Bone

"Where do you think the other guy went?" Oscar asked, we had ventured into the right doorway and found ourselves in a well-lit storage room after some exploring.

So far, we had managed to find two other pieces of scrap. A very large bolt, about the size of a human head, and an antique magnifying glass. Both totaled to a value of 56 credits, we were one more salvage piece away from completing quota early.

"I don't know, but wherever he went, it wasn't the main entrance." I answered.

I distinctly remembered not seeing any of the sand being disturbed at the foot of the entrance.

"I figured; I remember seeing him head to the far left from when he split off. I hope upper management gets on his ass once we finish up."

"It's not fair that we're the ones doing this crap while he's off dicking aro-"

*Click*

"Ozker?" Bartek saw Oscar open a door and step through it, he stopped talking as he did.

"Ozker? Ozker are you okay?" Bartek asked again, this time Oscar spoke up.

"Guys, what in the hell is this." I ran over to door, peering into where Oscar had stepped into. 

There was a thick steam that obscured how far I could see into the room, but I could vaguely see Oscar's silhouette through the steam. 

Beneath where his feet should be, was a small red blinking light.

I felt my brain turn into lead, it sunk down my spine like mush. 

Oscar had stepped onto a landmine, of all things that could be down here; he had managed to step atop of a landmine.

"Guys, what the hell do I do- what the hell do I do!?" Oscar was beginning to panic, but as much as he moved around, he didn't dare take his foot off of the mine. 

"Ozker, you damnable fool!" Bartek's let out a hoarse shout. 

"Guys, please, please I'm begging you." I could hear Oscar begin to cry under his mask.

"I don't want to die here, I don't want to die here, I don't want to die here." 

"Shut up damn you! Let me think." Bartek had begun concocting a plan, a way possible to save Oscar from the mine. 

I felt helpless watching everything unfold. We had come here thinking that this would be simple- an easy in and out job. 

Now, Oscar was going to die.

"What if, what if we sacrifice one of the objects to let you off the mine." Bartek held up the big bolt. 

"What? That could work?" Oscar was willing to hang onto any thread of hope thrown his way.

"It could, I'm assuming that mine is pressure activated, yes?" Bartek asked.

"Yes! I had stepped down into what I think was its pressure plate, I'd show you, but this damn steam is everywhere." 

"No need, I can see a faint red-light blink at where your feet are. This is an old model, the mine's that I know of would have killed you within an invisible radius already." 

"What? Why do you know that?" 

"Old history Ozker, another life." Bartek calmly replied.

"Well, let's do it then- we can make quota on another planet, hell I'd sell my suit to make quota at this point!" 

*Ping*

A small message appeared on the bottom left of my visor, it was an open text channel that the crew could use between each other. So far, we haven't used it because we've all been together; so the only other person who could've used it right now was-

"Pierrette: It won't work."

"Huh?" Oscar let out a shallow gasp.

"Hey, are you guy's getting this message from someone named Pierrette? Who the hell is Pierrette!?" 

"It's our other co-worker." Bartek had also seen the message.

"Pierrette? That sounds like a girl's name." 

"So, it must be." Bartek's voice sounded brittle. 

"What do they mean it won't work? What won't work? What are they talking about?" The frenzy in Oscar's voice returned with his voice reaching a shrill pitch.

"You know what they're talking about, Ozker." 

"No, no I don't. I'd like it if they'd come out and tell it to my face and explain exactly WHAT won't work!" 

*Ping*

"Pierrette: He's going to die, collect his body once he does." 

We all fell quiet as we simultaneously received the message.

*Ping*

"Pierrette: If we don't, the company will deduct our profit." 

"DAMN YOU, WHERE ARE YOU HIDING BASTARD!" Oscar screamed.

"HELP ME! HEEELP!" But his angry outburst soon turned to desperate cries for help. 

"Come, Bartek please, please put it down here for me!" Oscar begged.

But Bartek didn't budge from where he was at the door.

"Bartek? Bartek, come on man, don't believe what this asshole is saying." 

But Bartek continued to not move a single muscle. 

"I'm sorry, my friend." Bartek let out a heavy sigh.

"Bartek? Bartek, buddy, please don't leave me here to die..." All of Oscar's energy was gone now, his voice was nearly unrecognizable.

"George, how about you George? Help me out here, please! I got a kid for fucks sakes." 

"What the hell is she gonna do without her daddy, huh? What do you think she's gonna fucking do without me you damn assholes!" My head felt hot, and I felt stomach acid run up my throat. 

"I'm sorry Oscar." Was all that I could reply with.

"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck! Fuck me, I'm so fucking fucked!" 

"Aughhhhh, aughhh." His slurry of words devolved into a mess of manic sobbing and dry heaving. 

 Bartek said nothing as he kneeled down and curled the bolt in his hand.

With one solid motion, he chucked the bolt into a low roll; it landed by Oscar's feet.

"This is as much as I do, Ozker. I apologize, but I too have family waiting for me at home." 

"Oeeghhhh." What sounded like vomiting came from Oscar's mask. It was a sickening noise, hearing him choke from it; his retching actively destroying his raw vocal cords.

"Oscar, focus." Bartek tried giving him advice, but he was too far gone to listen to him say anything. 

*Ping*

"Pierrette: Close the door if you want to live."

"..." 

"I will let her know." Bartek said as he closed the door on Oscar; he did not reply back. 

The majority of light that illuminated that hallway came from the light of the storage room.

Oscar was now trapped in complete darkness within the midst of the steam. 

The door was made out of iron, heavy and well-built.

Potentially strong enough to contain a blast from a landmine.

What a sickening thought to have.

Bartek looked at me, his darkened visor made it hard for me to see his face; but I knew what he was feeling. 

Relief.

He was relieved it wasn't him that had stepped on the landmine. 

I felt that relief too. 

It sounded like our ears popping, the explosion that went off beyond the iron door.

A heavy, solid pop. 

My ears were ringing a little, but it went away as quickly as it came. 

We both knew what had just happened, but the shock hadn't set in yet. 

It was like pulling a tooth. 

Something beyond my normal life was behind that door. Something that I did not want to see.

"Let's go back to the ship, Bartek."

"A good plan, lead the way my friend."