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“I’m in engineering bay now. About to initiate sequence. Are you folks strapped in?”
They weren’t. They didn’t even have their suits on yet. Hannah jumped to the transmit button.
“Hold on! We’re not quite ready!”
Colin was waving frantically at Hannah as she released the button. “Don’t tell him we know!”
“I won’t! As if I would!”
“OK, I know, but, just...”
“God!”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to think this through. Hannah, if he knows I know I outrank him, he might feel that he has to bow to my seniority.”
“He might.”
“But in so doing, he would recognize me as Captain.”
“Right.”
“Which would mean...”
“He’s in your position. A position you can’t be in. I will not let you leave me.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Good! So we’re settled then!?”
“Yeah.”
“OK. Now let’s suit up and get the hell out of here!”
“Well...”
“What now?”
“Let’s suit up and probably get the hell out of here!” Colin grinned wryly. There was still a slim chance that the ship would actually survive the maneuver. If it did, they wouldn’t have to escape.
“Hold on. I just thought of something.” Colin cocked his head slightly. “We’ve been talking about probablys this whole time, but there’s no probablys! We sent the message, remember? - Crew Lost! We’re dead! There’s no coming back from that!”
“Not for us.” Hannah agreed. “Maybe for Brother. I hope so for Brother.”
“Yeah, but at this point it doesn’t matter if the ship survives or not! I’ve already abandoned my post!”
“Hmm. Yeah. I guess that’s true.”
“Fuck! I would never have chosen this, you know? I’m no deserter.”
“I know. That’s why Brother had to trick you.”
“Shiiit.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Wait! You put him up to it, didn’t you?!”
“Colin no! I swear I had no idea!”
“I guess he tricked us both then.”
“I guess he did.” Hannah hopped up and down, tugging on the shoulders of her suit, adjusting it so it could close. They helped each other with the helmets, then buckled themselves in to the seats.
Hannah reached for the transmit button. It was almost out of reach. She adjusted her position slightly, then pressed the button.
“Brother. We are ready.”
“Alright. Initiating nav sequence in ten seconds.”
“And Brother, we are launching the pod now.”
“We are?!” Colin stared at her incredulously.
“You are?” Brother Anderson replied.
“Yes, we are.”
“Very well. Goodbye Hannah. Goodbye Colin.”
“We have to, Colin,” she told him, after releasing the transmitter.
He knew it too. The risk of damage to the ship was severe. Remaining attached only served to put them at risk. There was already no way to undo what they were about to do. They were committed to this escape no matter what. It was the only way forward.
“Goodbye, Brother.” Colin said.
“Oops.” Hannah burst out laughing. “I need to push the button, silly!” They both laughed, then regained their composure. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Hannah pushed the transmit button a final time, then signaled Colin. They both said it together.
“Goodbye, Brother.”
Releasing the button, Hannah looked to Colin. “We’ll see him again, right?”
“Yes. We’ll see him again.”
“Now, for your button, Colin.”
The pod launch release control was actually a lever, not a button, but Hannah didn’t know that. He first flipped a few switches to enable all pod subsystems, and switch over from central ship command. A couple quick glances at status indicators showed all was working correctly. He moved his gloved hand to the lever, hovering over it briefly. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Pulling the lever, he released the pod. He released himself from former obligations. He released them both from ship-bound living, from life as they had known it up until now.