Moonbase Crisis by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

Author:Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta [Anderson, Kevin J. & Moesta, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WordFire Press
Published: 2014-01-19T05:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

Looking startled, Song-Ye clung to her recaptured hamster. “What are those alarms for?”

“Meteors coming in, lots of them,” said Chief Ansari. “We’re detecting a number of hazardous objects. No telling where they might land.”

“Like a hailstorm in space,” Dyl said.

“The rocks are more spread out than that, but one direct impact could cause a great deal of damage.”

Dr. Romero began to rummage around at the back of the Control Center module. “Time to get to the bunker, Chief.”

“Standard emergency procedure. We’ll have to ride it out,” Ansari told the cadets. “Join us, quickly.”

A wave of panic hit Dyl at the thought of his sister out in the open during a meteor shower. “But we can’t leave the team outside unprotected!”

“Alarm sensors will have sounded on their suits, too. The major is an expert at finding protective cover. He’ll take care of your friends. No time to argue. Follow Dr. Romero.”

The doctor pulled on a recessed handle in the deck plates, revealing a hatch in the floor. “Come on! We’ll be cozy, but each of these is designed to hold four people.”

“And one hamster,” Song-Ye added.

Beneath the hatch, a thick-walled bunker had been dug into the ground, then lined with metal, sealed and fused. Dr. Romero slid down first, then helped Dyl, whose legs were a bit wobbly at the moment. The bunker was smaller than the inside of a minivan, so he crouched into a corner to make room for the others to enter. Song-Ye peered over the lip. “Good thing I’m not claustrophobic.”

“This is what we call our storm shelter,” explained Ansari. “The metal plating and the regolith itself give us plenty of shielding from impacts and from solar radiation. Each module has its own bolt hole, since we have to be able to get to them quickly. In a wall compartment there are emergency suits, but we hope we never have reason to use them.”

Alarms continued to blare. Song-Ye climbed down into the bunker with Dyl and Dr. Romero, while Ansari sent a last signal. “Major Fox’s team and Dr. Wu, take whatever cover you can. I have everyone else safe in the main shelter.”

“Are you sure Dr. Wu will be all right in the astro bubble?” Dyl called up.

Ansari climbed down and grasped the handle so she could close the hatch over their heads. “He’ll be in the storm shelter under the observatory. He should be fine.”

Song-Ye held onto the squirming hamster, stroking its fur.

“Now, we just wait it out,” Ansari said.

“We could tell ghost stories to pass the time,” Dyl offered. No one took him up on his suggestion, which was disappointing, since he could have used a distraction from the danger raining down above them.

Twinges in his damaged legs reminded Dyl of how much could happen in just an instant….

Five years ago JJ and Dyl had been carefree kids. They lived with their parents, a firefighter and a manager of a gift store, in a beautiful townhouse. After their father died fighting a fire, the next three years were rocky, but the Wrens got by, relying on each other for strength.

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