Read Dreams among Stars for Free Online

living person was able to congratulate me I mentally patted my own back, while I relished on a piece of hard cheese.
    Should my excursion to the outside be a success, given I made it so far, then I would need to find out much more about the situation on the ship.
    With renewed courage I stored the ham, a bit of bread and two selected pieces of cheese in my backpack, holstered the two pistols and was on my way.
    The carriage, respectively elevator, was some 80 meters up again, so I had to climb back up and after a short while I found a hatch leading to the rails.
    My fears about the condition the carriage would be in rendered themselves to be unfounded, the device consisted of a mishmash of spares, admittedly put in place by trained personnel.
    There even was a mini sled, a rail maintenance device, which quickly could drive the complete distance and check for danger spots.
    After the mini sled returned I knew the rails were in working condition.
    Sadly even the mini sled caused much more noise than I was happy with, so I decided not to take any risks.
    Diligently I checked the emergency stop mechanism of the carriage, then drove down 500 meters and activated the emergency stop. From the emergency ladder at the side of the tracks, I set the carriage to continue its way down.
    Either there were no guards down below or there were some and with a bit of luck I just had distracted them.
    Quickly I searched for a way into the tower and only a few meters I found one.
    Probably some 100 meters separated me from solid ground.
    I had Marple show me a map to the next passage towards the outer decks.
    Unluckily I would need to travel nearly a kilometer towards the bow, the next passage in direction of the stern was even half of the ships width away, meaning nearly two and a half kilometer.
    Carefully I kept my eyes on my surroundings and Marples sensors, while finishing my descent.
    At the exit area I wondered about the extreme cleanliness, the sensors did not detect any people inside of the tower, so I carefully opened the door.
    Instantly alarm sirens start to bleat and I cuss, a quick scan of the area shows a forests edge in about 300 meters distance and I start to leg it.
    “ Naive, moronic, careless” I berate myself, in my ignorance I was so sure about no one being able to use the ships devices.  
    I made a good 200 meters and hoped that I had been undetected, when Marple displayed hectic activity behind me. With relief I noticed that only 3 people rushed toward the towers entrance.
    Sadly a loud hailing let me know that I had been seen, there was no spare breath for more swearing and only when I reached the forests edge I allowed myself to lower my speed.
    This was a mistake, Marples display did not show any chase, but an arrow out of nowhere suddenly quivering in a tree right beside me, urged me to hurry up.
    That trend of missing was fine by me and I hoped it would become persistent and not turn out to be a fad.
    Nonetheless I would need to be even more cautious in the future.
    As I was not planning on a prolonged stay on this deck anyhow, this whole small self contained world, I quickly made my way towards the passage.
    Moving through the woods was slow and for a while I forgot that I was on the ship and that unknown pursuers were trying to catch me.
    The leafy forest spread the artificial light in a comfortable diffuse manner, the ground was solid and smelled so earthen, that any thoughts of a completely artificially designed landscape seemed silly.
    As the way through the forest did not lead directly towards the passage I had to make a detour.
    My hope was that I had been mistaken for someone of the permanent active staff, a native in other words and that no one would predict my way.
    On the other side of the forest still half a kilometer separated me from my destination, not to be trapped again I used my hauling rope to ascend to the top of a tree and scrutinize the landscape.
    On my right was a small settlement, the simple