No Way Out
Diego was at the airlock door, cycling it. “You’re buying las cheves, right?”
“If the boss is happy.” Pedro stood between the crew and their surprise visitor. A supervisor from the company had shown up, wanted to see them in action.
“Maria and me will show how it’s done. We didn’t win best crew by being lazy.” Juan looked at Maria and smiled. Pedro could see her smiling back, a big grin with lots of teeth. The two of them had customs jobs on their suits, he a feathered serpent wrapping around him, she had leopard spots and feathers around her wrists, ankles.
Pedro smiled at the three of them. They were a good crew. “Well, let’s button up and get the inspection over with. I guess I’ve got some beers to buy.”
The four of them laughed together.
The floor lurched up, laughing at them.
* * *
Black. All-encompassing black. The stony smell of flint filled his nostrils.
He lay on his stomach on the now broken floor trying to ascertain if he was hurt or pinned. Neither of those seemed to be the case. So he sat up and switched his helmet lights on while he closed his faceplate. Standard procedure, meant to save lives in case of a disaster. Which this clearly was.
Twin cones of light were visible through the clouds of thick, gray dust languorously swirling in the low gee.
A cough just ahead got his attention. Turning on his ass, he saw the prostrate body of one of the miners in his lights. He stood up to check them. The beams played along their back, their enviro pack. A large rock was on the ground by their head. There were spots on the suit. Maria. An arm moved to right herself.
He turned his head to look at the rockfall in the front of the passageway they were in. A pair of boots stuck out from under a massive piece of the ceiling. He wouldn’t be able to move that, even in the Moon’s lower gravity. One of the legs had scales painted on. Juan. Something dark was leaking out from under the rock. Best not to think about it. The entire passage ahead looked like it had collapsed. There wasn’t any trace of Diego.
“Help.”
He spun around, the illumination from the sides of his head coming to rest on a medium sized boulder. Becky Rodgers, the supervisor, their surprise visitor, lay beneath it.
“Donde, donde esta Juan?” It sounded like Maria had gotten up. Her voice didn’t come in over the radio. Weird.
“Maria, ven aca. Help me get this rock off of Ms. Rodgers.” He was already pushing at the spiky shard. There was some movement and it rolled off Becky. Some sparks danced in the dark.
Pedro reached down to turn her over.
“Wait. She might be injured.”
He nodded inside his helmet. Gently patting the prone figure on the shoulder, he spoke. “Ms. Rodgers? You OK? You hurt?”
A groan was his answer. Slowly, Becky turned over and propped herself up. “I’m OK. Just had the wind knocked out of me.”
“Diego is gone too?” Maria’s voice sounded strange through his closed helmet. He turned to look at her.
“Your helmet! What happened?” Under Pedro’s headlights, he saw a dark line traced under each eye in the grey moon dust caking her face. Her nose, too.
“It shattered when the rock hit my head.”
“It saved your life?”
Maria shook her head and grimaced. “My ears just popped.”
“Mierda.”
Another set of lights kicked in. Becky’s. Two sets of lights crazed about the space they were in. The dust had settled enough for them to examine the damage. They were in a pocket about two arm spans wide and maybe five or six times as long. Fallen debris blocked both ends of the shaft and two people were already dead. Pedro tried not to think of Maria.
“Do we know what happened?” Maria was wracked with coughs.
“Probably a meteor strike. We’re not near any faults. Which means we’re probably on our own. Everyone is scrambling, according to procedure, trying to seal things.” Becky wasn’t using her radio either.
Pedro glanced at her. She hadn’t sealed her faceplate yet. He returned to examining the space while he listened to the two women talking. His lights settled on one corner of their refuge. “I found it. Both of you come here and give me a hand. The bubble machine is under this pile.”
The two women scrambled over the loose stones to his location. A few minutes of shoveling scree and they freed the toolbox sized apparatus. Pedro gingerly carried it to the middle of the cavern and placed it on a fallen section of the ceiling.
“It doesn’t look too damaged.” Becky was coughing now too. He needed to remind her to button up but first things first. He turned the machine on.
A stream of bubbles started to come out of one end. He let his breath out. He hadn’t realized he was holding it.
The bubbles floated toward the wall that had claimed Diego. Brushing against the sharp moonrock, they popped and spread their polymer skin. He hoped that there was enough juice to seal the cracks. He wasn’t sure what good that would do in the long run but he kept himself from thinking about it. One problem at a time.
Becky motioned with her finger at him. “Pedro, can I talk to you?”
He was puzzled as she left Maria behind in the dark and went to the furthest corner. He followed her. “Ms. Rodgers? What’s going on?”
Whispering, she said, “My enviro is out. The rock must’ve broken something.”
