162nd Entry

April 3^rd, 2037

0300

Dear Space Diary

I’m nearly there.

“How does she look?”

Fine, I think. Just floating away.

“That doesn’t sound fine.”

I’m attempting to stay upbeat. Give me a minute. Nearly there.

0302

Got her. She’s… she’s out cold.

TAP TAP TAP

“What are you doing?”

Trying to get a response.

TAP TAP TAP

Nothing. She’s out.  We’ve got to get her some air soon.

“I don’t really know why the levels are so low. Does the suit look ok?”

Nothing wrong that I can see. No cracks or tears, tube’s properly connected.

“Take a closer look, if there’s a tear somewhere we need to patch it. Otherwise we can’t get the oxygen levels back up.”

Can’t I just carry her inside.

“You can, and you should be doing that anyway, but that’s more time without oxygen. If there’s something wrong we need to fix it now.”

Ok, ok, I’m just… not that comfortable with examining a woman in close detail. Feels a little prying.

“You’re not sexually harassing her, you’re saving her life!”

And that’s going to stand up in court?

“Just do it. Besides she’s in a space suit. How much are you really going to see?”

Ok, ok, fine.

0304

Nope, suit is good.

“And?”

You have very nice legs.

“Atta boy.”

So if they suit is fine, then why is she losing oxygen?

“I really don’t know, if the tube’s connected as you say –“

What about the tube?

“Pardon?”

The tube. What if the tear is on the tube.

“…that’d do it. And nothing would register on the monitor for the suit itself!”

Only one problem. That tube is very, very long. And it’s going to pretty hard to spot the leak.

“If it’s leaking, you should be able to see the gas escaping. If the flow is strong it should be pretty easy to see.”

Was the flow strong?

“Not especially.”

Can you make it stronger?

“Well I can, but then if you patch it 3.0 will suddenly get a much larger dose of oxygen.”

That’s good, it sounds like she needs to catch up.

“…It doesn’t work that way.”

It doesn’t.

“Gases 101. Not enough oxygen: bad. Too much oxygen: also bad.”

We’re fussy creatures aren’t we?

“Yes. Speaking of fussy, have you found the leak yet?”

I’m looking, I’m looking.

0307

“Well?”

Nothing yet.

“She’s running out of time.”

Look, this isn’t working. She needs oxygen, now.

“Ok. Feel like doing something drastic?”

Sure, why not.

“On the back of your suit is a loop through oxygen cable.”

A what?

“Sigh… a big blue cable that says “oxygen loop through.”

Found it.

“Plug it into the oxygen pass… into the orange plug on the back of 3.0’s suit.”

Ok. Done.

“Now, switch off the main oxygen tube on her suit.”

What?

“I’m increasing the oxygen through your tube and splitting it between you. It’s not much but it’ll keep her going.”

Enough for both of us?

“No. So hurry.”