Read The Chronicles of Aallandranon - Episode One - Ant-Lion for Free Online Page A

would have to go
through the Observation Deck to get to the Bridge, assuming the
Bridge was still intact.
    He
exited through the doors to the Observation Deck. Jonathan entered
the hall to see the windows looking out into the night sky broken
with air rushing out of the ship. Voices rang out over the
intercom, but Jonathan couldn ’ t hear anything as he
ran down the pathway. Several other people jogged through the
doorway behind him. Rawi was with them. She saw Jonathan and
hurried forward.
    “ Thank God you ’ re alive! ” She yelled over the noise of the
oxygen being sucked through the many open exits of the
ship.
    “ We
need to get everyone to the Bridge! ” Jonathan turned around to see more
people running through the Observation Deck. Juan Langston, Rick
Daniels, and Sam Hartigan jogged from Engineering. “ TO THE BRIDGE! ” Jonathan yelled. He clicked the communicator on
his Manica-Band. “ ALL SURVIVORS MEET IN
THE BRIDGE! ”
    More panelling and windows ripped free of the
scaffolding above that held the room together. The path bent back
and forth as the suction compressed the hall. Several more people
climbed the bend and fled to the Bridge.
    Rawi
grabbed Jonathan ’ s arm. “ Come on! We have to
get out of here! ”
    “ You
go! ” He said. “ I need to stay and
make sure everyone gets through, and then I have to separate the
Core and Bridge from the Reactors before they
blow. ”
    “ We
don ’ t
have time to wait! This place is coming apart! ”
    “ I’ ll be
fine! ” Jonathan patted her shoulders. She turned and ran toward
the Bridge. Chance Trillian and Ryan Thompson emerged, each helping
Ralph Vidar down the pathway. He appeared to have gotten a broken
leg. Jonathan directed them to the Bridge. He lowered his head to
his communicator once more. “ IN THREE MINUTES, THE
SHIP WILL BE SEPARATING. IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE BRIDGE, YOU WILL
DIE! ”
    A
huge explosion filled the sky above Engineering. It was one of the
secondary reactors. That meant there wasn ’ t very much time left
before the others blew as well. A group of at least a hundred
people bounded through the doors from Engineering, hurrying to get
to the Bridge. Many were helping to carry the wounded even though
most of the people Jonathan saw looked too far gone for the
effort.
    Janice Temps brought up the rear as a whole section of the
Observation Deck roof ripped away into space. She was having
trouble fighting the air current. Jonathan hurried over and helped
her to the doors. Time was nearly up. A group of fifteen hurried
across the gap, sending fear into Jonathan ’ s chest. There were more
survivors on the other side of the ship, but he was going to have
to make the judgement call soon.
    He waited for what felt like two more minutes
and no one else came. He ran to the doors to the Core as the
structure of the ground began giving way. The doors on the opposite
side of the Observation Deck opened. A horrible feeling of
helplessness fell over Jonathan as he watched at least fifty people
hurry through the doors. A second explosion rushed into the
darkness over them.
    “ COME ON! ” Jonathan yelled. “RUN! THERE ’ S NO TIME! ”
    Half
of the group got through. Jonathan waited, allowing the bulk to
enter. There were a lot of stragglers fighting the suction. Many
were too wounded to fight the current to the other side of the
hall. When the last chunk of the ceiling went, Jonathan hurried
through the threshold into the Core Hall. The Engineering doors
opened again and another group appeared. Jonathan balled his fist
as he stood before the button that would seal the blast doors
behind him. The group was too far behind and the stragglers
weren ’ t moving quickly enough. He had to make the decision and it
had to be now.
    He
was about to input the sequence when the mass of the group
surpassed the stragglers and hurried through the gateway. “ GET IN! GET TO THE BRIDGE! ” Jonathan growled as the last group he
could allow forced their