Chapter 1
The station hung in space like an unwanted toy. It
could have meant hope to many tired and weary
travellers. The problem was that it had been a long time
since a traveller had appeared on the station's main
viewscreen.
It had been built seven years ago, when that particular
area was thought to be perfect for colonisation.
Unfortunately, a war started and the plan was forgotten.
The nearby planets, which had once offered the promise
of new life, were now ruined.
The fighting was over, but it meant little to the crew
of the station. For seven years, they had remained in this
"dead end", looking after the station in case it was ever
needed. They had spent seven long years making
unnecessary repairs, reading the same books over and
over, and starting arguments just for the sake of it.
However, all that was about to change.
Lieutenant Jane Warner was supposed to be
monitoring the communication channels, but what was the
point? As usual, nothing was going to happen, so the
young woman spent her shift drawing silly pictures. As
she ran her fingers through her short, blonde hair, she
happened to look up from her sketch pad at the mam
viewscreen. Her face froze.
She reached across the control console, hit the
intercom switch and spoke into the microphone.
"Commander Maxwell! You're needed in the control room
immediately!"
The door opened and Lieutenant John Peterson entered
the control room.
"I came to take over monitoring."
"Don't bother. I wouldn't leave now. Even if you tried
dragging me away." . "So what's all the i'uss about?"
Then he noticed the screen.
"I don't believe it."
"Believe it. It's very real and very large."
"But where did it come from? How come our scanners
didn't detect it? And how come it didn't set off our alarm
system?"
The two officers turned round quickly when they heard
the door open. Standing in the doorway was Commander
Gareth Maxwell. He was a tall man with grey hair and a thin
moustache. He always seemed very dignified.
"What is the situation, Mr Peterson?"
"We have company."
The commander looked at the screen in silence. What he
saw was a spaceship - about half a mile long, with what appeared
to be a tiny control cabin at the front. There were burn marks
all along one side of the ship, and parts of it were missing. It
continued to approach the station.
"It's obviously seen better days. Warner, open a communic
Warner did that quickly. The commander then cleared his
throat and spoke aloud.
"This is Commander Gareth Maxwell of the space station
Capricorn Alpha. Please identify yourselves and state your
purpose."
He repeated the announcement several times before a voice
finally broke through the static.
"Prepare to receive us."
"Not very talkative, are they?"
"Well, they don't seem to be in any immediate trouble. Even
so, their ship's in a mess and they might need medical care.
Get the doctor, and the engineer and go down to the docking
bay. I'll follow on in a moment."
Peterson nodded and left the room. Maxwell then concluded
his message to the guest ship.
"Visiting vessel, we're about to open our main doors. Just
follow the landing lights."
•••••
Peterson was running down a long corridor. He was closely
followed by Engineer Diana Raven, an athletic young woman
with long dark hair, and Doctor Patrick Briggs, a considerably
older man who seemed to be out of breath.
"Are we going too fast, Doc?"
"I'm not that old! Anyway, special occasions seem to bring
out my hidden strengths."
"1 think we'd better stop for a moment."
"Why?"
"I've forgotten the way."
"Me too. I've not been in the docking bay since we first
arrived - I've had no reason to go there."
"I think I' d better lead the way!"
Raven ran through a doorway and into another corridor.
"When in doubt, ask an engineer!"
•••••
Meanwhile in the control room, Warner passed Maxwell a
pair of guns. He checked to see if the weapons were fully
charged.
"This one's almost empty, but the other one's fine. Here
-you keep the good one."
He walked towards the door. Before he left, he turned to
Warner.
"Keep that gun beside you and watch over things from up
here."
"Commander, I really don't think there'll be a problem."
"I hope you're right. But when we've been alone for so long,
it would be very easy to welcome bad company."
 Comprehension questions
1 How long ago was the station built?
2 Why had the station been built?
3 What had destroyed the nearby planets?
4 What did the crew of the station spend their time doing?
5 What was Jane Warner supposed to be doing?
6 Who comes to take over from Jane Warner?
7 Describe the spaceship which is approaching the station.
8 What's the name of the engineer?
9 Why have the doctor and the engineer forgotten the way to the docking bay?
10 What did Warner hand to Maxwell?

Fill in the correct phrasal verb. Mind the tense form.

a) be over : be finished
b) be about to : be ready to
c) be up to : be doing sth usually suspicious
d) take over : assume control
e) set off : i) activate an alarm mechanism ii) start a journey

1 After his father died he ................. ................. the

management of the entire company.
2 She ................. ................. ................. unlock the door and
go into the house when the phone rang.
3 Heavy smoke in the basement................. ................. the alarm system.
4 When the meeting ................. ................. we'll go for ice cream.
5 I haven't seen him in a long time. I wonder what he's ................ ................. ................. !

Choose the correct item.

1 This ................. wine is from southern California.

A medical B particular C unwanted

2 She stood on a chair so that she could ................. the top

shelf.
A reach B drag C state

3 He was stopped by the police and asked to ........... himself.

A monitor B remain C identify

4 Mother's getting ready upstairs because she's expecting

Astatic B company C colonisation

5 I spilled coffee on my dress and now it's ................. .

A ruined B dignified C tiny

| Unscramble the words and put them in the gaps.

1 My sister's wedding was a very special ................. .
oaccosin
2 The teacher punished her students for being too ...........
in class. : tkatlaive
3 His car broke down because the battery wasn't.............. .
ghcerad
4 It's a difficult................. but I'm sure we'll find a solution.
titusnaio
5 The ................. of his visit is to inspect the building.
sopurpe