Relentless: Book One of the Union Warship Saga by Scott Mullins

Author:Scott Mullins [Mullins, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-02-21T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Adrift

Adrift, (from a ‘on, in’ + drift. (Of a ship or its passengers) floating without being either moored or steered. (Of a person) without purpose or guidance; lost and confused.)

The blue supergiant Rigel bathed the system in a lustrous glow. The sky glittered with a trail of what appeared to be millions of diamonds. The burned out husk of Balin Tor V hung gloomily in its orbit, the moon Oricon was partially obscured on the horizon. The sun glared off the charred surface as the Relentless exited hyperspace and adjusted course.

“Calibration and test of the hyperdrive successful,” Galloway said. “Checking navigation—We have arrived in the Balin Tor system in the neighborhood of the fifth planet.”

“Mr. Deas put us in orbit around Balin Tor V,” Captain Connor said.

“Yes Sir,” Deas acknowledged.

“Kale. What are we looking at?” Sean asked looking at the charred world on the viewscreen.

“One moment Sir, data is still coming in—” Kale studied the incoming data for a few minutes. “Balin Tor V. No atmosphere, charred vegetation, remains of an encampment and wreckage of a capital ship. Also, there appears to be some functioning satellites in orbit. According to records dated one month ago there was a population of two hundred thirteen colonists. The wreckage is consistent with the colony ship Enteritor.”

“Link to the satellites. See if they store information. Is there any possibility someone survived and are hold up on the planet or in the system somewhere?” the captain said.

“The planet is inhospitable to put it mildly, only small traces of oxygen, less than a tenth of a percent. The water must have all boiled off, the immediate area is filled with ice crystals. They are what is causing the glittering effect we are observing.” Kale responded.

“Deploy the drones. Continue your scans. I want a complete picture of the system.”

***

Ryan Anders sat in the pilot’s seat of the Enteritor shuttle. He had his chair turned around looking at the children huddled in the back. A little girl, Anna, sat curled in his lap sleeping. He was trying desperately to keep it together for the sake of the children but he knew they were going to die out here. He pushed the hair back from Anna’s sweaty brow and tucked it lovingly behind her ear. They were running low on food and power reserves. They had been sponge bathing because water wasn’t an issue but it wasn’t sufficient for proper hygiene. The shuttle could recycle all of the water from sweat and waste as long as they had power. But water mattered little right now, the conditions in the shuttle were quickly becoming inhospitable. He was contemplating turning off life support so they could all drift off to sleep peacefully, like Anna, forever.

Tears rolled down his cheeks and he hugged Anna tightly. It broke his heart to watch the children sit there in misery. They were not getting enough to eat, they were losing weight and for what, to die emaciated? A girl in the back coughed. He wanted to hold out hope but watching the light die in their eyes was more than he could bear.

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