Runaway World

Return

     "Get out of there!" Andrew cried desperately. "James! Get out of there!"

     "Working on it," James replied. "Come on Val, up you come."

     The sounds of grunting and gasping came over the intercom, along with the squealing of tortured metal as the rover shuddered in the grip of intolerable forces. "Get your leg up," said James, his voice tight and desperate. "We need to get that door closed."

     "I'm trying... There." Andrew heard the sound of the airtight cockpit door slamming closed and breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a matter of time before the cockpit window exploded outwards, but now the rest of the rover would hold its air for a little bit longer. Until the hull ruptured. He's wearing a surface suit, he reminded himself. He can survive in vacuum. All he has to do is climb back up.

     "What are you doing?" asked Valentina.

     "You go first," James replied. "Send the ascender back for me."

     Andrew's heart leapt with fear. If anything happened to Val at the top and she wasn't able to send the ascender back down, James would be trapped at the bottom. He didn't have the upper body strength to climb a rope without it.

     "No," said Valentina, though. "You go first."

     "No, you go first..."

     "You go first!" said Valentina with a voice that brooked no argument. "Send it back down for me when you get to the top."

     James hesitated, and Andrew's heart swelled with pride for his son. My son, he thought. That's my son down there, putting someone else's safety before his own, and he's only fourteen! Climb, son! Listen to Val! You're so brave and selfless, but I need to have you back!

     "Okay," said James, as if he'd heard his father's heartfelt command. "I'll be as fast as I can."

     The voices stopped, to be replaced by the sound of the tether being pulled through the ascender as James worked the two handed, two footed device, sliding one hand grip fifteen centimetres up the rope while he hung from the other, then sliding the second hand grip up to meet the first. Then he moved the foot grips up in the same way. Andrew stared down at the rear of the rover as if the steel had become transparent and he could see his son through it. Beside him, Philip and Joe stared as well, all feeling helpless. There was nothing they could do until James reattached himself to the first tether, the one whose loose end was lying on the hull beside the airlock door. Until then, all they could do was wait.

     "Okay," said James at last. "Here it comes." The ascender made a slithering sound as it slid back down the tether.

     "Got it," said Valentina. "Here I come."

     "Val," said James, his voice suddenly tense and worried. "I need you to close your eyes."

     "Li?" said Val. The tone of her voice as she uttered that one simple syllable was heartbreaking.

     "You don't need to see," said James. "I know how much you loved him..."

     "What happened to him? Maybe he's still alive..."

     "He's not. I'm sorry, Val, but he's not, but we need to get out of here. I don't know how much time we've got..."

     As if to emphasise his words the crevasse chose that moment to narrow again causing the rover to emit another scream of agony as metal tore and crumpled. Andrew stared frantically as he watched it folding up, the once flat surfaces of gleaming steel turned into elaborate pieces of abstract art.