Sci-fi Sneak Peak- Nova #1
Hello readers.
Today I have a very special treat to brighten up your weekends; a taste test of my novel-in-progress. It is a bit of a change from fantasy into sci-fi and I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions- I always welcome constructive feedback. And, if you like the story let me know and you may be selected as a Beta-reader for the full book!
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Nova smashed the wrench down onto the metal desk once more and cursed under her breath. She dove back under the control board and began tightening bolts and rearranging wires. The small room filled with smoke as it hissed out from between the cracks in the control panel.
Nova’s blonde hair was pulled away from her face with a simple band. The one blue streak of hair glowed in the flashing orange light filling the command centre. Her legs poked out from under the command desk, encased in their customary black jeans and knee-high black boots.
“Arg! Why can’t you work for just five minutes?” Nova called out as an alarm began to sound and she worked even more furiously through the steam.
“If you had replaced the wires a month ago when I informed you their condition was poor we would not be having this problem,” said an exasperated voice.
Nova pushed herself out from under the metal desk for enough time to cast a glare at the metallic orb that hovered a little way back from the dashboard. The robot was round, about the size of a football with a digital eye that swivelled down to stare back at her. C4L or ‘Cal’ as Nova liked to call him continued to hover and stare at her with his dammed single eye.
Nova sighed in frustration and returned to her work. She was desperately tightening valves as they became lose while at the same time trying to find the source of the original leak.
“The ship’s maintenance log says the 5th input fuse has blown,” Cal said from his position, now even further away from the rattling, hissing set of controls which was the command unit. He wasn’t going to risk his metal casing if the main controls decided to explode.
“Got it!” Nova yelled as she pulled out the offending fuse and replaced it. The control board continued to shake and blow steam for several moments but then began to cool down. Nova breathed a sigh of relief and let her head fall to the metal floor of the ship. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and pushed herself out from under the control board.
Nova pulled herself up and sat into the chair which folded out from the adjoining wall. She allowed herself to collapse down in it and brought her feet up onto the control board. The flashing orange lights had disappeared and the wailing alarm had stopped. Now before her were the many buttons and controls which guided her ship, The Crusader. In the very centre of the control panel was an old-style wheel which could be used to control the ship’s movements instead of the ever-present autopilot. The wheel could be turned left and right but unlike the original boats on which the design was based, this control could be pushed forward or back to lift or lower the spacecraft.
Above the metal control panel with its many buttons was the front window which currently looked out over the black panorama of space. Distant stars twinkled through the night but all around there was quiet. The window also functioned as a screen which could be used in communication, navigation or surfing the cloud.
With her legs still on the control panel Nova turned slightly and called over her shoulder, “Cal! You can stop hiding, it’s fixed.”
The robot hovered into view and came to a stop just in-front of Nova.
“I wasn’t hiding,” the voice emanated from invisible speakers, “I was taking inventory in the storage room.”
