Edge of the Abyss: A Space Opera Novella (Max Mars Book 4) by Tripp Ellis

Author:Tripp Ellis
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Publisher: Tripp Ellis
Published: 2017-10-19T06:00:00+00:00

14

Max sneezed, blowing spatters of mucus across her visor.

“God bless you,” Winston said.

“Thank you."

The two exchanged an ominous glance.

“I'm sure it's nothing,” Winston assured her, but he was concerned.

“I’m fine. Really.” Max was feeling anything but fine. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded and weak in the knees.

Dobson's voice crackled in Max's ear. “I think I found the problem."

“What is it?”

“Hull breach. One of those meteors tore through the cooling tower. The system shut down when it started to overheat, as a precautionary measure. I think I can patch it up and recharge the cooling fluid. Can you go outside and slap a patch on the exterior hull and see if you can find any other damage?”

“Where is the damage located?”

“Section 92. Just starboard of the centerline.”

“Consider it done.”

“Excellent.”

Max almost didn't ask, but she was curious. “How are you feeling?”

“All things considered, I feel fine." He paused a moment. "What about you?” Concern grew in his voice. “You’re not showing signs of infection, are you?"

“No.” Max didn’t want to alarm him.

"Okay. That’s good. Maybe we got lucky, right?”

“Let’s hope.”

“Keep me posted on your progress."

“Wilco.”

“Do you want me to repair the hull?” Winston asked, recognizing Max’s obvious distress.

“No. I need you in here working on that virus and looking for a possible cure.”

“I'll let you know as soon as I analyze this injection device.” He paused a moment. “Be careful out there.”

“Always.”

Max exited the lab and went through the decontamination procedure in the airlock. A light flashed green, and the main hatch opened. Max stepped into the corridor. She weaved through the hallways and found a storage locker with hull maintenance supplies. Every exterior compartment on the ship had supplies to repair hull damage. It was a standard safety measure.

Max grabbed a roll of hull tape, an activator, and a plasma torch. The hull tape came in 10 foot rolls that were 2 feet wide and a half-inch thick. It had the consistency of electrical tape. It was a soft, pliable composite alloy with an adhesive on one side. All you had to do was peel off the backing and affix it to the hull, covering the damaged area. The activator was a handheld device with two prongs on the end. It sent a charge through the tape that caused the alloy to harden. The finished product was 20 times harder than the strongest titanium alloy. It was a quick and effective way to seal hull breaches.

Max attached the tools to retractable cables on her utility belt. There was nothing worse than losing a proprietary tool while working outside of the ship, watching it spiral into the abyss. It would cause unnecessary delays, and would require a trip back inside to find a replacement. With hull breaches, time was usually of the essence.

Max marched through the corridors to the nearest starboard airlock. Once she was outside, she activated her mag boots and clamped onto the hull. She began the arduous walk across the ship toward the centerline.

Max was breathing heavier this time, and sweating more.

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