“Vladimir, can you give me a status report
on your shipboard conditions? How many crew members are on board? What are your
remaining supplies of oxygen, food, and water, and other necessities? Over.”
The reply once again came back in a
relatively short time. “Hello, Albatross.
We have six crew members on board the station, including myself. We have
water to last us another nine months if we limit our showers, enough food to
last us four months on a very strict diet, and enough oxygen to keep us alive
until we die from the lack of the other two. Why do you want to know? Over.”
“I have an idea, but I need to talk to the
rest of my crew before I run it past you. Could you please keep this channel
open? I will get back to you as soon as I can—five hours maximum. Over.”
“I will be standing by. Over and out.”
I switched the radio to intercom. Every crew
member had a two-way communicator with him or her so that we could talk to each
other when we were working in different areas of the city or outside. Then I
keyed the transmit button. “Nick and Richard, please meet me on the flight deck
of the Albatross ASAP.”
I had forgotten that the intercom was a
general communicator to the entire crew but was reminded of it when two
transport buggies screeched to a halt in front of Albatross and the whole crew crowded into the flight deck.
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