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Quincunx
"Sarge?"
"Go ahead, Rails."
"You USAF guys have any swift tricks to cure sudden-onset agoraphobia?"
"Just breathe and adapt, being out there hits almost everybody the same way."
"Almost?"
"The rest are psychopaths, they don't get past psych evaluation."
"It is amazing!" Aggie was enthralled.
"I knew it Brooks, you're a fucking serial killer!"
"Calm down." Pettigrew was a little worried.
Lori apologized. "Sorry, I use humor & profanity to disguise panic."
"Keep breathing."
"I am! I feel like somebody's writing my life & I want to roast the mother fucker on a slow spit on an open fire for, like, *weeks*."
"C'mon, Babe, we have a job to do." Aggie wanted Lori settled as well.
"Yeah, well, my brain is spinning like the funky time we had with the zucchini, so back off a sec until I get my head, okay?"
Aggie laughed. Pettigrew was dying to know about the zucchini.
Ever true to form, Manny looked down at the front of his trousers.
Lori closed her eyes a moment, took three quick breaths and exhaled.
"Ok, I'm okay." She looked at the journey ahead of them.
Aggie was already fixed on the far bulkhead light. "We're green, Sarge."
"Understood."
Aggie turned her head inside her helmet. "Ready?"
Lori was finally game. "Hey, we're in the neigbourhood, right?"
"We'll go in alphabetical order." Aggie figured the old joke would calm Lori for good.
"Yeah, A-B, I know the drill."
"Tethering to the rail, Sarge."
"Copy."
"Done. We're moving."
"Focus on the strut."
"Eyes on already."
Lori had moved. "I'm beyond her now, tethering on."
"Acknowledged."
"What?"
"Copy."
"Don't fucking change up on me, Sarge, no new words, I need stability in my life."
"Understood."
Aggie broke in. "Moving around Lori, let you know when I'm tethered."
"Copy."
Eight more exchanges got them to the strut.
"Made it, we're at the strut." Lori sounded relieved.
"Who's untethered?"
"Me, Lori."
"Tether to the side rail of the strut ladder."
"On it." Then "Done!"
"Copy. Aggie, this is leapfrog up the ladder, there is still rotation, so still downforce, take special care one of you is always tethered to the ladder. You could spin away otherwise."
"Cheer me up, why doncha?" Pettigrew smiled at Lori battling her fear.
"We're moving, Sarge." Pettigrew admired how they seamlessly exchanged roles all the time.
It took five minutes to reach the top of the ladder.
"Made it." Lori, relieved.
"Wrench time for that bulkhead lock." Aggie sounded slightly nervous.
"On it." Another role exchange, Lori the stronger of the moment.
"Understood."
"Damned thing doesn't want to budge."
Agnes' turn. "Switch with me."
Pettigrew couldn't see it, but she could imagine every move.
It took a few moments before Aggie said "Got it!"
"Understood. Nice work."
"Yeah, now we get to sneak around Little Gvotia."
"And pee. We're going in."
"Good luck, see you soon."
"We'll need it, thanks, Sarge."
Aggie & Rails entered the air lock, grateful to be enclosed. Aggie heard Rails' voice, a little puzzled.
"Do you feel something shaking under your feet?"
"Shit! Yeah, go hit the compression button!"
Lori made it there as fast as she could. She hit the button hard as if that made a difference.
Their heads began to fill with loud, percussive sounds as the air molecules filled the airlock.
The warning lights finally went green, and they helped each other get their helmets off. They shut down the gases as they solved the puzzle.
On the other side of the inner airlock door in Little Gvotia was what sounded and felt like a full-fledged war zone.
"Go ahead, Rails."
"You USAF guys have any swift tricks to cure sudden-onset agoraphobia?"
"Just breathe and adapt, being out there hits almost everybody the same way."
"Almost?"
"The rest are psychopaths, they don't get past psych evaluation."
"It is amazing!" Aggie was enthralled.
"I knew it Brooks, you're a fucking serial killer!"
"Calm down." Pettigrew was a little worried.
Lori apologized. "Sorry, I use humor & profanity to disguise panic."
"Keep breathing."
"I am! I feel like somebody's writing my life & I want to roast the mother fucker on a slow spit on an open fire for, like, *weeks*."
"C'mon, Babe, we have a job to do." Aggie wanted Lori settled as well.
"Yeah, well, my brain is spinning like the funky time we had with the zucchini, so back off a sec until I get my head, okay?"
Aggie laughed. Pettigrew was dying to know about the zucchini.
Ever true to form, Manny looked down at the front of his trousers.
Lori closed her eyes a moment, took three quick breaths and exhaled.
"Ok, I'm okay." She looked at the journey ahead of them.
Aggie was already fixed on the far bulkhead light. "We're green, Sarge."
"Understood."
Aggie turned her head inside her helmet. "Ready?"
Lori was finally game. "Hey, we're in the neigbourhood, right?"
"We'll go in alphabetical order." Aggie figured the old joke would calm Lori for good.
"Yeah, A-B, I know the drill."
"Tethering to the rail, Sarge."
"Copy."
"Done. We're moving."
"Focus on the strut."
"Eyes on already."
Lori had moved. "I'm beyond her now, tethering on."
"Acknowledged."
"What?"
"Copy."
"Don't fucking change up on me, Sarge, no new words, I need stability in my life."
"Understood."
Aggie broke in. "Moving around Lori, let you know when I'm tethered."
"Copy."
Eight more exchanges got them to the strut.
"Made it, we're at the strut." Lori sounded relieved.
"Who's untethered?"
"Me, Lori."
"Tether to the side rail of the strut ladder."
"On it." Then "Done!"
"Copy. Aggie, this is leapfrog up the ladder, there is still rotation, so still downforce, take special care one of you is always tethered to the ladder. You could spin away otherwise."
"Cheer me up, why doncha?" Pettigrew smiled at Lori battling her fear.
"We're moving, Sarge." Pettigrew admired how they seamlessly exchanged roles all the time.
It took five minutes to reach the top of the ladder.
"Made it." Lori, relieved.
"Wrench time for that bulkhead lock." Aggie sounded slightly nervous.
"On it." Another role exchange, Lori the stronger of the moment.
"Understood."
"Damned thing doesn't want to budge."
Agnes' turn. "Switch with me."
Pettigrew couldn't see it, but she could imagine every move.
It took a few moments before Aggie said "Got it!"
"Understood. Nice work."
"Yeah, now we get to sneak around Little Gvotia."
"And pee. We're going in."
"Good luck, see you soon."
"We'll need it, thanks, Sarge."
Aggie & Rails entered the air lock, grateful to be enclosed. Aggie heard Rails' voice, a little puzzled.
"Do you feel something shaking under your feet?"
"Shit! Yeah, go hit the compression button!"
Lori made it there as fast as she could. She hit the button hard as if that made a difference.
Their heads began to fill with loud, percussive sounds as the air molecules filled the airlock.
The warning lights finally went green, and they helped each other get their helmets off. They shut down the gases as they solved the puzzle.
On the other side of the inner airlock door in Little Gvotia was what sounded and felt like a full-fledged war zone.