Page 28 of A Long Way Home

“Not. Sure?” My brows raise.

“Uhm, I managed to narrow it down to the Andromeda Cluster, but beyond that, I’m not—” Aiko replies.

“Andromeda Cluster?”

“Yes–” She confirms

“That is 2.5 million years from Earth,” I state.

“Well, we–

The rising voices drown out Aiko's hushed tone, she winces from the shouting, her eyes darting to Anderson with a look of desperation. I bang my fist on the metal bar, startling everyone. Resetting the room. Aiko jumps, clutching to Anderson, as he gives her arm a soothing rub.

“How?” Yuri demands.

“We don’t know,” Anderson answers.

“The radiation spike,” Matherson states. “It could be related.”

The meeting descends into a cacophony of voices, each clambering over the next to be heard. Not for the first time has a group turned to anger in the face of fear.

The Andromeda Cluster…I should be concerned, or excited to see what none have before. All I can think is how relieved I am that I am here with Alex.I just need to get her out of that room.

Clayton stretches out, leaning over Matherson's crouched form. “Give me the rundown on the station.” His deep voice demands the room's attention.

Silence.

“Don’t all rush at once.” Clayton chuckles humourlessly.

“Nav and guidance controls aren’t working,” Matherson states.

“We lost alot of O²,” Yuri adds.

“Liquid fuel or atmosphere?” Clayton asks.

“Both. I can’t know for sure with the breach in Columbus.”

“Oh, Cupola is blocked off. No hull breach that I can see, but a lot of internal debris is blocking the corridor.” Pesquet says.

“Anything else?”

“The Soyuz,” Luca says.

“I think that’s the least of our worries right now.” I scoff.

“It’s gone.”

“What?” Several voices murmur around the room.

“How ever we got here. It didn’t come with us.” Luca explains.

Clayton rubs his beard. “Anyone got anything to add?” He looks around at the crew.

No one speaks up, and more than a few of them look visibly shellshocked.

“Pesquet. You and Hadfield had some thoughts about Columbus?” Clayton redirects.

Pesquet gives a nod, glancing at Reiter and then back out to address the room. “We still have basic control of the ventilation. We could filter some nitrous oxide into the room. They would both slowly… fall asleep.”

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