The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace Read Free

he activated the Gerard’s communication array.
    “Okay, team. I know this is not what we planned for, but it’s our job. Hector and Rick will stay with the ship when we land. The rest of us will suit up and search the station for survivors.”
    Restal looked at Kristin and her classmate, a young man named Jonathan. “I’m sorry kids, but I need you to grow up a little faster than you planned.” He turned back to the sensors station. “Rick, can you get access to their main computer from the docking ring connection?”
    “I should be able to get access, as long as the hard lines aren’t severed.”
    “Get on it when we land,” Restal ordered. “Hector, set us down.”
    Hector set the Gerard down on to the Pluto station landing platform. When the docking ramp latched into place, lights activated along its railings, and the crew noticed interior lights flicker to life inside the station’s crew quarters dome. If there was at least power on part of the station, perhaps some of its inhabitants were still alive.
    Restal led the twelve members of his crew intended for the station search to the maintenance bay and opened the container holding the radiation EVA suits. Above the container was a large monitor that now displayed the Pluto station composite layout.
    Stepping to his left, Restal grabbed a remote off of the side of the monitor that controlled the display and began briefing his teams on the layout and primary functions of the different areas of the station.
    Confident his people were up to speed, Restal placed the remote back on the monitor and began to pull suits out of the container and distributed them among the crew. “Okay. Let’s get suited up and prepare to move out. If you detect any life signs or the source of that radiation, call out. The radiation may interfere with comms, so don’t panic. Just work your way back the way you came until you get communication restored. Kindel will monitor our bios and suit integrity from the Gerard . Are there any questions?”
    The crew shook their heads and began to put on their protective suits. Restal finished putting on his suit and tested his comms with the crew. Everyone responded for a clean comms check, and Restal moved to the Gerard’s docking hatch. “We do this search by teams of two. Kristin, you’re with me.”
    The crew of the Gerard opened the access hatch from the docking array and followed the tunnel to the dome that housed the station crew. “Okay, everyone, take your time and do a thorough search. Kindel, do you copy?”
    “Here, Skipper. I’ve started to access the station computer system. Current status shows no power in the hydroponics or survey domes. Your area still has power, but no atmosphere, though. The gravity generators are intact and functional, but I only see levels of about zero point two in the other domes. If you go in there, make sure your magnetic boots are active. I’ll access the station’s logs and see I can find out what happened.”
    “Keep on it,” Restal replied. “Team, you heard the man, EVA suits stay on. Whatever happened here cost the station its atmospheric integrity. We need to find sealed rooms and rooms that would hold EVA suits. Survivors may be close by. Move out.”
    Kristin and Restal moved through the crew dome first floor hallway to the tunnel hatch that led to the astronomical survey dome. There was no sign of any bodies, but with power still functioning in the crew cabins and hallway lighting, the odds were good that the teams would find someone alive.
    Restal looked through the hatchway viewport. The survey dome was supposed to contain a huge telescope and lots of equipment for survey and communication to satellites outside the solar system, but the entire dome was dark. He tried the controls for the dome’s exterior door, but nothing happened. The panel had power, but Restal was sure the door was powered from inside the dome. Restal opened his tool bag and removed a screwdriver. After