Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I wish they were wrong...
"Help!" Agatha screamed.
"Please, ISS come in! Is anyone receiving this?! This is Commander Reeves, of the International Space Station, is anyone receiving this?! I think my leg is broken, my tether has snapped and I'm currently in free fall. Respond!"
A lone astronaut looks out of her helmet towards the constantly moving horizon as she spins violently, hurtling through the endless dark of space, moving rapidly away from hope of rescue. She tries to look down her body for any suit punctures. A large chunk of debris lodged in her leg.
"No sign of a leak. Fuck! I'm not going out like this. I'M NOT GOING OUT LIKE THIS!" She fires the adjustment thrusters on her space walk pack desperately trying to counteract the spin. Each adjustment frantic as she goes desperately attempts to lock her horizon.
Her breathing is too fast. The tears and saliva pool in her helmet creating a new hazard while the G force makes her stomach turn. She quickly realizes she needs to calm down and attempts to take slow deep breaths.
"Come on Agatha Focus!" She assures herself. Each second feels like minutes as Commander Reeves fights to make each course correction without throwing up in her helmet. She uses as much thrust as she can, trying to leave just enough to try and make it back to the ISS.
"Yes!" Commander Reeves lets out a brief sigh of relief as she confirms her trajectory and distance. The suit computer shows on her helmet display 'insufficient fuel' for current drift angle. "No. No, no, no, no, no... ISS come in, this is Commander Agatha Reeves. Is anyone recieving this? I'm adrift and in need of immediate first aid!" That's when she sees it. The ISS is in ruins. Signs of decompression. Scarring from large meteor fragments caused a catastrophic disaster within the station.
The now distant wreck of the ISS and blue marvel of earth shimmer while she drifts deeper into the void. Commander Reeves struggles to untangle herself from the tether now coiled around her body.
Commander Reeves begins to think about her situation, questioning her mortality. Did any of her friends survive? Had she been floating out there for hours?
Agatha screamed. She screamed so hard and for so long that her vocal cords almost ceased to function. Close to giving up hope, Commander Reeves looks towards the wreck of the ISS.
"The transmitter still has it's solar mast and is on a similar drift to me. It might be possible to repair it if it's still intact." She types in new flight calculations. The computer confirms her course. Just enough fuel to make it to the transmitter.
"Got to tell NASA what's going on. Why the hell didn't the early warning system tell us about that damned meteor?! Guess it doesn't matter much to me now, only 2 hours of air left." She fires her thrusters following the computers flight path. That's when a shadow flickers over the ISS wreckage.
The flight path drops and a warning screen appears in her helmet. Proximity alert!
About the Creator
Falcon
Family is everything to me, I do this in the hope I can one day to support them. You'll find short stories and tantalizing prologues. Sickly dark humour and honest realism. A wannabe writer testing the waters.
The steps to losing a child
Step One: Lose a child. Not what anyone wants to happen and nothing you can do to change it, but you can go through steps to becoming happy again. You can go through steps to loving again. You can go through steps to become a new you because after losing a child you will never be the same person you once were.
By Tabitha Hinkley5 days ago in Fiction
The Art of Caregiving
Step 1: Patience is a Virtue Your loved one may be in a bad mood, driven by frustration, pain, or depression at being in their current state. This is normal, and expected. As their caregiver, it is up to you to boost their morale, which can be done with positive affirmations and/or physical gestures of love; e.g. hand holding, back rubbing, showering with praise. Note: keep in mind that too much praise can be detrimental. The path to healing has no participation awards, and there are times when a firm yet gentle hand is needed. These occasions may coincide with doling out medication, feeding, and attempts to foster independence. If you have the luxury of being in a hospital/institutional setting, extending patience to the facility's staff is a must. They cannot be everywhere at once, and there are other patients on their rotation besides your loved one. In rare cases where staff members seem especially inattentive, it is considered polite to refrain from wringing necks and spouting verbal abuse. The general rule of thumb is the kinder you treat the staff, the friendlier and more helpful they will be to your loved one in return. This is harder to achieve for many people in a caregiver role, but over time the self-inflicted wounds from chewing one's own tongue to hamburger will heal given sufficient time. Your patience and nerve will be tested at all times. It is of vital import that you remain calm, supportive, and flexible, so that you can cater to whatever needs your loved one may have. Additional restraint may be required if your patience is repeatedly taxed, and not met with the appreciation you feel is deserved. Overall, however, the bulk of your patience will usually be rewarded.
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