Operation S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N.

Chapter 7

My heart races as I slowly approach the door, struggling to keep my breathing quiet. I've been in this hallway countless times, and these doors are never open. I was starting to believe they weren't doors at all, just decorative doorframes to ease the drag of an endless white hallway.

That theory was wrong.

I reach the door and take a hasty look over both shoulders just to be sure no one is looking. I'm alone.

I'm just about to place my hand against the cool white metal and peek inside the dark room when I hear voices coming from inside. I freeze and listen intently.

"Any results?"

The first voice is deep and mechanical, like the person is using a voice distortion device. I raise my eyebrows in interest. Anyone who wants to hide their voice must have something to hide.

"No." The second voice is hushed, almost to the point where I can't hear him, but I do catch the nervous, almost panicked edge to his tone. "I've tried everything, but the cat's tests don't reveal any of the properties we initially thought it contained."

I frown in confusion. Cat? Results? Tests? What's going on?

I lean closer.

The voices start talking again, but so quietly that I can't decipher any words anymore.

Dang it. I go to place my ear against the door and almost fall over as it gives under my touch, creaking as it does so.

My breath catches in my throat in a panic as the mumbling of the voices still, and then footsteps start towards the door.

Immediately I'm up and running flat out down the hallway, trying in a desperate attempt to get around the corner before whoever is on the other side of that door comes out and sees me. I can't breathe, my step sound too loud, and the panic clawing at my chest has nothing to do with just being caught eavesdropping. Something is telling my instincts that getting caught in this situation will cost me my life.

I push myself harder and skid hard around the corner, pulling myself to a stop and pressing myself against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut hard and holding my breath even though my lungs beg me to let them get some air. I can't make any noise.

I strain my ears for any indication that I was followed, and can just decipher the door opening the rest of the way, a couple footsteps, then silence. I stand there for what seems like minutes though in reality, it must just have been a few seconds.

Footsteps start again and I prepare to run for it for a second time before the steps fade in the opposite direction. Against my will, I ever so carefully peek around the corner and just catch the end of a white scientist robe disappearing around the far corner, leaving the hallway just as desolate and empty as all the other times I've been in here, including all the fake or not so fake doors closed without a crack of darkness beyond.

A heavy shuddering breath finally escapes my lips as I practically collapse against the wall in relief, the adrenaline and fear slowly leaving my system and leaving me completely shaken. I don't think I'll be needing that run now. I just want to go back to my dorm, where it's safe.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

My eyes pop open and I sit upright in bed for the second time this night. My bed shakes, lamp rattling on my nightstand. My entire room is trembling.

What is going on?

Then it all suddenly stops, everything going still again.

The lights of the scene beyond my window flicker eerily before going out, seconds later being replaced by slowly flashing red.

"All mechanics report to your stations. Hull breach. Hull breach."

The public intercoms start up and I can hear sirens start their melancholy wailing.

Instantly I'm up and out of bed, throwing on my uniform, grabbing my keycard, and sprinting for the door. Outside, the wailing is even louder, causing my thinking to be disrupted immensely. My fellow mechanics on this floor run by and I join them, staring around for Pete.

"Where at!" I yell at one of the guys, a burly middle-aged man with a beard.

"The lower discs! Asteroid strike or something!" he yells back.

Our boots ring on the floor as we all follow our training, instinctively and efficiently reporting to the main deck and throwing on our space suits as our boss shouts orders. Within three minutes we're filing to the airlocks. I step into one with two guys I don't know personally. Where's Pete?

I hit the red button on the wall and there's a loud hiss as it depressurizes, then one of the other men hits the switch and combination to open the outer doors. There's a couple seconds of silence and then we're floating up off the floor as the locks click and the doors give way with a steady beep. 

I grab my cable and hook it to the wall in its designated spot as my fellows do the same. Everything goes deathly still as we push off into the blackness of outer space. Only the sound of our breathing comes over the intercoms. 

"I'm Tréas," I introduce myself. "I'll take left."

"Jenkins. I'll take right," the taller guy responds.

"Bob," the other one says shortly, heading over to the right a couple feet. In this line, about twenty-five feet apart, we get ready to push off from the hull and float down to where the wreckage is. I look over and spot the other workers in their various formations and stages of descent.

"Go."

I push off, hearing my grunt in my earpiece and slowly dropping down. The void of space frowns at our backs as we fight with time, dropping ever farther down. I crane my neck over to the right and hang out a little farther, trying to see the supernova's bright lights, but we're on the wrong side of the ship.

My foot slips on the hull and I hit my helmet against the metal as I slam front first into it, hearing my surprised groan.

"Pretty boy's unfocused," Bob chuckles darkly and I frown.

Finally I'm able to see the gaping hole in the hull beneath us. Actually, feel more than see. The suction it's creating as it pulls all the oxygen from the rooms within into the void has got us all clinging to our ropes to not be torn away from the ship along with it. This must have happened recently for the air to still be escaping. 

Training kicks in again and I grab the hook cable from my belt and inch towards the ripped and sparking edge of the hole before slowly letting my upper body down while my feet stay in contact with the hull until I'm perpendicular to the metal. I quickly hook the end of the rope to my harness and use both hands to get the hook ready to throw, glancing down the ruined channel left behind by the asteroid.

Lights blink eerily and sirens wail in the distance. I can see rubble and papers, and glass, and... people. Bodies. Lifeless hands over a desk, a foot peeking out from under a fallen wall.

I close my eyes at the terrible sight before taking a deep breath and getting to work, opening my eyes and throwing the rope into the tunnel.

And I'm back guys! We're super close to a part that I have been anticipating for a very very very very very long time lol.

I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll catch ya'll later!!!

Best wishes, 

LiethaS