Starbound Read Online Free PDF

the ship were preprogrammed, we were not. We still needed a few seconds to reassociate ourselves to our own dimension, but it wasn’t as profound an effect, for some reason, as when we jumped out of our own dimension.
    I was quickly on my board demanding reports. Everything looked green except . . .
    â€œLieutenant Longer,” I said. “Why is the sub-light HD drive not shut down?” I watched him scramble his hands across his board.
    â€œUnknown, sir,” he responded.
    I unbuckled from my seat and was at the railing in a second.
    â€œIf that drive is still engaged we could be pulled back into the jump space tunnel, mister,” I said.
    â€œUnderstood, sir. The HD drive is shut down but . . .”
    â€œBut what, man?” I demanded.
    â€œIt looks like residual neutrinos were generated by the full stop, sir. It kept the drive engaged for a few microseconds longer than planned, sir,” he said.
    I turned to George Layton at the helm. “Where are we, Lieutenant?”
    Layton’s hand played across his board. “Point one five three AUs further into the tunnel than expected, sir,” he said.
    â€œAnd what’s our heading?”
    â€œWe’re not in normal space, sir, we’re in jump space, so it’s difficult to tell, but it seems we’re losing ground to the star.”
    I spun around and reported to my captain. “Our position is not as expected, Captain. We’re still in the jump space tunnel and appear to be drifting away from the exit, sir,” I said.
    â€œHow long until the impellers can pull us out?” asked Captain Maclintock. I looked to Longer, then over to Serosian.
    â€œUncertain that they can, sir,” I said honestly. “The chemical impellers are designed to work in normal space primarily, sir. We are significantly further inside the tunnel than anticipated. Excessneutrinos generated when the HD drive didn’t shut down properly appear to have displaced us from our landing point, sir.”
    Dobrina stood up from her station. “Are you saying that the gravimetric energy of the Jenarus star is pulling us deeper into the tunnel?” she said.
    â€œYes, XO,” I replied. “The jump space tunnel magnifies the gravity pull of the star by a significant amount.” Maclintock looked to Serosian.
    â€œCan we survive if we exit the tunnel inside the envelope of the star’s corona?” he asked.
    â€œVery uncertain, Captain. Even with the Hoagland Field,” said the Historian.
    â€œSolutions?” asked Maclintock. The Historian shook his head.
    â€œNone readily available, Captain,” he said. “The impellers aren’t strong enough to fight the pull of a star the mass of Jenarus. The jump space tunnel acts as a field magnifier for the gravity of the star. The more ground we lose to the exit point, the stronger the pull will be.”
    â€œWhat about reengaging the Hoagland FTL drive?” asked Maclintock.
    â€œThat would actually make our situation worse. The gravitons generated by the drive spooling process would bond with those of the star, resulting again in a magnifying effect,” stated Serosian.
    â€œAnd the sub-light hyperdimensional drive?”
    â€œThe sub-light HD drive generates neutrinos, which would cancel out the star’s gravimetric pull to a degree, but not enough to pop us out of this jump space tunnel. It’s highly unusual stellar topography,” commented Serosian.
    â€œAre you implying that this tunnel might be artificial?” asked Dobrina. Serosian nodded.
    â€œA possibility, Commander. But it would take a lot more study than we currently have time for,” he said. Maclintock stood and rubbed his face.
    â€œSo what you’re all telling me is that we have three drives on this ship and none of them can get us out of our predicament?” he said.
    â€œFour, actually, sir,” I said, and instantly regretted it.