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CHAPTER NINE

I try to sift through the data dump I managed to dig out of the computer, as I drift up and down the corridor leading to Harmony. The movement helps me think clearly.

My eyes skim through the text. Automated security protocols. Manual Overrides. Volumetric estimations. Stock inventories. Past experiment logs. None of this is remotely useful to helping Alex.

I flick my wrist to check the time. Time enough that I won’t be the first one sitting there waiting.

I reach the kitchen area, our make-shift emergency HQ whilst we sort through our current mess of affairs, at 0530 UTC – station time.

Pesquet, the brunette woman who came up with us, is beside Reiter, their noses in their datapads.

Matherson sits beside them, Clayton leaning on the back of the chair she tucked herself into.

Anderson and Aiko walk in just as I reach for a pouch of water, with blonde Gigolo appearing mere seconds behind them. Likely trying to squeeze in more time with Alex, as if we’re expecting the inevitable.

What will flowery words and charming smiles do to save her? Nothing .

Yuri moves forward through the room, crinkling a half-finished packet of pickle-flavoured crisps (if the picture on the front is anything to go by) in his hand as he munches.

My stomach lurches, reminding me I haven’t eaten since I left Earth.

“Shall we get started?” Clayton’s eyes coast over the room as we all crowd around the make-shift conference table, in a space designed to accommodate no more than one, maximum two persons.

“Where do we stand with the lab?” Clayton asks.

“It’s–”

“We–”

Gigolo tries to talk over me, and I glare at him, silently waiting until he concedes.

Clayton sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face before he points to me. “Matty, go.”

“There’s a breach in the hull. Left side of the Columbus module.

Appears to be inside a wall cavity, likely caused by the…

” I flail my hand a little, my tongue counting each tooth as I search for the right word.

“... Schwei?brenner . Chelenko was using it for maintenance right before the meteor storm.”

Luca nods. “I saw him welding in the far corner.”

“And…”

Everyone pauses. Matherson looks up from her datapad .

“A micro meteor from the storm tore clean through the top of the lab.”

Reiter rolls his eyes. He is my closest friend, but we have conflicting opinions on a number of topics – the protective capabilities of a Whipple shield, or rather the destructive capabilities of micro meteors, is up there.

Right alongside the possibility of time dilation, and his fascination with Xeno paleobiology, or ‘lizardmen’ that he is convinced exist.

“Alex saw a meteor inside the station,” I add.

“She could be mistaken.” Hadfield offers, “Alex will not be in the best state of mind considering her current predicament.”

“She saw it. I believe her.” I say.

“Any good news?” Clayton urges, with a hopeful look.

“I calculate they have,” I look down at the Breitling, nestled on my wrist. “Four hours of air.”

“I’ll start a countdown.” Matherson chimes in as she hunches over her datapad, 4:00:00 blinks in big foreboding font on the large screen over the table, immediately beginning the countdown.

Each moment dropping away, second by second, the numbers flicking, time depleting, and making my throat tighten at the thought of Alex alone.

I tug at the collar of my t-shirt, easing the zip down on my flight suit in an attempt to give myself some breathing space, and stave off the fear threatening to climb back up from the depths of Hell it was cast.

“Ok, people. Let’s huddle.” Clayton prompts the silent crowd.

“Environmental controls won’t let us open the hatch now it’s sealed shut. Not unless it detects the same pressure on both sides.” Yuri strokes his chin, thinking aloud.

“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 fucking planète doesn’t just disappear.” Pesquet frowns.

“It didn’t.” Aiko's delicate voice chimes in, “Earth isn’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–”

“Not. Sure?” My brows raise.

“Uhm, I managed to narrow it down to the Andromeda Cluster, but beyond that, I’m not—” Aiko replies.

“Andromeda Cluster?”

“Yes–” She confirm s

“That is 2.5 million years from Earth,” I state.

“Well, we–

The rising voices drown out Aiko's hushed tone, she winces from the shouting, her eyes darting to Anderson with a look of desperation. I bang my fist on the metal bar, startling everyone. Resetting the room. Aiko jumps, clutching to Anderson, as he gives her arm a soothing rub.

“How?” Yuri demands.

“We don’t know,” Anderson answers.

“The radiation spike,” Matherson states. “It could be related.”

The meeting descends into a cacophony of voices, each clambering over the next to be heard. Not for the first time has a group turned to anger in the face of fear.

The Andromeda Cluster… I should be concerned, or excited to see what none have before. All I can think is how relieved I am that I am here with Alex. I just need to get her out of that room .

Clayton stretches out, leaning over Matherson's crouched form. “Give me the rundown on the station.” His deep voice demands the room's attention.

Silence.

“Don’t all rush at once.” Clayton chuckles humourlessly.

“Nav and guidance controls aren’t working,” Matherson states.

“We lost a lot of O2,” Yuri adds.

“Liquid fuel or atmosphere?” Clayton asks.

“Both. I can’t know for sure with the breach in Columbus.”

“Oh, Cupola is blocked off. No hull breach that I can see, but a lot of internal debris is blocking the corridor.” Pesquet says.

“Anything else?”

“The Soyuz,” Luca says.

“I think that’s the least of our worries right now.” I scoff.

“It’s gone.”

“What?” Several voices murmur around the room.

“How ever we got here. It didn’t come with us.” Luca explains.

Clayton rubs his beard. “Anyone got anything to add?” He looks around at the crew.

No one speaks up, and more than a few of them look visibly shellshocked.

“Pesquet. You and Hadfield had some thoughts about Columbus?” Clayton redirects.

Pesquet gives a nod, glancing at Reiter and then back out to address the room. “We still have basic control of the ventilation. We could filter some nitrous oxide into the room. They would both slowly… fall asleep.”

“And then what?” Luca asks.

“A medicated coma would buy us some time.” Hadfield offers .

Pesquet's cheeks flush, as she gulps. “ Oiu , and it would at least be painless.”

“ Nein. Auf keinen Fall! ” I stretch out, thrusting some sealed packets of noodles backwards and further into the pantry racking as I slam my palms against the handhold bar I’m using to steady myself.

“What would that mean exactly?” Gigolo ignores me, chirping up.

“She wants to kill them. Kill Alex . Absolutely not.” I start to pace, kicking off to float towards the drinks dispenser before pushing off the stainless-steel counter and gliding back to the rows of dried food packets again.

“No. I am as invested in our colleague’s survival as everyone else. This is about being prepared for every eventuality. A plan ‘Z’.” Hadfield’s clinical side emerges.

Luca looks horrified, and for the first time, I’m glad he’s here. At least one other person is as invested in Alex’s survival as I. ‘Glad’ might be too strong a word.

“Let's bench that thought for now,” Clayton says diplomatically. The mind boggles at how he can act so non-partisan. It makes me want to wretch.

“Are we done here, or is there more?” I turn to give a pointed look at Anderson.

He shakes his head. “That’s all we know at present.”

I nod, push off the wall, and turn to leave.

“Müller?” Reiter calls after me .

I pause at the entryway. “You can mull over how we’re getting home, I’m going to get Alex out of that room, one way or another.”

“Matty.” Clayton makes me pause. “Without any better ideas, we are taking a spacewalk. Yuri gets suited. At worst we at least need eyes on the damage, at best we get that breach sealed.”

The clock continues its countdown. We lost forty-five minutes to this meeting.

The others are slow to jump into action. I kick off the wall with a little more force than needed, venting my frustration on the metal racking, pushing myself down the corridor heading towards Columbus.

The first thing my eyes seek out is… “Alex.”

Her beautiful brown eyes look up at me, fluttering open as if battling off sleep.