Chapter 152 The Falling Sky
The Aether was screaming.
The sound emerged from digital systems which created the actual dreadful sound of metal weighing millions of tons crashing into the exosphere of Earth. The station's hull began to experience resistance from upper atmospheric friction. The vibration started as a low tremor in the floorplates and rapidly escalated into a violent, teeth-rattling earthquake.
"Vane yelled his warning about the hull temperature exceeding 2000 degrees while he checked a physical gauge on a wall panel as we scrambled down the maintenance ladders. "The ablative shielding is burning off! We have thirty minutes before the superstructure shears apart!
"Keep moving!" Ryker ordered from his position at the bottom of the shaft.
Every movement produced intolerable pain. My flight suit prevented any movement of my burned left hand which I kept pressed against my chest. I could only descend the rungs by using my right arm and my legs to slide down. Baron moved slower than his normal speed because he was traversing the area beneath me. The hard-light burn on his shoulder had burned his flesh to a deep degree but he continued to breathe heavily without making any complaints. He maintained his large body position directly under me to catch me in case I lost my grip.
We exited the access shaft and landed on the grated floor of the Primary Engine Bay.
The building resembled a vast and industrial cathedral. The towering fusion reactors stood still and lifeless under the red emergency lighting. The walls of the building contained thick coolant pipes which resembled the veins of a mechanical giant.
"The main thrusters are directly below us" Vane stated while running to a raised control booth which overlooked the reactor floor. "Valerius locked the digital ignition, but these are old Coalition-designed fusion drives. The drives include a physical dead-man's override mechanism which enables operators to manually inject plasma catalyst into the combustion chamber.
We followed Vane up the metal stairs into the control booth. The room functioned as a heavy shielded space which had thick glass windows that provided observation of the dark reactors.
Vane tore the metal cover away from the manual ignition console. The console contained a set of heavy mechanical levers together with a large red wheel which required interlocking to operate.
"Okay" Vane breathed while he shook and took hold of the wheel. "I can manually open the plasma valves. The engines will begin to operate when we use the spark after we fill the chamber with plasma and then the thrust will return the Aether to its stable orbit.
"Do it" Ryker commanded while he examined the area through the reinforced glass. The space outside the station started to develop an ominous orange hue which marked the beginning of atmospheric friction fires.
"The digital safety systems are damaged" Vane explained. He stayed facing the opposite direction while he continued to speak in a low whisper.
Ryker focused his golden eyes on the pilot. "What catch, Vane?
"The digital safety interlocks are fried" Vane explained while he gripped the wheel with such force that his knuckles turned white. "You need to start the sequence then the blast doors will close and you need to flee. The manual release valve has to be held open during ignition because there is no computer to control the pressure.
The control booth turned icy while the station's temperature rose.
"And when they catch?" My voice quivered as I spoke.
Vane finally turned around. He stared at me with eyes that showed both shock and tears.
"The fusion blowback will vent directly into this booth to equalize the pressure" Vane said. "The radiation and thermal exhaust are unshielded and pure. The blast doors to this room will automatically lock the second the plasma ignites to prevent the rest of the station from incinerating.
The atmosphere became silent while the station created an eerie sound as it broke through the atmospheric boundary.
The people who remained inside this room would face a fatal fire.
"Show me the sequence" Ryker demanded. He pushed Vane aside and stepped forward.
"Ryker, no" I gasped while I used my good hand to hold his arm. "You can't.
"I am the Alpha of the Exodus" Ryker declared with complete authority. He maintained his gaze on the levers while he avoided making eye contact with me. "My job is to protect the pack. Vane, you have the exclusive ability to fly the Valkyrie out of the docking bay in this turbulence. Elara has to chronicle the truth. Tell me how to pull the lever.
"King, you can't lead a city if you're a pile of ash" Baron growled, stepping up behind Ryker. The massive werewolf was clutching his burned shoulder, his face pale and sweating. "Let me do it. The light-sword already left me half-cooked.
