Plague Ship · Chapter
X: E-Stat Landing explained
Dane, Rip, and Ali plan to land the Queen at an I-S E-Stat to strip and replace the hydro, suspecting it is the source of the mysterious illness.
What happens
Dane, Rip, and Ali plan to land the Queen at an I-S E-Stat to strip and replace the hydro, suspecting it is the source of the mysterious illness. They navigate a tense landing without responding to the station's identification demands, then prepare to secure the station and disable its communications to avoid Patrol involvement.
Themes in this chapter
Survival and Ingenuity
The crew devises a desperate plan to land at an I-S E-Stat and strip the hydro to save the ship and crew from the mysterious illness.
Corporate Power and Rivalry
The crew targets an I-S (Inter-Solar) station, exploiting a legal loophole and their rivalry with the company they suspect of sabotage.
Risk and Reward
The plan to land at a company E-Stat risks being labeled pirates and facing Patrol intervention, but offers the chance to save the ship.
Characters to notice
- Dane Thorson
Assists in searching Mura's cabin and the hydro, proposes landing at an E-Stat, and recalls his mistake on Sargol.
- Rip Shannon
Pilots the Queen to a skilled landing on the E-Stat field, coordinates the plan to strip the hydro, and selects the I-S E-Stat from astrogation tapes.
- Ali Kamil
Takes Stotz's place in the engine room, reports no findings in Kosti's quarters, and advises on using sleep rods and disabling the station's coms.
- Frank Mura
Mentioned as being in isolation in sick bay; his cabin is searched for clues to the illness.
- Medic Craig Tau
Mentioned as having medical plants in the hydro that he had been observing.
Key passages
“Identify—identify— I-S E-Stat calling spacer—identify—”
The I-S E-Stat repeatedly demands identification from the Queen.
The crew ignores the demand to avoid revealing their identity.
“Fin landing, brother! Four points and down!”
Dane congratulates Rip on a perfect landing.
Shows camaraderie and recognition of Rip's skill under pressure.
“The perfect place to plant something!”
Dane realizes the hydro could be the hiding place for the source of the illness.
Key insight leading to the plan to strip the hydro.