The Breach

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Sound needs a substance to travel through, like air or water; in space, there was nothing. Nothing but the endless void. So, how could it hear them? Mina's body ached with strain as she continued to tense her muscles. She needed to be still. It couldn’t see you when you were still.

Mina had been floating in the void for what felt like hours. She couldn’t check her watch, couldn’t risk moving her head to see how long she had been stuck there. Her suit held around eight hours of oxygen; she’d hoped her decision to spacewalk would buy her some time. She needed time. Time to figure out how the hell she was going to survive this. She hadn’t realised it would follow her through the airlock. How was she supposed to know that it could survive in space? As far as she knew, nothing could exist in the void. That’s why she liked it. The isolation, the peace from Earth’s noise. She wasn’t even supposed to be there; this wasn’t her mission.

If she had just kept her mouth shut, then she’d be down there. Her body finally rotated towards the Earth. Even in the adrenaline-fueled panic, it was breathtaking. Would she ever see her home again? She didn’t have anyone to go home to, no family or real friends. The only thing she had was her cat, and even he didn’t like her very much. Dumb cat. What she would give to have him flare his little nostrils and hiss at her one more time. As her body continued to float and rotate, the Earth started to disappear from view, and as it did, she could feel herself welling. She couldn’t cry. What if it could see the movement of a tear? Clenching her jaw, she buried her hopelessness. Buried it deep into the pit of her stomach. What was she doing? Drowning in self-pity would get her nowhere. She was running out of time.

Before she threw herself out into deep space, she’d made sure to attach the safety tethers. One long lifeline that would keep her from floating away into oblivion. At that moment, she thought her idea to be clever; survive on the outside of the ship where it couldn’t eviscerate her. When it entered the airlock, she almost smiled, thinking she’d lured it to its death. She hadn’t even considered its ability to adapt to the harsh environment of space. Now, look at her. Dangling, unable to move with her oxygen ticking away. Every breath she took slowly brought her closer to the brink of suffocation.

As the International Space Station came into view, her heart quickened as her eyes darted across the scene, desperately trying to pinpoint its location. Nothing. From here, it just looked normal. Untainted by death. You couldn’t see the massacre within. It was such an efficient killer. So quick. So intelligent. Did Earth even know what was happening up here? Even if they sent a rescue team, it wouldn’t get to her in time. She was alone. A brief flash of light drew her attention to the U.S Lab. Was someone still alive?

Four days before the breach.

Rufus’ incessant meowing woke Mina. Rolling over, she grabbed the nearest pillow and used it to shield herself from the irritating cat. Not taking no for an answer, the tabby cat leapt onto the bed and began to paw at her shoulder, increasing the volume of its cries.

“Rufus, it’s too early.” She moaned, reaching her hand for her phone to check the time. Bolting upright, she whipped the covers off her and sprinted for the shower. It was 2 pm. She was late. As she left the bedroom, she looked over her shoulder to see a lump squirming under the cover she had thrown. Thank God for Rufus’ appetite. She could have slept all day. As she reached for her towel, she paused. Did she have time for a shower? Mina rolled her eyes at herself in the bathroom mirror and dressed. Before she left her apartment, she fed Rufus and tried to pat him on the head, but the stubborn cat wished her a good day through a breathy hiss.

By the time she had driven to the base, Mina was five hours late for her shift. Colonel Carruthers was going to chew her out for this, that much she knew for sure. Probably put her on cleaning duty again. Another strike on her record. It didn’t use to be like this. Only a year ago, she was overachieving in every way possible. She had fallen so far from grace that she saw little point in striving for anything other than being a disappointment. Speed walking through the base, she wondered if she could pass through undetected and avoid the forthcoming punishment. Surprisingly, the base was empty. This meant one thing. There was a debrief going on in the main hall. Perfect. All the other soldiers would be lined up in uniform rows, she could sneak into the hall, and Colonel Carruthers would be none the wiser.

As expected, the room was full of uniformly lined soldiers—all listening intently to the Colonel, who was pacing back and forth along the front row. Stepping silently through the double doors, Mina took her place in the back line. The soldier next to her side-eyed her, frowning at her tardiness.

“Eyes forward, Private.” She whispered sharply. His eyes returned to the Colonel. She was just about to give herself a mental pat on the back when another man joined Colonel Carruthers’ side. General Shaw. Shaw rarely visited the base. Only when he needed something, and by something that always meant bodies. Mina knew that the soldiers who took on Shaw’s missions either didn’t return to base or ended up in the hospital. It was all very hush-hush. Secret government projects that Mina had never been high ranking enough to qualify.

As General Shaw began his usual speech about the high calibre men and women at the station Colonel Carruthers began to walk between the lines of soldiers. His eyes were searching the rows looking for something–or someone. Glazing over the faces of stone, he finally reached hers. Brows furrowed, he headed in her direction; with every footfall, his eyes remained focused on her. He knew. Sighing to herself, Mina should have known he’d be keeping an eye out for her. Colonel Carruthers was always tough on her; he had worked with Mina’s father. They had clawed their way through the ranks together, so when she joined the base, he’d taken a special interest in her. Helped her rise through the ranks; he was even there to catch her when she crashed back down through them.

Reaching her, the Colonel stood next to her, his arms crossed.

“Can you explain why you are late yet again, Staff Sergeant Ray?” He said under his breath, avoiding the attention of his higher-up General Shaw. Mina rummaged through her bank of excuses but struggled to come up with any logical reason for her lateness. Colonel Carruthers grumbled. “That will be three months on cleaning duty.”

Mina frowned and parted her lips, about to retort when the General spoke.

“Is there an issue, Colonel?” Shaw looked between the Colonel and Mina.

“No, Sir.” Colonel Carruthers responded before stepping away from her and heading back towards the General.

“What’s your name, soldier?” Shaw asked, making eye contact with Mina.

“Staff Sergeant Ray Sir.” At the name, his brow rose.

“Ray, as in Colonel Andrew Ray?” The General looked to Colonel Carruthers with intrigue. “Colonel, why didn’t you tell me there was a legacy on your base?”

“Must have slipped my mind, Sir.” The Colonel replied stone-faced.

“Staff Sergeant Ray, I’m gathering a team. If you are anything like your father, I suggest you apply for a spot.” General Shaw nodded towards Mina as she looked over to the Colonel; his frown had grown so intense that it looked like his eyebrows were sinking into his eyelids.

“Staff Sergeant Ray is unavailable for any assignments.” Carruthers began, “Might I suggest an alternative?” Carruthers’ history with her father meant that there had been many times when the Colonel hadn’t written her up for her behaviour. She had always been grateful for his lenience, but this mission could be what she had been waiting for—something to snap her into her old self.

“I am available.” She contradicted.

“Staff Sergeant.” The Colonel warned, but she stepped forward regardless. This was her chance; he’d been trying to get her back on track for months. Mina didn’t understand why the Colonel was now being a blockade to that track.

“Available and ready for duty, Sir.”

“Excellent.” Shaw smiled before selecting three men and one woman from the crowd. Then, as the rest of the bodies in the hall began to march away, the remaining group stepped forward before the General and the red-faced Colonel.

“This mission is of great importance to your country. You are tasked with retrieving and transporting precious intel.”

“Sir, yes, Sir.” The chorus of obedience echoed throughout the room.

“You will depart from the base in one hour, questions?”

“Where are we headed, Sir?” a red-haired soldier asked the question that was bouncing through all of their minds.

“The International Space Station.” General Shaw smiled as the faces of stone melted into wide-eyed pictures of surprise.