Transcendent by Jay Antani

Author:Jay Antani [Antani, Jay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bandwagon Press
Published: 2023-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Once he reached the main deck, he hitched the strap of the duffel to a handhold. The strap gave him an idea: Back by the airlock, he found his EVA pressure suit. He unclipped one of the tethers from the toolbelt and returned down the ladder to the torus. By clipping either end of the tether to the handles of the gallon containers, he fashioned a way to haul them both back up. It was easier thought than done, much harder-going than the duffel, but he managed, hoisting the tethered gallons on one shoulder, and pulling himself back up the ladder. In zero g again, he looped the tether to a handhold so that the gallons now floated in a way that reminded of him of an old cartoon he’d seen of hippos doing a ballet. Down he went again, back to the torus, back to his berth, unsure how he was going to bring the child up. The question answered itself.

The child, woozy and agitated, was sitting up in the bunk. He kneeled and touched her shoulder. She seemed only semi- conscious and reminded him of a patient having a miserable reaction to anesthesia.

“Hey, there, kiddo. How you doing?”

The child didn’t seem to hear him. She kept her eyes closed, whimpered and moaned, and he thought she might throw up again. He rubbed her back and ripped a plastic storage pouch attached to the wall by Velcro and held it under her chin. On cue, she hurled again. All bluish and clear. Must’ve ingested more of the immersion fluid than he thought. The semi-dark of the backup lights leaking in from the passageway made it too dim in here to examine her. Didn’t matter anyway. He had to move her up to the main deck and into the lander.

Slowly, the child opened her eyes and raised them. Her eyes blinked, tried to focus, as she stared. Troy forced a smile. “Hey, there. I know you’re probably confused right now, but you’re okay. Trust me. My name is Troy. I’m a doctor here on the ship. I know your mom.”

“Mom. Where is she?” Her voice was too small for the universe.

“Everything’s okay, but right now, I need you to come with me. We’re going to get off this ship now.”

“Are we there?”

“Not exactly, there’s been a slight detour. But you’re safe, okay? I got everything we need up on deck waiting for us. Food, water, got your meds right here. We’re going to suit up and fly on outta here. You ready?” It was all he could do to put on a game face.

“Mom.”

There was a pause, a pause that lasted too long as he scrambled to come up with a response, and he could see in her hurt and lost eyes the dawning sense that something was wrong. Speak! “Your mom is fine,” came his words. “We’ll be seeing her real soon.” You idiot, he thought. Coward. “Can you walk?”

He took her hand, and she stood unsteadily. He reached out and took her other hand as she took her first clumsy steps.

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