A Mindnode is born

[Shagohad]

A young engineer, no older than the age of eighteen, gawked at the captain. Outside? Was he nuts? Made it even worse was that Ensign Chira Junya was the most experienced in EVA training. That would mean he'd head outside into an asteroid field, without shields, and fix the damn thing.

"Ensign Junya, you're on refit duty," The Chief Engineer said grimly. He knew the odds of the young man's survival. There was no hiding that.

"H-hai..." He replied, his head turning down sadly. The Captain was looking at him, a somewhat insensitive look on his face. Was that a hint of a smile...?

With great despair, he shuffled off to the airlock, collecting a toolbox as he went along. The first trip was the locker room. Slowly he sat on the bench and opened the locker with his name printed on it, withdrawing the components to his space suit. It seemed like an eternity as he quickly pulled it on. Is this my last few hours? Am I really going to die out there?

Suddenly, his thoughts were silenced as his eyes connected with a picture. A miniature version of himself, only wearing a dress uniform, looked back at him, a smile on his tiny face. Clinging to his right arm was a woman a head shorter, a similar smile on her face. Through her kimono a visible bulge could be made out in her midriff. Don't cry. Don't cry.

Before he could, the Chief Engineer walked in, a large component in his hands. He set it down on the bench and quickly opened his own locker, pulling his suit from within and pulling it on without emotion.

This was it. They were going to die. They were going to die out in this God-forsaken system. Damn Takao...

---

"THE HULL HAS BEEN BREACHED AND THE SCIENCE IS LEAKING OUT!"