Spaceboy Mars - Star Warriors, Page 3

explain his strong pulse and tougher bone structure. It took a while to adapt to his strange anatomy and adjust the strength of the laser surgery to operate last night. Which is why you didn’t get a debrief.’

  ‘So what about his anatomy, what are his organs like?’ Celestial asked.

  ‘They are humanoid in appearance, but arranged differently. For example his heart is bigger and of course stronger which is why his pulse is again stronger. Yet he only has one kidney. He’s similar in every way to us humans, but his differences although slight are monumental in medical terms.’

  Celestial became anxious. 'Is the Cacoon is healing him?’

  ‘Well I was worried and stayed with the patient sometime after the operation last night, just in case there were any complications. However I am pleased to announce that the Cacoon not only adapted to the operational aspect overcoming anatomy changes, but also has adapted the medical after care to the patients different needs.’ The doctor smiled with satisfaction.

  ‘Well let’s hope his recovery continues. I have many questions to ask him, when he has recovered.’ Celestial examined the electronic pad, which highlighted the boy’s differences, in layer upon layer of scans and illustrations.

  Dr Palantine took the pad from Celestial. ‘I will send you a full report of the details you have just seen for your files.’

  ‘Good I will call back soon, perhaps we can have a lengthy chat about him then,’ he said looking at his watch. ‘Sorry, I have an urgent briefing.’ Celestial glanced back towards the boy. Then made his way to see Wolfe at the space terminal, for the days salvage operation. Ten minutes later, after a brisk walk the Commander entered the terminal for the second time in as many days, again he changed as protocol dictated before walking through the vast terminal. It wouldn’t be long before it would be full of new cargo and crafts from other space stations. The experienced spaceman limped towards the maintenance bays, trying to identify Wolfe from the rest of the men. As he neared he saw him in the cargo hold of the vessel, wearing the tinted eye protectors he always used on missions, he had a goatee beard, which made him look an accomplished man for his age.

  ‘Wolfe,’ the commander shouted above the noise. ‘Are you nearly ready for demarcation.’ He pointed to the salvaging vessel, looking for confirmation that this was the ship the crew were going to use.

  ‘Yes she’s a beauty, a recovery craft which we use for carrying bulky cargo reasonable distances.’

  ‘She’s bigger than I thought,’ Celestial nodded.

  ‘The spaceship is different and distinctive to our other craft because she’s back heavy where the cargo sits. My kind of adaptable ship, Ideal for retrieving space debris or salvaging wreckage.’ Wolfe walked them around the ship away from the rest of the men, until they stood by the crafts cargo hold.

  ‘Until we have a greater understanding of what other biological organisms are stored aboard. This space craft will need to be placed in quarantine, on your return place it in one of the secure bays?’ The commander said.

  Wolfe acknowledged. ‘I will try to bring the ship back as intact as possible. None of the cargo will be removed.’ He walked up the ramp, securing his space helmet before entering the craft.

  Moments later Celestial watched from a distance the recovery craft hover above the terminal floor, as the protective terminal doors opened a spectacular view of outer space appeared. There was a sudden glow from the ships burners and a roar around the terminal, a few seconds later the craft descended for its rendezvous, with the wreckage from an unknown world.

  The Commander made his way to the Control centre and sat down to watch the salvage craft’s movement, its co-ordinates would route the descent through the planet’s thin atmosphere before correcting its course onto the wreckage. He had been worried about the unmanned aspect of it. Was it actually possible for the craft to be on route without a pilot or any staff onboard? Or had other personnel been lost in the impact and were now floating in Space? He scratched his head, sat deeper into his chair and folded his arms; his outstretched legs lay on a box under the desk. Soon he would be able to examine the salvage for his answers.

  Deep in space Wolfe’s craft neared its destination, minutes later it was hovering above the crash site, taking aerial pictures before they banked around to make a landing to the east of the wreckage, so winches and lines could drag its remains into the cargo hold. He instructed the Astro-technicians to take more pictures of the craft from surrounding angles and the interior, so every aspect of the impact could be logged. The first rule of crash scene investigation was to record all details for examination later.

