The Full Circle Six Read Online Free PDF Page B

their banks. Once Drake had these last coordinates, he would be able to finish plotting his navigation through them. He wasn’t entirely sure Folders wouldn’t keep that information to himself, in order to place himself on the victory platform. Drake knew that he would do the very same in his position. Thinking of positions, Drake was still slightly irked at his current position in this event, but it was still early and he had moved up two places already. He also had every intention of gaining more, and as quickly as he could manage. This could not concern him much at the moment; however, things were going well as far as he was concerned, in spite of Freddie on his case about the engines.
    The following week, the number twenty-six did not send coordinates, but instead sent news of disaster in the form of the younger Oblize brother number seven racecraft. According to the contact message, a battle occurred, whereas it appeared Folder had damaged two of four enemy shields. The Oblize captain had equipped a space freeze capsule, however, that transformed to the size of a mountain when released, and froze all instruments in the twenty-six. They reported a full month to recovery, along with two dead and only one half of a shield remaining.
    This tragic news sent most of the crew a dampening image, that it could have been any one of them in their stead. For Drake, it meant that his teammate not only didn’t give him the information about the mine he desired, but would not be of any further assistance from in front of his own racecraft. Drake concluded that had Folders employed the last mine, he would have sent the coordinates in his message. That kind of information would be too important to forget to communicate with a teammate. So far he was navigating through the mines with no difficulty, and Jaws had reported some debris on the scanners that could have been another racecraft finding a well placed mine by Folders.
    Two things of consequence started off day thirty-nine. The first was a contact from league officials with their estimated times and positions. The second was another Freddie confrontation, this time with Drake.
    â€œSixteenth, you pathetic wimps, sixteenth place. If any of you think you’re doing good enough to win, think again. Why, I …”
    â€œCap, we aren’t winning anything if you keep running these engines so hot. We are going to explode one of these days.” Freddie had been joking this point for some time, but this time seemed to say it with a flare of anger.
    â€œFull speed is what I ran for most of the last race, which lasted over ninety days. SO, our engines will be fine for now.” Drake had twirled his navigation chair to where it faced Freddie.
    â€œI must insist, D.J., that you tell me how long you warrant leaving these engines on max?” Freddie continued.
    â€œI will leave then on max until my navigation controls start melting into the Racecraft, pretty boy! Do you understand that we are in sixteenth place?” Drake stood up and over Freddie as he screamed at him.
    â€œYou are going to kill us all… You won’t be sat…” A blow from Drake to the back of the head silenced Freddie.
    â€œHe seems so worried … Hmmm … Sammy, convert half of shield two’s power to engines … Bruvold, accompany Freddie here to the medical quarters. Tell the M.O. to treat his head and give him something to help him relax … Kraus, I want you to take his post… I apologize, people, but I don’t threaten your lives. Every member of this team has made a commitment to this race … and therefore a commitment to me.” Drake repositioned himself in his navigation chair and started manual navigation to avoid the last known mine, after making the commands.
    â€œTransfer complete, shield two at fifty percent.” Sammy pronounced, before asking Juhaen to fetch him a cup of coffee.
    It took Drake a little over four hours to