Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

The howl of the atmosphere being sucked out of the cargo bay grew deafening, louder than the alarm. Foil packets of food concentrate and other supplies from crates that had been opened were whipped up and skittered along the cargo deck toward the opening airlock hatches. Aubriella darted after a clear plastic pouch, running straight toward doom.

Before Connor could say anything, Rudy grabbed her T-shirt and hauled her back.

At the top of the ramp, the hatch slid closed with a thin boom.

They were losing atmosphere fast, and the smells of the cargo hold were being replaced by the distinctive smell of space.

An instant ago, the arctic cold of a mountaintop blast had sent a shiver through Connor. Now a panicked fire shot up through his torso. Once the atmosphere was gone, and they were open to the vacuum of space, they would only have seconds before they passed out.

Death would come quickly after that.