Page 41 of A Long Way Home

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Where’s Matze?” Reiter doesn’t answer me.

“I haven’t seen him for over an hour, although time is hard to gauge inside this metal coffin.” I laugh awkwardly. “What even is the time? All the consoles are locked out in here.”

I continue, desperate to fill the silence.

“Security protocols.” I force a laugh. “What the bloody hell do they think they need to protect from inside a room with no atmosphere is beyond me.”

“Are you finished?”

I fidget in my suit. My lower leg throbs beneath its duct tape bondage.

Reiter snorts. “Matthias is busy.”

“Busy?”

“He’s suiting up.”

“Woman, focus on the task.” Reiter barks through the glass.

I roll my eyes.Sir, yes, sir.

I lay out my soldering iron on the table, along with the rest of my supplies.

The air is starting to thin in here, each breath harder than the last. I don't know the full plan, but either way I think that five hours were an overlyambitious estimation.

At least getting to work, having a plan, it is invigorating. It spurs me on.

A few finishing touches and I’ll be....

“Done,” I call out.

Un-bloody-believable.I'm surrounded by millions of pounds worth of equipment, and in the end, duct tape and solder is going to save my life.

“Fertig?” Reiter looks up from the datapad. “Show me,” he demands.

I groan, lugging my suit-clad self over to the door. My O² levels have dropped so low that every movement, however small, is a fight to make my limbs enact.

He inspects my handiwork before relenting. “Any water in there you can use to test the seal?”

My eyes cast over the refrigerated units along the back. The metal cabinets above are open, with the contents now strewn about. Half-broken beakers and measuring cylinders bob about in the weightlessness of space. Long gone are the fluids they might have contained.

I sigh, defeated.

Reiter gives the suit another once-over. “Ja. It’ll do.”

Just the confidence boost I needed.

“What now?” I ask.

He frowns at me, his oval spectacles sliding down his nose as it wrinkles. “Put the helmet on.Naturlich.”

He rolls his eyes as if I’m dense and not his intellectual equal.

Hell, he’s never even once spoken to me with anything but disdain, not sure why the threat of death hanging over our heads would change anything.

“But Chelenko…” I trail off as I look over at our fallen comrade.

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