Devon Blake and the Starship Crash by Douglas Warren Read Free Book Online

and
     
confronting Terry.
     
“Mr. Jameson, why are you out of your seat?” Deke’s voice boomed loudly in the
     
enclosed cabin.
     
Terry whirled to find Deke Jacobs standing right behind him.
     
“I was chatting with some friends,” he answered.
     
“That’s enough jawin’. If you’ve taken care of your business, get back to your seat. The
     
sleep-wave generators turn on in fifteen minutes.” Deke’s look left no room for argument. Terry
     
turned back for a moment and glared at the four friends then headed back toward his seat. Deke
     
moved to the side, letting him pass, but there was no sign of backing down by either party.
     
Deke waited for another fifteen minutes and then motioned for silence. Satisfied that
     
everyone had taken their seats, Deke addressed the children.
     
“We are going to lower your harnesses and engage the sleep-wave generators
     
momentarily. When you wake up we should be in the atmosphere over our landing zone. From
     
there it should be smooth sailing. Any questions?”
He waited for a few moments before continuing. “Okay, then let’s get this show on the
     
road.” Deke walked back to his seat next to Terry and sat down with a sigh.
     
The crew made a quick pass through the cabin making sure that all personal items had
     
been stowed. The crew chief signaled the pilots that everything was ready. With a soft whir, the
     
safety harnesses slowly descended from the ceiling. As they neared the seats a red scanning
     
laser ran over each child, measuring each for a perfect fit of the harness. The safety harnesses
     
locked into place with a thunk, molding themselves to their occupant. There was hushed silence
     
for a moment and then the cabin was filled with a low frequency hum. The sleep generators
     
located in each harnesses began to hum deeply. The low rumble could be felt deep inside,
     
causing everyone’s stomachs to flutter for a moment. Then, everyone strapped in their seats was
     
enfolded in deep sleep.
     
Sure that everyone was asleep; the crew busied themselves with a few last-minute tasks
     
and then strapped themselves into their own harnesses. They soon joined the students in deep
     
sleep. The pilots stayed awake, monitoring the progress of the Boadicea , ready to get underway
as soon as they reached orbit above Forrestal.

Chapter 9
A piercing whistle jarred Devon from a deep sleep. Wind rushed by his face, making it
     
difficult to gain his bearings. The ship shook violently, making it even more difficult to focus.
     
After a few moments, he realized that the whistling was coming from wind whipping through the
     
cabin of the drop ship. He immediately knew something bad had happened.
     
Devon forced his head to the side to check on his friends. Flim looked at him in terror,
     
his eyes pleading. From where he sat, he could not tell if Jacinda and Merrell were awake.
Devon could not imagine anyone sleeping through the chaos and noise, but if their sleep-wave
     
generators were still operating then they could still be asleep.
     
The ship bucked again, clacking Devon’s teeth together. From his place in the front row,
     
he could not see how the rest of the expedition was faring, but if everyone else was being thrown
     
around like him, he felt sorry for them. With effort Devon turned his head the other way, trying
     
to glimpse something out of the small window. Blue sky and clouds raced by at an amazing rate.
     
The shaking increased and the whistling of the wind was accompanied by a new sound.
     
The sound of roaring engines rumbled under the shrill wind, but it did not sound right. The
     
engines stuttered, not the constant, reassuring howl Devon expected. A claxon rang out through
     
the ship, even louder than the engines and the wind. From the corner of his eye, he caught the
     
flash of green through the window.
     
Before what that meant could register, the ship slammed to a stop. For a moment there
     
was utter