“Can you do a workaround?” Clayton asks.
He clicks his tongue. “Niet. With more time, maybe.”
We watch the countdown tick down further.
“What about a manual override?”
“That’s only good for the two-part external airlocks. This is a connecting hatch between modules.” Yuri sighs.
“That brings us back to fixing the breach.” Clayton directs.
“I go for a walk. See what I can repair from the outside.” Luca offers.
“We cannot risk rupturing the hull integrity further.”As much as I’d love to watch you fly out an airlock.“A larger breach and they could both be sucked out into space. I’d prefer that not happen.”
Luca frowns at me for shooting down his plan.
“Matty…” Clayton warns. I slump against the wall of the pantry racking, exhaling a harsh breath.
“What does Houston have to say about this?” I ask.“Is the TDLR fixed? Comms working?”
“Anderson?” Clayton asks.
Everyone goes quiet, the only sound is that of the mechanical hum of the pumps and fans maintaining the internal atmosphere of the station.
All eyes are on Anderson. Aiko shifts uncomfortably beside him. It doesn't take a genius to figure out something is very wrong.
I know the comms signal is gone, dropped out into nothing, and I know more than most right now. That said, I haven't had a chance to look out of one of the few windows up here to see the truth of the matter.
“We’ve got good news and bad news…” Anderson rubs the nape of his neck awkwardly as his eyes dance over the datapad screen in front of him.
“Bad news first. Like ripping off bandage.” Yuri winks at Pesquet, making Matherson roll her eyes at him.
Matherson answers first, leaning back against Clayton’s arm. “Earth has gone dark. Zero contact.”
“We have double-checked the radio target, but there’s nothing there,” Anderson adds.
“A whole fuckingplanètedoesn’t just disappear.” Pesquet frowns.
“It didn’t.” Aiko's delicate voice chimes in, “Earthisn’t gone.”
“Wait. We thought Earth was gone?” Reiter leans forward.
Aiko nods slowly, attempting to tuck her silky hair behind one ear.
“But it’s not. Earth’s fine. As best we can tell.” Anderson assures us.
I drum my fingers along the bar of the handhold, barely containing my impatience, as my mind returns to Alex and her dwindling oxygen levels. As if torturing me, the bold numbers lose yet another minute. And another minute, the numbers rolling over. Counting down, lower and lower.
“What do you mean, ‘best we can tell’?” Luca asks this time.
Anderson takes a deep breath before he speaks. “Well, we are no longer orbiting Earth.”
The room goes silent, dumbstruck. That has me stretching upright from the wall, my drumming fingers halting.
“Where in fuck are we?” Yuri barks.
“We're not sure–”
