I had just started to nod off in my quarters, when the com sprang to life, scaring me clear out of my bed and onto the floor.
“Captain!, Jayden yells in to the com system, We found it!”
I reached up and slap the com button.. “Jayden What did I tell you about yelling into the com system?” I replied as I rubbed my hip with my other hand.
A few moment of silence pass, as tho nothing had happened.
The com system came to life again only this time it buzzed politely. Choosing to ignore the incoming message, assuming that I already got the message, I got dressed and headed to the bridge.
“Finally, your here.” Jayden says as she tilts her head every so slightly. “You got my message, I waited for you to respond, to get the message but you just ignored me, but we found it, it’s just over there, we can send some..” she continued to ramble on almost incoherently.
“Whoo.. Jayden.. STOP..” I said cutting her off. “Your driving me crazy, slow down, breath. Let me get some coffee or something, hell, it’s been there for 5 years, it can wait 5 minutes..”
Sitting down in the captain’s chair I punch the automated food dispenser and order up a cup of coffee. Moments latter the dispenser chimes and I’ve got my cup in hand.
I look over at Jayden who is now glaring at me. So I give her the “what?” look as I take a sip, and shrug my shoulders.
“Captain!” Jayden says this time with a calm, and stern voice. “The sensors confirm it, it’s the real deal!” she says as a little excitement creeps back into her voice.
I leaned over a bit closer to my display to get a better look at the readout’s from the probes. Then pulling up the schematics of the ship from the contract for the item only known as “768-dash-04″. Punching it into the scanner the computer superimposing the images together.
“Well it looks like the right ship,” I said not daring to believe that we’ve found it.
“No wonder the scanners have had such a hard time finding it.” She mutters almost under her breath. “It looks half burried” This time her excitement fades almost completely out of her voice.
“Looks like we can explore if we keep it to under 60 minutes a trip and use full load out.” Jaydon says, as my display confirms her assessment.
“According to the schematic the the “768-dash-04″ is located in the engineering department. As near as I can tell the fastest way into that section is down this corridor here.” I said clicking on the schematic, exploding it into a full 3d image suspended in the air above the control panel.
“That’s more then 30 min walk.” Jayden said as a sense a fear leeks into her voice.
“True.. but,” I said with a pause, “The assessment is assuming your on the surface of the rock not in the belly of that wreak.” I said rubbing my chin. “I bet we can make it we’ll just need to keep an eye on our equipment.” I said trying to sound as optimistic as I could.
“I guess we have to at least try.” she said.. with a renewed sense of excitement.
1 hour latter are we where both suited up with our full load-out of power cells and tools and heading for the entrance.
“Looks like the door is open” Jayden says as she triggers the suit to suit com system. “and look there are foot prints, we’re not the first ones here” she points out.
“Ya but I plan on leaving” I said as I pointed to the tracks. “There are no return foot prints, what ever went in there is still in there.” I said looking back at Jayden.
Jayden visibly stunned, (which was saying something considering the amount of gear she had on) started to stumble over her words.”Y.. you d.. you don’t think he’s still in there do you?” she said with that all to familiar “can I wait in the ship” look.
“Well if he is, he’s most likely dead unless he suit is much better then ours.” I said knowing the odds of anyone being alive in there are more remote then the system we found it in.
“Come on, let’s get this over with.” I said motioning for her to hurry up.
We headed in through the open hatch and just as I had hoped the readings on our suites started to drop.
“Looks like we got a few extra minutes.” I said pointing to my gauges “Let’s make’m count”.
A few minutes latter are we where at the engineering hatch.
“Now to find out if the code still works.” I load up the contract again on my hud and find lock code in the details.
All ships for the last 100+ years have backup systems that go dormant in the event of system failure most of them will come back online if when you try to access the systems.
I touch the key pad expecting it to light up, but nothing. “It can’t be dead already? could it” I said looking back at Jayden who just shrugs her shoulders clearly wishing she was back on the ship.
“Hand me that pipe” I said pointing to a thick metal pipe laying on the floor next to her.
Passing it over to me she says “Your going to try to pry it open?”
“You got a better idea?” I responded secretly hoping that she did.
I was able to get the door about half open. But then it got stuck and nothing I could do could get it any further open. The door was not open far enough for my suit being battle rigged to get through.
“Jayden, it’s up to you” I can’t get in you’ll need to go in and find the box. It looks like a big metal box, let’s hope it fits out the door.” I say stepping aside to let Jayden pass.
She squeezes past the door and into the room.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH” she screams for all shes worth and practically falls back out the door.
“What.. what is it? what’s going on” I shout back into the com.
A few moments of silence hung in the air like smoke from a cigarette.
“Jayden?” I yell in to the com. “You ok?”
“Ya I’m fine” she replies, clawing her way back to her feet.
“You where right tracks going in.. not coming out, there is a dead guy in here.” she says “looks like he died trying to get the door open from the other side, one sec..” a few moments latter and the door slides the rest of the way open.
I step through the door and see the unknown pilot laying on his side, his suit and earlier model to Jaydons showed signs of being jammed in the door as I tried to pry it open.
“Can we just get the box and get the hell out of here? Dead people give me the creeps”. Jayden says as she stomps one boot on the ground.
“Ya sounds good” I said as I stood up to look around.
“Hey, looks like we owe him a favor.” I said pointing with my light to a large shinny box on the ground only a few feet away.
“Grab that end, let’s get out of here” I said grabbing the handle closest to me.
“We’re going to have to haul ass our suits are almost out of power” I said nearing the open hatch leading outside.
“Let’s toss the box out on to the ground clear of the wreak then we can run back to the ship and use the ships tractor beam to pull it on board.” Jayden said clearly proud of this latest return to reality.
“Not bad, on three, ready one, two, three” I said as we both gave the box a heave tossing it out of the ship and on to the rocky floor of the asteroid.
Then we both took off on a dead run, good thing we did to.. because just as we entered into the environment gateway on the ship I could feel I was starting to black out.
Moments latter we where safe. Warping back to the drop point for the contract with cargo in tow.
“Another day.. another .75 isk” I said as Jayden scoffs, I open the contract browser to see what else is in this area of space.