Chapter 2: Asteroid Field Navigation
Chapter 2 • 144 Words
The ship drifted deeper into the violet nebula. Every minute, small dust particles pinged against the titanium hull, a constant reminder of the fragile shield separating them from vacuum. The primary engines were offline, leaving only the thrusters to steer them through the tumbling debris.
"We have a massive class-four asteroid heading directly for our port side," warned Sarah. "Chen, initiate evasive maneuvers. Use the gravitational pull of that smaller cluster to swing us clear."
The ship turned sluggishly. For a long, breathless ten seconds, the giant rock filled the viewport, its cratered surface close enough to see the glittering crystals embedded within. Then, with a groan of metal, the thrusters fired, and the asteroid swept past, missing the hull by mere meters. Sarah let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Good work. Now, how do we get out of here?"