GHOST SHIP

Dawn plus thirty and the shuttle gently lifted off from the broken half of the asteroid. It flew up and over the top of the crashed LightStar, then rotating one hundred and eighty degrees so the front windows of the shuttle were facing the crashed ship, Harris gently landed the shuttle less than fifty meters from the base of the crashed ship.

"Well." said Harris as the engines shut down. " All we have to do now is decide what to do."

"We have monitored sounds from the ship all the time." said Kimlon. " There is nothing to indicate any life."

"Is there pressure on the inside." Mick ask Packet.

Packet thought for a minute then decided that there was because the fans and pumps were still working, if there had been no air they would have seized up long ago and stopped. Pressure inside the ship while helping the possibility of survivors made things more difficult for them to get in.

Mick was asked about places to gain access. The problem facing any attempt to get into the crashed LightStar was the fact that the only double pressure hatches were on part of the ship now buried in the rock. LightStar two did not even have a shuttle docking hatch as it never had a shuttle, that was added to LightStar three by Raftos. None of the LightStars were ever intended for long in space trips, they were built as a test platform and nothing else.

Options were discussed. Cutting their way in was out of the question as they did not have the equipment. Drilling on a pressurised ship was a recipe for disaster, even if either of those options were feasible they would need an external pressure chamber air lock, something they also did not have. It quickly became apparent they did not have much. Even if they went back up to LightStar three the was little on board for a rescue mission. It had never entered anybody's thoughts that they would even find the other LightStar let alone have to try to enter it.

This glum fact settled on everyones spirits in the shuttle. Even though they all knew in their hearts that no one was alive on board, to be so close and yet not confirm it.

Out of the silence Mick's small voice suddenly said. " construction hatches."

Packet and Harris looked at him.

Mick explained that during construction there were hatches placed every nine meters all round the power rings. They were put there to allow for the adjustment of the reflector plates at the junctions of the magnetic couplings during testing. These hatches were screwed and glued back into position of completion. With a small amount of effort these could be removed.

Harris could not see how this helped them.

Mick said that the outer power rings were not pressurised during operation they needed to be in a vacuum. They were only pressurised between jumps for maintenance. This is what they did on LightStar three, because LightStar two crashed at the end of the jump the outer ring would not be pressurised. The link tubes between the outer ring and the body of the ship had pressure doors at each end for safety. The were in effect air locks.

Spirits in the little shuttle cabin lifted enormously, now they had a plan. Whether it would work or not was another matter, at least it was a plan. Kimlon, Packet and Harris would go on the first attempt at gaining access to the crashed ship. Mick protested saying he was the only one who knew his way round the power rings so he thought he should be one of the ones to go. Packet said he would keep listening through the instruments he had set up to monitor the ship, it was logical Mick should go.

The three suited space men approached the huge green machine, they were somewhat dwarfed in their silvery suits against the backdrop surrounding them. They reached one of the power rings where it entered the rock, the huge metal structure of the power ring towered over them like a frozen rainbow. Inspecting the surface of the power rings they found one of the access panels, it was held in position by twelve machine screws and some kind of seal compound. Kimlon put the tool bang on the ground and unfolded it, from small pockets in the bag Kimlon and Harris each took out a power driver then went to undo the screws. Placing the power driver in the captive slot in the top of the first screw Harris pressed the button, rotating in both directions the driver quickly screwed out the bolt. Taking a small pinch of Capdab from the handle of the screwdriver Harris took the first screw off the end of the screwdriver and using the sticky compound attached it to the hull of the craft. Although this was not necessary in the slight gravity of the asteroid it was good practice and it was never a good idea to have items drifting about where you did not know where they were. The screws were quickly out and Kimlon then took out the largest peace of equipment they had, a power chisel. This looked like an old fashioned wood chopping hatchet, only this was powered by gas and had fifty two moving parts. On pressing the button on the handle two small chambers of gas in the head, fuelled from a cartridge in the handle, exploded one slightly after the other, the affect of this was to put a pulse of energy into the edge of the chisel axe head. The shock of the first pulse was immediately canceled out by the second explosion, thus preventing recoil. Fortunately the access plates had been bolted on top of the surface plates of the LightStar, this meant there was a small ridge to get the edge of the power chisel under. Six blows had a corner of the hatch a few millimeters away from the surface. Mick and Harris placed a small hydraulic expander under the gap. The three stood back as the jaws slowly expanded finally breaking the seal, the hatch slowly tumbled to the ground. They picked up the hatch and moved it several meters away from the opening, then they shone their lamps into the dark recess behind.

