Nu Trilogy 1: The Esss Advance Read Online Free PDF

small asteroid heading toward a possible collision with Earth. It detailed a rare accident at Tranquility Base on the moon where a small meteorite had killed two officers and nearly killed the captain of the USpN Revere as they were about to be briefed on the mission.
     
    The writing was riveting, and the story would catch the attention of New Yorkers if the facts could be verified. At the end of the transmission were instructions for payment to the author if the story was published, along with the name and VidPhone addresses of the chiefs of information at Tranquility Base and at the Neil Armstrong Shipyard where the Revere was being refitted for immediate departure.
     
    Richard clicked on the VidPhone address of Commander Roy Hatchman at the shipyard to verify that USpN Revere was actually docked and being refitted. If that part of the story panned out, he would contact Commander Phyllis Marsden at Tranquility to verify the details of the accident and the possible impact of the asteroid if the mission failed. If he were going to halt the printing of the morning edition, he would have to hurry. The print resubmission deadline at Splash Printing was only two hours away. 

Chapter 11 – Career Options
     
    “It is time to wake up, Captain Richardson,” Emily said. “Vice Admiral Bunting will be here in fifteen minutes, and I need that time to refresh your leg preservers.”
     
    “Whatever,” Sted replied as the dream he was experiencing evaporated into nothingness. His pillow was soaked in sweat again, so he knew something important was happening in the dream, but he could not hold on to what it was.
     
    “I think it might be helpful if you watch this process so that you can understand that the leg tissue above the cut line is in very good shape. The surgeon’s report indicates that your upper legs are in ideal shape for accepting the new prosthetics.”
     
    As she talked, Emily pulled back the covers, exposing Sted’s stumps with some kind of device what looked very much like the cupule, or base, of an acorn covering the bottom of each one. As Sted watched, Emily slid a locking mechanism in a counterclockwise direction on his right leg preserver and then slid it off of the stump. She submerged the preserver into a tank of liquid on the cart beside the bed and then held a mirror below Sted’s leg to show him the bottom of the stump.
     
    “As you can see, the leg preserver has left a clear film across the stump so that you do not bleed out in bed while it refreshes itself in the mineral bath. If you look closely, you can also see that all of your leg tissue under the film is healthy and functional.”
     
    With that, Emily pulled the leg preserver out of the tank and then re-attached it to his right stump. “These leg preservers were designed to keep the tissue in perfect condition for the attachment of the prosthetic leg when it arrives. Every twenty-four hours, the leg preserver must be recharged. I don’t know all the details of what goes on in the recharge tank, but I know it uses blood cells from your legs to manufacture compatible cellular material to maintain a fresh and healthy cross-sectional surface on the stump.”
     
    When Emily repeated the procedure on Sted’s left leg, she pulled the bedcovers back over his lower body and then fluffed the pillows behind his head and back so that he would be as comfortable as possible for his visit with the admiral.
     
    “Let me replace this pillow and pillow cover. I’m afraid you soaked it again. Is there anything else you need before the admiral arrives?”
     
    “If you could refill my water bottle, I should be fine,” Sted replied.
     
     
    Just then, Vice Admiral Bunting appeared in the doorway and sent a questioning look to Emily that Sted did not catch.
     
    “Captain Richardson went down to the lab yesterday for a productive session with Larry Phillips,” Emily said. “Larry tells me that the captain is up to speed on the recovery plan, that