Star One: Dark Star by Raymond L. Weil

Author:Raymond L. Weil [Weil, Raymond L.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2012-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

In Main Control, Steve watched the large viewscreen apprehensively as the Space Platform slowly grew larger. Thrusters were firing, sending white jets of flame off into space as they burned continuously and moved the massive structure steadily closer.

“Everything looks good,” commented Lieutenant Commander Anderson from his position next to Steve.

They were both sitting at the center command console. Lieutenant Commander Anderson was in constant communication with the other stations in Main Control over the mini-com attached to his right ear. Each Main Control station involved in the operation was monitoring the Space Platform’s approach very closely.

“Lieutenant Gray is piloting the Space Platform,” Steve replied, his eyes still glued to the viewscreen. “He’s the best we have. If anyone can handle this maneuver, it’s him.”

“He has been practicing this maneuver using some holographic displays that Teela set up,” Anderson replied as he listened to a report from the radar operator. The Space Platform was right on course. “I watched him several times; the simulations were very realistic.”

“Yes, I heard about that,” Steve replied with a forced smile. “I understand he only crashed into Star One twice.”

“Only at the beginning, Sir,” Anderson replied with a grin. “It never happened again once he got a feel for how to use the platform’s thrusters.”

“Let’s hope everything goes well this time,” commented Steve, knowing that John had put in a lot of hours with Teela perfecting this intricate maneuver.

For several weeks, the station’s crew had labored around the clock. New, thick Luxen cables had been stretched taut between all three wheels on Star One. From a distance, it looked as if a giant spider had spun a web between the three. It was difficult not to look for the spider as you approached the station.

The four ion drive chambers were nearly complete on the Space Platform. Using newly installed heavy thrusters, the Space Platform itself was being moved into position beneath the Power Wheel. Once there, it would be attached permanently to Star One.

Lieutenant Commander Williams and Captain Gerald had pushed their people to the limit installing the new thrusters and working on the new ion drives. They wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible. Captain Gerald was becoming quite versatile, having learned how to operate the station’s space scooters and maneuver in the bulky spacesuits used for space construction.

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Lieutenant Commander Williams was on the Space Platform along with John Gray. John was controlling the movement of the platform as its continually firing thrusters brought it ever nearer to Star One. He was sitting at the Space Platform’s main thruster control console, along with two flight technicians, controlling the platform’s slow movement.

“So far, so good,” commented Todd, looking over John’s shoulder at the navigation screens.

One of the screens was three-dimensional and showed the exact course the Space Platform needed to follow. It was like looking into a tunnel with a blinking green line running down its center. All John had to do was stay in the center and follow the blinking line.

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