Lana blinked and stood up reluctantly, giving her console a longing look. Bulco stepped onto the bridge, coming from the engine room.

“Alright, Nathan, time to go,” the dark-haired woman said.

There was no response.

“Kid!” Bulco said loudly.

There was still no response.

Lana frowned and moved next to her friend, reaching toward his shoulder.

A column of energy became visible at her touch, surrounding the young man. “Nathan?” Lana asked uncertainty.

“I don’t think he can hear you,” Nori said. “I’m ready to take us up to the thermosphere, and the ship’s already leaking.”

“It’s alright, we can leave him here,” Bulco says. “It says on my display that it’s a type-3 force field and it’s more than capable of containing the atmosphere within. Nathan will be fine.”

“I wish I knew how he did it, then I wouldn’t have to wear this stupid thing,” Nori said distractedly as she continued to fly the ship.

Lana still seemed unconvinced, but she followed the Engineer to the quarters and they closed the door behind them. With a single thought, Nori’s suit formed a helmet around her head, and she guided the freighter even higher.

Earth’s atmosphere gave way to the blackness of space, and violent drafts filled the bridge as the air was forcibly sucked out through the cracks in the hull into the void of space.

Nori turned to one of the smaller consoles on her left and passed her palm over it. “Alzigo, this is Nori, we’re coming in with the freighter. Should we dock inside the hangar?”

A moment later the space station owner’s voice came through the comms. “Greetings, Nori. Your ship is too large for the hangar, please use docking bay one instead. Sending you the coordinates.”

A dotted red line appeared on one of her secondary holo monitors.

“I got it. See you it a bit.”

Nori followed the path. It led her to a section of the docking tube close to the main deck. She gently guided the ship closer and a metal walkaway extended outward, clamping over the cargo hold’s exit.

Alzigo’s voice carried over the comms again. “I’m detecting multiple hull fractures on your ship, activating containment protocols before opening docking bay door.”

Another monitor flickered to life, showing a small picture of the freighter surrounded by a transparent blue bubble. A moment later streams of air filled the bridge as the ship’s life support system kicked in and pressurized the interior. Once it was done, Nori ordered her chair to recline, and she removed her suit’s helmet. “You can come out now!” she called through the internal comms and glanced at Nathan. The young man sat in the exact same position, seeming completely unaware of his surroundings.

The door to the quarters opened, and Bulco and Lana stepped out. “Are we there yet?” the younger woman asked cheerfully.

Nori nodded. “Yes.”