A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

Author:Shaun David Hutchinson [Hutchinson, Shaun David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781534448551
Google: 9vrtDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1534448535
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2021-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTY-FOUR

“NOA?” DJ’S VOICE WAS CAUTIOUS. Tentative and soft. “Can you maybe come out of the airlock?”

I turned around. “It’s not what you think. Trust me.” I reached for the button to shut the airlock door.

“Wait!” DJ rushed forward and hit the touch panel on his side, which opened the door again. “What are you doing?”

“Look,” I said. “I know what this looks like—”

“It looks like you’re trying to end your life!”

“I’m not. I mean, kind of but not technically.” I reached for the panel again. There had to be a way to override DJ’s commands.

DJ jumped into the airlock with me before the door shut.

“This won’t change my mind,” I said.

As I moved to hit the button that would cycle the airlock, DJ shoved his body between me and the touch panel. “You’re not doing this.”

“Get out of the way, DJ.”

“No!”

I tried to push DJ, but he was a brick wall, and I didn’t have the strength to overpower him. “You think I’m planning to end my life, but I’m just resetting the day. It’s going to happen no matter what I do. Popping open the airlock is just quicker than trying to fall asleep.”

“What is wrong with you, Noa?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” I said. “Something is wrong with the universe.” I tried to get past him again, but DJ’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm. “Don’t touch me!”

DJ yanked his arm back. “I’m sorry! But I’m not letting you do this.”

“We’re stuck in a loop, DJ. Don’t you get it? This day repeats over and over.” I waited a second to see if he understood, but he was still staring at me with that look of utter confusion and fear. “How do you think I knew you’d planned a picnic? How do you think I knew to bring dessert and to change into something nicer than what I was wearing? Because every time I fall asleep or get knocked unconscious or die, the day starts over. Every single thing resets right back to where it was. I’m in the galley, Jenny’s at the table, and you’re waiting for me in the garden.”

There was no way I was going to get past him, but I also didn’t think I could convince him I wasn’t delusional. The best I could do was try and hope for the best. So I began at the beginning. I told him about every version of this horrible, unending day. By the time I finished, we’d moved out of the airlock and were sitting in the changing room, though DJ remained between me and the airlock door.

“How many times?” DJ asked.

I shrugged. “Fifty? Maybe a hundred. I lost track. And some days ended quickly, so I’m not sure if they count.”

“And you have no idea why this is happening?”

“None.”

DJ was shaking his head, but I didn’t know why. “What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “Except I don’t think you actually want to stop the loop.”

I was tempted to make another try for the airlock. “Of course I do.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.