Read He Who Dares: Book Three for Free Online

gave him a sour look, but said nothing. Rock wasn’t far wrong and he knew it. The Prometheus was old and even with her more powerful fission pile there was a limit to her output.
    “That’s odd.” Rock murmured.
    “What!”
    “Take a look.” He said, a sneer crossing his face.
    “Shit!” Was all Jenkins could think to say.
    “What did I tell you?” He gave his captain a nasty grin.
     
    *  *  *  *  *  *
     
    Mike’s struggles were finally rewarded when he saw the radar altimeter start to climb. It wasn’t great, but at least they were making headway. An alarm flashed in the corner of his eye, but by the time he looked it was gone. He looked over the instrument panel, a frown creasing his forehead. He wasn’t sure which alarm flashed, and that worried him, but he dared not let his attention be distracted even for something as unimportant as a momentary alarm.
    “Gramps! Everything all right down there?”
    “Yes.”
    “You sure?”
    “Yes, why!” His Grandfather snapped back.
    “Um, well, I just saw a warning light flashed and wondered what it was.”
    “It was nothing, you concentrate on getting us out of here, and I’ll worry about the engines.” It didn’t sound like Gramps; snappish was the word that came to mind, and very unlike his grandfather’s normal voice. He pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on fighting the strange eddies that tried to pull the Prometheus and her tow back down again.
    “By Christ! You’re doing it, Prometheus ! Keep it up and we’ll be able to launch life pods if necessary at this rate.”
    “I hope not, Captain. That would ruin our contract.”
    “No fear of that lad, at this rate you will have us out of here in less than two hours.”
    Captain Phillips was correct in his prediction, as the creaks and groans from the Old Lady’s hull lessened, but even so, Mike sweated blood as he fought the helm. His arms ached so badly he thought they’d drop off, and the muscles across his shoulders and back were numb. No matter what the geneticists had done, even Avalon enhanced muscles had their limit. At last he lifted the Queen Ann where at least they could launch the life pods, and any shuttlecraft if necessary to get the passengers and crew to safety, but their troubles weren’t over yet.
    “Mike?” The engine-room screen lit up again.
    “What’s up, Gramps?” He flicked his eye to the screen, then looked again. Suddenly, his Grandfather looked old.
    “I need you to do something for me, son.”
    “Huh?” Mike felt a knot forming in the pit of his gut.
    “The old girl’s had it Mike, I need you to put her on autopilot and get to the life pod as soon as possible.”
    “What!”
    “Do it, son. Get to the life pod, now. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Oh shit!”
    “ Titan , this is the Prometheus , do you copy?”
    “We copy, Prometheus .”
    “Can you get down here and take over the tow, Charlie?”
    “Oh god! Gramps?” Charlie Jenkins heard the call, and after seeing the telltale reading of the radiation leaking from the Prometheus , he knew what was happening.
    “She’s done for, Charlie. I had to pull out all the stops to get us this far. She won’t last much longer.”
    “On my way, Prometheus .” Charlie snapped, already pointing downward to his helmsman.
    “Gramps! No. We can make it!”
    “No, we can’t son. We have about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before she gives out. Now get to the life pod! That’s an order.”
    “But, Gramps…”
    “Do I have to repeat myself, sailor?”
    “No, sir.” Mike answer miserably. He knew that tone of voice. Gramps brooked no argument on some things, and this was one of them. Swearing a blue streak, Mike keyed in the autopilot, and bounded down to his cabin. It just took a moment to throw what little Gramps and he had brought aboard into a kit bag and dash for the life pod.
    “I’m here, Gramps.” He called, switching on the pod’s systems.
    “Good, now close the hatch and wait