Excerpt: Phoenix Rising

“I’ve got a module here that’s hot. It’s along the fuel inlet valve,” Carter said reaching down to it. “Hell, this thing is loose,” Carter said.

“Well don’t touch it until we power it down. Give me circuit number,” Onaka said. She stepped around the engine to the control panel to begin the process of shutting down the power.

“It’s F,1,6!” There was a pause then Carter’s voice called out. “Oh crap, sparks!!”

Carter scrambled to pull himself out of the floor access. Tuan held the plate up long enough from Carter to get up then he dropped it down. Onaka tried to cut the power, but Tuan backed into her trying to clear the area.

“Look out,” Onaka said recovering her position. She worked quickly to shut down the power.

“We’re not geared to deal with a fuel leak,” Tuan said.
“Let’s clear out!” Carter said scrambling to get past Onaka. He pushed past her and started down th corridor. Quickly Onaka and Tuan followed. Onaka tapped the control on her headset communicator.

“Service Crew Five to Bridge! Fuel leak, in Port thruster 1,6! Repeat, fuel leak in thruster 1, 6. We’re evacuating the area! Cut all power!” she ordered.

The three hustled down the corridor the hull access hatch and to the waiting elevator. Unfortunately time was not on their side. The personnel manning the Bridge delayed shutting the power down caught off guard by th emergency call. By the time the three reached the hatch, more fuel vapors had filled the service area and corridor and one final spark from the loose electrical module set it off.

When the explosion occurred the force, flame and heat stuck Tuan first. He had paused as he waited for Onaka and Carter to leave the ship. Most of his remains would be found along the corridor walls. Carter, who was climbing down the hatchway ladder, was blown off the ladder, into and through the elevator guard railing. He landed forty feet below head first onto the concrete pad and died on impact.

Onaka who was in the hatchway was also blown out, but she hit the elevator flooring. The explosion also caused the framework to weaken and collapse. Onaka plummeted down in a cascade of metal framework that had been erected under the port wing of the ship. She vaguely remembers hearing someone scream. What she couldn’t remember was that it was her. She would be found barely alive and critically injured under the twisted metal.