Artemis

The realization should have panicked me. I don’t know why it didn’t. But instead I just felt a great calm. The problem was solved.

“Dale,” I said softly.

“Oh God…” Dale rasped.

“Dale, I need you to do something for me.”

“W-What?”

I pulled the pipe from my belt. “I need you to tell everyone I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything I did.”

“What are you talking about?”

“And I need you to tell Dad I love him. Okay, that’s the most important thing. Tell Dad I love him.”

“Jazz.” He stood up. “What are you doing with that pipe?”

“We need leverage.” I gripped the pipe with both hands and pointed the sharp end forward. “And I’ve got it. If this won’t turn it, nothing will.”

I rolled my ball over to the handle.

“But the pipe’s inside your hamster ba—oh. No!”

“I probably won’t last long enough to turn the handle. You’ll have to grab the pipe and finish for me.”

“Jazz!” He reached toward me.

It was now or never. Dale had lost focus. I can’t blame him. It’s hard to watch your best friend die, even if it is for the greater good.

“I forgive you, buddy. For everything. Goodbye.”

I thrust the sharp end of the pipe through the edge of my ball. Air hissed out through the pipe—I’d just given the vacuum a straw to suck on. The pipe grew cold in my hands. I pushed harder and wedged the pipe into the valve handle’s spokes.

My hamster ball stretched and ripped near the puncture site. I had a fraction of a second left, at best.

With all my strength, I shoved the pipe to the side and felt the handle give.

Then physics showed up with a vengeance.

The ball ripped itself to shreds. One second I was pushing on the pipe, the next I was flying through the void.

All noise stopped immediately. Blinding sunlight assaulted my eyes—I squinted in pain. The air fled from my lungs. I gasped for more—I could expand my chest but nothing came in. Weird feeling.

I landed faceup on the ground. My hands and neck burned while the rest of my body, protected by clothing, roasted more slowly. My face ached from the onslaught of burning light. My mouth and eyes bubbled—the fluids boiling off in the vacuum.

The world went black and consciousness slipped away. The pain stopped.

Dear Jazz,

According to the news, something’s very wrong with Artemis. They say the whole city went offline. There’s been no contact at all. I don’t know why my email would be the exception but I have to try.

Are you there? Are you okay? What happened?

I awoke to darkness.

Wait a minute. I awoke?

“How am I not dead?” I tried to say.