He was home now. Apartment H0L454. A cozy bed, a crackling self-regulated fireplace… All of the comforts within a luxurious planetside flat that one could ask for. He stirred in his cozy chair, eyes angling downward.
The day that he left for The Neu Berlin University; he was wearing the thick synthetic enviro-parka needed for safe outdoor travel on the dark side of the planet’s arctic surface. He got up from the chair, shouldering a pack full of the materials he would need to start his new life.
Erich’s heart crept into his lungs as he slowly made his way to his room’s door, finding a man and woman standing on the other side as it opened. They said nothing, simply stared. He began to sweat from the air’s tension, to say nothing of the stifling enviro-parka.
Finally, the woman -- Erich’s mother, he recognized -- spoke up.
“Erich, are you there? Do you see me?”
Piercing light flooded the scene, returning him to the flickering, sparking cockpit of a civilian snubcraft. His eyes weakly narrowed until taking in a ship hovering, stationary, in front of his.
Even though it likely was only a few seconds, Erich’s gaze seemed to stretch indefinitely upon the flickering warning signals of the ship’s displays. Every breath seemed as if it was strained through a cheesecloth. He wheezed out weakly, struggling to put his thoughts to words.
“I am here, and I see you. My oxygen is low, and my fuel is lower. Pressurize your suit, connect it to your ship’s oxygen supply… You may need to manually replace my H-fuel cells.”
He gasped for air again, before continuing.
“Afterwards… I care not what happens. Take me into custody if you feel the need. Anything to bring closure.”
