The Rock Rats

WALTZING MATILDA

Once they got back inside the ship, it took George and Nodon hours to patch the holes punched through the hull by the attacker’s laser and check out all the systems. They were both dead tired by the time they were able to take off their spacesuits and clump wearily, fearfully to the bridge.

George took the command chair, Nodon slipped into the chair at his right.

“You run a diagnostic on the power generator,” said George. “I’ll check the nav computer and see where th’ fook we’re headin’.” They worked in silence for another twenty minutes. At last Nodon said, “I can repair the generator. He knocked out one set of electrodes. We have spares.”

George nodded. “Okay, then. If you can get the generator back on line we won’t hafta worry about electrical power for the life support systems.”

Nodding, Nodon said, “That is good news.”

“Right. Now here’s the bad news. We’re up shit’s creek without a paddle.”

Nodon said nothing. He held his bony face impassive, but George saw that even his shaved pate was sheened with perspiration. It sure isn’t the temperature in here, George told himself. In fact, the bridge felt decidedly chilly.

With a heavy sigh, George said, “He knocked enough holes in the propellant tanks to send us jettin’ deeper into the Belt.”

“And the main engine is beyond repair.”

“Prob’ly.”

“Then we will die.”

“Looks that way, mate. Unless we can get some help.”

“The comm system is down. He must have lasered the antennas.”

George nodded. “So that’s what the soddin’ bastard was doing.”

“He was very thorough.”

Sitting there, staring at the control panel with half its telltale lights glowering red, George tried to think.

“We’re okay on life support,” he mused aloud.

“Once the generator is running again,” Nodon corrected. “Otherwise the batteries will run out in…” He glanced at the displays “…eleven hours.”

“Better fix the generator, then. That’s our first priority.”

Nodon started to get up from his seat. He hesitated, asked, “And our second priority?”

“Figurin’ out if we can nudge ourselves into a trajectory that’ll bring us close to Ceres before we starve to death.”