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| Lpnet1-100 The Lost Planet Chapter 1: Accident with an Asteroid Chapter 2: Stranded in Space Chapter 3: Survival in Solitude Chapter 4: The Ancient Temple Chapter 5: A Virtual Reality Experience Chapter 6: The Crystal Records Chapter 7: The Knowledge of Tranqua Chapter 8: The Meta- Hydrovector Chapter 9: The Long, Hard Work Chapter 10: The Project Complete Chapter 11: The Crystal Fantasy Chapter 12: The Key of Vitreos |
The Lost Planet
Chapter 2. Stranded in Space So began a spaceman's solitary adventure in the desolate depths of space. Khosno didn't make it. If the crash hadn't killed him, the vacuum of space surely did. Luckily, the Valkon didn't explode into a thousand pieces. It might have if I hadn't got to the auxiliary controls in time, shortly after it settled from the crash. The nose and the bridge had suffered the worst of it. I slowly began to accept the fact that Khosno was dead, crushed at the helm, and began to accept my own fate. With the valve-way from the bridge severely warped, it could not be shut and the large mid- section was open wide to the vacuum of space. The long-wave radio, just behind the helm, was also damaged beyond repair. As I began to consider the possibility of setting up another long-wave radio from the crew quarters section near the engine room at the back of the ship, the wreckage of the Valkon suddenly shifted. It was after that when I realized it was not safe, and might be tossed about the asteroid. It was reasonable to assume that either it had to be anchored onto the asteroid or the unseen forces might not hold onto it. So I went to work, following the ships inner tether-lines about, to the supply room for a laser-torch and to the cargo-hold for strong cable and some kind of anchors. Later, as I strung the cable through the anchor-loops on the exterior of the Valkon, and secured large, titanium screws into the stone, something caught my attention in the mountainous stone in the near distance. There was an extremely dark spot at the base of the mountain, about 100 meters away. Most spacemen operating beyond Mars were aware of the fact that some of the asteroids had subsurface caves. They were rare, but not completely unknown. It was then that I began to feel somewhat like an eighteenth century counter-part who had been lost at sea on the planet Earth. The more I recollected the story, the more sense it all made. The first priority was a 'safe' air-tight shelter. Since it was far from certain that the anchors would hold, the idea of an air-tight cave was one obvious alternative. As much as it seemed the radio was more important, for sending a distress-signal, it would do little good without being safely grounded first. I zeroed in on the dark spot with a com-scope. It was a long shot, but the best idea I could think of, so I prepared to investigate. The Valkon wouldn't fly again, but much of it had survived the crash, including the jetpaks. With the jetpak securely hitched onto the back of the space-suit, I flew directly to the dark spot and reached it in minutes. Flashing the headlamp in through the dark, there was a cave alright. It was about the size of the Valkon's bridge, about as perfect a shelter any stranded spaceman could hope for. I was in luck. As I explored it, the idea of converting it into an air-tight shelter was under serious consideration. It was the act of a desperate man, to be sure, but I had to try it. It could be done. The stone was solid enough and the cave was large enough for some comfort. Upon further exploration, between two irregular stalagmite formations, near the back, a crude stone archway formed the opening of another deep, dark hole. It was a tunnel that led much deeper into the mountain. With a strange, cool sensation on my spine, I looked away, just as my mind began to wander into old spacemen's tales about the mysterious 'ring of stones'. So now there were two holes that had to be sealed. More work, but never the less, it could still be done. So I went back to work on priority number 1, knowing that priority 2 was the real goal. It was not optimistic to think about what might happen if the future held only an endless ride on an asteroid. The long-wave radio appeared to be my only hope. Regardless of the urgency of the work, I was compelled by curiosity to follow the tunnel to see where it led. It was more than a meter wide, and not the least bit cramped. It was, in fact, quite smooth, as if it had been carved by natural forces, such as water perhaps, at some time in the ancient past. After passing though ten meters of tunnel, it opened upon a magnificent wonder. It was a cavern, not just a cave. It was a great temple of stone with time-worn columns and pillars strewn about. Even with the lamp on full intensity, it was difficult to see the details of the walls at the far side. After gazing in amazement for several minutes, I recalled the urgency of my work. I had to construct the air-tight shelter. The smaller cave at the entrance was perfect. I returned to the Valkon for the things that were needed. Tools, oxygen tanks, life- support units, water, etc.., but first, it was smart to set up a tether-line from the ship to the cave, to help with the heavier loads. After the line was anchored to the stone, I carried things from the Valkon to the cave without too much difficulty. Of course, under normal gravity, it would have been much harder, but since the gravity of the asteroid was almost nothing, there was a problem with keeping things from floating away from it, not falling to the ground. It was all a bit clumsy and awkward, but I managed somehow. For the mouth of the cave and the tunnel, a couple of the Valkon's heavy-metal valve- ways fit well enough, after it was pieced together and the gaps were filled in with liquid- metal sealer and titanium plates. Once it was all welded in place and the cracks were sealed, I checked it with the sensors closely for a complete inspection. Fairly certain all the cracks were sealed, and air-tight, I took a rest and let it set for about 30 minutes. Later, I crossed my fingers and switched on the life-support unit. Adjusting the air-conditioner, I watched the meters and read the figures as they changed. It leveled out and there was an obvious pressure change. I rechecked it over a period of ten minutes, to be certain it would hold steady, and decided it was safe. According to the unit, the cave was full of breathable air, and I was anxious to remove my helmet. Holding my breath and closing my eyes, I raised the visor, and tried to breathe. With my eyes closed and heart suspended between beats, I breathed the air in. It worked, I could breathe easy. With great relief, I opened my eyes, breathing easy, and removed the helmet. I looked out the small, circular window of the valve into space and estimated there were about 4 months of oxygen in reserve tanks and at least 6 months of water. Then I recalled the next priority; the long-wave radio and the air-conversion unit, to be salvaged from the Valkon. If the air were recycled by the converter, the 4 months could be stretched to 6. There was much more heavy work to do. But I was tired and needed rest. I set the timer to auto-alarm in 4 hours, put my trust in the cave and the life-support unit, and fell asleep with the helmet close by. |
Chapter 13: Contact with Mars Chapter 14: The Asteroid Miners Chapter 15: T’rwani and Tranqua Chapter 16: The Europan Pirates Chapter 17: A Clone for a Companion Chapter 18: A Skirmish in Space Chapter 19: The Story of Tranqua Chapter 20: Dealing with the AMV Chapter 21: The Tranquan Transverser Chapter 22: The Trouble with Martians Chapter 23: The Martian Consulate, Zykura Chapter 24: Hexnot, Mars Chapter 25: The Final Cataclysm |
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