CHAPTER 2
David Redfield felt himself being pressed back into his padded seat as the boosters thrust the commercial Orbiter against the pull of the Earth's gravity. Out of his window he could see the hazy blue of the atmosphere fade and give way to the darkness of space. The distant stars glittered and winked at him. At the back of the craft, under the Delta shaped wing the rocket boosters roared. He could feel the entire fuselage shake with the force.
The ripping sound of the Hostess walking up the isle startled him. She stepped on the Velcro strips keeping her on the ground. The illusion that this cast helped passengers to combat the disorienting effects of weightlessness.
She offered him a drink in a cup with a lid and straw. He took it and watched her walk back to the crew compartment through the deserted passenger section. He was the only passenger on the flight. Drafted out to the space station specially so he could repair the main communications antenna. He was the only person with the skills in telecommunications technology and extensive experience in E.V.A.'s (space-walks) and was the only person who could do it.
"Major," Came the soft voice of the hostess. "We've locked onto the docking beacon and will arrive in 15 minutes."
"Thank you." He smiled.
Soon he could see the station through his window. It was absolutely huge. The Docking assembly was visible on the central axis, pitted with round air locks and with a few long vessels preparing to travel to the outer planets.
At either end of the Axis were two massive rings. The far one was partially constructed and made mostly of bare metal girders expose the vacuum. The gentle spin of the station generated the artificial gravity. He spotted the main antenna pointed towards Earth. All around it was bristling with smaller transmitters. It was these that the crew has to use to keep in touch with Earth via a complicated and unreliable satellite relay.
He noticed the tiny form of the original station started in 1999. The cramped modules had been vastly expanded upon in the last thirty years and birthed the new and improved Space Station Freedom. David floated in the central Axis corridor and watched the Orbiter unclamp and float away from the airlock back towards Earth. He let his holdall tumble through the air as he looked around. He wondered where everyone was; there should have been a crewman to meet him. He shrugged inwardly and ran his hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. Kicking furiously he swam to his bag and kicked off of a wall to the door.
He was inside the Axis. All down the long corridor were rooms like the one he was just in, some leading to docked ships but most held empty airlocks. Shoving off hard he propelled himself along till he bumped into the bulkhead at the end of the Axis. He pressed the door control and it slid open. He could see the inside of the spinning Spoke section of the station. Once he pulled himself through the door he would be affected by gravity again.
The shift was very daunting, though, but with practice it would become like stepping onto a moving escalator. David swung his feet around and grunted as he hit the deck. He still felt light. The centrifugal force this close to the Axis was very weak, but would grow stronger as he went down, to the outer rim of the wheel.
An elevator took him down through a spoke to the wheel itself. He walked unsteadily along the empty corridor and staggered into the reception. Again, there wasn't a soul anywhere. The room was big, with a large picture window showing the moon in the distance. Potted plants sat in the corners waving gently in the drafts from the Life Support vents. A big desk was at the far end; next to it was an airtight door.
David walked to the desk, papers were scattered on it, and a cup of coffee was overturned, its contents stained the files. "Hello?" he called, "Is anyone here?" He listened and heard no reply.
Leaning on the edge he peered over the desk. Suddenly a woman sprang up at him. He gasped and jumped back. She lunged at him, moaning and swinging blindly. He looked into her dead white eyes and couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Are you all right?" he asked in vain. His voice seemed to irritate her; she struggled to clamber over the desk at him groaning. He walked backwards well out of her reach and watched. She was pale, almost white. Her skin was dry, her eyes sunken and lifeless. Her blue NASA overalls were tattered and splashed with blood.
"Zombie." He couldn't believe it! A real ZOMBIE! His parents had always told him about when they fought zombies when they were in the S.T.A.R.S but he thought they were just stories. Never for a second did he think they were true!
The woman crawled over the desktop and fell onto the floor hitting her face. She dragged herself to her knees, ignoring her obviously broken nose and tried for him again. He wasted no time getting out of there! Opening the door he went out into the main social area locking it behind him.
