The hatch of the shuttle slip open with a hiss. The lights in the corridor flickered to life and we stepped out into the semi lit docking bay. The panel to the right popped and hummed on. The window in the top right of the welcome screen, which usually held the friendly face of Sarah (the ships Commissions officer) was naught but static.
The door opened to the warehouse level but no sound came from beyond. The halls, usually filled with the sound of many languages and cuss words, was eerily silent. My team moved into the airlock with a feeling of confusion. We had just returned from our observations of the planet Throndor8. The miners there have been working on a particularly deep vein of Therillium and some sort of disease has formed due to the exposure of this strange new element. My 3 team members Laura, Zach, Gery and myself have been sent to this mining colony in order to research this terrible disease known to the locals as "Rockjoint". The miners have yielded surprising results showing that minute samples of inhaled Threillium can lead to a stiffening and ultimately cementing of their joints.The symptoms include joint pain, brittle bones and eventually desiccation of their bone marrow leading to amputations or worse, death. Further tests were needed so we have returned to our station in orbit of Throndor8.
Our temporary home known as the Alternavoo is a class 3 mining frigate able to sustain a crew of 35 with living quarters, rec. room, and bunks. The majority of the 650 meter vessel is taken up by the mineral hold. When we first arrived the hold was one quarter full bit in the short month that we have been here that number has doubled even with this strange disease affecting the worker.
Through the recent rough pace set by the hard headed captain and his deadlines the miners have been held literally nose to the grindstone, so when my coalition heard of these workers rights being violated we sprang into action and made way for the Alternavoo. Our current patient list contains 20 workers out of the original 35 and continues to rise each week.My team has been running on all cylinders to keep up with the constant patients. Our main clinic is located planetside at the mining colony base but every so often we must head back for testing and supplies.Needless to say the lack of crew on our only means of supply had us worried.
We made our way through the main bridge which was on standby mode as if it hadnt been touched in a while. As I reached over to flick on the bridge lights I heard a sputtering sound that cased me to recoil in...fear. Beneath the navigation desk was a grasping hand reaching out as if I were its only hope.
It was Sarah. One look and I knew it was the same disease that had afflicted the miners.
