12 "We are now in level, straight flight, though
even these controls are extremely sloppy."
13 "Confirm Communication's status," North ordered.
14 North could hear the droid undoing his safety harness, and making
for the injured Officer. "My observations are confirmed with closer
examination," the droid announced. "The Officer's body shields are
burned out. There are several holes in his face and a piece of metal is
projecting from the back of his head. If it is any consolation, I
believe he ceased to function before there could be any discomfort.
Now, Commander, I think we should see to your injuries."
15 "I'm hurt?" North asked.
16 "Several cuts and lacerations," the droid answered, "minor, but they
do need to be dealt with."
17 All the time the droid was talking, North was punching buttons,
first on his command chair, and when nothing in its communication's
system functioned, he grabbed his command com.
18 By the time the droid was tending to his wounds, the static-filled
voice of North's Chief Engineer could be heard coming from the speaker.
"Sir, if you're receiving, I can't hear you. There's too much noise
back here. Only one of our system engines is functional. Everything
else is dead. And you've only got seven minutes on THAT engine, then,
no matter what, absolutely no matter what, I shut it down. If I don't
we're dead."
19 North turned to his Firing control. "You heard the man," he
screamed, "we've got to have an orbit, preferably somewhere we can stay
awhile. Any suggestions?"
20 "We're far inside a nine or ten planet system," the Firing Control
Officer announced, "it looks like the third planet out has water, but
we'll never make it there. The fourth one looks like a desert world,
but it's