Proxima Adventure

Chapter 4. New Victims.

Chapter 4. New Victims.

As their ship approached Saturn, Alice and Vicky searched for a vessel using the telescopic equipment. Judy and Hilary used the communication system to determine its status.

"I've located their ship," Alice revealed. "It's orbiting Saturn near to Enceladus inside the E-ring. It doesn't appear to be damaged. However, I'm not seeing any crashed vessel on Enceladus."

Everyone glanced at the main screen which displayed the vessel partially immersed in the ring of Saturn that emissions from Enceladus is contributing to. The ice crystals that made up the tenuous E-ring sparkled in weak sunlight as if it were composed of glass fragments floating in a gossamer silky sheet.

"Maybe the crashed vessel imbedded into the iced surface," Charles said.

"I think that would leave a noticeable mark on the surface."

"Yeah, that's true."

"I don't recognize that type of spacecraft," Carl said. "It must have been introduced after we left for Proxima B."

"Inform them that we're going to pull alongside their ship," Charles told Alice. "Tell them that they should get into spacesuits. We'll use a shuttle to pick them up."

"They said to hurry," Alice said. "They're very low on oxygen."

Charles stood up. "You can take over getting the ship close to theirs, Carl. I'll take Hilary with me to get them into a shuttle."

Carl nodded. Hilary stood up and followed Charles into the elevator."

"I'm not qualified on shuttle procedures," she said, her face twisted with concern.

"All you have to do is open and close the shuttle hatch and work the air supply."

She nodded, even though her eyes were wide with concern.

When Charles and Hilary arrived at the hanger deck, they headed to a locker that contained spacesuits. Getting into them consumed several minutes, but once they were in them and their oxygen supplies activated, they were ready to begin the rescue process.

"They're standing at an open hatch," Carl told Charles over the communication system. "They say they don't have much oxygen left."

"Yeah, I see them. We're taking the shuttle out now."

Charles maneuvered the shuttle out of the hanger and over to the stranded ship, which was barely a fifth the size of theirs. He had to be careful in adjusting the shuttle's attitude relative to their hatch. After he accomplished that, he used little jets on his backpack to cross the distance between the shuttle and their ship. He grabbed a female astronaut and used his propulsion system to get her back to the shuttle. He repeated the process with the other female. Then he returned to take the male to the shuttle.

Once he had them in the shuttle, he took over to move it back into the hanger deck.

"Ok, Hillary, return the atmosphere to the deck."

She grunted her reply before she activated the recompression of the hanger deck.

After the deck was compressed with air, Charles removed his helmet, prompting the stranded crew he had just rescued to follow suit.

"You're just in time," the male told him, huffing as if deprived of breath. "We were minutes away from being asphyxiated."

Charles extended his hand, "I'm Charles Westin." He gestured to Hilary. "This is Hilary Dans."

The male smiled when he shook hands. "Dave Holsten." He gestured to the two females. "This is Beverly Tenison and Mary Wilson."

"You can get out of your suits. We store them up here."