I stood up as the shuttle began to leave the pad.

Engage Dual Combat mode.

I felt strength returning and I pushed off another rail. I rocketed towards the rear of the shuttle. I flew up right next to the shuttle. I reached out but couldn’t grab the shuttle. Suddenly inexplicably, my outstretched hands drew me closer to the shuttle, and I attached to it.

I then looked to the side. The habitat was about to end, and then I would be exposed to the vacuum of space. It would kill me. I climbed onto the top of the shuttle and began to bang on the superstructure. As it was space, no one heard me.

“NO! NO! NO!” I screamed. I was going to be left alone in space, to die. The habitat ended on either side of me. I kept mimicking breathing, remembering the vacuum drills taught in school.

Space froze my body and burned it at the same time. I watched as I breathed out drops of crystallized blood. I closed my eyes, my eyelashes frozen against my face.

I felt my blood race through my body, superheated by the sun.

Emma. Emma. Emma do you hear me? Beta asked.

“I heard you.” I thought in my mind. Energy drained from my body.

Don’t worry. Engaging Vacuum Protocols.

My skin still froze, my blood still boiled. I felt the slightest reprieve from the pain, but that was all.

I opened my eyes, which then were scalded by the bright, unfiltered sun.

“I still hurt.” I thought.

Its’ space, Emma. Space is harsh, but you can survive it for short periods of time. The rebellion should be sending out a spacewalker to pick you up.

A man in a spacesuit floated out with a tether linking him to the shuttle. His helmet turned to look at me. I reckoned he stared at my living form in space. I climbed from the top of the shuttle into the now open airlock. The man shook himself, and then entered the airlock after me. After he entered, the outer doors closed.

Air pumped back into the space. My pain faded away as temperature returned to normal. The man took off his helmet. He looked very young, almost my age.

He stared at me in wonder. I wouldn’t say I disliked the feeling, but more than ever I felt like I was on display. The interior door opened. Margarite, Harry and two other crew members floated in front of me.

“How?” Margarite asked, shaking her head in disbelief, “No one survives space. You were there for an entire minute!”

Harry mused, “I must say, you are proving to be a most remarkable young lady.”

I looked over the XO’s shoulder to see the captain floating quakily in the doorway between the medical bay and the bunk room. A reflective metal arm hung limp at his side.

Margarite followed my glance, and then uttered words in what I assumed to be Outer-solar.

The captain nodded and answered in a few words to Margarite. He then said at me, “There’s something special about you, kid. You’re a like super hero, being able to stay alive in space and fight off that Arachnid.”

He said the next words slowly, “I think you are our chance at beating Magnusson, once and for all.”

He’s right, Emma. You can defeat the single greatest tyrant that has ever fought a war.

“Captain…”

“Call me Will, please. A person like you should never have to scrape up to somebody.” Margarite looked in horror at her beloved captain, stripping himself of his rank to greet a civilian. Granted this civilian stayed in space and survived, but the captain should always be a distant and remote character in her eyes.

“Will, could you inform me on some things. I would like to know some more about Magnusson and the Chromes.” I didn’t think he knew about the Arachnids. I probably would have to meet with higher brass to get the answers I needed.

“Sure, come in the medic bay. I think Jerry will consent to being thrown out.” Will said. Jerry, the medic, came out of the bay grumpy.

“I was working on polishing up my artificial limbs! I was just starting the polish of my own replacement neck when you ask me to leave!” He mumbled angrily.

“How would someone use a replacement neck, if once their neck is injured, they are most likely dead?” Harry asked.

“One has to prepare for everything.” He answered.

Will entered the medic bay and I followed along with Harry. Will positioned himself at the opposite side of the table and then asked, “What do you want to ask first?”

“What are the Chromes? Why doesn’t Magnusson use robots or something?”

He thought for a moment before plunging into the subject, “Magnusson wants to keep the population occupied. That is why we are building a Dyson Swarm. He motivates hundreds of millions of people to enlist into the armed forces, all of which are busy and keep others busy. This is another reason why all our habitats are disconnected. That is to keep rebellion from spreading.”

“Is there anything special about the Chromes?”

He hesitated then shrugged, “I don’t know. Harry, do you know?”

Harry nodded and then said, “The chromes are each given a special mental implant which puts a part of Magnusson into them. They become his hands and feet.”

“Wait a second, Magnusson divides himself up?” I was confused. Will also looked confused at Harry.

Harry continued, “Magnusson is a human how has fully programmed himself into a mega-computer. He makes copies of himself, hundreds of millions of copies of himself, all of which answer to him. He dares trust no one else other than himself, that makes him very hard to kill. The chromes, once they have their implants, cannot turn back on their decision. They serve until they die, which is usually after 10 years of service.”

I whistled, “They die that quickly?”

“Magnusson stages many war games in order to keep his troops under control, and rebellion is infiltrating the habitats. The number of recruits is dwindling each year. This year, the Alliance has a 3% deficiency in recruiting camps. That’s a good sign, but the rebellion fleet is in decline. We’re headed straight for our capital fleet right now, but only because the Alliance knows where it is. We’re tracking a large fleet bearing down on our fleet, but our ships are faster than theirs.”

“What is the capital ship for the rebellion?”

Harry stroked his hairy chin. Will looked off in the distance, a smile darting across his lips for a second. He sighed out the words, “Noble Sacrifice.”

He then turned his attention back to me, “It’s a beautiful ship, if a bit ugly. You’ll see it soon, don’t worry.”

“A beautiful ship if a bit ugly?” I frowned in confusion. Harry also rolled his eyes at this comment from Will.

Will laughed, “Sorry, my speech is full of little turns of phrases like that, as Margarite tells me often. I assume you need a bunk?”

I nodded, “Thank you.”

“No problem, you can have mine. I’ll sleep in the chair.”

I wonder for a brief instant what the look on Margarite’s face would be once she heard that. I knew it would be devoid of approval.