The low gravity helped keep Pedro from tipping forward. By reflex, he lifted his hand to his forehead, blocked by his helmet. “Bendito,” he whispered back. “Wait, why are we whispering?”
Becky looked straight at him. “I didn’t want to upset Maria.”
“Why would she get upset?”
Her lights flashed over to Maria for a moment. Becky’s voice got lower forcing Pedro to get closer. “She doesn’t have a helmet. I don’t have life support. Do I have to spell it out?”
Pedro felt ice encase his heart. He didn’t like the math she was doing but one look at her face told him the truth of it.
“What are you two whispering about?” Maria sounded concerned.
“Nothing, Maria. Bubbles still going?” Becky voice was loud and strong.
“Si, but it looks like they are slowing down. Good news, right?”
“Excellent news.”
Becky’s lights blinded Pedro.
“What are you going to do?” he whispered.
“We could encourage her to give up her enviro pack.”
Pedro backed up and whispered rapidly. “No, I will not help you do that! If you want it, you have to ask her yourself.” He turned and started back to Maria.
Becky’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Come back here! I’m ordering you!” Her reply was a harsh whisper.
Maria was walking toward Pedro. She glowed in his light. “Maria, her enviro pack got busted in the cave in.”
Maria’s mouth fell open. Her brows came together and her eyes squinted. “Cabron! What else can go wrong?”
Becky came over. “Hey Maria, I’m really sorry about Juan. I know this is a bad time, but we have to act fast.”
Maria’s eyes grew larger. She tilted her head. “What are you saying?”
“I need an environment pack.”
“Chinga tu madre!” Small sparkles came out of her mouth and glinted in the LED light. “Me, give you my pack? Why don’t you give me your helmet?” Maria stood up and balled her fists.
“Hey, hey! - of course you don’t have to give me your pack. I was just thinking out loud, how both of us don’t need to die. I’m sorry.” Becky had backed up.
“Pinche fresa.” Maria turned and walked out of Pedro’s light.
Pedro didn’t look at Becky. He went to Maria. She was standing by Juan’s legs, looking down at them. He paused, undid the latch on his helmet and took it off. He held it on his side.
Immediately, his ears popped. He felt the strain of pulling the cold, thin air into his lungs. He had to figure something out and soon.
“Maria?” The dim, reflected light showed her to be shuddering. No, crying.
“I’m going to die.”
Pedro reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re not dead yet.”
“Soon, she’ll start with the I’m the boss crap and tell you to take the pack from me.” Maria was being loud.
Pedro looked over his shoulder. Becky’s light seemed to be concentrated along the ground of the other side of the catastrophe. “Maria, look at me. Do you really think that I would do that to you?”
She sucked on her bottom lip and shook her head. “No.” Barely a whisper.
He squeezed her shoulder. “We have to stay calm and try to think this through.”
“Hey! Hey guys! I think I found something.” Becky’s voice rang out in the twilight. “Can you give me a hand?”
Maria nodded at Pedro. He left her standing in the dark as he made his way to Becky.
“What is it?”
“I think it’s the plasma torch.” The two busied themselves trying to get it out. The ugly, long pipe was caught on something. A twist and a shove and the trigger assembly shifted enough to get released from whatever it was catching on. They pulled and managed to get some of the hose that attached it to its power plant and nitrogen free. Just enough to turn it around and point at the rock face. A quick inspection revealed that the barrel was a bit bent but otherwise, it looked OK.
Pedro gave it a heft. He looked at Becky.
She was nodding her head. “Go ahead.”
Pedro squeezed the trigger. Brilliant blue white flame formed angry daggers at the business end of the pipe. Stark blue shadows flickered across the cave. He brought the torch around to bear on the rock.
A scream from the darkness halted him.
“What are you doing? Shut it off!”
He let go of the trigger. The space plunged into darkness. Pedro thought his lights weren’t working. “What’s the problem? I’m going to cut us out of here. Bubbles didn’t come this way.”
“Pendejo. Are you trying to kill us?” Maria had come forward to stand by the two of them. “Oh sure, Mr. I-have-a-helmet-and enviro. Just where did you think the rock you melt is going to outgas? And what if there’s vacuum behind that wall? No bubbles just mean it’s sealed! Who knows what’s past it?”
Pedro felt his cheeks glow. This was such a rookie mistake. He put the torch down. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“Did you forget everything when you became a manager? Try not to forget anything else. I don’t want to end up dead sooner.” Maria paused and stared at him. “You don’t even have your helmet on. Idiota.”
Back to square one. Unimpeded by his helmet, his gloved hand impacted on his forehead this time. He looked at Maria. There had to be something. Their breaths wreathed them both in the light. Temperature was steadily dropping. Here and there, surfaces acquired a sheen in his light.
Maria glanced around, following his gaze. “Carajo. Can’t something work out?”