There were no surprises inside, it was completely dark and quiet, the power coil was there in the center of the tube, the access walkway on the opposite side, the cables and ducting just above the coil. The only odd thing was approaching it from end on, it was all vertical rather than the normal horizontal.

Mick explained that they would have to get hold of the flange connector of the coil and work there way under the coil to get to the walkway on the other side. They could then climb up the handrail uprights to the first spar pressure hatch. They radioed Packet aboard the shuttle to tell him what they were doing. Then with Mick leading the way they entered the LightStar.

Things in the power coil chamber looked very different in the beams of their lights. Shadows of equipment and bulkheads all played tricks with the lights. Each man had two head lamps, a chest lamp and a hand held search light. They pushed there way under the power coil onto the walkway and started to climb up. Climbing was no problem in the very low gravity. They quickly reached the first spar pressure hatch.

All space ship pressure hatches are basically of the same design, a six point locking mechanism, an expanding rim forming an air seal, a pressure gauge point and an observation glass. There were two types, the first were the simple side swing manually operated type, cheep and functional, the second, powered sliding, the type used on passenger liners and posh ships. LightStar had the basic type.

Harris, Mick and Kimlon positioned themselves around the hatch. Harris shone his light through the small round observation window to see if the pressure hatch at the other end of the spar was closed, if it was open they could not use that passage. There were no lights on in the spar, the far end door was closed.

Kimlon took out a small pressure probe and placed its sampling arm into a tube in the door, he pushed and the sampling arm broke open the seal ring in the middle of the tube and penetrated to the other side of the door. Kimlon looked at the dial on the pressure gauge. This indicated that the passage was pressurised. Harris turned a knob on a valve at the bottom of the door and there was a hissing sound as a stream of whitish vapor blew out a venting nozzle. The freezing air covered part of the drive coil opposite the hatch in a whitish frost. As the venting stopped Kimlon rotated the locking handle and pushed the hatch open. Very cautiously the three astronauts entered the spar tube. Harris switched on his external communication link. " Packet can you receive us." there was silence.

For the moment while the three were inside the crashed ship there would be no communication with the outside.

The spar tubes were small and the three astronauts had to stoop as they moved around in the confined space. Harris closed the pressure door and turned the locking handle, he then checked the venting valve was closed. "OK." said Harris over the internal suit intercom. The three made there way slowly up the inclined spar tube to the pressure door at the far end. Kimlon shone his light through the small observation window in the door at the top end of the spar. This door led into one of the main passageways, there were no lights on in the passageway. Kimlon pushed the pressure gauge rod through the tube in the door, the gauge confirmed there was pressure on the other side. " stand back" said Kimlon on the intercom as he pulled the gauge rod out and started to turn the knob on the venting valve. The three pushed them selves against the sides of the spar tube as the musty air started to re-pressurised the chamber. When the hissing stopped Kimlon checked the pressure on his gauge then slowly rotated the door handle. The door swung inward.

"Shall I go first." volunteered Mick.

" I think not." said Kimlon in a matter of fact voice. "We do not know what we are going to find in there."

Kimlon stepped into the passage and shone his light up and down the passage, it was completely empty. Harris and Mick followed Kimlon along the passage. The air was slightly dusty and the beams of the lights pierced the darkness like shafts of silver, shadows jumped and danced in the darkness.

Mick's voice come over the intercom. " Don't any one even dare say lets split up."

They passed a few unused bunks, the crew never had long enough to spend a night sleeping. The passage came to the area Raftos had called the control center. This room however did not have any furniture in it but the floor was covered in rubbish. There was some foam matting in one corner with bits of food scattered around and empty cartons as if some tramp had been living there. The three moved the rubbish about with their feet but there was nothing, no bodies no signs of life. They moved on to the switch room.

