Time slowed down and sped up at the same time. Sweat broke out on my forehead and back. There wasn’t enough air, and every move the others made was as loud as a bomb detonating.
String after string, I entered the complicated combination, holding my breath every time the field receptors processed them. We were speeding towards a giant wall we couldn’t even see, but which could activate on impact and pulverize our little bird.
It seemed like too soon and hours later when the last sequence was accepted. The alarms went quiet, the normal lighting resumed, and I heard the cheers of the crew. We were good to go.
I stood on shaky legs, holding myself up against the command console. I could finally breathe again and my lungs expanded with the well-deserved treat.
“Great job, kid,” Mark said, h
