Book 3: Chapter 126: Expedition Hades (1)

Book 3: Chapter 126: Expedition Hades (1)

USD: 72 Days after arrival at Fort Glisson

Location: Nu Crateris, Outer System, Hades, Infiltration Tunnel, SRS Heavens Fire

It did not take long for the Heavens Fire to plunge through the tunnel. Amy watched with growing alarm as they approached the Magma line on the display at a high rate. Before she could comment, the ships retro thrusters kicked on, slowing their plunge.

Heeler slapped a control with a tentacle and suddenly the hardened crust of the wound that A31 had dug turned a glowing red, then yellow, and finally white as the battlecruiser still approached. The optical cameras dotting the ships hull swapped slowly between feeds before all suddenly cutting out at once.

Wyles tapped the arm of his seat nervously. Did the cameras just fail?

The light threshold of the optical sensors was exceeded, and they have been shutdown and shuttered to prevent degradation.

Oh, thats just great. Wyles muttered.

Amy cleared her voice. Heeler, since the optical feeds are out, can you show us a different display type? Wed both appreciate being able to see our progress.

Heeler growled or sounded like he growled. Amy realized it was just the noise when he made to signal an affirmative. The screen flashed back to life, showing a diagram of the tunnel and the ship. A glowing blue field around the ship shimmered to life.

Wyles leaned forward to examine the screen that was mirrored on his half-console. How long until we reach the magma layer?

We will reach the magma line in thirty seconds. Heeler announced. A small timer blinked to life in the display's corner, showing the ETA. As the time ticked down, Amy watched the blue ellipsoid bubble around the ship come closer to the solid yellow line.

There was no physical sensation when the ship pushed into the molten material below them. All around the ship, the strata was pressed away from the hull by the highly pressurized field of particles formed by the ships D-field.

Amy watched as they maintained their course, dropping through the super-heated material straight for where the internal tunnel was supposed to be. A second ETA clock displaying a ten-minute timer appeared. She assumed that was how long until they made it to the other side.

Things seemed to progress normally, and Amy almost found it in herself to relax as the clock passed the halfway mark. A bead of sweat dripped off her nose and she realized it wasnt just from stress, but from the temperature of the room rising sharply.

Amy wiped her face. Heeler. Its getting hot?

A display above Heelers head blinked, a yellow bar going off the side of the screen. The layers temperature gradient does not follow the expected curve.

Wyles didnt look happy. You bragged about how the field would protect us from the heat of a star, much less a puny magma layer.

That was true for a standard yellow-type star. However, the temperatures outside the hull are exceeding those of a blue hyper-giant. It is possible there are some active processes in play that are attempting to prevent our entry.

Amy looked back down at her console. The clock was still ticking down.

Heeler let out another low noise that she hadnt heard before. Our forward energy array has been disabled, as there is no need to heat the material any further. We are continuing to dive toward the inner edge.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Amy flipped the page on her console that Heeler had designed for her and started shifting through the ships systems. Although the specific screens werent anything shed studied or seen before, the way starships worked was about the same. It looked like Heeler had stolen the operating system from some human ship anyway, and she quickly found what she was looking for.

A pained look appeared on Abbeys face. Oh no, not the doggos! I knew I should have added atmosphere control to their pajamas! I will work on a redesign immediately!

Heeler let out another growl. I have established a constant data-feed of our sensor data. It would be advisable for you to help analyze our findings now and work on other projects later.

Amy nodded. There would be time for Rexxor nestling spacesuits later.

Were still dropping deeper. Shouldnt we pause and see what we can figure out from here? Wyles said.

Heeler waved a tentacle in response. It is unlikely we can return through the mantle line without repairs and improvements to the heat management systems of the ship. These have been planned, but will take some time and require resource acquisitions. I am detecting a transient power source active thirty kilometers below and have set it as our destination.

Amy checked the readouts on her console and played with one of the optical sensors. The tunnel is nearly twenty-five kilometers wide in diameter. There are extensive shelves of construction and buildings along the tunnel walls. We can likely find a ledge or landing area large enough to support the ship.

Those are large enough to land on? They look tiny. Wyles asked.

They are far away, so they look smaller than they really are. Amy explained.

Several blue lasers expanded from the battlecruisers hull, scanning the tunnel as they descended deeper. This must have once been a great nest, the entire moon riddled with tunnels. There is evidence that many of the structures were once habitations for the owning species.

How do you know that? Wyles asked.

A picture on a monitor flashed to life, a strange skeleton appearing in focus, causing Amy to almost flinch. Is that one of the inhabitants?

It appears they did not survive whatever caused the failing of their moon. Heeler theorized. As the battlecruiser dipped deeper into the tunnel, they passed the first intersection. The hub had tunnels going in six directions, and the construction of habitations and other buildings disappeared into the darkness in every direction.

Thats not the skeletal system of any species Ive read about before. Wyles commented.

I have searched the IFRB database. There are no records present of this species. We will need to take physical samples for dating to confirm or deny any relation to certain Rexxor beliefs relating to the Skygods and their arrival on Dedia IV.

Amy looked up at Heeler, or at least the back of his shell; his tentacle eyeballs were wholly focused on moving between the half dozen of displays around his seat.

You think they might be related? That these are ancient Rexxor?

Heeler growled, The imaging of the skeletal remains does not resemble any Rexxor biology that I am familiar with. However, it could be an ancient form of it that is no longer seen. It is also possible these were enemies of the Skygods and Rexxor, or that those who delivered us to Dedia were not Rexxor at all.

There was a moment of silence, as no one had anything to add to that statement. The other humans on the team signaled to Wyles they were fine and ready for an away mission, and he left the CIC to join them in the shuttle bay. Amy worried at how the security personnel and Heelers brothers would get along, but they hadnt killed each other yet, so she put it out of mind.

Heeler, the transient energy source we are picking up, do you think it might be a control point of some kind?

That guess is as good as any. If the area seems stable, we will attempt to land and begin repairs to the ship. It should provide an excellent opportunity for the away team to examine relics and acquire samples as well. Heeler answered.

Amy nodded and swallowed a bit of anxiety. She hoped whatever had caused the failing wasn't still around to hinder their repairs.