The switch room was also a mess but in different way, there was still stuff on the floor but here some of the rubbish was from control panels that had exploded or caught fire. There were still signs of hardened foam on some of the equipment where fire represent had been used. Mick checked a few of the dials and said he thought he might be able to get some of the lights on. Mick started to open a panel. Kimlon shouted at him not to touch anything, they did not know what gasses could have built up in other parts of the ship, one loose connection, one spark could blow the place apart. Mick held his hands in the air away from everything.

"Sorry." said Mick. "I'm not used to this sort of thing."

They went out of the switch room through the opposite door and along the passages leading to the main storage area. The area was still pressurised and there instruments were still reading reasonable levels of oxygen, but they still kept their space suit visors down. They did not know what other gases were drifting about or what other smells would greet them. They entered the large round storage chamber, the one used as a mess room on LightStar three. Most of the lockers had been opened and a large amount of rubbish had accumulated on the side which the low gravity had decided was the floor. It was here amongst the rubbish they found their first body.

Fully clad in a space suit laying on its back half buried in the rubbish, Kimlon almost tripped over its legs. Harris, Mick and Kimlon shone their lights on the prone figure. Kimlon shone his light into the visor of the figure. Harris closed his eyes as nausea started welling up inside him, the worst thing you could do was be sick in a space suit. Harris pressed a small button on the pack located on is chest, a sweet smelling fragrance filled his visor and his head began to clear. The man was definitely dead, decomposition had set in some time ago. Kimlon moved his torch.

Slowly the three moved up the sloping incline of the storage chamber, they came across another body also clad in a space suit. "I wonder why they died in their space suits." said Harris over the intercom.

As they pushed they way up the storage compartment it became apparent some had survived the initial crash. All the stuff on the floor was open packets, cartons, almost every storage box had be opened or turned out. As they flashed their lights around the compartment Harris noticed another body partly covered by two quilted blankets.

"There is another here." said Harris.

"He didn't make it to his space suit." said Kimlon directing his light onto the body. "Poor sod it looks as if he did not die all that long ago."

As Kimlon bent over the body, its eyes opened.

"He's still alive." shouted Kimlon over the intercom.

The figure laying on the floor mouthed some words. They could not hear them because they had our space suits on. Kimlon said. "I'm going to open my visor." Kimlon turned a switch on his helmet and pushed open the visor a small crack, he waited. " It smells rotten but I think it's safe. You two keep you visors closed you'll be sick."

Mick bent down by the man and moved some of the rubbish away from him. He looked in his eyes and held up his head.

"The guys totally dehydrated." said Mick. " But there should be something here to help." Mick scrambled up the side of the lockers to one of the few that had not been opened. He opened it and pulled out several packages and a large green bag. He brought them back to where the man was laying. Mick opened the seal on a package and pulled out a plastic pack with a small pump and a tiny tube.

"This is an emergency hydration unit." said Mick. " They work very quickly, when this has finished we can feed a glucose pack."

"What do you know about this." ask Harris.

"I'm not a scientist." said Mick. " I was a medical orderly for most of my life. This LightStar thing started out as a bit of a hobby. Kind of got out of hand you might say."

Mick tried to open the pack and find a vain in the mans dehydrated arm. With is space suit gloves on, none of this was possible.

"No good." said Mick. " Going to have to take them off."

"The smell." said Kimlon. "Its very powerful you're not Timmeri remember.

Mick repeated the process Kimlon and done with his helmet. Mick the pushed his helmet back. "I think I've slept in worse smelling places." said Mick. "Don't take yours off Harris I don't think you have."

Mick kneeled over the patient on the floor.

"We need more light." said Mick. " Harris beneath your feet somewhere there's a locker LC29 you should find some GlowDoes."

Harris pushed some of the rubbish out of the way with his feet and found the locker, he bent down and opened it. Inside were a dozen or so cardboard cylinders about a meter long. Harris pulled one out and unscrewed the top, inside was a clear plastic tube filled with a greenish liquid, each end was capped with a thick grey plastic stopper. One end had a looped steel wire with a hook, The other end had a pull ring attached to a cord. Harris held the tube in one hand and pulled the cord, a green blue glow began to fill the room as the chemicals in the tube reacted to give a bright light. Harris climbed up the side wall and hooked the light on one of the lockers overhead. Harris repeated this with a second lamp and the room was bathed in light.

