Journey to the Stars

"Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say." Jeremy laughed as he placed the space helmet over Patricia's head.

"Can you stop saying that?" Patricia's voice echoed in the helmet, "I don't need to be reminded every single time I go out. Are you trying to scare me, or something?"

"What, me? No, not at all, Patty." Jeremy replied as he hooked the tether to the back of Patricia's spacesuit.

"Hurry up and get your suit on!" The words echoed in Patricia's helmet, "We have work to do."

Patricia helped Jeremy with his helmet and tether without another word. Jeremy, on the other hand, wouldn't stop talking. With each new intentionally ignorant quip Patricia just rolled her tired brown eyes. She had learned to just ignore Jeremy when he got like this. He was a fountain of nonsense trying to get a reaction; a class clown.

"Can you please shut up and grab the pack?" Patricia asked as she walked into the air lock compartment.

"Sure, Patty." Jeremy teased as he looked around for the pack of replacement parts.

The two of them closed the inner hatch and Jeremy hit the switch that started the decompression process. It only took a few seconds before the outer hatch made a loud click and they could open it. With a few turns of the wheel the door silently floated outward. The vast expanse of nothingness was slowly exposed and the two of them took turns connecting the end of their tether to the outside line.

"Back unto the breach!" Jeremy said.

"It is 'Once more unto the breach'," Patricia snapped, "If you can't get it right, don't ruin the words of Shakespeare."

"Literary snob much?" Jeremy laughed.

"Can you be serious?" Patricia asked, "This is a dangerous job and I need you to be focused."

"Relax, we are both connected to the station." Jeremy replied.

"It just takes one slip up, Jeremy!" Patricia said with a sigh.

The two of them continued to argue as they made their way out into the void. Both gripped the handholds and pulled themselves out of the station's airlock. Cautiously they made their way towards their objective, making sure to always have three points of contact on the space station. The pace was slow, but deliberate. After 15 minutes they arrived at the first damaged antenna.

They quickly got to work. Patricia opened the pack she had brought and pulled out a weird looking wrench. She fit it around the base of the bent antenna and started to loosen it. There was a muffled click and the metallic stick started to float away. Jeremy reached into his pack and handed the replacement to Patricia.

With the first damaged antenna fixed the pair moved to the harder hit satellite array. It was another 15 minutes away via hand and foot holds. They had to switch their tethers to a different line before they could continue on their way.

The silence of space crept into their suits. Jeremy, having never shut up, hadn't noticed, but Patricia did. Her movements became slower and less deliberate. On several occasions she only had one or two points of contact. She started sweating and Jeremy's voice blended into the echoing silence in her helmet. Jeremy also failed to notice Patricia's change in demeanor. The 15 minute journey became a 25 minute one. Patricia's sweat started to sting her eyes. Her stress was already high and the new noise inside her helmet only increased her anxiety.

"Patricia," The intercom crackled in the helmet, "Patricia, come in. What is taking so long? Patricia … are you hearing me?"

"Hey, Patty," Jeremy slightly nudged Patricia's arm, "You okay? I hear you Calvin. Something is going on with Patty."

Patricia just kept slowly moving towards the damaged communication satellites. She was determined to finish her mission, but her attention kept turning towards the small pinpoints of light in the vast nothingness. With only one point of contact she reached for the next handhold, but missed. Her foot, which was her sole contact, moved too soon and she was suddenly floating away.

"Patricia!" Jeremy yelled as he grabbed her tether and began pulling her back, "Calvin, Patty is out of it. We need to come back. I need to bring her back … Calvin!"

"I can do it." Patricia slurred.

Patricia started to flail her arms and somehow wrapped herself up in the tether. As it tightened around her she began slurring obscenities. Jeremy quickly hauled her to him and started to unwrap the tether. Once Patricia had four points of contact Jeremy grabbed for her and stared into her eyes.

"Calvin," Jeremy started, worry dripping off each syllable, "She is completely gone. We are coming back."

"Ok, be careful and keep an eye on her!" The intercom echoed in both of their helmets.

"I can do it," Patricia slurred again, "Let me go."

Patricia started fighting Jeremy and slipped off the station. He tried to grab her again, but settled for the tether. He turned around and, with Patricia floating a few feet behind him, continued back towards the airlock. With each foot he gained he could feel the weight of Patricia pulling on him. He was starting to feel fatigued by the time he reached the line that ran straight to the open door.

Jeremy was able to switch both tethers to the new line. He kept his steady pace, but halfway there he could no longer feel the tug from Patricia. He looked back and she was several meters from the station, tether lightly floating back towards Jeremy.

"Patricia!" Jeremy yelled again, "Patricia grab the tether and I will pull you back!"

With the new sound attacking Patricia she started flailing once again, her movements pushing her further into the nothingness. Jeremy double checked his tether then jumped out after her. He collided with her thrashing body, making it hard for him to hold her. Her eyes were unfocused and she was unresponsive.

"Patricia?" Jeremy tried to get her attention.

With the new assault on her ears she paused. She started moving her head, as if looking for something, before her eyes, still unfocused, landed on Jeremy.

"Patricia, we need to get back," Jeremy said.

Patricia replied with an unintelligible yell and started pounding on Jeremy's helmet. She was kicking him, grabbing at his tether and scratching at her own helmet. Jeremy tried to wrap her in his arms, but when he momentarily let go Patricia took the opportunity to push off of him. Jeremy floated there in the nothingness and watched his colleague drift away.