Salvage - Quantum Fold Chapter 9/7
K’hall and the other crews lingered in silence, awaiting orders. Axiom5 was gone. With its destruction, dozens of orb crews were left stranded, adrift without command or sanctuary.
A single transmission had come through from Axiom12: only eight escape pods had been recovered. No other survivors. Hours earlier, K’hall and the others had watched the last fragments of Axiom5 ignite and vanish in the upper atmosphere, a funeral pyre streaking across the sky.
Now he paced the shattered remains of Ramva19. Miraculously, its crew had survived the descent. The orb lay split open but the central guidance and weapon systems—vital components in short supply—gleamed intact amid the wreckage. With Axiom5 gone, those parts will be more precious than ever. He would salvage them before the wreck was erased.
“Oam’ka,” K’hall called, “help me with the plasma compressor.”
Together they wrestled a twisted beam aside and extracted the unit from its cradle. Then the guidance core. As they worked, Avhal’s voice crackled through K’hall’s vitec.
“Move fast. Three trucks inbound. You need to get aboard.”
The salvaged units were stowed aboard Ramva20. K’hall, Bext, and the survivors of Ramva19 climbed into K’hall’s orb and sealed the ramp behind them.
“All ships are cloaked,” K’hall said. “If they do not spot the wreckage, they will pass us by.”
Avhal’s tone was grim. “I would not count on it. The trucks have cut a direct line to this site. They may have tracked Ramva19’s descent.”
K’hall’s jaw tightened. “Bext, charge the weapons bank.”
Minutes later, 3 large trucks one with a flatbed arrived. Ten reptilians disembarked, slinking through the wreckage, probing the debris with practiced precision.
“They haven’t detected us,” K’hall murmured. “Their scanners must be blind to our cloaking. Bext, status?”
“Weapons charged. Targets locked.”
K’hall nodded. He continued watching, adjusting the focus on the night vision screen.
Using hover lifts, the reptilians hoisted the wreckage onto the flatbed, securing it with chains. They gathered scattered fragments, then climbed back into the trucks and started the engines.
“Bext,” K’hall said coldly, “fire.”
A lance of energy burst from the orb, slicing through the air. The trucks and wreckage vanished in a flash—atomized.
K’hall watched the smoke curl skyward. “The lizards will come looking for their friends,” he growled. “Eyes up. Watch for aircraft.”
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You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in her album titled, Quantum Fold:
www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720326169...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Salvage - Quantum Fold Chapter 9/7
K’hall and the other crews lingered in silence, awaiting orders. Axiom5 was gone. With its destruction, dozens of orb crews were left stranded, adrift without command or sanctuary.
A single transmission had come through from Axiom12: only eight escape pods had been recovered. No other survivors. Hours earlier, K’hall and the others had watched the last fragments of Axiom5 ignite and vanish in the upper atmosphere, a funeral pyre streaking across the sky.
Now he paced the shattered remains of Ramva19. Miraculously, its crew had survived the descent. The orb lay split open but the central guidance and weapon systems—vital components in short supply—gleamed intact amid the wreckage. With Axiom5 gone, those parts will be more precious than ever. He would salvage them before the wreck was erased.
“Oam’ka,” K’hall called, “help me with the plasma compressor.”
Together they wrestled a twisted beam aside and extracted the unit from its cradle. Then the guidance core. As they worked, Avhal’s voice crackled through K’hall’s vitec.
“Move fast. Three trucks inbound. You need to get aboard.”
The salvaged units were stowed aboard Ramva20. K’hall, Bext, and the survivors of Ramva19 climbed into K’hall’s orb and sealed the ramp behind them.
“All ships are cloaked,” K’hall said. “If they do not spot the wreckage, they will pass us by.”
Avhal’s tone was grim. “I would not count on it. The trucks have cut a direct line to this site. They may have tracked Ramva19’s descent.”
K’hall’s jaw tightened. “Bext, charge the weapons bank.”
Minutes later, 3 large trucks one with a flatbed arrived. Ten reptilians disembarked, slinking through the wreckage, probing the debris with practiced precision.
“They haven’t detected us,” K’hall murmured. “Their scanners must be blind to our cloaking. Bext, status?”
“Weapons charged. Targets locked.”
K’hall nodded. He continued watching, adjusting the focus on the night vision screen.
Using hover lifts, the reptilians hoisted the wreckage onto the flatbed, securing it with chains. They gathered scattered fragments, then climbed back into the trucks and started the engines.
“Bext,” K’hall said coldly, “fire.”
A lance of energy burst from the orb, slicing through the air. The trucks and wreckage vanished in a flash—atomized.
K’hall watched the smoke curl skyward. “The lizards will come looking for their friends,” he growled. “Eyes up. Watch for aircraft.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in her album titled, Quantum Fold:
www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720326169...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an A.I. image generated using my SL avi.
I hope my pictures make you smile ♥
If you like what you see, please toss me a fav and follow me. I love seeing your comments. They make my day and keep me motivated!
I love my followers. You guys totally ROCK! ♥♥
And if you're taking time to read this you are SO awesome!!! Thank you!!!! ♥♥♥
Here's a link to my other Flickr photos/ images:
www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/