Nu Trilogy 1: The Esss Advance Read Online Free
Author: Charles E. Waugh
however, was just being recorded and stored in some subconscious vault, deep inside, where it could not hurt him, at least not for the moment. Needing distraction, he focused on her face. Sympathy emanated from her eyes, but her expression told him more than he wanted to know. He could see concern, pain, resolve, and even something akin to his own personal loss in the set of her jaw, her furrowed brow, and the slight puffiness around her eyes. She was obviously very empathetic.
“Your crew has been very concerned about you. Unfortunately, they are not your crew anymore, Captain. Your recovery will be long and tedious, and a new captain is being assigned to the Revere . They will be departing soon on a mission to head off a near Earth asteroid that will come uncomfortably close to striking Earth. That mission could not be delayed.” She took a breath before continuing. “You, on the other hand, will have to make some tough decisions about your future. Vice Admiral Bunting will be coming over from the naval base tomorrow morning to discuss the details of your accident and your potential paths forward.
“But let’s not concern ourselves about tomorrow. Today, we need to get you started on some liquid food, get you up to speed on all of this equipment surrounding you, and then you need to get more rest to allow your body to push through the recovery process. I have taken the liberty to order a liquid lunch and a soft-solid dinner based upon your taste preferences. Solid food will start tomorrow.”
This is all too much! I’ve just woken up and found out that my whole life has changed. My crew! The Revere ! How will they react to a sudden change in captain ?
My legs are gone? They feel just fine. That must have been a mistake. I didn’t hear that right, did I?
“My legs feel just fine! What are you telling me, Emily?”
“I’m very sorry, Captain Richardson. You may feel like your legs are there, but believe me; your spacesuit saved your life in the only way possible. You do remember how the suits operate, don’t you, Captain?”
“Of course I do! If the suit loses compression in any of the limbs, it isolates that limb above the nearest joint with internal clamping. If the suit detects that the limb is freezing and pressure has not been restored, it amputates the limb, establishes new suit integrity, and stabilizes the suit’s internal pressure while cauterizing the amputated stump. The sailor survives, but the limb doesn’t. So, I lost both of my legs?’
Emily nodded. “Yes. Again, I am very sorry, but you will have to learn to live without your biological legs. We have already cast your stumps and are in the process of preparing prosthetic legs for you to train with going forward. The legs will be delivered in about two weeks on a shuttle coming up to the base from the space naval yard outside of Santa Fe. Meanwhile, it’s time you got a little more rest. Tomorrow, we start rehab, and we have much to accomplish before your new legs arrive.”
That was when it all came flooding back!
“Lorraine and Jeremy are dead!” he cried as he began sobbing uncontrollably. His memory flashed with the image of bloody pieces of their helmets flying over his head. How could this be possible? It couldn’t be true. “What about the plans we made just before we left the Revere ? She can’t be dead!”
Emily knew it was time for more sedation. Captain Richardson was obviously unable to handle all of the grief right now. She administered a sedative in the IV line and watched as his uncontrolled sobbing subsided.
Chapter 8 – The Recurring Dream
Sted had been dreaming again. The dream had replayed itself in his sleep many times over the past twenty years.
He was eleven years old again. He and his best friend, David Barns, were playing in the dry streambed between two fields of hay that stretched between the small islands of look-alike homes where they
“Your crew has been very concerned about you. Unfortunately, they are not your crew anymore, Captain. Your recovery will be long and tedious, and a new captain is being assigned to the Revere . They will be departing soon on a mission to head off a near Earth asteroid that will come uncomfortably close to striking Earth. That mission could not be delayed.” She took a breath before continuing. “You, on the other hand, will have to make some tough decisions about your future. Vice Admiral Bunting will be coming over from the naval base tomorrow morning to discuss the details of your accident and your potential paths forward.
“But let’s not concern ourselves about tomorrow. Today, we need to get you started on some liquid food, get you up to speed on all of this equipment surrounding you, and then you need to get more rest to allow your body to push through the recovery process. I have taken the liberty to order a liquid lunch and a soft-solid dinner based upon your taste preferences. Solid food will start tomorrow.”
This is all too much! I’ve just woken up and found out that my whole life has changed. My crew! The Revere ! How will they react to a sudden change in captain ?
My legs are gone? They feel just fine. That must have been a mistake. I didn’t hear that right, did I?
“My legs feel just fine! What are you telling me, Emily?”
“I’m very sorry, Captain Richardson. You may feel like your legs are there, but believe me; your spacesuit saved your life in the only way possible. You do remember how the suits operate, don’t you, Captain?”
“Of course I do! If the suit loses compression in any of the limbs, it isolates that limb above the nearest joint with internal clamping. If the suit detects that the limb is freezing and pressure has not been restored, it amputates the limb, establishes new suit integrity, and stabilizes the suit’s internal pressure while cauterizing the amputated stump. The sailor survives, but the limb doesn’t. So, I lost both of my legs?’
Emily nodded. “Yes. Again, I am very sorry, but you will have to learn to live without your biological legs. We have already cast your stumps and are in the process of preparing prosthetic legs for you to train with going forward. The legs will be delivered in about two weeks on a shuttle coming up to the base from the space naval yard outside of Santa Fe. Meanwhile, it’s time you got a little more rest. Tomorrow, we start rehab, and we have much to accomplish before your new legs arrive.”
That was when it all came flooding back!
“Lorraine and Jeremy are dead!” he cried as he began sobbing uncontrollably. His memory flashed with the image of bloody pieces of their helmets flying over his head. How could this be possible? It couldn’t be true. “What about the plans we made just before we left the Revere ? She can’t be dead!”
Emily knew it was time for more sedation. Captain Richardson was obviously unable to handle all of the grief right now. She administered a sedative in the IV line and watched as his uncontrolled sobbing subsided.
Chapter 8 – The Recurring Dream
Sted had been dreaming again. The dream had replayed itself in his sleep many times over the past twenty years.
He was eleven years old again. He and his best friend, David Barns, were playing in the dry streambed between two fields of hay that stretched between the small islands of look-alike homes where they
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