Mick took this space suit gloves off and quickly applied the hydration pack to the man on the floor, he started its pump and strapped it to the mans arm, then inspected the him and gave him some injections. Harris watched Mick, suddenly he had transformed from a bumbling idiot to this highly efficient paramedic. His body language had even changed, there was an air of confidence that had suddenly come about him. Mick suddenly went up in Harris's estimation.

The man on the floor began to respond to the treatment quite quickly. He opened his eyes and started to move his lips. Kimlon bent down to hear him. Harris could not hear what the man was saying over the intercom but Kimlon lifted his head and repeated the words.

"He says there are two other survivors, PA6 and PA9."

"They are the codes for the passages out the top there." said Mick pointing to the hatch out the top of the storage unit.

"You had better go and find them." said Kimlon looking round at Harris." While we finish here."

"Second and fifth passage to the right." said Mick.

Harris took five of the GlowDoes out of the locker and made his way to the upper hatch. Suddenly it was much darker in the passageway as Harris slowly picked his way along the main passage. Harris shone his light down the first joining passage, it was empty, two unused bunks and empty box. His light shone to the end of the passage, the pressure door at the far end was closed. As Harris turned and his lights moved away from the end of the passage Harris noticed through the corner of his eye a brightness coming from the round view glass in the pressure door at the far end of the passage.

Harris went to investigate. Pushing his visor up against the view window in the pressure door Harris was surprised to find he could see the bright lights of the shuttle far below on the surface lighting up the area in front of the crashed LightStar. Somehow this end of the passage had been torn away from the main structure and was hanging free. Harris looked around and could see over to another chamber where he could see twisted metal and an opening. It looked as if there had been an explosion. Slowly Harris retraced his steps back to the main passage, he had to be very careful for what he had discovered meant the tube was only held at one end and was under pressure.

Harris made his way to the next passage, he shone his light down. This time the bunks were occupied. The bottom bunk had a figure laying on it in a space suit. Harris moved down the passage and shone his torch in the visor. Who ever it was had been dead a long time, mould and bacteria had take its toll of the features of who ever it had been. Harris again pressed the button on his chest pack, he stood up to take a look at the top bunk. Under a thin cover was another body, this although dehydrated looked simply asleep. As Harris's powerful head lamps fell across the face the eyes momentarily flinched. This one could be alive thought Harris. " I think we have another survivor." said Harris into his intercom. There was no reply, the spacesuit intercoms did not work unless you were in sight of each other. Harris looked at the face of the figure laying on the bunk. It was a young girl, her hair was tied back rough and sticky with bits of food, she had a dirty face and hands, there were sores around her lips. Even so thought Harris very good looking. He wondered if it was the admirals daughter, he hoped it was but also knew there had been four women on board. She looked so peaceful yet it must have been a living hell on board this ship for the past months. Harris went back to the junction with the main passage and lit a GlowDoe hanging it so the light lit the main and side passage. It would give ten hours light before burning out.

The next passage was a small link tube with no bunk space, the fourth had a space suit on the bottom bunk, Harris went to inspect it. It was empty, then Harris saw a large tare down its side, Harris lifted part of the fabric. There had been a body inside as there were some bones and the last remnants of decay. That would partly account for the dreadful smell reported by Kimlon and Mick. There was nothing else in the passage.

Harris moved back to the main passage to find the fifth bunk space. The shadows darted about as his hand and chest lights cut through the darkness. The light from the GlowDoe was very slight up here and Harris suddenly remembered Mick's statement about not splitting up. It was not a thought Harris wanted just now. Suddenly quite out of the blue another thought came into Harris head. The reunion party on Baron the last time the tennis team had all met up together, after that they all went their separate ways. He had not thought of Baron for years let alone the tennis club, why in Dingoes name should he think of that. Harris checked his oxygen and dioxide levels in his suit using the gauges on his left arm. They were all fine so Harris relaxed a bit.

The fifth passage repeated what Harris had found in the first, a spacesuited figure on the lower bunk and a sleeping figure on the upper bunk. Harris lit a GlowDoe at the junction of the passage and went to inspect the figures in the bunks.