"That's an order, Baron" Ryker snapped while he faced his oldest friend. "Get her to the ship.
"Ryker, I have followed your orders for ten years" Baron spoke in a quiet voice. He stared at the scarred face of his Alpha who appeared entirely worn out. "You brought us out of the dark. You provided us with a home. You discovered the Queen for us.
Baron looked at me, a sad, knowing smile touching his lips.
"Take care of the pups, King" Baron whispered.
Baron moved with the speed of a true Wolf to grab Ryker before he could react. He picked up Ryker by his tactical vest and threw him backward out of the control booth. Ryker and Vane collided and both of them fell onto the metal grated walkway.
"Baron, no!" I screamed while I lunged forward.
Baron used his fist to hit the emergency bulkhead release button.
SLAM.
The control booth became sealed when the heavy neutronium blast door descended with a force that made it seal shut. I struck the glass using my right fist to hit the surface.
"Baron! Open the door!" Ryker roared. He stood up and began to throw himself against the door. "BARON!
Baron stood near the console inside the booth. He did not make any eye contact with us. He used both of his hands to grip the heavy red interlocking wheel while he ignored the pain caused by his burned shoulder.
His voice came through the localized intercom as static-laced but steady.
"Get to the ship, Ryker. The hull is breaching. You have five minutes before I light the fire."
Ryker screamed his declaration of being the Alpha through his voice which broke from his overwhelming sorrow. He struck the glass repeatedly with his fists until his knuckles started to bleed. He shouted at me to open the door which he ordered me to do.
Baron finally moved his head to look at Ryker. He looked at Ryker through the glass. The warrior who fought with unwavering loyalty and strength showed a peaceful smile.
Baron told his brother to leave the room saying, "You are my brother." "Now run." The floor violently pitched sideways. The upper atmosphere caused the station to experience atmospheric drag. The alarms of structural integrity started to blare when the sirens began their wailing.
Vane yelled, "We have to go!" His hand grabbed Ryker's shoulder while his tears fell from his face. "Ryker, we must escape this moment because his sacrifice will lose all value." The Valkyrie will be ripped away from its docking collar connection.
Ryker ended his glass hitting activity by stopping. He pressed his hand which was bleeding onto the window. Baron inside the room copied the action by placing his huge hand on the glass.
Ryker whispered to me, "I will howl for you," while his golden eyes sparkled with tears.
Ryker turned to his side. He used his arm to pull me away from the window. "Move!"
We ran. We sprinted blindly through the Aether's collapsing corridors. I found it difficult to remain standing because the station shook with such force. The ceiling panels fell to the ground while the outer ring windows became completely hidden by the loud orange atmospheric flames.
We reached the airlock. Vane threw himself into the pilot's seat of the Valkyrie to start undocking while we were still putting on our safety equipment.
Vane screamed that they were going to remove the clamps.
The Valkyrie moved away from the Aether. The Aether channel separated from the Aether which took us to the upper atmosphere's dangerous turbulence that made us spiral out of control.
I looked through the viewport.
The Aether fell from the sky as a huge silver ring which emitted orange fire towards Earth.
The station's bottom section unexpectedly blasted into the air.
The primary fusion thrusters created a brilliant blue plasma pillar which reached its maximum brightness. The manual burn produced an overwhelming force which through its power could inspire awe. The blue flame used its power to move through the orange atmospheric friction.
The station shook with great force while we stood in silence with our hearts broken. The city fell from the sky as the engines produced unbelievable thrust which countered Earth's gravity. The Aether took its time to level out its path through space.
The station stopped its descent.
The blue thrusters pushed it upward while it skipped across the atmosphere. The blue thrusters sent the massive dead tomb back into the empty space of the cold universe.
The Earth remained unharmed. The world remained protected.
Inside the Valkyrie cockpit, we made our way back to the Iron City while the crew celebrated our journey home.
Ryker took his seat in the jump seat position with his head down and his hands on his sword. He closed his eyes and unleashed a sad howl through the sound of our ship engines which shattered my heart into countless fragments.