Free Space Corps - Explorer (Book 1) by K. W. Matthews Page B

hurry.”
    Looking at Cole’s oxygen supply, Gibbs saw the tubing damaged. Acting quickly, he replaced the tubing with a spare from a parts locker. After several heavy shakes, Cole woke up.
    “The aliens, they really got us, didn’t they?”
    “They sure did,” Gibbs replied. “Right now, they’re getting away. Every second we waste is a second they make it closer to Earth.”
    Cole clenched his eyes shut. He did so in pain and frustration. When he opened them again, he opened them as a new man. Without pause, he hurried around the room to wake his men. In a matter of minutes, the crews of the Guardian and Protector worked together to breathe new life into the craft.
    “Start the main generators,” Cole ordered the engineering team.
    “Starting the generators,” replied the highest-ranking engineer. “Pumping the starter. One, two, three. It’s a no-go, sir.”
    “Try it again,” Cole said.
    “Attempt two. One, two, three.”
    The engine turned over several times before slowing to a halt.
    Cole grimaced. “At least we saw something that time. Try it one more time. Keep going until it spins on its own power.”
    The engineer pumped the machine six more times before it kicked off with a loud whirring noise. “That’s it, Commander. Turning on life support.”
    “Perform normal startup procedures. Ensure life support is working. We’ll worry about everything else later. We need to move on.”
    Reentering the Protector, Gibbs turned to the pilot. “Get us over to the Explorer.”
    “Yes, sir, but how are we going to board?”
    “Unless you have a better idea, we’re going to dock manually.”

Chapter 13
    Phoenix Rising
     
    Ashley woke up to Commander Gibbs calling her name. A medic knelt by her side and shined a light into her eyes.
    “What happened?”
    “Sir, we saw the aliens approaching us. Then we saw the blast, but we hadn’t heard from you yet, so I had the Protector swing back by to make sure everything was all right. I’m glad we did. We were able to get the power kicked back on for the Explorer and Guardian.”
    “That light… What was that light?”
    Holt, who was working on checking all the consoles across the bridge, said, “It was an EMP bomb. Brilliant really. It would have left us dead in the water if our ship wasn’t shielded against it.”
    “If we’re shielded against it, why did it knock out the power?”
    “Because we weren’t prepared for a blast that strong,” Holt said. “We shielded the ship from EMP blasts that we’ve seen on Earth. Theirs was a bit stronger. Not strong enough to completely destroy our electrical systems, but enough to knock them offline.”
    Ashley stood and pushed past Gibbs and the medic. “Reynolds, status report.”
    “I’m almost done with it, sir.”
    “Is there anything that’s going to keep us from pursuing the aliens?”
    Reynolds sighed. “Well, that depends. Do we need a working engine to go after them?”
    “You’re kidding me.”
    “No, sir,” Reynolds said, shaking his head. “I wish I was, but I’m not. Our engines took quite a beating. I’m not sure exactly what’s wrong with them, but it’s something to do with the power flow.”
    “Anything else go wrong?”
    “No. Nothing that we can't fix, anyway. Their weapons pierced our hull in several places, but I already have crews working on patching up the holes. If we’re lucky, it’ll be done in just a couple hours.”
    Gibbs saw the look of concern on the admiral’s face. He didn’t have much to say that might improve her mood, but he planned to do what he could.
    “Admiral, I think you’ll be glad to know that the Guardian only suffered minor bumps and bruises.”
    “Is it fully operational?”
    “Yes, sir. I had it dock with the Explorer. I figured we could use all the manpower we had to complete repairs.”
    “Agreed.” Ashley turned her attention to her communications officer. “Card, I need you to get Central Command on a link