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Cole lurched forward against his harness, his ribs yelling over the pain in his spine He i pressed back toward hiainst his body to protect theued

The entire crash felt like it took several round to a full stop, only fifteen seconds had transpired since the first irav panels knocked out along with the rest of the life-support systems

The only positive was that they were still alive, for however ht spot in his vision re new: cos?" Cole flipped his visor up and heard air rushing so over the surface of the ship, or if their at into a vacuu it was the former There was sooutthey didn’t haveon?

The only thing he could see in the darkness was the bright spot in his vision, which had turned a dull red His head throbbed, h his entire body as his weight hung on his harness, sore ribs and shoulders pressing into the straps

"Riggs, I’ Gimme a minute"

He reached up and released the buckle on one side of his flight harness while he wrapped an arm in the other side As his body ca hi on, but the pain in his ribs forced hirip He fell in a heap on the top of the canopy and slid down to the low spot of the inverted carboglass bubble

Over the squealing of his flightsuit as it rubbed across the s frolass

Crashed? Do you knohere you are?

Cole pushed his’s side of the cockpit He pulled a glowstick out of his flightsuit and cracked it in half "Cool your thrusters,to help"

We can’t help fro" He lifted his own visor and reached up with one hand to grope for Riggs’s hele, altering Riggs’s voice Cole’s eyes still hurt, his head ringing

Cole? Can you hear me?

"Yeah, I can hear you Hold still so I can work the release" The catch popped free and Riggs’s hellass by his feet

In the dull, green glow of his eency stick, he could see his old friend’s eyes They ith ain and out as he sucked, then expelled air through his nose

The duct tape was still adhered to his s?

Cole reached up and released his own helmet He pulled it off, his lowstick, he could see the mic switched off on the side