they’ve gone and blown themselves up.”
The very thought was almost too much.
They would never abandon us like this , Cready thought desperately, his hand curling into a tight ball. We’re too important . If something was wrong, surely they would have sent some kind of message. Surely .
Chavez stepped into the airlock and sealed the pressure door behind him. Cready could see his helmet distorted through the concave glass of the portal window. His face looked twisted and demonic. Behind him, a hellscape of blowing sand and barren waste.
Cready undid the button on his collar. It felt like the temperature was rising out of control. Hot as a sauna, he thought, fighting an oncoming bout of nausea. The HAB rocked again and he braced himself. A second later he stood and was about to cross the room…
The computer’s voice made him jump.
He’s going to kill you .
Cready turned around slowly, watching the tiny room pulling away from him. He could hear his own breathing echoing in his ears. “W-What did you say?” He felt as though he were speaking into a vacuum.
He wants to be captain.
“What are you talking about?”
You know.
“Chavez?”
He’s left you no other choice.
“Stop it!”
He’s so very jealous of everything you’ve accomplished. It’s eating away at him, like a poison.
“Stop it I said!”
Kill him!
Cready grabbed the chair by the seat and raised it over his head. “I’m warning you!” Spittle flew from his lip.
Put the chair down, Captain Cready.
Cready hesitated.
Please.
The chair sagged.
Yes. That’s it. Lay it down. Can’t we talk like two rational beings?
“Being! There’s nothing ‘being’ about you. Bunch of zeros and ones, wires and circuits.”
If you let Chavez report it, he’ll be the hero. They’ll demote you. Send you to the mines on Sentari 4. Mark my words.
“Report what?”
The computer was silent.
“Report what!” Cready demanded.
Cready turned to the sound of the air lock doors sealing shut. Behind him, Chavez was struggling to pull off his helmet. “You got a report?”
“Huh? No, no report…” Cready’s hand was shaking.
Chavez looked puzzled. “Mooring integrity’s steady at 100 percent. Weird. Must have been a false alarm.”
Chavez was coming this way.
Cready looked down and saw two words on the console’s display: KILL HIM.
He covered them with his hands, a guilty feeling creeping over him.
Suddenly the console was awash in flashing red lights. The shrill sound of the warning signal made Cready’s heart skip.
Lieutenant Cready, trajectory deviation. Security alert. Trajectory deviation.
“What’s happening?” Chavez demanded.
Cready’s brow was slick with sweat. Chavez was draped over him, stealing greedily at his every breath. The room was closing in around him.
“Cready!”
“I’m checking,” Cready shouted. He was studying the read out. He paused and his mouth flapped open. “That’s not possible.”
“What is it?” Chavez demanded.
“That meteoroid, it just took an eighty-seven-degree turn and increased speed by 3000 percent.”
Chavez’s face blanched. “Where’s it headed?”
But Cready knew even before the answer came up on the display. Chavez was the one to say the words.
“Earth. Oh God, this is it. Open a comm. link, Cready, I’m gonna send it in.”
Cready’s hands were shaking. “N-no. I’ll do it.”
“We don’t have time, look at the weather outside! You’re the only one who can keep the comm. link open.”
Chavez looked at the display and saw that the object was passing the speed of light now. His jaw slackened. Cready looked on, his body numb from the neck down.
“Cready!”
Cready didn’t move.
“If you don’t step aside I’ll report you instead. The full details of how you neglected your duty. I’ll have you stripped of your commission and working the mines of Sentari 4 before you know what hit you, I swear to God!”
An expression of recognition flashed across
The very thought was almost too much.
They would never abandon us like this , Cready thought desperately, his hand curling into a tight ball. We’re too important . If something was wrong, surely they would have sent some kind of message. Surely .
Chavez stepped into the airlock and sealed the pressure door behind him. Cready could see his helmet distorted through the concave glass of the portal window. His face looked twisted and demonic. Behind him, a hellscape of blowing sand and barren waste.
Cready undid the button on his collar. It felt like the temperature was rising out of control. Hot as a sauna, he thought, fighting an oncoming bout of nausea. The HAB rocked again and he braced himself. A second later he stood and was about to cross the room…
The computer’s voice made him jump.
He’s going to kill you .
Cready turned around slowly, watching the tiny room pulling away from him. He could hear his own breathing echoing in his ears. “W-What did you say?” He felt as though he were speaking into a vacuum.
He wants to be captain.
“What are you talking about?”
You know.
“Chavez?”
He’s left you no other choice.
“Stop it!”
He’s so very jealous of everything you’ve accomplished. It’s eating away at him, like a poison.
“Stop it I said!”
Kill him!
Cready grabbed the chair by the seat and raised it over his head. “I’m warning you!” Spittle flew from his lip.
Put the chair down, Captain Cready.
Cready hesitated.
Please.
The chair sagged.
Yes. That’s it. Lay it down. Can’t we talk like two rational beings?
“Being! There’s nothing ‘being’ about you. Bunch of zeros and ones, wires and circuits.”
If you let Chavez report it, he’ll be the hero. They’ll demote you. Send you to the mines on Sentari 4. Mark my words.
“Report what?”
The computer was silent.
“Report what!” Cready demanded.
Cready turned to the sound of the air lock doors sealing shut. Behind him, Chavez was struggling to pull off his helmet. “You got a report?”
“Huh? No, no report…” Cready’s hand was shaking.
Chavez looked puzzled. “Mooring integrity’s steady at 100 percent. Weird. Must have been a false alarm.”
Chavez was coming this way.
Cready looked down and saw two words on the console’s display: KILL HIM.
He covered them with his hands, a guilty feeling creeping over him.
Suddenly the console was awash in flashing red lights. The shrill sound of the warning signal made Cready’s heart skip.
Lieutenant Cready, trajectory deviation. Security alert. Trajectory deviation.
“What’s happening?” Chavez demanded.
Cready’s brow was slick with sweat. Chavez was draped over him, stealing greedily at his every breath. The room was closing in around him.
“Cready!”
“I’m checking,” Cready shouted. He was studying the read out. He paused and his mouth flapped open. “That’s not possible.”
“What is it?” Chavez demanded.
“That meteoroid, it just took an eighty-seven-degree turn and increased speed by 3000 percent.”
Chavez’s face blanched. “Where’s it headed?”
But Cready knew even before the answer came up on the display. Chavez was the one to say the words.
“Earth. Oh God, this is it. Open a comm. link, Cready, I’m gonna send it in.”
Cready’s hands were shaking. “N-no. I’ll do it.”
“We don’t have time, look at the weather outside! You’re the only one who can keep the comm. link open.”
Chavez looked at the display and saw that the object was passing the speed of light now. His jaw slackened. Cready looked on, his body numb from the neck down.
“Cready!”
Cready didn’t move.
“If you don’t step aside I’ll report you instead. The full details of how you neglected your duty. I’ll have you stripped of your commission and working the mines of Sentari 4 before you know what hit you, I swear to God!”
An expression of recognition flashed across
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