The figure on the bottom bunk was again dead. Harris wondered what bizarre event had killed every one in space suits yet spared those not in one. Perhaps there was a defect the batch of space suits they had taken aboard this LightStar. None of them had the back packs on, they must have been removed by the survivors.

Harris then shone his lights on the figure in the top bunk. His eyes did not flicker but he did not look in too bad a shape. his hair was long and matted, he had a growth of beard that had been trimmed very badly with scissors at some time, again there were sores round the mouth. As the hand light lit up the face of the prone figure Harris suddenly realised he knew this man. A sudden shiver went down Harris spine as he realised it was Rodger Dobny. The last time he had seen him was at the tennis reunion party on Baron. It was as if their two brains had reached out to find a common thought a connection. That, thought Harris was weird.

Harris could do nothing more and decided to go back to the others to report. He lit the remaining GlowDoes in the passage on his way back and returned to the storage chamber.

"Three bodies and two survivors." said Harris as he got back to the storage chamber. "The survivors will need your attention Mick."

The man on the floor being treated was looking somewhat improved and had his eyes open, he was still too week to say any more however.

"You had better get outside." said Kimlon to Harris. " Report back and let everyone know what is happening. We will treat the other two and then try to figure out how to get them out of here."

Harris took some GlowDoes to light the way back and set off. He quickly reached the spar tube they had used as a air lock and reversed the procedure they had used when entering. As Harris climbed out into the darkness of the power coil chamber he pulled one of the GlowDoes from its protective cardboard casing, it was then he noticed a light coming from higher up the power coil chamber. His first instinct was to jump back into the air lock, his second was to get out of there. He shone his hand light toward the position of the light. There was nothing there, except the light, as bright as ever. Curiosity got the better of Harris and he put the GlowDoes down and climbed up toward the light. As he approached it did not become any easier to identify. Less than a meter away Harris could see it quite clearly. Hovering just above a pair of rectifier plates on the power coil was a white light twinkling like a small star. The temptation to reach out and touch it was overwhelming. Harris knew that was the very last thing he should do, he climbed back down to the pressure hatch and lit the GlowDoes.

Lowering himself down to the place where the exit hatch had been removed Harris lit another GlowDoe. As he did so he noticed another of the strange lights hovering just over the reflector plates near the hatch. Harris then pushed himself under the power coil and climbed out the open hatch. As he jumped down to the surface of the asteroid he heard Packets voice.

"Everything OK in there you've been gone hours."

"Put the kettle on I'm coming in." replied Harris as he walked the fifty meters to the shuttle.

Harris joined Packet in the shuttle. With relief Harris took his space suit off, even with all the filters in the world space suits still felt and smelt awful after you had been in them for a while.

Harris radioed back to Raftos what the situation was and told him about the survivors. Harris did not know if the girl was the Admirals daughter but Mick would be able to confirm that one way or the other. Harris said they would be staying on the surface until they had got the survivors out, although how they would do that he was not quite sure. Harris finished his radio call then had a warm drink and something to eat before getting suited up again to go back to Mick and Kimlon in the crashed LightStar. Packet thought he should go as Harris was obviously tired. Harris agreed that he was tired but pointed out that he knew the way in which was not easy.

Harris wondered what he should take back with him. He realised that to get the injured survivors out they would have to be puts into space suites before they could be got across to the shuttle and the suits on board the crashed ship were obviously faulty. There were two spare space suits on the shuttle so Harris decided to take them.

Closing his helmet and carrying the two suit packs Harris stood in the shuttle air lock. He took a few deep breathe as the outer door opened and Harris left the shuttle. The crashed ship towered above him, it was almost worse going back knowing what it was like in there, than it was the first time when it was completely unknown. Harris followed the small line of foot prints that led to the small opening in the side of the power ring.

When Harris arrived at the storage module Kimlon and Mick were not there. The Survivor on the floor had been made more comfortable by being placed on a sleeping tray taken from one of the bunks. Harris put down the space suits that had caused him much difficulty maneuvering round the power coil and in the small spar air lock passage. Harris moved through the top passage to find Mick and Kimlon. They were just finishing making the young girl comfortable.

