“Argoss III, this is the shuttle Heimdal. Requesting permission to dock.” First Officer, Stephanie Chu looked to the pilot and shrugged. “Still no response, Pål.” Captain Pål Knutsen acknowledged this with a nod. But he had his orders. Dock with the Argoss, and enable ingress for the salvage team. He triggered a burst from the central reaction control system, giving the shuttle a push sufficient to allow it to move slowly towards its vastly bigger host. With a clang that reverberated throughout the smaller vessel, the shuttle mated with the Argoss, its inexorable progress countered by the torsional and compression systems that absorbed most of the collision’s impact. With a glance at the control panel, he saw that the Orbital Docking System indicated the seal was tight. All green. He flipped the comm channel open. “OK, boys. You’re clear to disembark.” Stephanie pulled her headset off. It floated away gently. Raising an eyebrow she said, “Boys?” Her partner shrugged.
