Far and beyond

Shoulders aren't meant to be cried on

Steph and Mike were walking from the hypertrain station to the small hut made out of thick stone walls. The transformer stations they visited usually had thin composite walls, mostly out of some form of concrete. Some transformers were even left in the open, apart from a metal container. This one, however, was in a building that could resemble nothing else than a bunker. They and another team of two were sent to examine the station alongside it's surroundings. After an hour or so, it was clear that the problem is not to be found at the station, and that the teams would need to go out in the freezing cold and try to figure out what's wrong.

A short conversation made it clear who would do what. Steph and Mike would examine the components leading to the mine while the other team would go in the direction of Nebograd. It was more than 30 kilometers to Nebograd. It was almost 45 to the mines. Almost all of it was a steep clime in the snow. The roads were covered with the white stuff and rendered mostly unusable. The snow was different from earth. Loose magnesium based particles from the mountain melted it on touch while the freezing temperature instantly refroze it. The composition of it made it sticky and heavy and tough to clear since it was always wet, yet always freezing. It got worse the higher you go. The breathing wasn't the most pleasant of things either. The same particles that affected the snow affected the lungs. People learned that the hard way. Prolonged exposure at the wrong time could have devastating consequences. Steph and Mike made sure to have their breathing masks on them along with their googles. The only form of communication were earphones they had underneath the three or four layers of clothing that were preventing their ears from freezing. All of the clothes protected them from the cold, but made it difficult to move. The depth of the snow, the weight of the clothes and the equipment they carried in their backpacks meant that they could only cover so much ground.

- Well, I personally prefer the beaches on the other end of the belt. - said Steph in an attempt to loosen the still present tension brewing between the men. 

- Yeah? You know what I prefer? - replied Mike with a seemingly friendly tone.

- Should I guess or are yo...

- I PREFER MY PARTNER NOT DICKING AROUND AND TAKING THE SITUATION SERIOUSLY! I PREFER TO NOT ACT AS IF NOTHING IS WRONG WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING IS! I PREFER HONESTY! And honestly, you don't sound honest. - Mikes shouting was amplified by the headphones. He didn't have the patience for another one of Stephs lighthearted remarks.

- Why the f**k are you mad at me for? I did not lie to you. We both found out about this alien s**t at the same time. And you're acting like I'm holding this big secret from you. - Steph was never fond of accusations.

- Oh, it's not me you're hiding things from. 

- What do you mean? Who would I be hiding stuff from...

- Monsa. 

- What? What would I be hiding from Monsa?

- You're hiding the truth. You're hiding that you worry. You're hiding that you're afraid. You're trying to seem all cool and confident like it's just another day at the office, but it's not. You know it. I know is. And I hope to God she knows it. Because you acting all nonchalant about it could make her put her guard down, and out there, that's all it takes for someone to get hurt. - Mike knew how bad this sounded only after he heard himself say it out loud. He knew Steph loved Monsa and he wouldn't do anything that he believed would hurt her, but he also believed that what he said was right.

- What? Who are you to judge me for that? Why do you think that YOU know better? My job is to be the stable, fixed point that she can rely on. You think I'm not scared? I am. But I also don't believe that some magical flower is proof of an alien civilization. And I also know for a fact that she can handle herself out there. Last thing she needs is to see me panicking. And from now on, feel free to use this channel for job related stuff only.

Steph was caught off guard. He did not know if he believed in what he was saying, nor did he believe in what Mike was saying. He tried to tell himself that he DID know better than Mike. He tried to believe in what he was saying. But now doubt had creeped in. It had infested his mind like a parasite. As the two men were walking the never ending snowfall made it impossible for them to see anything other than the power line that they were digging out from under the snow. Steph lifted his head up wanting to see where Mike is but all he saw was a curtain of white. It was almost as he had a thin, weightless piece of cotton strapped around his temples, covering his eyes. All was quiet until..."HOLY CRAP!!" echoed through Steph's headphones. The long quiet, disrupted only by the blowing of the snow cluttered wind made him enter a place inside his own head and the nature of the yell pulled him back from it violently.

- What? What happened? Mike?? Are you okay?? - Steph was mumbling words as they came, not being able to complete a sentence. Not knowing where to turn or run to made him anxious. - Mike?? Mike??

Steph pulled back his sleeve to reveal a thin electronic bracelet with a small screen on it. He tapped it against his googles and they lit up in a moment. His HUD was normally disabled so that he could have better view of what he was doing and all the shining interfaces and options were a distraction, but in cases like this they were godsent. He saw a silhouette of a man in front of him and to the right. It could only be Mike. He was about 7-8 meters in front of him according to a distance meter. A distance that seemed like miles in the deep snow. He seemed to be still standing, that is a good sign. As he rushed towards him he saw Mike standing above the thick cables as he saw something logged into them. 

- Is that... what I think it is? - Steph was now seeing what must have triggered the silence shattering scream from before.

It was something like a spear piercing the protective outer casing of the cable. It was interconnected in such a way that was meant to cause a short circuit every time current would flow over it. That must be it why the transformer keeps disconnecting. Both men were standing over it and wondering what to do next. Whichever step they chose would be the wrong one.