"Are they both going to make it." said Harris over his intercom.

"The girls in pretty bad shape but they will both make it." said Mick. "We have got to get them out of here though, there is a limit to what I can do."

"Is she the admirals daughter." ask Harris.

"That's her all right." said Mick. "Lets only hope we live long enough to get her home."

The three made there way back to the storage module. Kimlon told Harris he could lift his visor, he had boosted the filters to take most of the smell out the air. They sat on the sloping side of the module to discuss their next move.

"Somehow we will have to get the survivors back to our ship." said Mick.

"Getting them out will not be easy." said Harris. " None of the survivors can move so they will all have to be taken out on stretchers. Having just struggled with those space suits it is obvious that they can not be taken out the way we came in."

"Why did you bring the suits." ask Kimlon.

"The survivors will need them to get out with, it seems there is something wrong with the ones on board this ship." said Harris. "That is even if there are any suits on board without bodies in them,."

"You only brought two space suits." Mick pointed out.

"There were only two on the shuttle." replied Harris.

That is not the main problem." said Kimlon. " The problem is how do we get everyone out."

"Just as a bye." Harris looked at Mick. " Mick there were some funny lights in the power coil as I passed through."

"Funny lights." repeated Mick."

"Hovering in the air just above the reflector plates." said Harris. "They looked most strange is that supposed to happen."

"Great Bladder Beast of Trall." shouted Mick. "The ruddy power coils are live."

"Is that important." ask Kimlon.

"The halo effect happens just before the system moves into a jump." said Mick. " The thing could jump at any minute, or at least try to."

"Not good." said Harris.

"We've got to shut down the generator." said Mick getting up. " And now."

"If we do that." said Kimlon." The air pumps stop."

"What do you want oxygen or a ship." said Mick.

Quickly the three made their way into the switch room. Harris and Mick glanced at the coil charge dial, it was just hovering in the bottom edge of the green area. Mick turned to the generator panel, they did not know what circuits were working or not working so Mick had no choice but to pull the circuit breaker on the secondary generator. All the dials on the instruments panels fell back to their zero position. All three listened as the thump thump of the air pumps ceased and fans spun idle and stopped.

Everything was silent. Harris and Mick turned round, the needle on the dial showing the coil charge still hovered menacingly round the bottom of the green segment, then it too slowly fell back into the red and finally back to zero.

"That's one problem solved." said Mick. "But now we got no air."

"Step one." said Kimlon." Lower visors all the remaining oxygen in the air is for the survivors." Over the internal suit intercom Kimlon continued. " Next we will suit up two of the survivors and strap them in stretchers. While we are doing that we can try to think of the best way of getting them out. We may have to cut our way out."

In the storage module they managed to get the first survivor into the space suit and then went off to put the admirals daughter in the next one. As they moved down the upper passage Harris remembered something. " I've got the answer." said Harris.

Harris had remembered that when he had been looking for the survivors he had gone down the first passage in the area above the storage chamber, there had come across a pressure door at the end of the broken passage that led directly to the outside. Kimlon and Harris went to investigate. Harris said they had to be careful as the passage was only held at one end. Kimlon went to the end of the passage and looked through the glass observation panel in the door. His only comment was that is was a long way down. Kimlon knew however that did not matter. In the low gravity of the asteroid they could easily jump down. First man takes a wire explained Harris to slide the stretchers down.

"We will have to de-pressurise to do that." said Mick. "We are one space suit short to do that."

To overcome this problem Kimlon suggested he and Harris go back to the shuttle, Harris would stay there and Kimlon would go back taking Harris's space suit for the third casualty. It meant leaving Mick alone but he agreed. They were going to loose two air locks full of air in the process so Kimlon suggested Mick put an oxygen mast on the third survivor till he got back with the third suit. It was also going to get cold. Harris suggested Mick put a couple of GlowDoes near the survivor they did not give much heat but it would be a help.

Harris and Kimlon went back to the shuttle, by this time both were very tired. They explained to Packet what they were going to do with the survivors. Packet seeing that Kimlon and Harris were physically drained said that he would take the spare space suit back to the crashed ship as he was the only one that was fresh. This time there were no arguments. Packet donned one of the space suits and folded up the other, then he went into the air lock. Harris and Kimlon watched as Packet followed the trail across the surface of the asteroid to the access hatch in the side of the crashed ship.

