A Starship Called Starsong

Chapter 10

Docking was a very busy time for everyone. The Cargo Bay was on high alert in case any loads shifted while we entered the upper atmosphere of the planet since it wasn't uncommon to encounter some turbulence.

The docking stations were built very high above the ground, and the individual docking bays had powerful anti-gravity modules that were placed at optimal locations to support the ship's weight when it docked and shut off its engines.

I carefully kept my eyes on where I was driving the forklift, ensuring that I did not look at the rather fake-looking shipping labels on any of the crates in this corner. I located the crate with the appropriate number stamped on its side and picked it up with the cargo lift.

Red lights on the ceiling started flashing as the Emergency Evacuation Alarm began sounding. I jumped right from the forklift onto the floor and took off running. An Emergency Evacuation when we were docked so far above ground was a nightmare-come-true for anyone on board.

A quick glance at the loading bay doors showed that the docking station's loading platforms had not been set up yet, so I was unable to escape that way. The emergency spacesuits were useless in this situation since we were not in true space with no gravity.

There were only two doors that would have access ramps hooked up to the docking platform, and both of them were quite some distance away. I started running down the corridor.

The lights flickered momentarily, and one thought immediately popped up. They were supposed to wait until we were truly docked before they started messing with the upgrades!

My heart started hammering with adrenaline as I sped up a notch through the empty grey corridors. If the ship was still out to kill us, then I wanted to get off this blasted thing!

I rounded the corner and almost ran into Cynthia, Logan, and three others. I slid to a stop as I told them, "Wrong way! The two access doors are the other way!"

"The airlock doors are shut that way! We have to go around!" Cynthia grabbed my hand and pulled me with her. I changed direction as I ran with them, trying to think of the fastest route to the other access door.

Logan called over his shoulder. "We were just starting to dock when we were told by Space Traffic Control that the upgrade is non-reversible! We have to get off this spaceship!"

"Let's cut through the water-pump room!" My unusual level of access from my work with the Maintenance tickets meant that most doors should open to me.

I slid to a stop in front of the correct door, and it opened obediently. We ran through the room and out the other side into a second corridor.

Logan sounded panicked as we saw the closed door ahead of us. "That airlock door is closed too!"

I grabbed my Analyzer and pulled up the map before tapping icons to show any activated airlock doors. "What the hell..."

They all looked at me in worry. Cynthia craned her head to look at the screen, worry and near panic clearly showing in her expression. "What is it?"

This is not making any sense... "Look. It is just the airlocks near the access doors that are closed, but last time the ship tried to lock us in small areas..." I quickly tapped a few buttons as I checked something else. "All of the systems are still running perfectly. This is nothing like the last time the computer took over."

Green lights showed on every system, the complete opposite of last time. My work with the Analyzer and fixing things often made my mind see things differently. Nothing was lining up or matching between this scenario and our last emergency two weeks ago.