Karnak and Suneeti moved through the dimly lit corridors of the vimana. The main powercore had depleted and only the basic systems were running on emergency power.
“This ship has a habitat shuttle,” explained Karnak.
“And what is that?” asked Suneeti.
“A kind of escape pod. But more advanced. It is used mostly in or near solar systems. A habitat shuttle can be launched towards that system’s asteroid belt. The shuttle will locate a suitable asteroid and then forcibly lodge itself as deep as possible into the surface of the asteroid. It will then create a small life supporting habitat inside that asteroid. If cleverly chosen, the habitat can remain completely hidden from external scans and continue to function of years on solar power.”
“A hideout,” said Suneeti.
“Yes. And that’s what we’re going to do. Once we’re inside an asteroid, no one will be able to locate us.”
Suneeti nodded and followed him down the long winding corridors.
The habitat shuttle wasn’t as big as Suneeti had expected it to be. Karnak had almost made it sound comfortable. There was barely space for two people to squeeze in. The controls were moulded into the walls at awkward places, more out of concern for functionality than any aesthetic need or desire.
Suneeti felt odd being cramped in such a small place with a man she barely knew. But then, it was better than being ‘married’ to a man who you hardly knew. At least she knew that Karnak wasn’t going to harm her.
Karnak worked at the controls as Suneeti sat in silence and watched him. For the first time she had the leisure to notice his physical features. He wasn’t very tall and somewhat dark skinned for an aryavarti. But he had lush black hair, of that sort that made Suneeti want to run her fingers through them. His shoulders were firm, his arms shapely.
Suneeti smiled shyly to herself.
“We’re set,” said Karnak, looking up from the controls, “you ready to go?”
Suneeti was startled out of her reverie.
“Yes, of course,” she said with a slight smile
Karnak grinned and pressed the button. The shuttle moved and gradually accelerated out of the vimana. It manoeuvred slowly as it cleared the shielded volume of the Atirath then turned sharply and shot into the void like a bullet. The habitat shuttle was designed so as not to be found. In the vast emptiness of space, moving fast was one way of not being found. Moving irregularly was another way. The shuttle changed direction many times, taking as roundabout a way to the asteroid belt as its power reserves allowed. Then it entered the asteroid belt and slowed down, scanning for an appropriate spot to set up the habitat. Then in one final burst of power, it made a bone crushing lunge into a cup shaped asteroid that budged slightly as the shuttle lodged itself into its surface.
Suneeti had blacked out due to the heavy accelerations of the shuttle. By the time she came to the shuttle had grown in size, utilizing the entire space of the crater that it had dug into the asteroid as living space. The gentle throb of engines that was every present on every space faring craft was missing. The habitat now had the quiet, damped feeling of an underground bunker.
“This ship has a habitat shuttle,” explained Karnak.
“And what is that?” asked Suneeti.
“A kind of escape pod. But more advanced. It is used mostly in or near solar systems. A habitat shuttle can be launched towards that system’s asteroid belt. The shuttle will locate a suitable asteroid and then forcibly lodge itself as deep as possible into the surface of the asteroid. It will then create a small life supporting habitat inside that asteroid. If cleverly chosen, the habitat can remain completely hidden from external scans and continue to function of years on solar power.”
“A hideout,” said Suneeti.
“Yes. And that’s what we’re going to do. Once we’re inside an asteroid, no one will be able to locate us.”
Suneeti nodded and followed him down the long winding corridors.
The habitat shuttle wasn’t as big as Suneeti had expected it to be. Karnak had almost made it sound comfortable. There was barely space for two people to squeeze in. The controls were moulded into the walls at awkward places, more out of concern for functionality than any aesthetic need or desire.
Suneeti felt odd being cramped in such a small place with a man she barely knew. But then, it was better than being ‘married’ to a man who you hardly knew. At least she knew that Karnak wasn’t going to harm her.
Karnak worked at the controls as Suneeti sat in silence and watched him. For the first time she had the leisure to notice his physical features. He wasn’t very tall and somewhat dark skinned for an aryavarti. But he had lush black hair, of that sort that made Suneeti want to run her fingers through them. His shoulders were firm, his arms shapely.
Suneeti smiled shyly to herself.
“We’re set,” said Karnak, looking up from the controls, “you ready to go?”
Suneeti was startled out of her reverie.
“Yes, of course,” she said with a slight smile
Karnak grinned and pressed the button. The shuttle moved and gradually accelerated out of the vimana. It manoeuvred slowly as it cleared the shielded volume of the Atirath then turned sharply and shot into the void like a bullet. The habitat shuttle was designed so as not to be found. In the vast emptiness of space, moving fast was one way of not being found. Moving irregularly was another way. The shuttle changed direction many times, taking as roundabout a way to the asteroid belt as its power reserves allowed. Then it entered the asteroid belt and slowed down, scanning for an appropriate spot to set up the habitat. Then in one final burst of power, it made a bone crushing lunge into a cup shaped asteroid that budged slightly as the shuttle lodged itself into its surface.
Suneeti had blacked out due to the heavy accelerations of the shuttle. By the time she came to the shuttle had grown in size, utilizing the entire space of the crater that it had dug into the asteroid as living space. The gentle throb of engines that was every present on every space faring craft was missing. The habitat now had the quiet, damped feeling of an underground bunker.
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