It
is the near future of the colonisation
of the solar system.
|
Water ice is
mined from the south pole of
the moon.
|
The
extracted water
is
processed into liquid
oxygen and hydrogen....
|
|
 ...which
is then loaded into frieght
capsules.
|
The freight capsules have no rocket
power of their own. Instead they are hurled into space using an
electromagnetic slingshot, a rail gun. Also known as an electromagnetic
mass-driver. Once in space, the freight capsules are captured by a
space station at L1
that fuels interplanetary missions.
|
 Cliff
Leyland is a
hydroponics engineer stationed at this mining facility.
|
|
 Cliff
wants to visit his family on Earth,
but is short on cash. He decides
to hitch a ride on one of the freight capsules.
He is strapped into
a module which is normally reserved for emergency evacations. |
Cliff's
capsule is
launched, accelerating at 20 Gs. Everything appear
"routine", until one
of the
reactors powering the rail fails. |
The
freight capsule coasts for a second through the failed section of the
track, then resumes accelerating off the end of the track, and into
space.
However, Cliff has not gained sufficient velocity to break away from
the Moon's gravity.
|
|
|
|
Instead,
he is doomed to orbit the moon once only to impact the surface,
not far from where he took off.
|
In
the spirit of Apollo 13, launch control come up with a "crazy" plan.
Cliff is instructed to climb into the airlock and put on the Emergency
Deep Space Suit. |
He
then climbs out onto the top of the capsule and is instructed to wait
until his capsule reaches the top of its lunar orbit. |
|
Cliff
jumps as hard as he can, up and away from the doomed capsule. The hope
is his jump will gain him just enough altitude... |
...to
buy precious time for a rescue space craft to pluck him out of orbit...
|
Will Cliff be rescued in time? |
|
|
|
