Chapter 53 - Remains

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Still struggling with the powerful retching sensation, Aron activated his radio, "I've found...I've found her...Margaux...she's here...she's..."

"Say again!" came Ekono's urgent reply. "You are breaking up, Aron."

Unable to speak further, Aron turned away from the gruesome sight and felt his stomach muscles tighten painfully. Somehow, he clenched his teeth and avoided the potential deadly expulsion of his stomach contents. Vomit in an E.V.A. suit would not only obscure his visor and smell foul, but it could easily block air circulation tubes in his suit.

Ekono arrived, his suit lights dazzling for a moment. As soon as he saw Aron's face, he shouted "Get ready to hurl!" via the radio. That did not help his efforts to resist but before Aron had time to react, Ekono had pulled the release lever on Aron's visor and the depressurisation alarm sounded in his helmet. Ekono forcibly turned Aron to face into the blackness.

A momentarily frightening rushing sensation around his cheeks followed and the alarm sound weakened. The suffocating sensation of being unable to draw breath broke his concentration on controlling his nausea and it finally got the better of him.

The condensation jet leaving his suit had barely faded before it was joined by a stream of half-digested slime projecting into the darkness. Air was sucked from his nose and mouth until there was none remaining. Aron could no longer think. His stomach retched three more times, hurting more each time.

"Are you finished?" asked Ekono, his voice faint through the speaker in his helmet.

Aron gasped but could not find air to speak.

Ekono slammed the visor back down and swung the lock lever back into place. The suit immediately set about repressurising itself and quickly rebalanced the gas mix to something more breathable. Along with the relief of being able to breathe again, Aron was hit by a wave of dizziness. He did not realise he was falling over until Ekono caught his shoulders and lowered him into a kneeling position on the deck.

"Take your time," Ekono suggested. "Obi, fetch one of the largest size sample bags from the buggy, now."

"Yes, sir," Obi replied, setting off at a run.

"Aron, I think it would be a good idea if you got a closer look at the vessel in here; see what we can learn from it. Maybe the two we rescued could share their experience with you?"

Aron was still feeling somewhat dizzy and just nodded, forgetting that Ekono probably could not see his face. Obi arrived with the sample bag, holding it open via the large tab on either side.

Quite unlike his usual, calm self, Ekono hurriedly scooped Margaux's entrails off the table into the clear plastic bag. As soon as that was complete, he signalled to Obi to help him lift her body down. Aron could tell from how easily they lifted her body that it was much lighter than normal.

They quickly carried her body and the sample bag to the buggy, and loaded everything into the carrier on the back. Ekono hurried back to gather up her life-support pack and helmet while Obi shooed the two from the buggy's passenger seat then climbed into their place.

"Hang on, are you leaving us here?" asked Aron, struggling to stand back up.

"Just for a short while," Ekono replied as he threw the helmet and pack into the back of the buggy. "Stay here and see what you can find out about the robots from their ship."

"Where are you going?"

"Obi and I will deal with Margaux. We will return as soon as we can."

"What if more robots come back to their ship?"

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