They worked feverishly, Suriya binding the cables as quickly as Maren could strip them, while Saul stood above the women and surveyed the surrounding area. Maren glanced up between stripping cables and saw the red-tinted sky was lightening as the flare approached, washing the vivid colours on the horizon into oranges and pale yellows.

“Forty minutes,” Gin said far sooner than Maren had expected. “How’re you guys doing?”

“Getting there.” Suriya didn’t pause in her work; her fingers were moving deftly despite the thick gloves as she tied and bound wires together.

Maren counted quickly; they’d done fourteen wires and had six left.

“We need to go,” Saul said, his voice as gentle and patient as ever.

“Give us a few more minutes!” Suriya begged.

Saul turned back to the horizon. Maren found herself wondering if he enjoyed the view as much as she did, but she pushed the idea from her mind so that she could focus on her task. The wires were hard to grab through the thick gloves, and it was taking all of her attention to strip them efficiently.

“Thirty-eight minutes,” Gin said, and it seemed almost as if no time had passed before she said, “Thirty-five minutes.”

“Suriya,” Saul said.

“We’re on the last wire.” Stress was bleeding through Suriya’s voice so clearly that it made Maren’s heart ache. “I can’t stop now. You go ahead while I finish.”

Maren knew Saul too well to think he would even contemplate doing that. The large man crossed his arms, watching them intently as Maren stripped the last bit of plastic off and Suriya knitted the copper together.

“We’ve just got to reconnect the sheath,” she said, sounding breathless. “Then we’ll run for the airlock, and we’ll be inside with plenty of time to spare. This is fine.”

Saul exhaled deeply, and Maren knew he didn’t like how close they were cutting it. Yes, there was still time to get inside comfortably, but all it would take was one minor disaster—a sprained ankle, or a blockage in front of the airlock doors—and they could be in serious trouble.

Maren held the two halves of the sheath together while Suriya sprayed a foam sealant around the divide then bound it in thick tape for good measure. “Okay,” she said, sounding almost manic in her relief. “It’s done. Try restarting the system, Gin.”

There was a second of silence, then Gin, sounding ecstatic, said, “Yes! We’re online!”

“Great, okay, good.” Suriya laughed. “Nice work, team. Let’s get out of here.” She buckled her toolkit onto her suit then let Saul lead them back towards the first step.

The sky’s purple hue had turned light lilac. Maren had never actually seen a flare—the station’s windows were all covered during the lockdown—but she’d been told the sky would turn entirely white during its peak.

Saul reached the edge of the first step, but instead of jumping, he skidded to a halt and pulled his gun out of its holster.

“What’s up?” Maren asked, slowing down as she approached him. “Is it a lifeform?”