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“Don’t worry, we can do this.” Colin told Hannah as they stood in the corridor outside med bay. “We’ll find you a suit, and I’ll help you practice.”
“I don’t know... It’s not dangerous is it?”
“Well... Not per se. I mean, it could be a bit scary.”
“Why?”
“Uh well, I guess when you think of your air supply, and pressure, and insulation. That’s all coming from your suit. So I guess that makes some people nervous. But actually that’s illogical, because if you are on a spaceship, you have the ship doing the exact same thing, right?”
“I suppose so, yeah. So it’s really no different.”
“But then there’s also the whole helmet and mask thing. Maybe that’s the worst part. It feels weird that your whole head and face are covered up. For me, it always makes my nose itchy, and it’s an itch you can’t scratch. You just have to convince yourself that it doesn’t matter.”
“Hmm.”
“Plus you can’t really move your neck very much, so it’s kind of hard to see what’s going on around you.”
“That does sound like it could be dangerous. What if something comes flying at you and you don’t see it?”
“Well, I mean, yeah. But it’s more about being in a dangerous circumstance, more so than from the suit itself. If you’re in a safe environment, it’s totally safe to wear a suit.”
“But if you are in a safe environment you wouldn’t need to wear a suit.”
“Right.”
“So is this a safe environment, Colin?”
Colin thought about that. It was a good question. Is this a safe environment? Is the ship safe? Is it able to continue to provide safety and shelter for its remaining crew? Is it able to continue to hold itself together without ripping apart like some torn paper bag in a strong wind, spilling all its contents? Is it safe to live among corpses? Is it safe to live without connection? Is it safe to be isolated and neglected? Is it safe to trust Brother Anderson to take care of you? Is it safe to trust me?
“No.” he replied, “This is not a safe environment.”