Vorpal Blade by John Ringo

Author:John Ringo [Ringo, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction - Space Opera, Space flight, Science Fiction - Adventure, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, General, Science Fiction, Human-Alien Encounters, Fiction - Science Fiction, Physicists, Space Opera, Fiction, Technology transfer, United States, Science Fiction - Military
ISBN: 9781416521297
Google: w3AHLAAACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 528363
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2007-08-31T23:00:00+00:00

"The ship is running low on consumables," the first sergeant said, walking down the compartment before the assembled Marines. "The commander's trying to find some source of air and water. In the meantime, the water ration is cut in half and no showers. Personal hygiene issue is one pint of water a day. Use it for shaving your filthy beards. If we can't find it, we can head back to Earth easily enough, we're less than a day away. I'm told that one of the options may cause some pressurization issues. If so, we'll spend some time in the racks until they get things fixed. For now, get back to training. Second, you're up on the PT schedule next."

"Oorah!" Crowley said. "More PT, First Sergeant! I need to let my brain clear."

"Unfortunately," Top said, grinning maliciously, "no water means no PT. When you can explain the characteristics of a fermion you back off the quantum physics. Two-Gun, see if you can help him out with that. Make sure you cover why they can't form Bose-Einstein condensates."

» » »

"It is the reverse of an ion drive," Tchar said, holding one massive hand out. "Mangon wrench."

"So you polarize the molecules, then pull them in different directions," Mimi said, handing the Adar a wrench that was about half as long as she was.

"Yes," Tchar said. "Fortunately, we have spare electromagnets for the drive system. Both for stabilizing the sphere and for the electric propeller drive. Gibmak screwdriver."

Mimi handed over the tool, which looked very much like a Phillips head if about three times the size of any screwdriver she'd ever seen before.

"What are these tubes from?" she asked.

They were working in a small space to the port of the main engine room. The reason she was having to handle the tools is that while the space was plenty large enough for a human, Tchar had to lie on his belly and crawl into it.

The space was also packed with very large piping, bigger around than Mimi.

"A portion of the water coolant system for the reactor," Tchar said. "Not radioactive. It was the intake system for the reactor. We'll use this point to polarize the molecules, then extract them further on. The big problem will be installing the fans. The ship, essentially, doesn't have any. Fortunately, they left some pumps in place so we'll try to use those. The human machinist mates are working on that. Can you move that very large circular magnet?"

"I would be able to if it weren't stuck to the floor," Mimi said, tugging at the big magnet. "But not now."

"I suppose I shall have to," Tchar said, working his way out of the narrow gap. He grabbed the magnet and yanked it upwards, breaking the hold it had on the deck, then rolled it in ahead of him. "I could use some help with this. Nothing too heavy, but I'm not sure most people on the ship could fit."

"Not a problem," Mimi said, squeezing past him.

"If you could stand there," Tchar said, pointing to a narrow gap and handing her the large wrench.

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