“We’re so fucked.” Becky stated the obvious.
“We’re in this together.”
Both Maria and Becky snorted. “Sure, until you put your helmet on.”
Pedro shook his head. Silence followed.
Becky spoke into the quiet. “Maria, we don’t both have to die. Give me your pack. I promise that the Company will recompense your family. Pedro. Pedro is a witness. He’ll testify to it, right?”
“Hija de puta. Why don’t you give me your helmet? Then the Company won’t have to have another expense.”
“Please stop. Both of you.” Pedro voice was barely a whisper. “I have an idea.” Breathing was getting difficult. He rubbed his forehead. It wouldn’t be long now. He sat down on the rock in the middle, by the bubble machine. “Maria, I’ll give you my helmet. Becky, take my pack. That way, both of you can make it.”
“Are, are you sure?” Becky’s lights impaled him in the dark.
Pedro put his hand up to shield his eyes. “No, I’m not sure. But I’m the man. I have to protect you, give you a chance.”
Maria came over. “I am sorry.” She sat next to him.
It was Becky’s turn next. “Maria, I am sorry too. To you too, Pedro. Maybe we can dig our way out.” Becky plopped down next to Pedro, on the other side of Maria.
The three hunched over on their rock, leaning against each other. Pedro felt Maria shaking.
“What’s wrong, Maria?”
“Nothing.”
Pedro brought his lights up. Rivulets now cut through the dust on her cheeks. She sobbed openly.
He put his arm around her.
“No, stop, just stop. You are the one who is going to die.” Maria buried her face in his chest. Pedro wrapped both arms around her.
Another set of arms wrapped themselves around both of them. Pedro could feel Becky’s shaking behind him. The temperature dropped. It hurt to pull air into his lungs.
Maria rasped. “Juan had a locket I gave him. I wish I had it, to remember this. You.” She sniffled.
Pedro nodded. Disentangling from the women, he stood and said, “Maybe with you two helping, we can get the rock off him. Get you your locket.” He smiled at both of them.
The two women looked up at him and each other.
“Come on, “ Pedro stood up, “Before I give you my stuff. I don’t think we have a lot of time.” He left off the last part.
The three hurried to Juan’s fallen form. The rock on top of him was flat and smooth. There was a slushy, dark red mud on one side of the stone.
“We need to move these rocks here.” Maria pointed to a pile of smaller pieces by the mud. “That’ll give us some place to push it.”
Pedro and Becky got busy while Maria examined the slab.
“OK, it’s cleared.” Pedro looked at his companions. Frost lined their faces already.
“Pedro, lift here. Becky, you go there. I’ll be here and get ready to push when it lifts.”
Pedro and Becky acknowledged her.
Pedro got into position, bending his legs. Becky crouched next to him. Maria had her back to the stone, her fingers under a protrusion, ready to lift.
“Ready? One, two, three...Lift!”
Pedro strained. He pushed up as hard as he could, as only the last effort of the damned can be. Becky grunted near him. Maria was yelling.
His gloves started to slip. But the rock was moving!
“Keep it up!” Maria’s strained voice was heard over the sound of grinding stone.
His foot slipped on the not quite ice. He fell forward onto Juan’s body as the rock was pushed off. Sticky blood and dust covered his knees, his gloves. Maria and Becky picked themselves up from the floor. A shiver ran through him, not from the cold, as he got off the dead.
“Light, I need light.” Maria sounded insistent.
Becky swung her lights over the remains.
Maria knelt by Juan and started crying again. “Oy, Juan.” A spike of rock protruded from his back, between his head and the life support pack.
Pedro looked at the body. He looked again. “Maria, his helmet looks okay.”
“Check the pack.” Becky whispered from next to Pedro.
Maria reached over and flipped some switches. The glow of a read out illuminated her face, the color of green. Her mouth hung open as she looked up at Becky.
“Oh, thank God.” Becky heaved a sigh of relief.
They removed the equipment from its former owner. Maria reached in Juan’s suit and pulled out a smashed locket on a chain.
The three closed their faceplates and turned on their support systems. They went to the torch.
“Maria, can you, you know? Since you know it best?” Becky had picked up the torch.
Maria took the miner’s tool from her. A chain wrapped around her hand holding the long pipe. “Si, con gusto.” Turning it on, she went to work on a section of the fallen rock. Vapors billowed from where the brilliant blue tongue lashed the scoria. Soon, a narrow opening glowed against the grey rock.
“Is it big enough to crawl through?” Pedro gauged the smooth, glazed surface of the small tunnel.
Becky got down on her belly to peer through the cut. “I see light.”
Maria put the torch down. “We need to wait for it to cool down before we go through it.”
Pedro nodded. “We’re going to make it.”