Free Fractured Earth Saga 1: Apocalypse Orphan by Tim Allen

hundred thousand and no substantial cities, mostly tribal villages. I detect no power grids on either planet and only trace amounts of greenhouse gasses. The smaller planet shows temperatures of eighty-five degrees at the equator and sub-zero temperatures at the poles.”
    “Let’s go into orbit around the bigger planet. Maintain constant scans on the larger cities. What do we have in the cargo hold that can assist us?”
    “We have the Dawn with its framing camera. It’s designed to provide detailed, optical images for scientific analysis. It carries two separate, identical cameras for redundancy, each with its own optics and electronics. Each camera is equipped with refractive optical systems and provides eight terabytes of internal data storage. We also have the C29 Sky Rover, a military satellite that was to be deployed before Nomad impacted. It is equipped with high-resolution cameras capable of pinpointing a dime on a football field. It has listening capabilities and can monitor multiple conversations simultaneously in a small industrial complex. We have several other satellites capable of studying comets, a lander, and many spare Hubble parts.”
    “Wow. Sounds like we have some serious work to do. Prepare to launch the Dawn and the C29. How soon until we can launch, and then how long before we get data?”
    “We can launch the satellites anytime. They were prepared for deployment before we were knocked off course. We should begin receiving images in about two hours, sound in six hours. Also, Commander, I have detected transmissions from several antiquated satellites orbiting the planet. They are in need of repair, but we could salvage them. What is left of the Hubble is still in orbit.”
    “Is there anything left on the moon? Is MBR still active?”
    “No, it is a burned-out shell. Evidently, it was hit by planetary debris and destroyed after Nomad’s impact. However, I do show a faint nuclear power source and an unexplained signal deep underground.”
    “How far underground?”
    “Very deep, Commander. It is almost directly under the crater where the science labs and underground storage areas were located. I’m not sure it can even be accessed now.”
    “Let’s worry about that power source later. Launch the satellites. I want to get some food and lie down. Wake me when you get audio. Also, see if you can download any data from those burned-out satellites,” Wolf said as he walked towards the crew cabin.
    “Yes, Commander. I will wake you when I have something. Pleasant dreams...” The computer waited until he was out of hearing range and then whispered, “Wolf.”
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 5
    “C ommander, wake up. While you were sleeping, I launched the Dawn and the C29. I now have audio and video for you.”
    Wolf opened his eyes and felt drained. He sat on the edge of the small cot and swung his legs to the floor. Placing both hands on his head, he ran his fingers through his hair and realized that his body odor was overwhelming. Looking in a small mirror, he again saw that he had a full beard and two feet of tangled black hair. The shuttle was equipped with a shower system, and he decided to use it. He walked unsteadily to the shower area and located a razor, using it to remove the heavy beard and restore a clean-shaven appearance. He trimmed his hair and then took a warm shower, tying his hair it into two wet braids.
    Feeling invigorated, Wolf headed back to the command console, turning the pilot’s seat so he could sit down. He took a deep breath and said, “OK, Syn, let’s hear it…and show me pictures of this rock.”
    “Playing audio with a twenty-second lag, Commander. Displaying video of population centers on both planets.”
    As the audio streamed, Wolf noticed that the spoken language resembled English, but it had many words he didn’t understand. Some words sounded Spanish, and others German. He listened for twelve hours until he felt reasonably fluent in it. Then, he tried