Every day Earth inched toward resurrection.
When I returned to the lab, I struggled to focus. I caught myself staring at the speaker more often than not.
By evening, the lab and our research wing had emptied out almost completely. Artificial lights dimmed into the station’s nighttime cycle, washing the lab in muted blue.
Elias stretched beside the doorway and pulled his sweatshirt hood up again. “I’m heading out before Kit comes looking for me.”
I glanced up from the monitor. “Coward.”
“You staying?”
“Yeah. Just a little longer.”
His eyes flicked toward the radio, then he nodded once. “Try to sleep at some point, okay?”
“No promises.”
He snorted softly and slapped the door controls on his way out. “Night, Jude.”
“Night.” Then the door slid shut behind him.
And I was alone. Deep in the walls, the station groaned and hummed around me with the slow, steady rhythm of a sleeping giant’s heartbeat, the ventilation sighing between pulses like breath. Years ago the noise used to keep me awake. Now it marked the passing hours better than any clock. My terminal cast pale light across the desk while static crackled softly from the radio speaker beside it.
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed at my eyes. I was really fucking tired, even though I’d given everyone shit about it. My eyes were heavy as I settled into the seat. Just for a second, I told myself.
Just for a minute.
The exhaustion hit me harder than expected, and my head tilted back, the static blurring into the hum of the station.
Somewhere between one breath and the next, I fell asleep.
“...Hello?” The voice cut through the static like a knife.
I jerked awake so fast the chair nearly tipped backward. For one terrifying second I thought I’d dreamed it. Then—
“Jude, can you hear me?”
My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I grabbed the microphone, button flaring red when I turned it on.
“Solace?”
Static crackled hard through the speakers.
“Oh, thank God. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to reach you again.”
I sighed, head hitting my desk. Me neither.God I was so worried…
“I’ll never leave you again.”
She made this noise in the back of her throat—disbelief bleeding through, even if she’d finished it off with a nervous laugh. “I’m just so happy to be talking to someone.”
I was on my feet before I realized I’d moved, one hand gripping the edge of the desk so tightly my knuckles hurt. “Me too. How are you? How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
Of course she isn’t fine, you idiot.
“Erm—” I cleared my throat. “Have you slept?”
This time she did laugh. Full and bright. “All I do is sleep. I’m relieved to be awake.”
