his face was bloody.
13 North saw the man, too. "Helm," he ordered, "set your controls on
straight and true, and help Navigation. Communications....."
14 "I'm dead, sir. I may have some short range external, but everything
else is gone."
15 North's com began to beep. He tried to remove it from its socket in
the command chair, but found it was fused. He was surprised it
functioned. He pressed the "respond" button.
16 "This is Engineering, sir. The intercoms aren't working so I'm
calling on the emergency frequency. We've got troubles, sir! One of the
system engines is going critical. She's jammed on the rails, and we
can't eject her."
17 North looked about him in dismay. He knew what that meant, but he
couldn't for a moment, make himself accept it. Then, he snapped out of
it and responded. "Very well, Engineer," he snapped, "buy us what time
you can, but don't take any chances. Get your people to the transport
tubes."
18 "No go, sir," announced Engineering. "We can't get out that way.
We're heading for the bus. The hatch was blown away, but the bus is
functional."
19 "Very well," agreed North. He punched out the general address code
on his com. "This is the Commander speaking. All stations. The ship is
finished. There's nothing further you can do. Make way to the nearest
transport tube. Abandon ship! I repeat, abandon ship! Communications,
send a general signal. All nearby vessels prepare to receive beams. "
20 Communications responded with a weak "Yes, sir."
21 A few moments later North's com beeped. "Transport beam tube
number three is out, sir. Number one and number two still functional.
Lock on signals received. Ship standing by to receive crew."