Earth Unaware (The First Formic War 1)

"I can't knock and write at the same time."

Victor took the wrench and banged. Toron wrote then held up the sign. "Open the valve," Toron said.

The man inside read the sign and furrowed his brow.

"He doesn't understand," said Toron.

"Point to it," said Victor. "Show him where the valve is."

"I can't see it," said Toron.

"It's probably to the right of the door. Our right. His left. Flush against the wall."

"There," said Toron, pointing. "Look there. That valve, can you see it?"

The man's eyes followed Toron's finger, but then he blinked and wavered, confused, as if the last string of understanding had been cut. He tried to look but his eyes wouldn't focus. He was drifting, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

Toron banged on the hatch with his fist. "Open the damn valve!"

The man shook his head, getting his bearings, and blinked again. Then he came to himself, as if a switch had flicked on in his mind, and he saw the valve. Comprehension registered on his face. He reached for something out of sight. "He's going for it," said Toron.

"Put your hand over the end of this pipe," said Victor. "So that none of their air escapes if he opens the valve before we're ready."

Toron pressed his hand against the pipe's end.

"Bahzim," said Victor. "As soon as Toron tells you to, increase my lifeline air supply to maximum, as much oxygen as you can pump in."

"We're ready," said Bahzim. "But you realize you're cutting off your own air."

Victor grabbed the saw and fired up the blade. "I'll be fine. I've done this before." Which was only partially true. He had lost power to his line when the corporates attacked, but he had never lost his line entirely. No one had. No one that lived to tell about it later, anyway.

"Here. Use my line instead," said Toron. He reached back to detach it, but Victor was faster; his hand was already on the release latch of his own suit. Victor squeezed the mechanism, and the line came free. The power in Victor's suit went off. His HUD winked out. The chatter of communication went silent. Now all he heard was the sound of his own breathing. The safety valve on the back of his suit had sealed the hole where the lifeline connected, preventing Victor's suit from deflating like a balloon. He brought the detached line forward and pressed it down over the saw blade, slicing through it easily. He tossed the severed head of the line aside, then got a firm grasp with both hands on the longer portion of the line that extended back to the ship. There were several hoses and wires inside the lifeline, held together by the protective outer tubing. Victor took out his knife and cut down the side of the lifeline, slicing through the outer tubing but being careful not to cut the air hose inside. Then he pulled the outer tubing down, freeing the air hose from the other hoses that supplied heat and electricity and communication. He took two wire clamps from his pouch that were wider than the air hose and slid them onto it. Then he nodded to Toron to remove his hand and Victor shoved the air hose onto the pipe. The air hose was bigger, but not by much. Victor quickly tightened the

wire clamps, so the air hose clung tightly to the pipe and wouldn't shoot off when more air came through. Then he gave Toron a thumbs-up and watched as Toron relayed the order.

The air hose stiffened as oxygen surged into the pipe. The question was: Was the air getting through or was it blocked by the valve? Had the man opened it, and if so, had he opened it all the way? Victor looked inside the hatch window but couldn't see the man. Several people inside were stirring, as if hearing the rush of air.

"I think it's working," said Victor. But of course no one heard him.

He noticed then that his fingers and feet were cold. His visor was fogging up. The air in his suit was stale. He felt pressure applied to his back, and his suit came to life. Air poured in. Heat. His HUD flickered on. Only it wasn't his HUD. All the data boxes were positioned in all the wrong places. He turned. Toron was behind him; he had given Victor his lifeline. Bahzim's voice said, "The air's going through, Victor. He opened the valve. Good work."

"Victor, your father has the other pipe ready," said Nando. "Send someone over here to open this valve."

Victor turned back to the window. Several people had mustered the strength to gather at the hatch, breathing the fresh air. Victor grabbed the board and wrote, then banged on the hatch. A young but haggard woman came to the window, read Victor's note, and nodded, comprehending. She looked to where Victor was pointing, saw the valve on the far wall, and nodded again. She seemed weak, drained of life, but somehow she pushed off the floor and drifted over to the valve. She put her hand on it then turned. At first Victor didn't think she had the strength to turn it, but she persisted, and the valve opened wide. Air rushed through the valve, blowing the woman's hair to the side. She inhaled deep, eyes closed a moment, then burst into sobs, burying her face in her hands--whether from relief at having survived or from grief for those who hadn't, Victor could only guess.

"Toron will share his line with you until you're both back on the ship," said Bahzim. "I want you back in the airlock. No one outside without a lifeline."

"How are we getting these people out?" Victor asked.

"We've been discussing that. The docking tube is too wide to get down that corridor and seal around the hatch. Do you think we could get a bubble over that hatch? Maybe we could fill a bubble with suits. Then they open the hatch, suit up, and quickly fly up to us."

Victor inspected the wall around the hatch. "It's too narrow in here. And even if we get the spreaders down in here, the wall is too damaged to hold a seal. What if we pull the wreckage into the airlock? Then we fill the space with air and they open the hatch and walk out."

"The wreck's way too big," said Bahzim.

"Then we cut it down with one of the PKs, slice away all the rooms that are compromised and keep only the room with survivors. If we shave enough away, it might be small enough to squeeze inside."

"Laser cutting around these people?" said Concepcion. "That's extremely dangerous."