Page 11 of BuK
All I hear from the receiver is static. I look up at Briar and she frowns just before she starts rubbing her arms. Suddenly, the air feels charged like it just got heavy, and instantly I can see my breath.
“BuK, what’s going on?”
Walking past her, I hit the viewer shades only to be shocked at what I see outside. The world that has been bright all this time is suddenly unnaturally dark. Briar walks up beside me, and before either of us can say a thing, my comm unit starts blaring. Instinctively, I pull Briar close when she jumps.
“SHELTER IN PLACE! Instructions to follow!”
Briar’s eyes are large as she looks up at me, “What the hell, BuK?! We can’t stay here, especially if the temperature keeps dropping. There are only a few basic items in this pod so far; the bots just started bringing things to this location. Hell, I don’t think they’ve even hooked up the heat yet.”
“In that case, maybe we should head out before whatever is happening around us gets worse.” I go to the door only to find it locked. I hit my comm unit, “ANDI! We are stuck inside the half-finished housing pod closest to the Timbers, and the locking mechanism is jammed. Can you help us?”
“SHELTER IN PLACE!” is the only response I get back, and it is not even in ANDI’s voice. Before I can say anything else, the comm clicks back on, and I am glad to hear it is ANDI’s voice until I hear what he has to say…
“All occupants of Ethra, unseen circumstances have occurred in the surrounding atmosphere, blocking most signals in and out of Ethra. From what my sensors can detect, a large mass was ejected from the Nebula, and it is now passing between Etherium and all its moons. Due to its size, it is blocking all the sunlight as it moves through. If my calculations are right and it keeps moving at this speed, it will take four complete rotations before it passes. But that is not the worst of it; few things outside the pods will survive this sudden drop in temperature, which is why the pods went into immediate shutdown as shelter-in-placewas issued. At this time, I cannot revoke that order as the mass is also interfering with my signals. Also, be advised that I will lose complete contact within the rising; please take all available measures to secure your residence. I am seeking help from a nearby sector, but I cannot promise they will arrive in time to assist. May the Lord of Light protect you…”
ANDI’s voice once again statics out. Instantly, my mind starts categorizing what we do have. “Briar, I need you to go through all the crates in the back area and bring everything up here that you think we might need. If the temperatures keep dropping, I am going to have to find a way to seal up one of these rooms.” Looking around, “I believe this one connected to the refresher is the best choice.”
Glancing outside, the ground already seems to have a light frost settling on it, and I could have sworn I saw a few leaves falling from the Timbers above, but the lighting is so dim I am not sure. Suddenly, the entire pod shakes as wind whistles around its sharp edges, bringing with it another temperature drop. Going down to the lower level of the pod, I try the opening there only to find it is also locked. “FRACK!” I whisper loudly as I try not to show Briar how worried I am. Neither of us can handle extremely cold temperatures, and it feels like it is getting colder with each tic.
Looking around, I try to figure out what I will need in this area before sealing the outer doors. Thankfully, the internal seals seem to be working properly on the lower levels. Gathering a few tarps, I head up to the main floor. Just as I start to press the button to seal the door shut, I hesitate. If it gets cold enough, we might be trapped if all the entrances are sealed, and I am not willing to take that chance. By the time I get back to the mainroom, Briar has a pile in the middle of the floor and is cutting a hole in one of the small rugs.
“BuK, I found a couple of rugs we can use as makeshift coats, and another one we can put on the floor, but that was about it.”
“What about food?”
“I haven’t told the cargo bots to bring any yet, as the kitchen area hasn’t been cleaned. I order everything we need, room by room. It just makes it easier to keep up with all the crates that way, so there is nothing in there.”
Picking up my bag, I frown when I find only six protein bars inside. My mind instantly goes to the amount of water we will need, so if the water doesn’t freeze, we can get what we need from the sink in the refreshing area. At least that is one thing we should not have to worry about for a tic, but Briar needs sustenance. She is constantly hungry and her belly is always rumbling. Walking over to where I know those rivets aren’t fastened correctly, I take a moment, trying to see if I can force the viewer open. But even if we could get out, it is not like we can get in anywhere else if they are all locked down as well. Worry and aggravation have me holding back a growl, as I do not want to worry Briar more.
“Here, slide this over your head. It’s not much, and we won’t win any awards at the fashion show, but it’s all I can find, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be enough.”
I lean down to help her get it over my horns. This must have been a floor covering for the refreshing chamber, as it’s so small it barely reaches the top of my pants, but thankfully, it is blocking some of the cold from my exposed skin. Every thought that flows through my mind is quickly discarded. When I seeBriar shiver, the feeling of helplessness practically tears me apart inside. I hit my comm unit, and instead of trying to contact ANDI, I hit the emergency frequency for MeK, and I do not think I have ever been so grateful to hear his voice.
“BuK? Are you with Briar? I have been comming everyone with no answer.”
“MeK, I do not know how long we will have communication, but Briar and I are stuck in pod thirty-one with no supplies. The pod has not even been energized yet, so there is no heat or other essentials. We are in desperate need of everything.”
“Since we are the closest to you, I will send our personal cargo bot with what essentials I can to your location. It seems like the bots are not locked down, just the organics. My only worry is their hydraulics and I hope this cold doesn’t freeze the liquid before it makes it to you.”
“I will be on the lookout as well. There is a viewer here that the rivets are not installed correctly. Is there a way for me to seal them from the inside?”
“Not really, so stuff anything you can find around the opening. I have a sealant on my ship, but it is useless to us right now. If you can, relocate to the smallest area and shut all the inner doors. Your body heat alone should warm up that room temporarily.”
“Will do. Have you been able to contact Father or ANDI?”
“No, and it is not like we have not tried. We are on our own for now. ANDI does have an override key, and the aspheric suits would survive the cold, but I do not believe he has anyone on board who could help us out. From my understanding, all are planetside. You are already cutting out, so before we are completely disconnected … On the lower level … There is anoverride … but only use it … under the panel … blue wire ..ut.” MeK’s voice fades out, just as he was telling me how to get us out if I must.
“That didn’t sound promising.” I did not realize Briar had been standing behind me, listening this entire time.
“No, but at least others know we are here. MeK will do his best to get what he can to us, and until then, we need to carefully consider what we have, as it could be the difference between life and death. Take all your cleaning rags and stuff them into the holes where you feel the strongest cold air coming in on this viewer. I am going to see if I can get that padded bench out of the wall in the main sleeping chamber. I also think there was a chair that needed to be assembled for the dining area in the back room. When I am done, I will bring everything into this main area, and then we will take these tarps and stretch them across the other openings before sealing their doors shut. We need to do everything we can to seal up this smaller area.”
“BuK honey, I can go without food for a few days, but I don’t handle the cold well at all. I mean, I knew we would have a few weeks of being stuck indoors, but I planned on turning up the heat, then binge-watching some old TV shows, reading the books I put on my list over the past few weeks, and snuggling on the couch with a blanket and a replicator full of my favorite snacks. You know, hibernating in full fashion in a nice toasty area. Hopefully, an adorable pink alien was even going to crash with me.”
“This situation is not desirable, but we are not helpless yet. Your last words … crashed with you. Were you referring to me breaking something, since I am the only pink … as you call, alien around?”
“Ohh, the joy you bring me in the craziest times. No, silly rabbit … what I meant was, I was hoping you would stay with me while the cold snap was going on. It just dawned on me that I have no idea where you’ve been staying this entire time.”
“I have a small tent located on the back side of the communal area.”
