Station Breaker

10 Emergency Launch

A flashlight slams into the hatch next to me, spins in the air then catches Peterson as she flies towards me.

Her eyes widen when she spots me. "Dixon!"

She's out of her spacesuit and holding her hand to her side as blood pours from a wound, leaving globules behind her.

"BACK TO THE SHIP!!!" she screams.

I don't hesitate. I don't question.

I flip myself over in the air and pull at the handles, hurtling myself through the airlock, checking back just once to make sure she's following me.

When I reach the main junction, I yank myself into the pylon leading to the docking module like a dolphin diving into the ocean.

As I fly towards the nexus, I steal a look behind me again. Peterson is twenty feet away, still holding her side. In the light of the module I can see her face is pale, real pale. She's lost a lot of blood.

I slide into the Unicorn's hatch and maneuver over the seats to get to the first aid kit.

Peterson reaches the airlock and stops there. She throws a small black square covered in blood at me. "Take it!"

It wobbles towards me and I pluck it from the air without thinking.

"Let me help you!" I go to assist her through the airlock.

She pushes my hand away and shakes her head. "No time!"

She starts to swing the hatch closed.

"Wait! Where's Bennet?"

"Bennet's dead." She slams the metal door before I can stop her.

Through the small window I can see as she looks behind her. She grabs an emergency handle and pulls it.

The interior locking mechanism automatically disengages.

"Wait!" I yell.

She hasn't shut the K1 docking hatch.

Without that…

BOOM!!!

The capsule hull lurches at me, slamming the hatch into my head, making me see stars.

I float there, dazed for a few seconds.

When I come to my senses, I realize that she disengaged the docking collar while the other hatch was open.

The explosion was the sound of the air popping the capsule out like a BB from an air rifle — ejecting the Unicorn and killing her.

Seconds ago she was alive…

No time to overthink. I can only react.

I slide myself into Bennet's chair and try to stabilize the ship.

The controls are now responsive. Did he have them triggered to come back after some kind of event?

"Nashville, this is Unicorn 22, we have an emergency." My voice is calm, just like Bennet trained me.

"Nashville, can you read me?"

Nothing.

The comm is still down.

Something catches my eye from the side porthole.

It's Peterson.

Her arms over her head, red crystals of blood staining her white uniform; she looks as if she's diving into a pool of black.

The Unicorn tumbles away from her while I sit stunned.

Time goes by, Earth flashes past the window dozens of times. I finally stabilize the ship when I come to my senses slightly.

There's a crackle on the short range ship-to-ship radio and a Russian accent commands, "American vessel, return to the K1."

I ignore it.

Christ. Peterson is dead. Bennet too.

There was blood. Lots of blood.

My space suit is still speckled with it.

I realize I'm still clenching the black square and shove it into my thigh pocket then yank the Russian air mask off and slide on my space helmet.

"American vessel, return to the K1."

I'm not in a talkative mood right now. And I'm pretty sure I won't like what they have to say.

"American vessel, return to the K1. Now!"

I shut the radio off.

This situation is so fucked, I don't even know how much. It could have been some bizarre accident or a damn international incident.

I'm so lost in it I don't even notice at first there's a phone ringing from under Bennet's seat.

Something went down. Something serious enough for Peterson to sacrifice her life.

Ring.

And now the Russians are yelling at me to return to the K1.

Ring.

Bennet told me something was going to happen. But this?

Ring.

Peterson's face as she drifted past the window. My god.

Ring.

All my training and nothing prepares me for this.

Ring.

What would Bennet do? Forget the crazy Bennet that may have just got himself killed. What would the guy that taught me everything about being an astronaut do?

Ring.

Be present. Focus.

Ring.

I unstrap and reach into the small tray under the cushion.

It's an iPhone with a satellite antenna case.

The display says "Unknown caller."

I decide to answer it, rather than deal with the angry Russians. "Hello?"

An electronic voice responds, "If you want to survive, do exactly what I say."