Snippet #2705207

Helen was familiar with the equipment, if not entirely comfortable with it. Two years in space didn't make up for decades on Earth– she still preferred to have both legs firmly on the ground while she worked. Still, the SAFER system made her feel a little bit like a little girl again: pressed beneath a low-car because the other people in the garage couldn't fit, dreaming of jet packs and hover cars. Mind you, hover cars would probably be a bitch to fix.

"Are you ready? Of course you are."

Helen just snorted. She had just finished putting on the safety gear. She could understand the woman's impatience, and couldn't bring herself to be annoyed by the cold professionalism for once. She and Piper had had their fair share of clashes, particularly in the claustrophobic space of the ship that brought them here. Following her captain into the air lock, she made a double check of their equipment just in time before the second door opened.

"All right, Tiger," she thought. "Chill."

And then they were out. In space. She took a moment to get used to things while Piper found the right direction for them to go. They climbed up the side of the station, Helen close behind. Then Piper stopped, unresponsive.

"What is it?" But, worried by the sudden stop in motion, she didn't stop for an answer. Instead she made the difficult task of getting up on Piper's right side, following her gaze ahead. "Oh my god."

Her first instinct was to rush forward and check if Rana was okay, but logic dictated– well. Otherwise. She felt something like pain in her chest as she looked at the lifeless body. "Okay," she said, even though it wasn't. "Okay, um."

She paused. Closed her eyes. They had to be rational about this. Panic later– consider what was best for the crew first. "The antennae looks like it can still be saved," she said. "We can bring Ra... the body. We can bring it inside. Maybe there's some way of telling what happened."

She took a few short breaths. Stayed calm. Then she started moving toward the antennae.