[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Chapter XXIII
"Red three! Red three! Lieutenant Gerswin to the Ops center. Lieutenant
Gerswin to the Ops center. Red three!"
Gerswin yanked on his boots and palmed the exit panel stud, ignoring the
chimes from his own console. He could leam more once he was in Operations.
Moving through the portal at double time, he twisted and flipped himself to
the side to avoid the other man in the corridor.
"Excuse me. Commander." The pilot snapped off a quick salute.
"Don't mind me, Mr. Gerswin. Just get to Ops." "Yes, ser," Gerswin said
over his shoulder. He could see Commander Lancolnia's reflection in the
metallic joints between the building sections. The commander was still shaking
his head as Gerswin turned the comer toward the tunnel from his quarters to
the Ops center.
While Operations was protected by a double portal, only a single guard was
Page 48
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
stationed at the entry console, not surprisingly, since the entire complex was
secured, built to take the worst the weather and the locals-what few ventured
from the shambletown-could dish out. "Lieutenant Gerswin." He offered his pass
and slammed his palm onto the console screen.
"Captain Matsuko said for you to meet him at G.C., ser."
"Thank you."
"Yes, ser."
Gerswin went through the portals on a double bounce, feet scarcely touching
the tiles.
Ground control was fifty meters down the operations corridor, directly
beneath the low control tower that crouched over the bunker. The tower
monitored both the flitter appreaches, as well as the infrequent shuttles from
the few I.S.S. ships to visit Old Earth.
Captain Matsuko was waiting, standing behind the three consoles monitoring
the flitters and the field traffic.
"Interrogative power status. Outrider three. Interrogative power status."
"Port thruster in the yellow. Point seven zero. Starboard in the red. Point
five zero and falling."
Matsuko drew Gerswin aside.
"Zeigler took three out, with Frantz as copilot. Topographic profiles, shot
at an angle, for the ecologists. Zeigler hit a sheer line wrong, forgot to
lock his harness, hit the overhead. Out cold."
"You need me to get her back? Talk her in?"
"Stet."
Gerswin pulled a seat up to the center console and scanned the screens,
trying to assimilate the position of the disabled flitter and the
meteorological data.
Without thinking, his head was shaking.
"Outrider three, Gerswin here. Interrogative full power on starboard
thruster."
"Point five at the detente."
"Interrogative altitude and airspeed."
"Altitude is one thousand minus. Airspeed is one fifty. Rate of descent is
one hundred per minute on full power. Estimated time on starboard thruster is
two to five minutes."
Gerswin looked at Matsuko, blanking the comm link.
"She's over the rock piles. Take her more than six minutes to clear."
His eyes took in the displays, measuring, trying to calculate a vector to
the flatlands or even the plains hills that would not force her to cross the
sheer line again.
The line that had crippled the pilot and the flitter was nearly stationary,
due east of Outrider three.
"Turn one six five."
"Turning one six five. Power on starboard thruster is point four and
falling. Power on port is point six. Altitude above ground nine hundred
minus."
Gerswin watched as the blip representing the flitter edged more southward
toward the flattest terrain possible.
"Outrider three. Lag factor on that radalt is fifty meters. Lag, factor is
fifty meters."
"Stet. Lag factor is fifty."
"Interrogative status on tail compensator. Status on compensator."
"Tail compensator-what . . . ?"
"Status of tail compensator." Gerswin's fingers curled around the console
keyboardi's edge, digging in, but his voice remained level.
"Compensator has no reading. Crew visual indicates no compensator."
"Stet. No compensator. Begin blade deployment sequence.
I say again. Begin blade deployment sequence." "Stet. Beginning blade
deployment sequence." "Outrider three. When the blades lock, hit the power
disconnect. As soon as the blades lock, hit the power disconnect, and dump the
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
thrusters. Do you understand?" "Blades locked, hit the disconnect . . . dump
thrusters." "That's affirmative. No power descent. Pick out the levelest spot
you can dead ahead. Keep your nose down. Radalt hits one fifty, you flare.
Flare at one fifty. At one hundred, pull full blade angle. One hundred, full
blade angle."
"Stet. No power flare at one fifty, full blade angle at one hundred."
"That's affirmative."
Matsuko's hand blanked the comm link.
"What are you doing?"
Gerswin did not take his eyes off the console.
"No power for a turn, not without hitting the sheer line. Not enough power
or time to cross the rock ridge ahead. No compensator for a powered blade
descent. Flat rock auto is the best I can do."
He brushed Matsuko's hands from the console.
"Interrogative altitude, airspeed."
"Passing four hundred at one hundred." The woman's voice was low, but clear
and steady. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

burdelmama.opx.pl