Free Star Traders (Corporate Marines Book 3) by Tom Germann Page A

junction, where she repeats the action. She puts on a pair of ballistic eyeglasses and clicks a switch on the side. She now has a simple display echoed to her from the sensor balls. Not as effective as what the armor could have done with the data fed to it from the balls, but at least she has an eye on movement down both passages for a little over forty feet. Anything more detailed and the information would overwhelm her ability to coordinate that data using just the glasses.
    Patroe is talking while working. “This is a neat little trick that we came up with fifteen years ago. We have only had to use it twice in that time, but it did help alleviate bad situations.”
    He is interrupted by a click and the announcement. “Four minutes to shield overload. Evacuate the ship now and make for the nearest habitat and wait for Corporate assistance. Four minutes to overload.” Then the message clicked off again.
    Patroe keeps working, with his hands flying over the wiring, and continues. “I would love to know how we missed the six-minute warning. Hopefully the computer doesn’t have it wrong and everything goes kablooey in the next thirty seconds!”
    Eight glances at Patroe and has to ask, “Do you know what you are doing with all the talking? What if you mess it up?”
    Patroe chuckles. “The talking helps me focus; I am really just ignoring everything around me and what I am saying. Focus on the task. Almost there.” His tone changes, sounding more worried. “Where is Terry? I have been married to her for eighteen years and she is never late. She was supposed to join us here in two minutes….”
    As the last few wires are connected and reconnected, overriding the security on the door. Eight starts tensing up as he considers what he knows about the control room ahead. As the primary control overlooking all control systems for the ship, it is surprisingly small, almost a galley instead of a room. If the saboteurs are at the controls, then it’ll be a straight shot. There are heavy modular control panels and no real hidey-holes within. There is an emergency supply of food, water and air inside, and the ability to sleep on some of the consoles – results of long-term planning in the event that there is a catastrophic breach on the ship. Bulkheads would slam shut and the one or two personnel on watch would be able to maintain the ship systems, keeping power going and controlling the reactions so nothing would blow up just because it was ignored.
    All that means is that the work area is still fully functional and institutional, with no hiding spots or places to take cover. When the door opens unless the saboteurs are hiding in the supply locker inside, which would render them unable to defend themselves, it is almost certain that they will be in front of the monitors. Will they be prone or standing, relaxing?
    Eight relaxes. They have no eyes on the passage outside the security door. There is no easy way for the security door to be breached, and no one has even touched it.
    The two saboteurs would be sitting inside, feeling confident and waiting for their plan to be finalized. At this point, with most of the crew locked down, they would know the few personnel not locked up would be running for the escape pods. At least, according to the book. These new idiots probably did not realize how close-knit and professional the crew really was. They had only been with the crew for about a month now, and the serious relationships formed in a crew like this would have taken years to cement.
    Newbies would still be looking from the outside in and using the standard book responses to plan their strategy.
    Right now, available crewmen are freeing other crew, and security members are drawing weapons and preparing for action.
    What would be the point in running for an escape pod when you are in the depths of space like this? If the emergency was real, it would be faster to die onboard the ship with the rest of your crew. Far better than