Harris pulled the tab on a couple of self heating drink canisters and handed one to Kimlon.

"That's welcome." said Kimlon settling back in one of the two pilots seats. Harris sat in the other one. They looked out of the forward window where the shuttles powerful lights lit up the side of the LightStar. It looked like some giant sculpture bedded in the rock, it must have been the weirdest looking object in the universe.

" Looks like the Admirals faith in us seems to have paid off." said Harris.

"We're not home yet." said Kimlon. " There are too many things about this mission I do not like." he said. "No disrespect but Raftos is placing allot of faith in you and Mick."

"Mick seemed to change allot when he was doing that medical stuff." reflected Harris. " It is as if he was another person, confident capable most strange, he went up in my estimation."

" Too much of a change perhaps." said Kimlon. " I only hope he does not crack up before we get out of this, he is the only one who knows how to fly LightStar."

"You're in a bit of a depressing mood." said Harris. "Here we are pulling off the rescue of the century and you've got a bit of a downer."

"Sorry." said Kimlon." I am tired, I am a simple sole I fly space ships, we fly space ships, my people that's what we do, this whole journey it is too complicated for me. I don't understand how it all works. There are too many things going on. Jumping here jumping there. I was just helping Raftos try to find his family before it is too late."

"Too late." Harris picked up on Kimlon's last words. " Too late for what, is there something else I do not know about and why did Raftos got stoned out his mind when we did not find Aganoon. He strikes me as a man who can hold his drink, so he must have drunk allot he knew the search was not ended."

"Yes." said Kimlon " He knew that but he did not know how long the search would take, you see Raftos is dyeing."

There was a long silence, Harris was shocked. Kimlon eventually went on.

"You see the Monitor is well known as the fastest ship in the sector, it can out run even a military streak. That is how we survived for so long. As you know you can make ships go faster but there is a price to pay, radiation. The monitor has three engines that is one more than normal and all three are over charged. Three over run engines running at full boost give out a large amount of radiation. I am a Timmeron as are most of the crew, although we look the same as you we came form the Timon system where high levels of radiation were normal, it does not affect us. Raftos on the other hand is one of you. He is slowly dying and he knows he does not have long left."

"Is that why you and the others came along." ask Harris.

"We had been looking for Aganoon with no success." said Kimlon." This seemed to be the last small chance. The crew are all volunteers normally we would not go near this ship, we do not know anything about it, we follow instruction from Mick to keep it working that is all. We came to help Raftos. Do you think we well find the Old Aganoon."

Harris thought for a moment, then said that he thought they would but had a feeling that would not be the end of the matter. There was still the unresolved matter of who fired the guided missiles at them, they were told it was because the did not give the correct transponder signal, but light star never did have a transponder signal, Packet had seen to that. LightStar left no emission trail, no standing engine signature, no warning beacon, no one should have known they were there. Kimlon raised this drink canister and took a drink, then smiled and said that is what he had meant. it was all too complicated for a simple spaceman like him.

The intercom crackled on the panel in front of Harris.

"OK you guys we're ready for the decent." It was Packets voice. Harris looked up through the front window of the shuttle craft and saw a flashing light high up on the side of the crashed ship. The light was coming from the end of the broken spar. "We see you." said Harris in reply.

Packets voice came back

"We have suited up the last survivor, de-pressurised and opened the pressure door at the end of the upper passage, it looks a long way down. I'm putting my trust in you guys that I can make it."

"Have you got the cable." shouted Kimlon.

"Got the cable and its attached." said Packet. "Here goes."

Slowly almost too slowly Packet drifted down to the surface of the asteroid the cable uncoiling behind him like a long spring. He fixed the cable to one of the shuttles winch points and tightened the cable. Soon Mick appeared at the open end of the spar passage high up on LightStar. He attached the first survivor, strapped securely to a stretcher, onto runners fixed to the cable, with a small push it slowly descended to the surface near the shuttle. The process was repeated with the other stretchers, finally followed by Mick.

Soon everyone was on board the small shuttle and heading back toward LightStar three.