The Loss

Aurora tried the to call Jim again over the radio.

"Jim," She called, half crying, half screaming, "are you there?"

The blast had just launched Jim into space. He was going to float off beyond reach in just a matter of a few minutes. Aurora Lane had never felt such pressure before: his life depended on what she did in the next few moments.

"I'm coming for you, Jim." She took off sprinting.

She didn't care if he could hear her or not. It was more of a reassurance to herself. Aurora had to save him. If she didn't…

No, there wasn't time to think of the alternative. She was going to save him.

Aurora's fast footsteps echoed throughout the metallic corridors as she sprinted to the room with the space suits. She was grateful that she spent the time jogging across the ship over the past year. This would be a true test of her strength and endurance. Could she reach Jim in time?

She shot through the door like a bullet and went straight for the second suit. Her nervous hands made it difficult to get the contraption on. Aurora cursed at herself as she fumbled with the equipment.

This is taking too long, she thought as she donned the gear.

Before she even finished strapping it all on, she headed for the air lock. The first set of doors opened with a whirr. She had a sudden moment of Déjà vu, when she had come through here the first time. Jim had been there, and though she was nervous, she could trust him…

Could he trust her to save him now?

"I'm coming, Jim," she said again into her earpiece.

Still no response.

Please be alive.

She strapped on the rest of the suit as she started the protocol to open the outer doors. The vacuum of space took what little air was in the compartment in a heartbeat. The doors moved much too slow for her. Aurora wished she could be that air and just get out into space.

Before the doors were completely open, she was through.

In chaos of racing thoughts, she remembered to double check her lifeline to make sure she was attached to the ship. After one pull, she was satisfied that she was safe.

Scanning the debris, and with the help of her helmet's computer system, she was able to lock in on Jim's location. He was several meters directly in front of her.

Aurora released her mag boots and went sailing out into space.

"I'm here, Jim!" she said as the gap between them closed. Aurora knew that his air had to be venting to space, but he still should have had time.

She pushed all thoughts of failing away as she sailed closer to Jim, arms outstretched to grab him. Her heart warmed as she approached him, his whole body now in full view. They were close now…she was almost there…

Just as she was about to grab him, the lifeline tugged at her suit. Aurora could go no further.

She finally had a visual on Jim, and she could see clearly through his helmet. He was alive, but gasping for air. It was no wonder why he did not respond before: all he could do was focus on getting in what little breaths he could. His skin had grown pale from the lack of oxygen. Had he not been shaking from the cold, Aurora would have thought he looked like a corpse.

Gathering what strength she had left, Aurora stretched as far as the suit allowed. Her fingertips were within inches of Jim's arm. Yet, it was not enough. The longer she struggled, the further he got from her.

In utter despair, Aurora watched as the life was sucked from Jim. Every gasp from him sent shocks of pain to her heart. The man she loved more than anything would be taken from her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Jim's momentum caused him to spin, and she could no longer see his face. He was far beyond her reach now.

The only thing she could think to do was to release the lifeline and keep going. As soon as the thought entered her mind, she looked over her suit for the controls. Aurora fumbled with every button and command available, but it was to no avail. It was against safety protocol to release the lifeline.

I can cut it.

Aurora looked around, searching for any debris from the explosion sharp enough to cut the line. Anything that looked like it would work was out of her reach.

There was no hope.

Aurora finally accepted her defeat and wept as she watched James Preston vanish out of sight, and out of her life forever.