Transmission #22 - Craquelure and Tears
Transmission from: Suki Kandoll, Senior Infrastuctural Technician at Jupiter Station.
Received Time: 11 May 2134, 18:32:45 UT
Working on the space station’s outer ring,
only my breathing and your transmissions for
company, I turned to retrieve a wrench and froze.
A craquelure pattern spider-webbed its way
across your polycarbonate visor, reminding me
for a moment of Jupiter’s moon Europa. I feared
I was too late and a tear I couldn't wipe away
trickled down my cheek as I began to move.
I hustled you inside as fast as I could, I called for
a medic as I willed the airlock to cycle. The response
team arrived as the doors opened. Your helmet
removed and analyzed, they pointed out the
impact divot from the micrometeorite. Not
listening, I watched the medic work. At last, your eyes
opened and you smiled. Nothing stopped me from
wiping away the tears of joy. I just didn't want to.
Suki Kandoll started her career as an underwater construction worker on Earth. With encouragement from her employers, she applied to the Space Service, where she excelled in her training in space station repairs. Suki had a lifelong passion for poetry, and her wife, Amy Chandler.
Image generated via Magic Hour
Transmission received via David Lee Summers