Nothing happened. Kline tried the other slots. Their circuits must have burnt out too.

“Try a different cell,” Bilge ordered.

Kline tried all three slots with a new cell.

“Shit,” Bilge swore.

“Looks like we have to send down a drilling team,” Deli said.

*****

Kline felt sweaty in his suit and tired from the anxiety of waiting. It had taken an hour and a half for the platoon’s other two techs to arrive from the ship. They had spent a further hour setting up their equipment and directing the nanobots to cut through to the base's interior.

Kline felt he would have already encountered his fate if the door's controls had not burnt out. He hoped the techs would accompany him into the base, but all they offered were wishes of good luck as he entered.