“Hello?”
The radio crackled in response. Gaeia pushed her knuckles into her forehead, trying not to cry.
This was day forty one. Forty one days of no response from the base down below.
“Anything?” Hua asked behind her, floating upside down outside the cockpit door. He liked to do that, showing off his gravity genetics.
“Nothing,” Gaeia replied, putting the radio back into the holder. Out of the window she could see the grey-yellow clouds of home swirling in the sky. They had been there for forty one days too, appearing overnight following the solar storm.
“It’ll be alright,” Hua replied. He reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. He had as much as Gaeia to lose if they couldn’t get back in contact – a young family, their homes, their livelihoods.
Without contact, no one would come and pick them up from their orbital craft. If they stayed out of contact for fifty days, they would be declared dead.
“The storm is too strong for the signal to break through, if we power up the signal-”
“We lose more oxygen,” Hua said.
Gaeia sighed. They had tried that on day ten, to no avail. The oxygen sickness had put Gaeia on bedrest for a week.
“Okay, we wait for another day,” Gaeia said, “then we try the signal booster again. If it fails…”
She let the silence do the talking. If they didn’t make contact before day fifty, they would be left here until they died of starvation.
“It will work,” Hua said, “it has to work.”
Gaeia nodded, wishing she could believe him.
Stories on a Theme is a writing challenge to write flashfictions set on a particular Weekly Theme. It’s running from 6th July to 30th August – Check out my IG for more info on how to join in!
- One of the Crew (Stories on a Theme – “Family”)“Let us raise a toast, to Mito!” Captain Ralaydin raised her mug high into the air. The rest of the crew followed her example. Mito blushed. Not from embarrassment, he appreciated … More One of the Crew (Stories on a Theme – “Family”)
- Solitary Confinement (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)“Can I sit?” Yanet looked up from her lunch. The woman, a newbie by the yellow stripes on her arms, stood with her tray of food. She had her newly issued … More Solitary Confinement (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)
- Memories of Hope (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)Fuane sat on the floor, deep in her memories. The memories were the access point to the future. They were a window to the past, pulling time from a place that … More Memories of Hope (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)
- Expel (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)Nainea held on tightly to her copper badge, curling up around it to stop them taking it off her. The cave floor was cold, still wet with the blood of the … More Expel (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)
- The Jewel of Hanerath (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)“HOLD IT!” Cathen yelled. I’m trying gods damn you, Thyren thought. He forced himself to hold onto the spell book, despite the heat radiating off it. The magic poured off the … More The Jewel of Hanerath (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)
- The Anyentr (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)Don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t move. Calsei changed the motto over and over in her head. Her backpack straps pulled at her shoulders, encouraging her to drop from her crouch and … More The Anyentr (Stories on a Theme – “Isolate”)
