The Broken Cage (Solstice 31 Saga Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

Shielded orbital platforms just attacked. Missiles, plasma cannons,” Ibenez said.
    Looking up, they all saw that they just passed over an antenna of some kind. A few moments later, there was another one.
    “Sir, I think we are clear,” Muir said.
    A window from an aft camera opened to the left. They saw more high-velocity projectiles coming in at a steep angle.
    “Captain, I think I know what those antenna nodes are,” Ibenez said.
    “Commander, not captain, Ibenez. But, call me Jim or Jimbo, damn it.” Worthington grew serious.
    “Sorry, sir.”
    “What about the nodes?” Jimbo asked.
    “I think they’re nodes from a Tesla communications array.” Greg stared at his console.
    Jim pounded a button, a bit too hard, and the engineering console came up in the main viewer.
    “The nodes are decreasing their separation,” Ibenez said, apparently assuming Jim would know what that meant.
    “Spit it out, Ibenez.” Worthington sounded angry now.
    “A Tesla array is an LSCA, sorry, a Large Scale Communications Array. Ancient tech,” Ibenez said.
    “So what.”
    The events were sinking in. Jim replaced adrenaline with anger.
    “There’s usually a base at the center of the array,” Ibenez said.
    This was enough for Worthington to turn and look at Greg. He glanced at Hume. She nodded.
    Another Klaxon began to sound.
    “Another hatch seal has failed. In Engineering. One of the shops.” Muir turned off the alarm.
    “Sir, the base Ibenez mentioned is ahead, 9° to starboard. It's beaconed. It must have power. Eleven kilometers out,” Muir stated.
    “Do you think it's defended? What are we up against?” Worthington asked Muir.
    Ibenez chimed in again, “Look, I don't know for sure. But, moon-based Tesla Arrays, where the gravity is low, are typically not manned after the array is completed. Initially, hundreds of people worked there, especially if it was long ago. Once completed, the base emptied.”
    “Commander, Elkin is on comms,” Tyrrell called.
    “Go, Elkin,” Worthington ordered.
    “Commander, the reactor core is beginning to spike. I can't explain it. The systems are so compromised, I can't tell if it's about to blow or jettison. We need to stand down, soon.” Elkin yelled over the sound of the machines in the background.
    “Do not let that reactor dump its core. Override safeties, if you have to,” Worthington ordered. “We’re dead without that reactor.”
    “Yes, sir.” Elkin signed off.
    “It's better to burn out than to fade away,” Ibenez said.
    The entire bridge crew turned to look at him at the same time.
    “What the hell is wrong with you?” Hume asked Ibenez. “They're all dead. Thousands of them. Dead.” She was pissed.
    “Hey, come on. I'm scared shitless here. I'm handling it,” Greg said. “There are a ton of alarms in engineering. Have Walt Edwards go down to help. He’s another one from Bowen's survey team. A very smart guy.”
    Worthington nodded at Tyrrell and he opened a channel. “Walt Edwards, report to Elkin in engineering, stat!”
    “Base, dead ahead. There’s a landing apron. Just this side of the domes,” Beary said.
    “Putting it down hot. Stand ready,” Cook said.
    Cook took the pinnace in fast and set it down after a simple 90° turn. They all felt it.
    “Elkin,” Jimbo called. “We’re down, take the reactor off-line.”
    Before he finished his sentence, the lights, the screens and the gravity plates went off-line. Emergency lights came back on.
    ***
    They sat on the bridge, not saying a word, for over a minute, just breathing.
    “Commander, the crew is checking in. Orders?” Tyrrell asked.
    “Have everyone make their way to the ops briefing room, after they safely stabilize all systems. It’s directly below the bridge. We also need to search the entire ship for survivors. All compartments,” Worthington said, while getting up.
    Everyone that could, assembled within three minutes.
    “Sir, I saw Dr. Bowen in airlock number three,” Trish