Run at right angles ...  Or down the crevice ...

Bound at rights angles to the descending wreck.  With the lazer welder.

The crippled cutter dropped lower and lower overhead. It had stopped spinning and it looked like Jenna and Lucky Jack were using the thrusters to attempt to regain control.

As everyone was in the crater, and likely near where the cutter was going to hit, the cracks on the crater floor looked like a great place to start looking for some shelter! Everyone seeme to think this was a good idea and began squeezing into the cracks, specifically the large fissure that looked like it would reach down into the interior of the ship.

It would take a couple minutes for the cutter to slam down, due to the microgravity conditions. But even at that relatively sedate speed the damage would be catastrophic, at least to the craft!

 Typical day in the field, starts out great and then right off a cliff ...  The good news is, everyone will think we died.  The bad news is, they could be right.  Good luck there Lucky and Lexi !!

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 37):

"We can't be dead. You're still complaining!  Did everybody find someplace to squeeze into?  Watch the equipment.  It might be the only thing that will keep us alive."

Ahhh Neva, the voice of reason when everything hits the turbo fans ...  Lets hope the maneuvering fuel doesn't ignite.

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 39):

The cutter continued to accelerate as it slowly fell.

Time to impact was 30 seconds!

Blake crosses his fingers - difficult in a vacc suit.

Neva smiled at Blake's words.  "Hope to hear from you all in around 40 seconds."

Then Neva started her own countdown.  Making sure she was in the best position she could be.  She couldn't help but think here she was again hiding in a crevice instead of a box but it was still the same thing.  Hide and scrunch in low to survive.  She shook her head and then went back to the countdown....hoping it wouldn't be the FINAL countdown.

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 42):

Finally, the crippled cutter neared the bottom of the crater. At the last moment, before it looked like it must crash into the dark regolith, the landing retro-rockets fired. It was a brilliant bit of piloting, without the engine pod Jeri and Lucky Jack must be operating and coordinating the throttles of all 4 thrusters manually, by hand.

In the middle of the crater the cutter settled down hard, but intact, in a cloud of pulverised dust!

Linus let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Thanks be to God!"

Neva mentally counted off how much time they had.  When she got to zero and nothing else happened she peeked a look and quickly closed her eyes again.  Her mental count down was off and she saw she wasn't out of danger yet.

She then felt the cutter land and felt dust fall and settle.  She waited til a count of 10 and then dared to look again.

"We made it?  I mean...that turned out ok."

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 45):

The cutter was wrecked but for that in surprisingly good shape.

It seemed they weren't out of the fire yet! Another cutter, the second one the ship carried, came into view overhead.

It seemed to be in trouble. Its descent into the crater was quicker than was safe and whoever was at the controls seemed unsure and rough. Down the cutter dropped towards them, slewing from side to side and wobbling. It looked like it was going to hit and hit hard, not to far from the wreck of Cutter 1.

In reply to GM (msg # 46):

Seeing the other cutter, coming down with much less precision, Neva ducked her head back and once again went into protective mode.  While she did so, she couldn't help but say "And there is the other shoe dropping."

Here comes trouble ...  and ducks back into hiding.

Billy cracks the door of the cutter open, and looks outside.

shall I assume we feel it, 2 crash landings ??  Blake waits for several seconds, allowing any 'ground' impacting debris to also land before edging himself out for a look/see ...

Although there was no sound they could feel the thump through the asteroid's regolith as the second cutter impacted the surface not too far away. It too bounced up after impact in a spray of dust and then landed with a more final crunch. The main spinal bus was clearly bent in the middle, the passenger module partially detached at one end and the retractable landing legs were all collapsed.

Those inside the cutter were jolted around in their crash seats but otherwise unharmed. Every panel and door was askew or popped off, gear spilled from lockers. Windows and portholes were cracked or popped open with tangles of wires spilling out. In the bridge the displays all went dark, including the twin VR HUDs mounted in front of the pilot seats. There was a little starlight filtering in from outside, not much.

GM Note: Ok, the cutter is down. Everyone is together!

Billy cracks the door of the cutter open, and looks outside.

In reply to Billy (msg # 52):

There was a cloud of dust suspended above the floor of the crater where the 2 cutters crash-landed.

From one cutter Lucky Jack, Lexx and Jerri spilled outside. From the other, Billy led the way as the expeditions scientists plus Lorain bounced and stumbled out in the weak gravity.

In reply to GM (msg # 53):

"We made it! Is everyone all right?

"What do we do now? Is the ship coming back?"

Billy sets his suits coms to broadcast locally, so those from the other cutter (and those on the surface of the asteroid) can hear him.  "Are you guys OK?" he asks before turning to help the others out of his cutter.  However, Prof. Messandi's question  gets a raised eyebrow inside the privacy of his own helmet.

"I hope not, they were shooting at us as we tried to land.  We need to find some cover quickly, just in case the ship does return."

Neva waits until she hears people speaking and then peeks out.  Slowly climbing out from her cubby hole, Neva looked around and then up.  Not to say she was paranoid but she wondered if anything else was going to drop on them.

"Everybody ok?"

Linus scrambled upright and stretched.

"OK, what the heck is going on with the ship? Has there been a mutiny?"

"Sort of, but its a long Story.  We'll fill you in later, but we need to get off of the surface, just in case they come back." Billy responds to Linus's question.

Like Neva, Blake also looks upwards ...  Just stars and what-not for the moment.  Then he heads towards the wrecks.  Hey, Lucky, were you planning on stranding us here or what ?? Anything on those shuttles that we need ??