CONTROL CENTER

"It's working!" Anson said excitedly.

Doug nodded without taking his eyes off the console screens. The Peacekeepers inside the tunnels were truly deaf, dumb and blind now. Helpless. Even a few out in the garage had been blinded by the dust when they'd opened one of the inner airlock hatches.

"You did it!" Doug called over to O'Malley. He grinned boyishly and his cheeks reddened slightly.

"Are your people suited up?" Doug asked Anson.

"Ready to go," she replied.

He felt a touch on his shoulder and, turning in the little wheeled chair, saw Edith smiling wearily down at him.

"They cut me off," she said tiredly, her voice raw and cracking.

"You did a great job, Edith," Doug said, clutching her hand. "A wonderful job."

"You'll get an Emmy," Anson said, patting her shoulder.

"A Cronkite," Edith croaked. "It's more prestigious."

"Whatever.' Anson pulled up a chair at the next console and slipped a headset over her blonde curls.

Gordette slid a chair to Edith, who half-collapsed into it. "I forgot to time myself," she complained hoarsely. "I don't have the exact number for how long I was on the air nonstop."

"We'll dig it out of the computer," Doug said.

"Might be a record."

"You ought to get some rest. Go back to our quarters and take a nap. You've earned it."

"No," she murmured. "I want to stay here and see it all. I need a couple of cameras…"

The security cameras are logging everything that's going on in here. Grab a bite at The Cave and then get some rest."

"I've got to go back to the studio. Get a camera. You guys ought to be immortalized for future generations and good ol' Global News."

Before Doug could stop her, Edith got to her feet and stumbled toward the door.

He watched her briefly, feeling a sudden urge to get up and put his arm around her, help her, share the comfort of closeness. But he fought it down and turned back to his screens. He had more important things to do.

Jansen fought down the urge to unseal his visor. He could see nothing, hear nothing, and no one could see or hear him, he was certain. It was scary. If only I could see! On Earth, he would have night vision goggles and infrared systems attached to his battle helmet. But they wouldn't fit inside a spacesuit so the battle helmets had been left aside.

Something inside him was starting to shake. Lost. Alone. No one to give him orders. No one to tell him what to do. Maybe the others are all dead! Or maybe they all got out okay; you might be the only one left in the tunnel.

An enticing voice in his head urged, Just open up the visor and see what's happening out there.

But he knew the tunnel he was in had no air in it. Open your visor and you kill yourself.