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Because already, I can seethere

On a planet that looks up at a ht, and at two every day

I want to scream, shout with joy But the air is so thin now

Too thin

I’ve spent too long looking at Orion’s secret

The boopboopboopfades away There’s nothing to warn about now

Because there’s no air left

My sight is rimmed with black My head pulses with my heartbeat, which sounds as loud to me as the alarm once did I turn froainst the tether, toward the hatch The ship bobs in and out of hting to stay awake I try to suck in air, but there’s nothing there to suck I’

Closer

My hands slip, and I’rasp, if I fall all the way back to the end of the tether--I’ll never make it back to the ship I’ll never make it back to Amy

But if I have to die, I think, at least I can die looking at the planet Is this what Harley thought? Did he see Centauri-Earth before he died? Was his last thought one of regret--that he threw hirasp?

I look down at et to put one hand over the other as I pullin the direction of the ship--the lack of gravity ensures that--but I have to keep pullingthe rope or I’ll never en--in ti my body closer to the ship I pull harder than before Desperation fillsMy throat convulses

I’ve got to get to the ship

My , but I don’t know if it’s fro--there The hatch My fingers scra On the other side of the door is Ah lass I heave, once, and ravity I bounce against the ceiling of the inside of the hatch Black spots dance before rinds closedso slowly

I turn in tiht, only visible here, at the rim between the ship and space--

--The hatch door locks into place

And I see nothing but black

40

AMY

AS SOON AS THE HATCH DOOR SHUTS, I REACH FOR THE handle, but it has to re-pressurize before it can open Through theof the hatch, I see Elder’s body thunk against the floor as gravity returns I pound on the door with both fists, but he doesn’t so much as twitch He lies there, motionless, his face obscured by the helmet

An eternity later, the lock clicks and I fling the door open I drop to my knees at Elder’s side and turn his body over so he’s flat on his back His ars are limp; the shell of his suit is clunky and in the way

The helmet first Elder’s head pours out of it and thunks on the metal floor

"Elder," I say "ELDER" I slap hi, but--

I jab my wi-com and com Doc "Get down to the cryo level!" I scream intoat the latches and stays around Elder’s torso, breaking it open to reveal his chest

"What’s wrong?" Doc asks His voice is breathless over the wi-co

"It’s Elder!" I shout

"I’m on the Shipper Level, but I’ll be there as soon as I can"

"Hurry!"

I bend down to Elder’s chest--he’s not breathing My hair falls across his face, into his slightly open mouth, but he doesn’t flinch

I don’t know if this ork--I pray it will, but I don’t know--I tip Elder’s head back--his skin is so cold--pinch his nose, and breathe into his mouth I did this on a dummy once after swim lessons in Florida when I was a kid, but the dummy was plastic and an unrealisticat all like the et of Elder’s mouth I do two short bursts of breaths--Puff! Puff! Then I lean back on my knees, fold my hands over each other, and press down on his chest

Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push

Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push

Push, push Push, push Push, push

Push, push

Puff! Puff!

Push, push

Push, push Push, push Push, push

Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push

Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push Push, push

Nothing

Pushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpushpush

God, why isn’t this working?! Aht? I can barely reo--what if I’ hiain I have to s back a sob I won’t cry