“It is safe to unseal it,” Paris said.
He began collecting their supplies and storing them in the packs. Josh used his knife to make a small cut in the plastic. No sand blew in. The worst was over, so he cut away the covering and rolled it into a ball they could pack out.
They had put on their masks before unsealing the entrance, but they would need helmets to return to the lander. Josh unhooked the oxygenator and placed it into its pack while Paris struck and folded the tent. When Josh finished and turned to help Paris with the supplies, he saw their helmets resting on the sand where the tent had been.
Paris had finished packing. He reached for his helmet, but Josh put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait.”
Paris stopped. “We can leave.”
“I know.” He brushed Paris’s jaw with one finger.
Pa
