you think?"

"I agree," he answered. "If the power, water, and air will be supplied by the Endurance, we wouldn't require the modules for them."

"Which would you recommend as being essential?" I inquired.

"Living space on the Endurance was seriously limited, compromising comfort for functionality," Leo began. "I'd say the best modules to put down first would be the habitation units."

"Very good," I accepted. Turning a few knobs on my console, I adjusted the hologram to display an image of the Endurance. As new modules were added to the list of requirements, I made them appear next to the transparent representation of the ship. I kept them clustered together for the time being as base design was next on the schedule after we decided what modules would be put into service.

"Our medical facility is fine for minor things, but for a growing colony, we'll need the fully equipped module," Sheila put forward.

I nodded my approval and added it to the hologram. "We'll also require an operating science lab as we don't currently have anything onboard to handle the research new colonies must undertake during their first years."

"It isn't a current priority with the quality of those here, but as population grows, security posts are recommended as well," Leo pointed out.

"We won't need power generators, water filtration centers, or environmental support because those work fine here," Sheila said. "It should be easy enough to run the connecting conduits from the ship to whatever module needs it."

"What order do you think would be best?" I questioned.

"May I offer a suggestion?" Philip injected into the conversation.

"Always," I encouraged. "What do you have?"

"Since the deployment of the Jupiter bases," Philip began, "the module holding bays have been emptied. Why don't you bring the modules online in one of these areas? They already possess sufficient space. You wouldn't have to run external conduits out to them for everything would be contained inside the hull. When the station is ready to expand, the modules not in use can be deployed to Saturn's surface without the need for new supplies sent from Earth."

"What a brilliant idea," I praised. Turning my focus toward my structural engineer, I asked a question. "How about it, Leo? Can you do it?"

"Easier than putting a base together on the planet's surface," he responded. "In fact, we could probably start on the work before we even get there."

"Great idea," I commended. "Let's go."

I stood from my chair, but before I could leave, an explosion trembled the deck under my boots. An instant later, the Endurance pitched hard and either dumped people out of their seats or threw them across the room. I managed to find a grip on the hologram console, but when the ship righted itself, I landed on the holoprojector. Pain lanced through my side and made me see stars. I gritted my teeth together to keep from letting out a scream.

Crawling off the console, I noticed red lights flashing everywhere, and the alarm klaxon seemed to coincide with the pounding inside my skull.

"Report!" I half groaned and half shouted.

"One of the primary engine controllers failed, and the backups didn't activate," Philip answered. Having robotic legs, he'd managed to be the only one to remain at his post. "We lost three thrusters, but I was able to correct our course before the remaining engines shut down."

"In case of control failure, the system deactivates the engines to protect them against further overload," I said as I recalled the design specifications. Pressing a hand to my ribs drew a wince. I was relieved not to find any blood, but my side hurt badly. "Get repair crews working to restore engine control, and deploy all medical teams to begin treating injuries."

"Yes sir," Philip acknowledged.

With the ship's condition being attended to, I started checking on my crew. Sheila had been further away from the console than me, and she'd been thrown head first into the unyielding outer housing. A large lump on her forehead was already noticeable, and a cut in its center was bleeding profusely. I knew head wounds were notorious for excess blood loss, so I started working to stem the flow immediately.

I grabbed a medical kit mounted on the wall and popped the two latches holding it closed. Reaching inside, I removed a small flat triangle of flexible plastic filled with a green fluid. I broke the tip off the triangle and squeezed its contents onto her injury. The substance would hasten the regeneration of the damaged tissue and help her heal faster than normal.

Lifting it out of the padded interior of the medical kit, I removed a small device. It had a cylindrical handle and a thin rod on the end that measured the same length as my index finger. A row of flickering lights ran down the side of the rod from the handle to its tip. Placing the device's pointed end against Sheila's forehead, I pressed a button on the handle with my thumb. The component hummed slightly as it began to work. Called a bone fuser, the instrument scanned the body for any breaks. If a fracture were found, the internal mechanics would determine how the bones had been positioned before the break occurred and put them back together by use of a projected gravity field. Once in place, the bones were energized by the fuser to accelerate the body's natural healing functions to effect repairs.

I passed the fuser across Sheila to be certain she hadn't suffered any other injuries. Her neck adjusted slightly when I moved the fuser past it, so I knew she'd damaged something. Relief flowed through me when she opened her eyes.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"A bit fuzzy, but otherwise fine," she answered. "What happened?"

"Engine failure," I told her. "We're still on course, but we currently have no control."

"How about you?" Sheila questioned as she eyed my hand pressing against my ribs.

"I'll live," I responded, offering a weak smile.

Although she returned the smile, Sheila appropriated the medical kit and equipment. Taking a hold of my shoulder, she eased me back into a sitting position against the holographic display. I closed my eyes and let her work, finding and mending my injuries as I had done for her.

