Page 31 of Tethered

A beat passes. Then, “Permission, Captain Tanisira?”

“Yes.”

The officer titters. “It would be expedient to give us carte blanche.”

“I understand, officer,” Tanisira says. “But I can’t do that. I’m happy to approve the relevant requests as they come up.”

My eyebrows rise all the way up my forehead. But before Tanisira can get into a dick measuring contest, another officer I didn’t know was in the room calls out.

“Barker, look.”

A sharp inhale. Then, “We said, bring everyone to the bridge. Who is that?”

It suddenly feels like all my oxygen has been rerouted through my ears. Me. They’re talking about me. And of course they are, the airlock is hardly a great hiding place.

“Everyone onboard. That’s our engineer, and she’s on a spacewalkoutsidethe ship fixing urgent damages.”

If I weren’t vibrating with nerves, I’d laugh. Officer Barker makes a series of noises that can only be him trying to be diplomatic.

“Call her in now,please,” he grits out.

“Like I just said, she’s fixing urgent damages.”

“Call her in immediately.”

Tanisira sighs like this is the biggest inconvenience she’s ever had to suffer. “Kit, please tell Mabel to report to the bridge.”

“No,” Barker says. “Tell her to return and stay where she is. We’ll meet her at the airlock.”

Tanisira doesn’t argue. I listen carefully as they wend their way through theMidaswith who I can only assume is Officer Barker stomping along like a bull. I shake out my arms, fingers numb with anxiety and roll my head on my neck. If I weren’t anchored in zero gravity, I think that little move would have snapped it.

Kit speaks directly into my ear. “As discussed, the depressurisation of the main airlock is now complete. Please do not attempt to remove any part of your EVA suit until informed otherwise.”

“Thanks, Kit.” It feels weird to talk to her like she’s a person, but the rest of the crew does, so I’ll happily follow suit. Even referring to her as a ‘she’ is something I find strange. Yes, she learns from the constant stream of data, but it’s so interesting that everyone speaks to her like she’s sentient. The AI that we utilise at TGE isn’t this conscious, and certainly no one treats them so familiarly. Then again, it’s Dominik’s ship.

I approach the airlock’s inner hatch, take up my stance in front of it and glance up at the obscure camera.

“Approaching in ten...”

Kit counts down while I start banging on the hatch with everything I’ve got. Thank Gaia these gloves are made to withstand some serious shit because each pummel sends a jolt through me that would break my bones on a normal day.

“Mabel?” Tanisira calls over the banging. Per our plan, I know that the screen outside the airlock is playing the live feed.

“Captain Sekmith!” I cry, panicked and a little relieved.

“What happened?”

“The airlock won’t repressurise. I can’t get out,” I yell. I step back from the door, turn my face towards the camera, and channel all the fear I’ve ever felt in my life. Most of it was centred around Vee’s safety.

Tanisira swears loudly and gracelessly, and in Tellurian for the benefit of the officers.

“Kit, status report.”

“It appears that the damage we sustained in the micrometeoroid swarm has had adverse effects that we were not aware of. Upon trying to repressurise the airlock, I encountered failure messages from the system. This will require fixing before Mabel can enter the ship proper.”

“Oh, my God,” I groan. “Get me out of here.Please.”

“I will,” Tanisira says firmly. Something in her tone makes me think she’s talking to me, Marlowe, not ‘Mabel’. I sag against the bulkhead, and I don’t even have to pretend to do it.