Rise of the Altered Moon: Altered Moon Series: Book One (The Altered Moon Series 1) Read Online Free

‘Catwalk Parkour,’ where the object was to race along the catwalk and surrounding machinery in a specified time without affecting critical systems or breaking your neck in the process. The petty officers tended to look the other way as long as things remained civil and the work was done on schedule.
    Merilee did pipe a wide selection of visual feeds to all crew decks in an attempt to make up for the lack of a view port or access to an observation deck. The ship’s PR staff always made a big production of the main attractions along the tour. Merilee put on special programs, hosted shows, viewing sessions, grand dinners, and galas, all of which were streamcasted for the enjoyment of both passengers and crewmembers alike. Katy would sit glued to the vid screen and watch every time the Istraulis passed by a point of interest. She would make her favorite snack that she called ‘popped corn’ to eat during the streamcast.
    “It is an ancient Earth custom and it’s bad luck for those who don’t observe it,” she would say, and pointedly munched on the crunchy yet soft morsels of heated corn kernels. “Hand me the salt, will ya?”
    By the fifth week of the tour, it had become a deck fifty-two custom to gather around the common room monitor to watch the show and munch on popped corn. The crews of first and third rotations had just wrapped up a show on the third tour stop, the Cat’s Paw Nebula. They were talking and joking about the streamcast when alarms suddenly blared out, emergency lights flashed on, and alerts sounded that a life pod had been activated in the waste processing compartment.
    “What the hell’s goin’ on?” Mike Rawly screamed to be heard over the alarms.
    “Life pod launch in processing!” yelled back Antje. “Come on, let’s get down there!”
    “CJ!” called Katy, throwing him a comms unit. “I’m heading to operations! I’ll call you from there!”
    “Copy that!” he hollered over his shoulder, already on his way to processing.
    CJ and Antje, with Mike Rawly and Missy James of first crew, arrived at the processing compartment hatch just as the blaring of the alarms cut off. Petty Officer Dan Miller and two members of the second rotation crew stood around one of the life pod hatches looking anxious. The super green perimeter lights of the hatch flashed on and off, which indicated launch preparation. Dan Miller was at the intercom trying to reason with the man inside.
    “Come on, Frank, think about what you’re doing,” said Dan. He held his hand up to signal the others to slow down and keep quiet.
    “No way! I’d rather die floating in space than work this effing job anymore!” Frank’s distraught voice came over the comms panel.
    “That’s not gonna happen, Frank,” Dan reasoned with him. “The pod is locked down, it won’t launch. The order to abandon ship hasn’t been given. Security is on the way, Frank, and if they have to disable the pod to get you out, you’ll be charged with desertion of duty aboard a starship. That’s a ten-year sentence.”
    The silence was almost encouraging. It seemed wrong somehow even to breathe.
    “CJ, it’s Katy…command officers and security just passed operations and are heading your way,” came out of the comms unit.
    “Copy that, Katy,” CJ replied quietly.
    “Come out now on your own, and it’s just some time in medical under observation,” said Dan. “Please Frank. Think about Sally and the boys. How’s getting yourself locked up going to help them?”
    The thoughts of his family must have cut through Frank’s mania and restored at least some amount of reason. The life pod systems powered down and the hatch slid open to reveal an angry yet shamed man covered completely in Human feces. Frank stepped out of the pod and surrendered to Dan Miller just as the command officers and the security team entered the processing compartment.
    “Rawly and James, take E.M. Costas and get him cleaned up. Escort him to medical when