to lift, and roll, before settling again.
Because they were shouting across the room, I could hear the crew’s voices quite clearly, even through my headpiece. ‘And . . . terminate!’
‘Lockdown on fuel cells!’
‘Lockdown on vents, here!’
Mum leaned towards me. ‘ Do you feel sick? ’ she asked, through the Audio Interlink Network.
‘No,’ I replied.
‘ Tell me if you feel sick .’
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus ten minutes .’
Dad was discussing something with Firminus. They stood, heads together, while around them their teams tightened straps and adjusted pressure seals. Lais was calling someone; I could tell by the way she murmured into her collar. Landry suddenly bolted into the toilet cubicle. Mum yelled across to Arkwright.
‘Arkwright! Please seal up, you know the drill!’
And then the room became quiet, as most of the activity ceased. Various people were monitoring the close-range sensor input. My father was running an analysis. As for Arkwright, he was still deep in the bowels of CAIP, for some reason.
But the rest of us were suddenly left with time on our hands – Firminus included. I couldn’t believe what he did next. Moving even more stiffly than usual, he crossed the room until he reached his wife. Then he bent down and kissed her on the mouth.
I don’t know if I’d really thought much about Firminus until that moment. To me, he was simply Sloan’s father – and not nearly as good a father as my own dad. Firminus had always seemed hard and quiet and unapproachable. I couldn’t imagine ever coming to him with a problem. I couldn’t imagine how Sloan had endured that rigid, implacable control while he was growing up.
Yet there on the Bridge I suddenly saw how much Firminus loved his family, and was reassured.
Whether he kissed Sloan as well, I’m not certain. Because I looked away at that point. But I do know that Firminus returned to his own seat shortly afterwards, and slowly, methodically strapped himself in. He was pulling his mask down when my mother dropped into the chair beside me.
‘Tuddor,’ she said. (I could tell by the way her mouth moved.)
Dad looked around. I’d never seen him so puffy around the eyes before. He nodded, and stooped to exchange a few words with Haido. She inclined her head. He straightened. Slowly, he surveyed the room. Sadira’s hair was now concealed by her headpiece. Landry was returning from the toilet cubicle. Arkwright was struggling with his pressure seal.
Dad cracked a smile.
‘You people look like a double order of individually wrapped glucose bars,’ he boomed, and there was a ripple of nervous, muted laughter. At least, I think there was. I could see shoulders shaking, and mouths stretching.
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus five minutes.
’ Mum helped my father to seal up, after which he sat down beside me. To my amazement, he managed the straps all by himself. My voice patch beeped. I gave a clear to receive before I realised who was calling.
‘ Cheney?
’ ‘Dygall?’
‘ What’s happening?
’ ‘Five minutes to impact, Dygall, haven’t you heard?’
‘ Yes, I know that. I mean , what’s everyone doing up there?
’ ‘Waiting. What do you think?’
‘ Hasn’t somebody had a brilliant, last-minute idea?
’ ‘No.’
‘ Nnn. Pity .’
‘Is there something I can do for you, Dygall?’
A pause. ‘ No ,’ he said. Then: ‘ See ya .’ And he signed off.
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus three minutes.
’ ‘Tuddor 12 linkup,’ I said, and when the channel was open asked, ‘Dad? What does “E” mean?’
‘ Hmmm?
’ ‘I said, what does “E” mean?’
‘ It means “event”. As in “event minus three minutes” .’ Hearing my mother’s signal code, Dad accepted her
Because they were shouting across the room, I could hear the crew’s voices quite clearly, even through my headpiece. ‘And . . . terminate!’
‘Lockdown on fuel cells!’
‘Lockdown on vents, here!’
Mum leaned towards me. ‘ Do you feel sick? ’ she asked, through the Audio Interlink Network.
‘No,’ I replied.
‘ Tell me if you feel sick .’
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus ten minutes .’
Dad was discussing something with Firminus. They stood, heads together, while around them their teams tightened straps and adjusted pressure seals. Lais was calling someone; I could tell by the way she murmured into her collar. Landry suddenly bolted into the toilet cubicle. Mum yelled across to Arkwright.
‘Arkwright! Please seal up, you know the drill!’
And then the room became quiet, as most of the activity ceased. Various people were monitoring the close-range sensor input. My father was running an analysis. As for Arkwright, he was still deep in the bowels of CAIP, for some reason.
But the rest of us were suddenly left with time on our hands – Firminus included. I couldn’t believe what he did next. Moving even more stiffly than usual, he crossed the room until he reached his wife. Then he bent down and kissed her on the mouth.
I don’t know if I’d really thought much about Firminus until that moment. To me, he was simply Sloan’s father – and not nearly as good a father as my own dad. Firminus had always seemed hard and quiet and unapproachable. I couldn’t imagine ever coming to him with a problem. I couldn’t imagine how Sloan had endured that rigid, implacable control while he was growing up.
Yet there on the Bridge I suddenly saw how much Firminus loved his family, and was reassured.
Whether he kissed Sloan as well, I’m not certain. Because I looked away at that point. But I do know that Firminus returned to his own seat shortly afterwards, and slowly, methodically strapped himself in. He was pulling his mask down when my mother dropped into the chair beside me.
‘Tuddor,’ she said. (I could tell by the way her mouth moved.)
Dad looked around. I’d never seen him so puffy around the eyes before. He nodded, and stooped to exchange a few words with Haido. She inclined her head. He straightened. Slowly, he surveyed the room. Sadira’s hair was now concealed by her headpiece. Landry was returning from the toilet cubicle. Arkwright was struggling with his pressure seal.
Dad cracked a smile.
‘You people look like a double order of individually wrapped glucose bars,’ he boomed, and there was a ripple of nervous, muted laughter. At least, I think there was. I could see shoulders shaking, and mouths stretching.
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus five minutes.
’ Mum helped my father to seal up, after which he sat down beside me. To my amazement, he managed the straps all by himself. My voice patch beeped. I gave a clear to receive before I realised who was calling.
‘ Cheney?
’ ‘Dygall?’
‘ What’s happening?
’ ‘Five minutes to impact, Dygall, haven’t you heard?’
‘ Yes, I know that. I mean , what’s everyone doing up there?
’ ‘Waiting. What do you think?’
‘ Hasn’t somebody had a brilliant, last-minute idea?
’ ‘No.’
‘ Nnn. Pity .’
‘Is there something I can do for you, Dygall?’
A pause. ‘ No ,’ he said. Then: ‘ See ya .’ And he signed off.
‘ Attention. This is a red alert. Please lock down and brace. All crew prepare for impact in E minus three minutes.
’ ‘Tuddor 12 linkup,’ I said, and when the channel was open asked, ‘Dad? What does “E” mean?’
‘ Hmmm?
’ ‘I said, what does “E” mean?’
‘ It means “event”. As in “event minus three minutes” .’ Hearing my mother’s signal code, Dad accepted her
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