Trapped - Mars Born Book One Read Free Page B

your suit,” I ordered. The realization of what had just happened released a swarm of insects in my gut.
      Taavi started to, then winced, “Shit! My ankle!”
      Oh, no, oh, no... What are we going to do if he can’t walk? My hands shook.
      “Get up anyway. I have to check your suit! You have to check mine!” my voice sounded shrill.
      “Uuuugh!” he groaned, but obeyed and let me examine his suit while he shined his own light on mine.
      We could find no serious damage or leaks on either of our suits, thankfully. If we had well… I didn’t want to think about the consequences of losing suit pressure, or running out of air to breathe. When we finished he collapsed back to the pit’s floor.
      “I’m sorry... but this hurts,” it was barely more than a whimper.
      He suddenly looked very young, the excitement and wonder from earlier replaced with pain and fright. His face looked empty without the smile I had become accustomed to.
      We were going to have to get back to the HabRov somehow. But how? We were in a small crevice. It looked like it had once been part of a lava tube, but the sides were collapsed in. The walls didn’t look scalable, not without training and climbing gloves at least. But maybe I could jump and reach the edge of the opening.
      On Earth it would have been an impossible jump, but in Mars’ gravity there was a chance.
      There wasn’t space for a running jump, only a few steps. I took them anyway. Here goes nothing, I thought, and launched myself towards the ledge. For one beautiful, hopeful second I thought I had it, but then my body slammed into pit’s wall.
      Taavi was watching. How embarrassing. At least he was polite enough not to say anything. Then again, maybe his ankle hurt too much.
       “How far was I?”
      “I don’t know,” he grunted, “half a meter?”
      Ares! That wasn’t good enough.
      I had to try again. This time I fell back down and landed on my butt. I had to be careful not to fall on my air tank, or rip the suit. Our suits weren’t built to take much damage. Unprotected by a suit, the martian atmosphere could kill you in a multitude of unpleasant ways, to put it mildly.
      Okay, think Emory!
      I looked at the far wall and wondered if I could jump off it then across and up. No. There was no way that could work. But if I could use my legs to help me climb, find some sort of foot hold, maybe, just maybe I could reach the ledge. I knew that as long as I could get a good hold I could pull myself up. Assuming the hold was sturdy.
      Third time is a charm, right? My heart was pumping so hard I could feel my pulse against the suit’s under piece. We had to get out. I stepped back. Three big breaths and I bounded at the wall.
      My right foot hit the wall and it pushed me higher. But instead of towards the ledge it propelled me away and my arms swung at empty air. I crashed back down to the pit’s floor.
      I was panting. Don’t panic, Emory, I told myself and sat down, then rested my faceplate on my knees.
      Taavi clicked his radio on, “Hello? Rumer? Anybody? S.O.S.”
      There was silence.
      “There’s no line of sight. That probably won’t work.”
      “Maybe someone else heard us?” He didn’t sound like he believed himself either.
      “Maybe,” I answered, I didn’t want to scare him. But, who would have heard us? The closest settlement was Cradle and that was several hundred kilometers off. Maybe Rumer would come, but even if she had heard our call, how would she find us?
      “How much oxygen do you have left?” I asked. Dread began gnawing at my stomach.
      “I don’t... this suit says 60%. How much is that?”
      “You’re joking? You don’t know how much your own suit uses?!” it wasn’t the nicest way to respond, but my patience was all but spent. Only an idiot didn’t learn the basics of their own suit before trusting their life to it.
      “Look, it wasn’t mine. It’s not my fault,” he threw