Chapter Sixteen
"Oh, no! I love air!" said Topaz.
"We all do, Tope," said Sapphire.
"Food and water will run out about then too," Shale added.
"We'll start working on solutions," said the voice of the station.
"Can we recycle?" asked Amethyst.
Shale shook her head. "No. The Phoenix was built for testing an experimental propulsion system and never meant to be away from the station for more than a day or so. We've got what would have been more than enough supplies, but no way of scrubbing the air or recycling the water."
"Then let's just open the airlock and end it now," said Onyx, "I don't want to die by inches."
Everyone looked at her.
"That was dark even for you," said Amethyst, "We've got to stay optimistic."
Onyx crossed her arms and looked away. "Speak for yourself."
bffl bffl bffl
The days passed, and as predicted the remains of the Phoenix reached the apogee of its orbit and began moving back toward the Troll World.
They kept in touch with the station and the ground, talking to their families and boyfriends whenever they could. The world was watching as the Ancients struggled to live.
An air leak developed and they had no way of stopping it. It was slow, and would make the air run out three days earlier than they thought. Shale turned the ship so the leak acted like a thruster, increasing their speed back toward the ground. But it wouldn't be enough.
There was crying, hugging, laughing, talking, shouting, arguing and silence on the remains of the Phoenix as the days passed.
Shale checked a gauge. "Guys, we have one day of air left."
"And one other option," said Onyx, looking at the airlock.
"I'd... really rather not do that," said Amethyst.
"Me either," added Ruby, "We're the Best Friends For Life, and if we have to go, I'd rather be together."
Onyx sighed and hung her head. "Yeah..."
They called the station and learned there was nothing new. No rescue could be sent. There was no way of getting additional air to them, either.
Their families and boyfriends were at the Space Center, Jade and her parents, as well as Shale's family and best friend Nikki. The channel was opened and they talked, saying their goodbyes.
Their parents and siblings were first, followed by friends.
Nikki and her little boy talked to Shale for a few minutes, then Jade stepped into the camera pickup.
"I'm really glad we're friends," said Sapphire.
"Me too. You changed my life in the year since you moved in next door, and I'll never forget it. Or you," said the green haired troll.
"If you want to honor my memory, become the best scientist you can be," said Sapphire.
"I will. Goodbye," said Jade, and walked away.
Finally their boyfriends clustered together at the camera.
"Ruby Roo," said Rock, tears in his eyes, "Always remember that I love you, and will never forget you."
"That's so sweet," said Ruby, smiling, "I love you too."
"Tope, I've said it before, this is wack," said Jasper, "And I want you to know I'll miss you, a lot."
"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to miss you," said Topaz, and giggled, "But I'll try!"
"Onyx, I'm working on a poem for you," said Flint, "And I'll read it at the memorial. I... hope you'll be able to watch."
"That would be cool," was the answer.
"Amethyst," said Coal, "I love you. I hate we won't be together again." He looked down, tears running, "There was a question I was going to ask you..."
"Don't, Coal," interrupted the pink haired troll, "Don't commit your life to me, or even offer to. Time will pass, and you'll find someone else." Her own tears were running. "I guarantee it."
"Sapphire..." said Alabaster, adjusting his glasses. He opened his mouth several times, but couldn't find a way to say what he was feeling. Finally he turned away, crying.
The six girls in space suits looked out over the room that held everyone in their lives, and everyone looked back at them.
"Goodbye! We love you!" said the Ancients, in unison, and the screen darkened.
The mood in the room did so as well.
bffl bffl bffl
"That went better than I expected," said Onyx, sitting down in her seat.
"This stinks," said Topaz.
"Yeah, I hate that we'll never see our friends and family again," said Ruby.
"No, I mean THIS stinks!" clarified Topaz, gesturing at her suit, "I've been in it for days and days, and it stinks!"
"They all do, Tope," said Sapphire. "I'm not happy either, but it's what we had to do."
"I know..." sighed Topaz, resigned to a fate of dying in a stinky space suit that wasn't even fashionable.
"How much air do we have left?" asked Amethyst.
"Nineteen hours," answered Shale, looking at the gauge.
There was a long silence.
"You know, it's too bad we can't use that other spell bead," said Topaz, out of the blue.
Everyone looked at her.
"What other spell bead?" asked Amethyst.
"The extra one for the comet," said the blond, "It could get us to the ground, if it wasn't meant for the comet."
Everyone exchanged a wide-eyed look. They had completely forgotten about the backup spell bead they brought in case the first one missed, or something happened to it.
"We... we COULD use it!" said Ruby, "It's a portal spell, but it wasn't keyed just to the comet!"
There was a mad scramble to the storage locker, and the container with the bead was pulled out and opened. It sat there, dark and inert. None of the trolls had ever seen a more beautiful sight.
"Way to go Topaz!" cheered Amethyst.
"Yeah, I just wish you'd thought of it earlier," said Onyx.
Topaz giggled. "Actually I did. But I thought it was meant for the comet so we couldn't use it. That's why I didn't say anything."
"I'm really glad you did, even as late as it is," said Sapphire, patting her friend on the back.
"I'll tell the station what we're doing," said Shale, heading for the console.
The mood aboard both the station and the Phoenix were considerably lightened. With renewed vigor they recharged their space suits air and power, and got ready to leave the Phoenix.
Shale and Sapphire went first, followed by Ruby holding the bead, then Topaz and Amethyst. Onyx took a last look around through the port in the airlock, then followed.
They moved away from the Phoenix and clustered together, Shale off to one side.
The Troll World was much closer now, a beautiful jewel in the infinite blackness of space. They all realized as they looked at it they would soon be there again.
Ruby held out the spell bead and the other four put their hands on it. It started to glow a deep red.
"With this bead that we have found, make a portal to the ground!"
The bead flashed and Ruby threw it in the direction of the planet still far away. It flashed again and exploded, becoming a rapidly-expanding portal. They were drifting right into it.
"Hang on, everybody!" shouted Ruby, and felt a tug bringing her over the threshold...
...to find herself off the ground. She barely had time to register surprise when gravity kicked in and pulled her down.
"OOFF!" she said, landing hard. She sat up.
"OW!" "OUCH!" "ARGH!" "HEY!" "WHEE!" reached her through the radio.
She looked up and saw the portal was some twenty feet off the ground.
"Everybody okay?" she called, but before there were any answers the cabin of the Phoenix appeared and landed with a loud crash nearby, and the portal closed.