Last Call

One Small Step

Matthew tried to force his heart back down to its anatomically correct position instead of where it felt like it sat in the back of his throat. The initial step into space was the most crucial; if Galen could successfully blanket him, then there was a good chance the flyer wouldn’t be targeted. Blood pounded in his ears, accompanied by the sound of his own breathing in the helmet. He took a deep breath, as deep as the controlled release of oxygen in his EVA suit would allow, and closed his eyes. Releasing it, he made his pulse slow to something near normal and opened his eyes. A gloved hand moved to the final hatch release and pressed.

Gravity was significantly reduced but still great enough to give Gideon a small amount of control without having to use his magnetic boots until he got to the edge, and he pushed himself down the narrow tube to the open port and space beyond. Even though his brain knew he wouldn’t fall from the edge unless he propelled himself in that direction, he still paused at the end of the ramp, to first look out into the stars and then down across the back of the Toledo. Galen’s flyer had reattached itself at a forty-five degree angle to the freighter’s hull, right above the command section. The hatch he needed to be at was clearly visible and silently he thanked the Technomage for deciding to reposition the flyer. The angular craft cast a shadow over the Toledo’s hatch, furthering Gideon’s protection from being spotted.

Crouching slowly on the edge, he attached his tether to the ramp and reached for the utility belt strapped to his waist. In one of the pouches, he found a reel of thin tensile plastisteel, and carefully Matthew hooked the locking clip to the same ring that held his tether. The line would unravel from the spool on his belt as he descended to the Toledo where he could clip it, creating a lead to follow on the return trips with the crew.

Firing up his propulsion pack, Gideon unlatched his tether and dove from the edge of the flyer’s ramp, drifting towards the Toledo as fast as he could with carefully controlled bursts in an effort to minimize the amount of time Galen had to disguise his presence. Reversing thrust, he slowed down and gently glided into the Toledo, cushioning the blow with his hands as he reached out for the hatch. Another small burst from the pack prevented his rebound and quickly Matthew attached the plastisteel cable to the anchor point.

Luckily Earthforce emergency hatches hadn’t changed much between the dates of the Toledo’s manufacture and the Excalibur’s. Both had systems with designs that forcefully blew out the door with pressurized air and were generally used by those wanting to get out, not in. Gideon had to be careful not to put himself in the line of trajectory when the door blew wide, and silently he hoped Galen was prepared to mask the sudden jettisoning of a piece of the Toledo’s hull.

Matthew hooked himself to the anchor point and reached for the small control panel in the middle of the hatch. He had left the pilot with final instructions to override the system’s safety locks and allow outside access through the hatch, and with gratitude he realized that it had been prepared as he keyed in the code. The panel flashed in a series of quickening lights and Gideon took cover, pulling himself away from the hatch to collapse his body against the hull. Holding on tightly to his shortened tether, he waited for it to blow.

There was a thump and a hiss of air before Matthew felt the force of the hatch rush past him away from the Toledo. He watched it move, never slowing down as the unequal pressure applied made it topple end over end. Mesmerizing to watch, the hatch performed an inanimate ballet as it flowed gracefully through space, light dully shining off the worn exterior while it sparkled from the smooth inside. Gradually Matthew turned away to look above at the underside of Galen’s flyer. He had seen it from that angle before and the memory and its surrounding circumstances sent a shiver up his spine. But it wasn’t the appropriate time to think about that. Gideon had the distinct mental impression that the Technomage was making a demand not to waste time.

Lengthening the amount of tether attached to his belt, Matthew reached for the edge of the hatch and pulled himself to it. Slowly leaning towards the opening he looked down the small chamber to the second hatch that contained the airlock. If the pilot had rigged the emergency hatch for him, it was more than likely she also had all of her crew waiting on the other side.