The Maintenance Engineer ©2010

 by Steve Nelson

 Sample Chapters, Please enjoy!

Chapter 3

 I Think Some THING is Out There!

  As I made my way along I kept thinking about what could cause this kind of destructive action to a huge ship the size of this one, my Beautiful, Wonderful ship?

  I came to another service hatch that I knew would lead to another deck closer to Central. I checked the reading on my tester and opened the hatch. I climbed down into a storage area and began to shut the hatch behind me. There was a FLASH OF LIGHT! Then a BANG! The air was again being sucked out of the crawlway I was just in. I slammed the hatch shut! Just as a Flame leaped from within the crawl space! Had I been shot at by some kind of Flame weapon?

  There was weird wrenching & crackling sound from behind the hatch. It gave me the willies! I determined to get some distance between me and whatever was causing that!

  I scrambled quick time through the storage room and exited into a corridor that led straight to the Central passage. I locked the storage hatch behind me and sprinted as best as can be done in one of these suits, down the corridor.

  I came to the sealed door at the end of the corridor that led directly into the Central passage. I seemed to know the code already, so I operated the electronic lock in just a few seconds and the door slid open. Now I was through and into the Central passage main thoroughfare. I quickly shut, then resealed the door behind me. Let me tell ya, my heart was really racing!

  A moment later! A Blast! Again rocked the ship! I saw a fire ball blossom and light up the corridor I had just come from, as the door squeaked shut. What was Happening? Was something deliberately following me and blasting the ship to bits as I fled from section to section? It certainly seemed to be that way to me. And where was everyone? I hadn’t seen a soul since the first blast knocked me out of my bunk! 

  This ship was a Big Beautiful Exploration/Transport vessel. As big as those old nuclear powered aircraft carriers a couple of centuries ago. There were over 300 crew and sometimes colonists, at any given time serving aboard. And I hadn’t seen anyone except those bodies from the Bridge Module.

  These questions came to my mind as I sprinted down the Central passage to the next closed and sealed bulkhead. The next bulkhead door was sealed as usual. In an emergency such as this all these doors had automatically closed and sealed to keep the ship’s hull integrity, and atmosphere established.

  My Oxilevel was getting low. I needed some fresh packs, as I had been using my suit air continuously since this crisis had begun. I came to the next available storage locker. Finding it locked, I used my handy door persuader on it.

  I swung my utility hammer and bashed the small lock off quickly. Reaching in I grabbed all the Oxipacks I could carry. I also saw a Laser Blaster Rifle plus a couple of hand Lasers mounted on a rack in the back of the locker. They were in a separately locked section so I got out my handy LaserCutter gun. With a few seconds of a low humming zzzaaappp! I melted the special security lock on this section. Swell! The security lock was much tougher and wouldn’t have given way for my utility hammer anyway. I grabbed everything there was.

  I thought a minute; maybe I should make a stand soon somewhere here about and perhaps I could get a look at what exactly seemed to be pursuing me from section to section? Yes, that seemed like a good idea. I planned for it at the next sealed bulkhead door. I brought along all that I had collected.

  Arriving in the next few minutes at the next bulkhead door, I unlocked and opened it. I kept it open and prepared to make my stand. There was another storage locker not far down this section of Central. I bashed into it quickly and got out some additional Oxipacks and also some additional Lasers. Someone, probably me, had left a carrying rack in this locker. So I filled it with my extra Oxipacks and some more hand Lasers. I strapped down my supplies and myself. I made myself ready for whatever was coming after me. With controlled breathing I tried to calm myself down. 

  I didn’t have long to wait! Not long after I had got myself strapped to a bulkhead handle, then a BLAST! Shook the ship again!

  Whoosh! A Ball of fire swept down the corridor right in front of me. Loose shattered debris was swept back past me as air was sucked out again. Then in the following stillness I slowly peeked around the corner edge of the open bulkhead door and saw my enemy!

Chapter 4

 I Meet My Enemy!

   I was shocked and repulsed by what I saw. Creeping or crawling or whatever you would call it, down the corridor were what I could only describe as Olive Green Spiders, about 4 feet in height. They advanced forward on 6 or 8 legs that supported an oval body. The body sported multiple arms some of which held forth weapons at the ready. They appeared to have a central head with single a multisided eye. I shivered with cold horror at the sight of these things. . . .

* * * Follow The Maintenance Engineer as he wages a One man battle with the aliens that have invaded his ship! The Maintenance Engineer teaches that You Too, can be a Hero!

The Maintenance Engineer  © 2010 by Steve Nelson is now on SMASHWORDS in ebook form. TME is Action & Adventure at the edge of the galaxy! TME is Great for all ages! + Lots of pics! So Buckle up & get set for Fast Pased Action! After all Nobody Messes with The Maintenance Engineer’s Ship! NOBODY!!

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