18 IMMINENT SUFFOCATION

18 IMMINENT SUFFOCATION Lunar day 252 Quite possibly the last minutes of my life "Stop it!" Violet screamed at whoever had attacked me. Her voice was high-pitched and terrified. She understood what was going on, but she couldn't do anything to help me. She was still stuck on her back. "Leave my brother alone!" On the radio channel, along with her screams, I could hear something else: the sounds of my attacker breathing heavily. They had been listening in on the same channel we had been using. Either

the exertion of attacking me was forcing them to breathe louder than before—or I stupidly hadn't realized they were eavesdropping until it was too late. "Violet!" I yelled. "They pulled my oxygen hose! You need to " I actually said "put it back," but Violet didn't hear that part. And neither did anyone else. My radio went dead as my attacker killed that, too. And then they shoved me down on top of Violet. My helmet slammed into the ground. Luckily, there were no moon rocks to break the face plate, but I ended up facedown in a pile of moon dust, which clung to the glass and practically blinded me. "Warning," the voice in my suit announced. "You have approximately two minutes and thirty seconds to repair your oxygen hose or return to the base." A graphic showing my rapidly depleting oxygen supply appeared on the heads-up display inside the helmet. So, basically, worst-case scenario. Two minutes and thirty seconds was very little time to get back to the base, enter the air lock, and repressurize it, especially when someone else was doing their best to make sure I died on the lunar surface. I tried to

scramble to my feet anyhow, but they shoved me right back down again. I struggled against them, wondering how I had managed to end up in yet another life-or-death situation, wishing that I had never left the moon base, wanting desperately to be safely back inside... And then, suddenly, I was. There was a flash and the strange sensation of being pulled through something, and then I was standing inside the air lock, without my space suit, safe as could be. Only, when I looked through the air-lock window, I could see that everyone else was still out on the surface—including someone lying on their stomach, who I realized was actually me. I had transmitted myself via thought again, only this time I had done it without Zan's help, and I hadn't projected to someone like Riley. I had simply projected myself—or my mind—to exactly where I wanted to be: the safety of the air lock. In the heat and desperation of the moment, I had managed to pull off the trick of traveling via thought once again. Unfortunately, my body was still dying back on the lunar surface. So I didn't have time to savor the moment. Or even focus on how I'd done it. I thought myself back into my own body, which

was far easier to do. Once I stopped trying so hard to think myself away, it was as though my mind homed right back in on where it was supposed to be. One second I was in the air lock. The next I was back in my space suit, two minutes from death. I fought to survive. I heaved myself up to my knees. My attacker tried to shove me back down again, but adrenaline was now surging through me. I braced against their attack, then swiveled toward MBA. The air-lock door was probably forty-five seconds away, and it would take another minute to repressurize inside. Then I'd have fifteen seconds to unlock my helmet.... Only my attacker was still between me and the air lock. Since I was on my knees, they loomed over me. And since their reflective visor was down, I couldn't see their face. I had no idea who they were, or what they were thinking. It was like facing a robot, rather than a human being. In the warped mirror of their visor, I saw myself, kneeling helplessly before them. But there was other movement as well. Behind me, Violet was struggling to her feet, probably having an adrenaline surge of her own. I couldn't

quite make out what Violet was doing, but she seemed to be reaching for my oxygen hose. My attacker turned slightly, noticing Violet. And then they lunged for her as well. "No!" I screamed. Without my radio connection, I was the only one who heard it. My voice echoed in my helmet. I reached for my attacker, but they easily brushed past me, heading for Violet. "Warning," the computer said. "Ninety seconds left." Violet tried to run from our attacker, making the mistake of turning her back on the enemy. Now her fragile network of life-sustaining hoses and other equipment was exposed. The attacker grabbed her oxygen hose and tugged on it. It didn't come free, but I figured another good yank would do the trick. And if Violet lost her oxygen supply, she probably wouldn't have the ability or mental calm to make it to safety. My own oxygen was going fast, but I wasn't about to let someone take down my sister, too. I staggered to my feet, determined to defend Violet to my last breath. Only, before I could attack, someone else did it

for me. Another Moonie suddenly raced into view and body-slammed Violet's attacker. Once again, due to the reflective visor, I had no idea who our savior was. Both Moonies went flying due to the impact. They sailed ten feet and then tumbled across the lunar surface, plowing through the moon dust. Violet's oxygen hose was still attached. She was safe. "Warning," my suit computer said. "Sixty seconds left." I turned back toward the air lock, wondering how long I could hold my breath. And worried that if I saved myself, I would be leaving my savior at the mercy of the killer. Something tugged at the back of my suit. For a brief, terrifying moment, I feared a second killer had attacked, but then I realized that I could no longer see Violet, and it must be her behind me. There was a metallic click, followed by a sudden whoosh of air. "Crisis averted," the computerized voice announced. "Your oxygen hose has been properly reconnected. Please exercise caution: Your oxygen level is now only at forty-two percent." The heads-up display changed. My oxygen level