David Redfield felt himself being pressed back into his padded seat as the boosters thrust the commercial Orbiter against the pull of the Earth's gravity. Out of his window he could see the hazy blue of the atmosphere fade and give way to the darkness of space. The distant stars glittered and winked at him. At the back of the craft, under the Delta shaped wing the rocket boosters roared. He could feel the entire fuselage shake with the force.
The ripping sound of the Hostess walking up the isle startled him. She stepped on the Velcro strips keeping her on the ground. The illusion that this cast helped passengers to combat the disorienting effects of weightlessness.
She offered him a drink in a cup with a lid and straw. He took it and watched her walk back to the crew compartment through the deserted passenger section. He was the only passenger on the flight. Drafted out to the space station specially so he could repair the main communications antenna. He was the only person with the skills in telecommunications technology and extensive experience in E.V.A.'s (space-walks) and was the only person who could do it.
"Major," Came the soft voice of the hostess. "We've locked onto the docking beacon and will arrive in 15 minutes."
"Thank you." He smiled.
Soon he could see the station through his window. It was absolutely huge. The Docking assembly was visible on the central axis, pitted with round air locks and with a few long vessels preparing to travel to the outer planets.
At either end of the Axis were two massive rings. The far one was partially constructed and made mostly of bare metal girders expose the vacuum. The gentle spin of the station generated the artificial gravity. He spotted the main antenna pointed towards Earth. All around it was bristling with smaller transmitters. It was these that the crew has to use to keep in touch with Earth via a complicated and unreliable satellite relay.
He noticed the tiny form of the original station started in 1999. The cramped modules had been vastly expanded upon in the last thirty years and birthed the new and improved Space Station Freedom. David floated in the central Axis corridor and watched the Orbiter unclamp and float away from the airlock back towards Earth. He let his holdall tumble through the air as he looked around. He wondered where everyone was; there should have been a crewman to meet him. He shrugged inwardly and ran his hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. Kicking furiously he swam to his bag and kicked off of a wall to the door.
He was inside the Axis. All down the long corridor were rooms like the one he was just in, some leading to docked ships but most held empty airlocks. Shoving off hard he propelled himself along till he bumped into the bulkhead at the end of the Axis. He pressed the door control and it slid open. He could see the inside of the spinning Spoke section of the station. Once he pulled himself through the door he would be affected by gravity again.
The shift was very daunting, though, but with practice it would become like stepping onto a moving escalator. David swung his feet around and grunted as he hit the deck. He still felt light. The centrifugal force this close to the Axis was very weak, but would grow stronger as he went down, to the outer rim of the wheel.
An elevator took him down through a spoke to the wheel itself. He walked unsteadily along the empty corridor and staggered into the reception. Again, there wasn't a soul anywhere. The room was big, with a large picture window showing the moon in the distance. Potted plants sat in the corners waving gently in the drafts from the Life Support vents. A big desk was at the far end; next to it was an airtight door.
David walked to the desk, papers were scattered on it, and a cup of coffee was overturned, its contents stained the files. "Hello?" he called, "Is anyone here?" He listened and heard no reply.
Leaning on the edge he peered over the desk. Suddenly a woman sprang up at him. He gasped and jumped back. She lunged at him, moaning and swinging blindly. He looked into her dead white eyes and couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Are you all right?" he asked in vain. His voice seemed to irritate her; she struggled to clamber over the desk at him groaning. He walked backwards well out of her reach and watched. She was pale, almost white. Her skin was dry, her eyes sunken and lifeless. Her blue NASA overalls were tattered and splashed with blood.
"Zombie." He couldn't believe it! A real ZOMBIE! His parents had always told him about when they fought zombies when they were in the S.T.A.R.S but he thought they were just stories. Never for a second did he think they were true!
The woman crawled over the desktop and fell onto the floor hitting her face. She dragged herself to her knees, ignoring her obviously broken nose and tried for him again. He wasted no time getting out of there! Opening the door he went out into the main social area locking it behind him.