  After checking the salvage equipment, Wolfe joined his men on the planet’s surface to measure up the task in hand. He walked over to the front of the alien wreck and looked down at the damage, which had been inflicted by the force of the impact. A hundred meters away In the distance through the dim light, he could see the first crater where the cockpits window had been smashed. But the second impact was more forceful where it had met with hard matter. He traced the evidence to the crafts final resting place.

  The experienced engineer made notes about the impact before inspecting the craft’s hull. It was molded alloy and explained why there appeared to be no joins to the outer fuselage. The craft had been molded rather than built part by part. He concluded a forced landing was just that! No matter how a craft was made, it would end in a disaster; if you crashed there would always be damage and casualties.

  Wolfe placed his hand in the doorway before entering the darkness of the interior; he adjusted the lights on his helmet to compensate the build up of frost on his visor. All around were controls he was unfamiliar with, there was only one seat for a pilot and the cockpit was extremely streamlined and clinical. He looked to the back of the craft where Celestial said the storage compartment was, to see blast marks near the outer edge of the door. So this compartment had saved the boy from the outside elements of space. The engineer quickly looked around at scattered metal boxes, their design and shape were like nothing he had seen before.

  After an inspection of the interior he left the confined wreckage and made his way out onto the planet’s surface, under the star lit horizon. As he walked his feet kicked up and left imprints in the ground, leaving a trail like footprints on a beach. Only this land differed, its alien landscape had speckles of oranges and reds on the higher hills around them.

  After surveying the site he returned to the heart of the salvage operation, the harsh temperature was affecting the equipment but the recovery was going well. No time had been lost in aligning the salvage crane and winches, before attaching them to the wreckage. Hopefully the ship wouldn’t crumble upon movement; the dangers of brittle metal and alloy fragmenting could kill.

  The orders were given to raise the wreckage and Wolfe sent his men into the safety of the salvage craft. As the crane took the strain of the crumpled ship, the men inside could hear the tension in the cables as they stretched against the load. Wolfe braced himself, as the wreck was prized free from its grave momentarily jolting the personnel inside, now they would only have minutes to drive the Caterpillar base under the raised space ship. Wolfe quickly assessed the condition of the crane before the crew were allowed to lower the wreckage onto the Caterpillar base; once it was secured the guidelines were unhooked. The crane was retracted like a telescopic arm into the roof of the salvage ship, bringing the prized cargo onboard. Wolfe sighed with relief as the cargo doors were finally closed.

  Wolfe made his last solemn walk around the crash site before boarding the salvage craft, he always liked to make sure nothing or no one was left behind after a mission. It was now 16.00 hrs and the engineer was happy with the outcome now the journey back to the station could now begin.

  Minutes later Wolfe steadied himself in the flight deck as his pilot increased the thrust of the ship, with a jolt the ship pitched to the left and the cargo moved alarmingly within its restraints. The cargo was slipping out of the restraints to pierce the
salvage crafts hull. As the flight continued the crew frantically tried to adjust stretching cables as the alien craft began to glow. Before the wreck could do damage it corrected its angle by floating in mid salvage bay without its restraints. A moment later and a brilliant flash of light disabled the power from the mission and blinded the crew. The ship was now in complete darkness itself floating aimlessly in space.

  ‘What the hell just happened?’ Wolfe shouted from the flight deck.

  ‘Come down quickly and look.’ An Asto Technician requested Wolfe’s attention.

  Suddenly as Wolfe entered the bay the alien crafts glow diminished, it dropped into tightened restraints as power returned to the operation. Wolfe scratched his head and shrugged as the crew turned to him for confirmation of what had just happened. He was at a loss to explain what had just happened.

  Moments later Wolfe addressed the Com’s console. ‘Check all flight controls and double check coordinates before we take this salvage homeward bound, please mark estimated time of arrival at 17.00hrs, thank you for your assistance.’ he said keeping one eye on the now lifeless salvage.

  Back at the space station Celestial registered the communication and replied. ‘You are all clear to