The Ganymede Signal by A.L. Masters

Author:A.L. Masters [Masters, A.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

13.

’63-12

It was roughly five weeks into our journey, just as we'd started to fall into a routine when our first real test came barreling at us.

“Life support system alert,” Artie's voice cut through the alarm, its usual humor absent.

I sprung into action, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“Mike, TJ, status report,” I called out, gliding toward the main console from the communal area.

Mike, already secured and hunched over a panel, responded without looking up. “Air filtration unit’s showing irregular readings. Could be a fault in the system.”

His voice was calm, but I could see the concern on his face.

TJ joined him, his brows furrowed as he analyzed the data. “Looks like a glitch in the oxygen scrubbers. We need to fix this, fast.”

The team quickly congregated, each member ready to play their part. Luca manned the communication station, keeping us connected with Mission Control. Sam started checking the backup systems. Alexei and Hank stood by, ready to assist.

“Artie, how’s our O2?”

“Oxygen levels dropping. Approximately one hour until critical.”

“Alright, Mike, what’s our play?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“We bypass the faulty unit and reroute the filtration process through the secondary system,” Mike suggested, his hands moving swiftly over the controls.

“Do it,” I confirmed. Every second counted.

As Mike and TJ worked on rerouting the system, I monitored the oxygen levels. They were stable for now, but we couldn’t afford any mistakes.

“Rerouting complete,” Mike finally announced with a hint of relief in his voice. “That should hold us over until we can fix the primary unit.”

“Good work,” I praised, allowing myself a moment of relief. Crisis averted, for now.

“Commander, Mission Control is asking for a status update,” Luca interjected, his voice steady despite the earlier tension.

“Tell them we’ve contained the situation. We’re working on a permanent fix,” I replied, already thinking ahead to the next steps.

The team disbanded, each member returning to their respective duties. But the incident had left its mark.

Later, in the communal area of the ship, the team gathered for a debriefing. It was crucial to analyze what had happened and learn from it.

“As you all know, we experienced a malfunction in the air filtration unit today,” I began, addressing the team. “Thanks to quick thinking and teamwork, we managed to stabilize the situation.”

Mike nodded. “We’ll need to keep a close eye on the life support systems. Redundancies are in place, but we can’t take any chances.”

“Agreed,” TJ said. “I’ll double-check all backup systems as well.”

We worked hard to stay vigilant, always vigilant, as the weeks passed into months. The view from the ports began to get old, and the oppressive vastness wore on my nerves more than I expected.

I missed sunlight and I missed walking around the domes on my own two feet, seeing various sights. My walking tour of the science lab wasn’t quite the same, and the Earth-like brightness of the adaptive lighting system still screamed ‘artificial ambiance’. Virtual Reality breaks helped, but it wasn’t the same as being there and engaging all of our senses.

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