Emergency by Blaze Ward

Author:Blaze Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781644703595
Publisher: Knotted Road Press

Scene Thirteen

Tessa had lingered a shade when they started walking, letting Mason and the other woman lead, with Auntie in front of her in the middle of the column. Not that she was expecting trouble, but she was prepared for it, as always.

They got past the airlock where Fin had docked and kept going. Through a hatch marked Crew Quarters, where Tessa found that things weren’t as pretty.

One, solid paint up here, that off-white. No carpet underfoot, but gray-painted deck with wear showing where a new coat of paint should have already put down. Couple of overhead light fixtures that were dark where the backup had failed.

They must not have done routine testing like Marusya always insisted on. Bad way to be surprised in an emergency like this.

Hallway opened into a room. Narrower, because the forward section pinched in going towards the bow. Hatch on the far side read Bridge.

Mason went through, followed by the rest.

Nicer space. Obviously where Kari Mason spent all her time and concentrated her efforts. Painted a pretty blue that was a shade darker than the sky over Alfann on a summer morning. Deck was painted grass-green. Two big, comfortable console chairs that were absolutely after-factory modifications, because Tessa could see the original holes that had been bored in the deck for the OEM seats that were more like what Fin had.

Did she need to buy him something so comfortable that he could sleep up there?

Bad idea. He might stop coming to bed and letting her curl up around him and steal all his heat.

“What do you need?” Mason asked.

“Bring up the interior controls so we can start vacuum sealing at the three main frames,” Maru replied. “I’d have done it aft but wasn’t sure if the controls were too damaged for the signal to get through. If the fire has gotten this far, you’ll need to lock everything open with an override and crank an airlock hatch. I’d rather not.”

Tessa watched Mason and Ashleyn both sit, starting through various checklists of things while Auntie stood between them and offered commentary.

She was here with an extinguisher in case someone needed it. Past that, a spare body.

Happy that it wasn’t her ship.

Behind her, Tessa felt the hatch slam shut with a vibration she felt in her toes. Looking back, a vacuum warning light had started to blink red on the control panel, warning folks. All around the ship, more of those would be going off.

“Everyone ready?” Maru asked.

“We’re clear and standing by,” Fin replied.

“I’ve got Wyatt if you need us,” Abigail chimed in a moment later.

“Captain Mason, we’re ready to vent,” Auntie intoned like a surgeon standing before a supine body.

Mason started turning dials. Tessa had her external microphones on still, so the whistling became audible as vents began bleeding off atmospheric pressure.

Normally, you kept them closed, but on a tight spring where a sudden spike of pressure could bleed off before it did much damage to people.

Also useful now, when you needed to rid the ship

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