(… continuing)

Thirty minutes later, everyone was seated ready for departure. Dukk turned to Marr.
“I am engaging the autopilot to take us off the pad. Let’s request release and get underway.”
“On it,” came the reply as she interacted with her console. “Maple Tower, this is the Dinatha requesting release.”
The rig trembled slightly as the thrusters prepared to take the weight.
A video feed of the underbelly showed the rig’s jacks. The station’s clamps retracted and the rig lifted a fraction.
“We are released,” Marr said.
“Retracting jacks, let’s go,” Dukk added.
The rig started to move backwards, retracing the path it had taken the day before.

Several minutes later, the rig was clear of the station and accelerating to reach a lower orbit. The DMD was back online and Dukk had just received the details for the next traverse.
“Looks like we have just over eleven hours until the traverse,” Dukk said as he enabled the broadcast channel.
“Thank you everyone for cooperating with our departure protocols and emergency drills. We have just loaded the DMD and are expected to traverse in just over eleven hours at five thirty tomorrow morning. You are now free to leave your seats. Have a pleasant evening and we’ll see you back in your seats near that time.”
“Right, time for something to eat? Who’s cooking?” Bazzer announced as he rose from his seat.
“It is my turn, send me your orders,” Marr replied.

The next three days passed without any major drama. The traverses had progressed on time with only the usual discomfort. The intermediary inspection was uneventful. The crew got into their routine. The passengers did their best to bide their time. And the events prior to and during the station visit, were largely left be.

It was now early on the morning of the eighth day since departing Earth. They had just come out of the last traverse. The crew and passengers were coming around and the rig was back in slow running.
Dukk switched on the rig’s broadcast channel. “Hello and welcome to the Mayfield system. Like most inhabitable planets in red dwarf systems, this planet is tidal locked to its sun. Our destination, the resort space port, is located in a mountainous region west of the centre point. Conveniently, local time is matched to Utopiam so it is early in the morning. I’ve projected the view out the front of the rig on the main screen. In a moment you will get a treat. Whilst most of the planet will appear reddish and dark, as it will all day and night, the resort is about to enable day mode lighting. You should see the resort start to glow as we pass over head. If enjoying the view isn’t your fancy, you are now free to move about as we prepare for descent. Hopefully, we’ll be on the ground in near on six hours. I will get back to you closer to the time and ahead of breaking orbit.”

Later in the morning, Marr and Dukk were sitting in the cockpit.
“Marr tells me that Mayfield air traffic control have given us a green light. Let’s get this bird on the ground,” Dukk announced into the crew comms.
“All set down here, we are on our way back up,” Bazzer replied.
“Passengers are back in their seats. We are just doing the final safety briefing. We’ll be seated in two,” Annee added after Bazzer.
“You ready?” Dukk said turning to Marr.
“Yep.”
“Okay, so this will go as we practiced. Once Annee is seated, pass the external comms back to her. You’ll have your hands full monitoring thrust and pitch control. Let me know if anything goes into the orange zones. I’ll run the nav and Bazzer will be monitoring the rig integrity, which is important as we’ll be approaching fast and heavy. We don’t have citadel protocols to worry about but we also don’t have a maglev to catch-us,” Dukk said out loud, more so as a reminder to himself than an instruction to Marr.
“From what I see on the flight plan, we will be down in about ninety minutes. That is nearly half the time typically taken to breach orbit and land on Earth?”
“Yes, while this planet is slightly smaller, the main factor is traffic. Or the lack of it. Ninety minutes will still give us plenty of time to use the heat and friction to replenish our fuel cells.”
“So, we plug the details into the autopilot, then sit back and relax?”
Dukk laughed. “Pretty much. However, there won’t be much relaxing up here at the front of the bus. While the autopilot will be running the show, we will still have to stay alert. So, the crew dose will only be enough to stop us passing out during the final approach.”
“Oh,” Marr responded apprehensively.
She returned to the flight plan notes. “It says here that our set down will be pad L7 in the hanger of the main space port. I am confused by the use of the word ‘main’ in the air traffic control directive. The planet notes mention the resort, the staff village, the mines, the support facilities and the space port. There is no mention of more than one space port.”
“The original settlement, used during resort construction, has a space port. I’ve never been there, but I have heard that Hauliers get diverted there on occasion. Perhaps during large festivals when the main hanger is full of elite cruisers.”
“Is it the same as the main port?”
“No, I understand it is smaller and the pads are largely outside. I’ve heard that there are tunnels between it, the main port and the rest of the settlement. But, it is further away and doesn’t have permanent staff. Everything, including getting refuelling tankers would take longer.”
“Not ideal.”
“No.”

(to be continued...)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 18 - Set down (Passage 3 of 5)]

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