The red warning light on the console pulsed like a dying heart. Outside the reinforced viewscreen, the atmosphere of Michelle-020 was a swirling bruise of violet and charcoal.
"If that hatch blows, the extraction rig goes with it," Elias muttered. He grabbed his mag-tether and stepped toward the airlock. "What are you doing?" Sarah’s voice spiked with alarm. Michelle-020-star 3.7z
"The 7z seal is a manual override," he said, his breath hitching as his suit pressurized. "I have to lock it from the outside." The red warning light on the console pulsed
Michelle-020 was a ‘rogue’ planet—a dark world cast out from its solar system eons ago, wandering the void without a sun. The Star 3 expedition was supposed to be a simple extraction of the rare crystalline isotopes found in its frozen core. But the planet’s gravity had a jagged, unpredictable grip. He grabbed his mag-tether and stepped toward the airlock
He swung back, hands catching the jagged edge of the hatch. With a roar of effort, he slammed the 7z locking mechanism home. The seal hissed, the red light on his wrist turning a steady, calm green.