Taking SPACE

SHIPWRECKED

Steph shrugged. "Beats me."

Michael walked back in. "Well, we got good news and bad news. The dynovamator is still intact, but the propulsion engines are shot. As such, the wires are short circuiting and, thanks to the safety bypasses Steven did, someone is going to have to go outside and manually disconnect the propulsion engines before we can safely turn on the nova."

"I'll do it" Catherine volunteered.

"No I will." Daniel quickly stated.

Catherine glared at him. "I have essentially walked across the Galaxy. I have by far the most experiences."

Daniel sighed. "Ok, but I'm going with you; you might need my muscle."

"Muscle? What muscle?" Stephanie mocked.

"I have tons of muscle, thank you." Daniel retorted. "I work out."

"Ha. You haven't worked out ever since Cat moved here. You're nothing but flab now!"

Dan ignored her and pushed his way towards the door. Catherine followed him. Soon, they were in the air lock.

They put on the small space masks and activated them. A thin skin-tight shield covered each one of them. The space-suit like shield was an amazing piece of technology that would protect them from the elements and other rigors of space walking. Sadly, they had a very limited battery life, and if something hit them too hard, the shield would shatter or fail, leaving them exposed.

"You ready?" Catherine asked.

Daniel nodded, and she hit a switch.

A hatch closed behind them. The room decompressed, then the outside hatch slowly opened.

Daniel pulled himself out of the ship and glanced around. The walls of the cavern glowed red; small circular liquid lava balls floated all around the cavernous space.

Catherine floated up beside him and said, "careful, don't let one of those touch you." Her voice transmitted through the EVA suit's com system.

"I'd say not. It'd burn straight through me! Why haven't they cooled yet?

Catherine pointed at the tunnel.

Daniel looked down at it. What looked like the entrance had completely melted into one giant lava circle. Somewhat solidified, it completely sealed them in their man made cave. "Oh that's just peachy."

"The laser fire must have melted all the rocks around the entrance. Without gravity, it naturally formed that circle."

"And the open space rapidly chilled it. Great. Just great. Now how are we going to get out?"

"We will figure out something. But first we need to get the power back on." Catherine grabbed two pairs of magnetic gloves and threw one to Daniel.

He put them on and used them to pull himself along the ship, until he reached the back half. "Wow!"

Catherine pulled up beside him. "Wow. Looks like the lasers burned straight through the ship in at least eight places."

"Ah man, looks like Steven is right. This thing is shot."

"There, that is where the main conduit is cut and laying against the ship's outer casing."

Daniel nodded. He pulled himself down the hole in the ship made by the lasers, reaching the severed and melted conduit, he took off the magnetic gloves and began to pry the wires apart from each other.

Catherine threw a small kit to him and he used it to cap the conduit.

Daniel crawled back out of the hole. "Okay, it's good. Tell Steven to try."