Lost in Magadan: Extraterrestrials on Earth

On the previous trip to Earth, Forte and Stella had stood watch together early in the mission. While most of the crew slept in their LTS chambers, Stella and Forte got to know each other. There were eight other crew members awake and standing watch, but Stella and Forte were the two highest ranking officers awake at the time. It did not take them long to figure out how to entertain themselves. Ever since that first watch on the Impegi, many decades ago, Forte and Stella would always schedule their watches for the same time.

The hanger bay was 200 feet wide, the entire width of the Impegi. The jump shuttles were 40 feet long, leaving a center aisle of 120 feet for them to walk between the rears of the jump shuttles. Neatly lined up along the center aisle were numerous metal lockers full of tools and equipment. There were also large dollies that could carry tons of equipment and cargo from the cargo holds to the jump shuttles. Each jump shuttle was enclosed in its own chamber. The walls of the chamber were made of a thick, shock-resistant, transparent material so that when the door opened to release a shuttle, the entire hanger bay would not vent atmosphere and depressurize. After a jump shuttle was prepared to launch, the transparent, blast door would close behind the shuttle.

The shuttles did not “take off” so much as they were catapulted along a very short track. After being ejected from the hanger, the shuttle would travel under its own power. As Stella and Forte walked down the center aisle, they saw a man crawling out from beneath one of the jump shuttles. Stella instantly recognized the man as Chief Belois. Belois stood up, his dark blue uniform, face and hands covered in a black tar like substance. As he walked from the front of the shuttle towards Stella and Forte he said, “Commander Forte and Captain Stella, I was not expecting you for another two hours.”

Forte Smiled, “No problem, Chief. We are a little ahead of schedule on the pre-entry systems check.”

The Chief, whose primary responsibility was to maintain the jump shuttles and hanger bay, shook his head in disgust, “I got three jump shuttles that won’t clear the hanger.”

Captain Stella asked, “What seems to be the problem? Will the hanger bay doors not open or the blast shields not close?”

Chief shook his head, “No, No, nothing as simple as that. The jump shuttles are not lined up on the tracks properly. If launched, the shuttle would get hung up on the track and not clear the hanger.”

Stella looked puzzled, “So they would launch half way and get stuck. How would we retrieve the crew and cargo with the hanger bay door open and the shuttle stuck partially out in space?”

Forte interjected, “We would have to send several crewmen out in space suits; it would take hours to retrieve the crew from a failed launch, as Chief describes.”

Chief said, “I don’t think we can fix it before we reach Earth.”

“Do your best to get the shuttles back on track, I’m sure it won’t matter. I don’t think there has ever been a time when we deployed all the shuttles at once. Anything else to report?”

“No Sir!” The Chief snapped to attention and placed his hand over his chest, the equivalent of a military salute on Earth.

Forte moved his hand to his chest and nodded at the Chief, the Chief disappeared beneath the jump shuttle to continue his work.

Stella touched Forte’s elbow and smiled, as if to steer him further down the aisle of jump shuttles. Normally, she would not show that much affectation in an open space, but she knew no one else would be in the hanger bay. “Shall we continue our pre-entry inspections?”

Forte grinned, relationships were not illegal aboard long-distance cargo ships like the Impegi, but there still had to be a decorum. They had to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Forte believed that most of the crew was oblivious to their relationship; at least, he had never mentioned it to anyone. “Shall we move along to the antimatter reactors?”

“We shall, Commander,” she drew out the word commander and intentionally twirled her long silky blonde hair.

Forte knew what tonight’s activities would consist of, but for now, there was work. “Shall we take the stairs down to the reactors?”

Forte and Stella walked to the other end of the hanger bay, past the shuttles, and entered the stairwell, which they knew would be empty. Two levels down, not even half way to the reactors, Forte grabbed Stella by the arm and twirled her around. With his left hand he pushed her back up against the metallic wall of the stairwell. He moved in close, dropping his hand towards her waist, tracing her curves and cupping her ass as he pressed his lips against hers. She relaxed, placed her arms around his broad shoulders and slid her tongue into his mouth. They continued to kiss for a few minutes, until Forte pulled away.

“What was that for?” Stella asked, with a smile.