If I'm ever going to figure out why I'm here, that rope is probably the best chance I have.
If I can just talk to whoever is on the other end, even if they're an enemy, I can still learn something about this place.
I undo the latch and yank the door open, only to get hit by a chill I'm pretty sure I wasn't made to withstand. Just being exposed to the air made my coolant fluids turn to slush almost instantly, slowing my movements a bit.
With all the strength I have left, I slam the door back closed.
Okay, THAT was a bad idea...
There has to be a way I can go out there without freezing to the point of complete malfunction.
I rummage through the many boxes and drawers in the vessel, finding many interesting supplies but nothing that'll help my current situation.
That is, until I pull out a fully equipped spacesuit that looks just my size. Perfect.
I struggle to pull on the suit, as it seems to be the kind made of highly pressurized elastic, but once I get it on, it's surprisingly easy to move around in.
Okay, let's give this another go...
This time, I take my time opening the door. I still get hit by the same freezing air, but it's a bit more bearable. My coolant fluids run through me uncomfortably cold, but I can move.
The ground outside is solid, but slick, like it's made of ice. I step carefully towards the rope and reach out to grasp it.
Someone calls to me from the top of the crater. That same voice from the speaker...but it's too far away for me to make out what they're trying to say.
I look up, and a shadowed, human-shaped figure appears to be on the other end of the rope.
Is it an actual human? Or something else?
"HELLO?" I shout back.
The cold is starting to get to me. I feel my movements slowing down again. Maybe this suit can only regulate my temperature for so long.
I lose my footing and nearly slip on the icy ground, but I manage to clutch the rope. I don't have the mobility to climb it anymore, so I just hold onto it as tightly as I can to keep myself upright.
My lenses begin to blur.
"...you...okay?" The voice gets a little clearer. It sounds...deep. Mature.
[[TO BE CONTINUED]]
YOU ARE READING
I Am XIAO: An Inktober Story
Ficção CientíficaFirst published on Instagram under the username @leilacreatesthings as a response to Jake Parker's "Inktober" art challenge during October 2019-January 2020. PREMISE: In the year 2520, on the space capsule "Blue Dragon", the sole passenger, a NASA...
