ShareTheBook.com-The Shuttle Saucer Accident

Page 4

Chapter 1 - Going Home

   The lone, burning engine began to send the saucer pod into an end over end roll. Jasen could tell that it was probably the engine under them because he started to feel an increase in his weight. Those on the other side of the circle would start to feel pressure upward. A quarter of the way around the ship, passengers began to feel their arms pulling out to their sides. The ship had begun a tumble that was going to get worse if the valve didn't shut off soon.
    The autopilot was trying to correct for the strange flight pattern, but it seemed as though it hadn't yet caught on to what was wrong. Finally the computer reached the end of its options and dumped the fuel supply to shut off the engine. Within a few seconds the remaining vibration disappeared and all was quiet. Jasen's sense of weight shifted from down to back as the acceleration stopped and the tumble of the saucer determined the feeling of down.
    Jasen was now lying against the outer wall with the other passengers around him. He knew that people part way around the circle wouldn't be nearly so comfortable. They were feeling a push to their side and the outside of the tumble.
    The computer autopilot started the S.O.S. signal and tried to aim the radio antenna toward the Moon. But the tumble was too fast and the communications antenna couldn't stay in contact long enough for the pod's problems to be broadcast to the control center. Only the quick burst of S.O.S. was going out.
    Not all of the passengers understood what had happened. Everyone could see the computer-generated graphic of what the ship was doing displayed on the screen in front of them. Jasen could hear Jennifer's breathing speeding up, a slow chain of curses, and then whimpers. Considering the way she had treated him so far, he didn't know if he should even look at her, let alone say anything.
   "I didn't want to make this trip anyway!" Jennifer said angrily. "Why did they make me come?"

The view screen in front of Jasen suddenly updated and typed out a few sentences explaining what was going on. When the shuttle saucers were put into service, it was decided that they didn't need a human pilot. But the Space Commission had required them to include the update screens. Every passenger had a right to know what was happening to the ship, they had said.
Jennifer and Jasen both paled as they read the screen: "Saucer attitude critical. Projected path indicates impact with lunar surface in forty-eight hours. Please remain seated. Have a nice day."