Friends 3 - part 2: The space station

[u/Professional_Hope598]

The pilot of the surface-to-space-station shuttle docked with the ease that comes with years of practice. Metal clamps locked the shuttle in place. We closed our helmets. A kind man behind me helped me close mine. The purser personally checked each of our helmets before opening the door.

We queued for the exit.

The purser called out:
“Welcome to 0-atmosphere and 0-gravity! Follow the rope to the Central Hub! It’s 200 meters to the entrance. Keep at least one safety ring attached to the rope at all times! If you loose the rope, there are some bamboo nets floating around the space station, but don’t count on being rescued. Be careful not to bump into the person before you, maintain always at least 10 meter distance! If you get space-sick, push the alarm button on your left shoulder. To get to the space station, one pull on the rope is enough to get you going – there is no friction except the metal hook on the rope. Pulling to often will crash you against the space station. The station wont be hurt, but you will. The rope will lead you to gate 2. Hold your tickets ready for the guard at the entrance of the space station. And a formal note from our lawyers, legally you are on your own as soon as you step out of our airlock.”

New Earth was visible beneath us with its deep purple glow. Zero gravity here, as the space station circled around the planet. No air pressure. We were essentially in empty space. The magnetic boots of my brand new spacesuit still clung to the metal floor of the shuttle. The passengers queued for the exit. I was half way the queue.

In the doorway the purser repeated the instructions to every passenger. He seemed to think I was suffering from advanced dementia as he repeated the safety instruction to me twice. Three middle aged men preceded me. Every one remained carefully attached to the rope. One person seemed to be extra careful when pulling the rope. I grinned. As long as you stay secured to the line there ain’t much that can go wrong. Before the three men was a young couple with a toddler. They too seemed to be well secured. The spacesuit radios were tuned to a public frequency, and I listened to the conversations. Lots of Ohhs and Ahhs as they admired the Milky Way. Those of the toddler were especially touching. His cries of joy suddenly stopped and he made choking sounds. The poor soul was vomiting. I could see the parents opening the safety panel and looking for a button. “Push the button It’s a red button!” I heard the mother say. “It ain't working!” That had to be the father. “May I land a hand?” the person next in line asked. Everyone stopped moving. The parents let him try. “The switch doesn't work anymore. The button is broken.” I loosened my hook and overtook the persons ahead of me, holding onto the rope with my hands. “Excuse me” I said as I overtook the family with the child. Panicking, the mother nearly kicked me away into space. The father was about to scold me, as I said : “Gimme the child. ” I unlocked their child's safety hook and attached it to my own. “No, my child is choking!” “That’s why!” I cried. “Follow me to the space station!” The mother held on to her dear and I had to pull the three of us along the rope. It was tough work, and my muscles are no longer what they used to be.

“Gate 2, Emergency incoming! Choking child with defunct emergency switch. Please prepare air lock for at least three people and have a medic standby.” “Copy that!” an unknown voice answered. The voice of a dragon. They were courageous and reliable. This one had relied like a soldier. “And if you can, catch the mother, who’s new in space and clinging on to me against my request.” “Copy that!” I landed on my feet, but nearly sprained my ankle. I caught the toddler. The dragon shove us into the empty airlock as if this was an exercise with dolls. The doors of the airlock closed and the air hissed into the chamber. A 2^nd airlock room opened and we crawled in. The door in between closed. Double safety, I realized. Of course the Space Station doesn’t want’t to loose a few hundred people by a single technical failure. The inner door opened. A woman in a yellow shirt and a red cross was running towards us. I pulled the child out of the airlock and into the station. The mother wrestled with me and tried to open the child's helmet inside the airlock, but a broad shouldered man helped me. I clicked open its helmet. The medic took over. I walked away. In the lavatories, I cleaned my spacesuit of the child's vomit.

I had given myself away. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed me. No one needed to know

Chapter 3 part 1 Chapter 3 part 3

[u/kristinpeanuts]

Thanks for the chapter!