“Glass.” Luke’s voice was hoarse. “I can’t let you do this.”
“I’m not just doing it for us.” She looked up at him, willing herself to stay calm. “By closing the skybridge, Phoenix left all of Walden and Arcadia to die. I can’t let innocent people suffer, not if there’s something I can do to help. I need to open the skybridge.”
Luke sighed and closed his eyes. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Then let’s get started.” He began methodically reviewing the equipment, explaining how everything worked—the pressurized suits, the clamps, the cord that would keep her tethered to the ship. His tone was calm and businesslike, as if he’d convinced himself that he was briefing a new guard, and not the only person he loved left in the universe.
He led Glass to the large window next to the airlock and pointed out the handholds that stretched all the way across. “The airlock on Phoenix can be opened from the outside—just untwist the big wheel; that will let you into the airlock chamber. Once you’re inside, I’ll head to the skybridge and meet you there.”
“It’s a date,” Glass said, managing a smile.
Luke pulled out one of the guards’ thermal jumpsuits and handed it to Glass. “Sorry,” he said. “This is the smallest one.” It was clearly made for someone much larger, but it would have to do.
Glass quickly pulled off her shirt and stepped out of her pants, shivering as the cold raised goose bumps along her arm. As she fumbled with the thermal, she looked up to see Luke staring at her with an intensity she’d never seen before, like he was trying to commit every line of her body to memory.
“You’re getting it all bunched up,” he said, his voice thick. “It won’t work if it’s not right next to your skin. Here.” Glass stood perfectly still as he ran his hands over the fabric, smoothing out all the wrinkles, his fingers traveling deftly across her shoulders, down her back, over her hips. She shivered. Each time his hands moved to a new spot, she felt a tiny pang of loss. What if he was touching her for the very last time?
Finally, he stepped away and reached for the space suit, checking various pieces of equipment before carrying it over to her.
Neither of them spoke as Luke helped her step into the bottom part of the suit, fastening it tightly around her waist. He instructed her to raise her arms and pulled the top portion over her head. His face pale, he locked the two sections into place. There was an audible click, and Glass inhaled sharply. “Are you okay?” Luke asked, taking her hand.
She nodded. He opened his mouth to respond, then changed his mind and reached for the gloves, which he pulled, one at a time, over Glass’s hands.
Only the helmet was left. “I should’ve put my hair up first,” Glass said, holding up her gloves.
“I’ll do it.” He reached into her pocket to remove the elastic band for her, then stepped behind her and smoothed her hair back into a ponytail, gently tucking a few stray strands behind her ears and wrapping the band around it tight.
Luke smiled shakily as he stepped back. “I guess it’s go time.” He wrapped his arms around her, and even though she couldn’t feel the pressure through the suit, Glass felt warmer inside. “Be very, very careful out there, okay?” he said, his voice muffled. “If anything happens, come straight back. Don’t take any risks.”
Glass nodded. “I love you.” She couldn’t count the number of times she’d said those words, but they seemed different now. She could hear the echo of every past I love you in them, and the promise of a lifetime more.
Luke lowered his head and kissed her. For a moment, Glass closed her eyes and allowed herself to pretend that this was just a normal kiss, that she was a regular seventeen-year-old kissing the boy she loved. She leaned forward eagerly—and felt the weight of the bulky space suit jar her back to reality.
Luke pulled away and picked up the helmet. “Good luck,” he said, bending down to kiss her forehead. Then he lowered the helmet over her head and locked it into place.
Glass gasped as the world became dark and suffocating. She was back in Confinement. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. But then she felt Luke squeeze her hand through her glove, and she relaxed, taking a deep breath as air from her tank streamed directly into her nose.
After days of oxygen deprivation, being able to breathe like this felt euphoric. She was suddenly wide awake, able to do anything. She gave Luke a thumbs-up sign to let him know that she was ready, and he walked over to the control panel. There was a crackling sound in her helmet, and then Luke’s voice was in her ear. “How you doing in there, spacewalker?”
“I’m okay,” she said, not sure where she was supposed to speak. “Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” he said. “Radio’s all set. Feel like a stroll?”
Glass nodded, and he led her to the airlock. The suit was lighter than she’d expected, but walking still required a great deal of thought, almost like she was a toddler, experimenting with each limb before she tried to move it. Luke punched a code into the panel next to the heavy metal door, and it opened, revealing the tiny airlock chamber. On the other side was the door that led outside, to a minus-270-degree vacuum.
He fastened a cable to the front of her suit, then checked again to make sure it was secure. Luke showed her where it attached to the ship, and how it extended and retracted to follow Glass’s movements. “Okay,” he said, his voice coming from somewhere behind her right ear. “I’m going back inside to close the first door. Then I’ll let you know when it’s safe to open the second door. You’ll have ten seconds to make it through before it closes automatically. Just grab on to the first handhold and swing yourself out.”
“Sounds like a breeze.”
Luke gave her gear a final check, then squeezed her hand. “You’ll be great.” He tapped the front of her helmet. “See you soon.”
“See you soon,” she echoed.
He disappeared back through the door, leaving her alone, with nothing between her and the vast emptiness of space except a metal door and a three-hundred-year-old space suit.
“Okay,” Luke’s voice came from the speaker again. “Get ready. I’m going to open the second door.”
Glass dragged herself forward, her legs suddenly heavy. After the longest eight steps of her life, she reached the door. “I’m ready.”