“Nothing’s happening,” Cal pointed out. “Why’s nothing happening?”
“Pull up!” Miz cried. “We’re going to crash!”
“Yeah, we noticed!” Mech bellowed. “Ain’t my fault!”
“It’s totally your fault!” insisted Cal.
Behind him, Loren groaned and flickered open her eyes. She gazed at the screen for a few seconds, her eyelids slowly scraping up and down. She jumped suddenly upright. “Second left, third from bottom, top panel!”
Cal reached up for the top panel. “What? Second…?”
“Left! Third from bottom!”
Cal found a small, unassuming white button. “What about it?”
“Press it!”
“Now?”
“Yes, now!” Loren yelped, gripping the armrests as the landing pad spiraled closer and closer. “Press it now!”
Cal pressed the button. There was a roar that rumbled the whole underside of the Shatner, vibrating them all through the floor. The spinning slowed, then stopped. The ship tilted until one of the ingot buildings loomed right ahead of them.
There was an impact which, while jarring, didn’t turn them into a crater on the ground. With a hiss and a billowing of gray smoke, the Shatner touched down on the landing pad.
Loren and Mizette both relaxed into their chairs. Cal swiveled to face them. “What was that?” he asked. “What did I press?”
“Auto-pilot,” Loren croaked, rubbing the top of her head.
Cal shifted his gaze to Mech. “Auto-pilot? There’s an auto-pilot?”
“Hey, how was I to know?” said Mech. “We’re alive, ain’t we? It’s all good.”
Cal stood up. “Well, there’s a very high chance I’ve soiled myself, so I wouldn’t say it’s all good, would you?”
Miz sniffed the air. “I don’t think you have.”
Cal’s nostrils flared. He grimaced, just briefly. “Well, that’s a relief. Thank you for checking.”
“Any time.”
Loren unclipped her belt. “The important thing is that we’re here.”
On screen, an enormous door on the closest building slowly swung inwards. Loren stiffened. “And here comes the welcoming committee.”
Author Barry Hutchinson can be found here on Amazon as well as his Blog
Missing scientists, a desperate corporation, that sounds like just the kind of payday Captain Drake, and his crew were looking for.
Life out in the stars isn’t easy. Not unless you’re willing to pledge your services to one of the major players. Captain Drake has never been much for servitude even when it comes with a golden spoon. That just means he has to be willing to get a little extra dirt on his hands to make a living.
The mercenary guild only hires the best for their top of the line clients, and the crew of the Star Talon has just made the grade. What they find themselves involved in now will change the path they fly through the stars forever.
Author Bradford Bates can be found here on Amazon and at his Blog here.
The Federal Witch
Born a Witch Drafted by the FBI!
Conjuring Quantico - Out Now!
Magical Probi - Out Now!
Special Agent in Charge - Look for it Early 2017
Witness Enchantment - Look for it Mid 2017
Night of the Unicorn - TBD
Athena Lee Chronicles
The Forgotten Engineer
Engineering Murder
Ghost ships of Terra
Revolutionary
Insurrection
Imperial Subversion
The Martian Inheritance
Infiltration
Prelude to War
War to the Knife - Out Now!
Ghosts of Noodlemass Past -Out Now!
Athena Lee Universe
Shades of Learning
Space Cadets - Coming Soon Early 2017
Short Story Collections
Wilson’s War
A Colony of CATTs
Box Sets
Chronicles of Athena Lee - Books 1-3
Chronicles of Athena Lee - Books 4-6
Chronicles of Athena Lee - Books 7-9 plus the prequel
The Federal Witch Book 1
Standalone or tie-ins
The Tide: The Multiverse Wave
The Lost Pilot
Uncommon Life
Kutherian Gambit
The Etheric Academy Alpha Book 1 - Out Now!
Don’t forget to check the Blog every week for a New Wilson or Fergus story.