Isolation

Chapter 30

"It's too late," he said. "I don't want you to see me when... Just go."

"Tim, I don't--"

"I said go, dammit!"

She closed her mouth. He turned away.

"Let me pass on in peace. I don't want you to see this."

"Don't do this. I have to do something."

"Do us both a favor and survive, Sara. You have to survive. The fate of the crew depends on it. You need to lead them to safety."

"I'm not a leader."

"Leaders are not born, Sara. They arise when they are needed. Your heart and your mind are right where they need to be. Take a stand."

He checked his levels again.

"Two minutes. Honor be with your survival. Please. Let me die with a clear concience."

Sara knew she was wasting time. She didn't want to run away. Damn it, she hated running away! Her lips trembled, and her eyes got blurry.

"When I get on the ship," she said. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

He sniffled. A sob caught his throat.

"Thank you for everything, Sara."

He turned around, cheeks wet with tears.

"You gave me hope."

She swallowed and nodded.

"Go."

She turned and left. She felt sick. She was so tired of losing people she cared about. She hated war. She despised it.

She didn't hear Tim anymore. He turned off his comm. He didn't want her to hear him choking on his own air.

She moved forward a few hundred feet and stopped.

"What the..."

Sara stared at what should have been a blank space. It definitely wasn't blank.

It was the school's courtyard, fully intact. It wasn't free-floating in space like everything else. Leaves were lying on the ground.  She could see the front of the academy, doors opened wide. Nothing was floating around. It had gravity.

She moved backward with her jetpack. It was like looking at the other side of a one-way mirror. From an angle, the courtyard looked like a hidden room frame. From the other... empty space. She hovered in front of the floating courtyard. She was scared but curious. She reached out to touch it. Her hand went through. It felt like she was reaching through the barrier between air and water. It was the most bizarre sight she had ever seen.

What if I just...

Her jetpack thrusted her forward. She landed on the floor. Space was just behind her, divided by a wavy invisible barrier. She reached for her helmet and stopped. What if there's no air? Just a hallucination?

She was willing to take that risk. She took off the helmet. It hissed. She took a deep breath. She laughed. It was clean air.

Then she frowned.

"Shit! Tim!"

She threw on her helmet and jumped through. She activated her jetpack. Maneuvering at a high velocity was difficult, but she was doing it somehow. She saw Tim floating free, hands wrapped around his throat. Time was up. She grabbed his suit and whipped around.

"Hang on, Tim!"

She couldn't hear him, only saw his face changing colors. She weaved around the debris. She didn't have much control dragging Tim and hit against a large piece of rock. Her jetpack went out of control, spinning them. Alert sounds went off in her helmet. She was losing Oxygen, and fast. She started choking again.