Medical personnel in white uniforms swept into the room like a commando team. Once through the door, they split ranks and rushed to the sides of those who'd been hurt. Using complex devices I'd only seen a few times, they began restoring the injured to working order.

"What's the status on the engines?" I asked Philip when Sheila completed her task and helped me stand. The bruise on her forehead had already vanished.

"The control relays are melted," Philip replied. "We might be able to get a few moments of engine power, but after that, they'll either shut down permanently or start overloading and explode."

"Can we rewire them?" Sheila inquired.

"No," Philip denied. "There isn't sufficient time before we reach Saturn to make the necessary repairs."

"If we don't have the engines, we can't slow down, and we'll crash," I pointed out.

"Unfortunately, yes," Philip confirmed. "With the estimated engine power available when we arrive at Saturn, we won't have enough to slow our velocity to a sufficient degree."

I activated a timer on my console to display the arrival time at Saturn. An idea had come to my mind, but it would only cause more problems if it were deployed improperly. Rather than try to do the calculations in my head, I let Philip in on it, so he could assist me.

"What about the construction ships?" I posed. "Since the Endurance is going to be the Saturn base, we won't need them again. Could we anchor them to the outer hull and use them to slow us down?"

"Negative," Philip denied. "Our engines are mounted on the internal structure. The construction vessels wouldn't be able to connect in such a way, so they wouldn't have the full support required. Additionally, any cuts we made in the hull would compromise its integrity."

"Any other options?" I pressed, refusing to give up and die.

"A permutation on your idea, sir," Philip stated. "Instead of attaching them to the hull, the construction ships could fly in close formation around the Endurance and utilize their gravity tethers. It would prove risky."

"How so?" Sheila asked before I could.

"If any of the engines overload, the resulting explosion could damage the ships near it," Philip told us.

"Since it's a choice between taking a chance to live or accepting certain death, I'll take the chance," I resolved. "Estimate the time we need to get our ships in position and alert every qualified pilot we have when the time comes. Until then, we have some base modules to install."

"As you command," Philip accepted.

***

Getting the modules installed and linked to the systems of the Endurance was easier than expected. After recently setting up three bases, the actions were familiar and helped focus everyone's thoughts on something other than the possibility of crashing.

"Attention all pilots," Philip's voice said from the intercom. "Proceed to your ships and ready them for deployment."

I checked the time on a wall mounted computer terminal. Being so focused on our work, I'd lost track of the passing hours. Putting away my tools, I headed for one of the launch bays. Sheila accompanied me.

A significant number of our pilots had been members of the colony forces we'd left behind on Ganymede and Jupiter. Their work had been completed, so it hadn't been necessary for them to continue with the rest of us, but it now left the Endurance very short on pilots. We had enough to set up the Saturn base efficiently, but trying to slow the massive vessel was something else entirely. The more construction ships we deployed, the wider net we could throw, so everyone who could fly was being pressed into service, including Sheila and myself.

We entered the bay and climbed into our ships. Flying out of the Endurance, we took up positions around the hull in a ring near the tail of the spherical vessel. On my central cockpit display, I beheld the beautiful rings of Saturn. Floating silently in space, the stunning planet was one of my favorites. My only regret was that I currently lacked the time to appreciate it properly.

The construction ships were in place, and I signaled to Philip our readiness. An indicator light flashed on my status screen, and I opened a channel to all craft flying with me.

"Prepare for transition," I instructed.

To be in the proper orientation for landing, the Endurance needed to turn around and be facing engines down, but we didn't dare use the thrusters for such a task as they might burn out before we really needed them. Activating the required controls, I turned on the gravity tether. On my screen, computer rendered images of the other ships also latched on with theirs.

"All together now," I ordered as I slowly turned my ship to port.

The engine vibration began shaking my ship with violent intensity. Never before had the small craft been required to move an object the size of the Endurance, and the strain was immense. The combined effort of the fleet managed to shift the massive vessel and get it pointed in the proper direction.

"Begin deceleration procedures now," I instructed my fellow pilots as the first wisps of Saturn's freezing atmosphere began to pass us.

I felt as if my ship would shake apart as the drag on its tether increased. Although the gravity of Saturn was only slightly greater than Earth, the extra pull it exerted on the Endurance didn't help in our efforts to slow the ship down. I held onto the flight control lever with both hands, fighting to keep my craft in the proper position.

The thrusters of the Endurance came on as Philip fired them, temporarily reducing the burden on the construction ships. One of the thrusters was mounted forward and to the right of my vessel, and when it sparked, I knew something was wrong. The thruster overloaded in a tremendous fireball. Flaming debris streaked toward me, but I couldn't release the tether and abandon my position as it would only create more problems for those remaining. I had no choice, so I closed my eyes tightly and plowed straight through the burning maelstrom.