Lifepod

(Lifepod)

The « Terrania », a luxury space-liner, undertakes a cruise through the immensity of our galaxy for the greatest pleasure of her guests. Merrymaking beat its full when a major technical problem obliges the crew to evacuate the passengers. Unfortunately, only one lifepod can escape before the explosion of the spaceship making hundred of victims.

On board this capsule are found eight persons : Banks, the director of the company Earthcorp, owner of the Terrania, the Lieutenant Mayvene, the agent of maintenance Q-Three, the blind man Akerman, the prisoner in transit Kane, the reporter Claire St John, the student in medicine Rena Jahnusia and Parker, seriously injured to the leg by the remains projected by the explosion of the Terrania. Despite the important damages that has undergone the pod, the Ltt Mayvene, physically isolated from

the others survivors in the seat of piloting, gets distance from the danger zone. Survivors have to render to the obviousness : the explosion projected them out the patrols's research zone. Only the coming communications are fonctionning and, despite they throw a distress call, it seems there is few chances that a rescue team can them find.

On board, the tension climbs up. Radio waves learn the survivors that the « Terrania » was victim of an attack perpetrated by a terrorist group. If it concerns a sabotage, the saboteur may for sure found refuge in the only lifepod that escaped the disaster and each one has a real motive to be the author. Furthermore, resources in oxygen, foods and water are minimal. Knowing that the capsule shelters more people than possible, nobody is now in security… especially when someone sabotages the unique drinking water tank.

Q-Three gets come into contact with the Lieutenant Mayvene who changes course so as to reach an orbiting buoy that may contain supplies three days from there. Their joy transforms rapidly into nightmare when the buoy, knocked by a meteorite, is found emptied of all life resources…

Spoiler ! the end of the story is revealed below… While it remains only two food days, the situation poisons allthemore that the saboteur still hides around. Parker dies in strange circumstances and Meyvene finds death during the passage of the pod in the tail of a comet. Akerman, finally not so blind as it seems, is unmasked. In the goal to dismiss Banks, his plan consisted in getting rid of all the Terrania's survivors one by one and by making guilty Kane. Alone in the capsule he would have had to patiently wait for a rescue spaceship.

Akerman fires. He kills Q-Three and Rena Jahnusia and seriously hurts Banks before to enter a tight compartment. The saboteur dresses a scuba and begins to depressurize the capsule. Kane has to surpass his claustrophobia and follows technical corridors to enter his turn in the compartment. After a long struggle, he gets open the door for Claire and both conjugate their efforts, to eject the terrorist into space. Thanks to the provisions Akermann Hid in the purpose of his own rescue, Kane, Banks and Claire st John, the last survivors of the « Terrania » will sure survive untill the arrival of a rescue spaceship.