Nita

"You're not helping." Nita said to the lights flashing on the console before her. Each burst of illumination served as a reminder that another second was lost, another few breaths of air had been jettisoned to the vast void of space.

"Bot Z," Nita said to the control panel, "transport cargo crate 43 to docking bay one." On some level Nita was aware that her voice was calm and level, the complete opposite of the confusion and worry that had her insides in turmoil.

"Mainframe," she said, addressing the core computer of the ship, "what is the damage diagnostic?"

The answer came through the speakers in an ageless, sexless voice. "A rogue meteor impacted the starboard side of docking bay one resulting in a puncture 2 meters in diameter to the vessel's wall. The projectile continued its path, breaching walls from the surface of the ship to the inner mechanical station. Impact with the mechanics has resulted in many fatal crashes of the ship's operational control."

"Casualties?" Nita asked.

"Four crew members were ejected moments after impact as the pressure equalized in the docking bay. Three crew members were killed when oxygen tank four exploded in the mechanical station. And one crew member was killed as the meteor passed through his sleeping quarters, which he was occupying at the time."

"Eight people dead," Nita mumbled to herself, "nearly a third of my crew." She had seen death aboard ships before, and knew that there would be a time and a place to grieve, but also knew that it was neither while she was stuck in her current predicament.

Afraid the answer had not changed since the alarms woke her, Nita asked, "Are the air containment systems back online?"

"Negative."

A single word was all it took to make the woman's blood turn to ice. "Why did this have to happen during my shift?" she asked herself, wishing someone else could be held responsible. She knew there was nothing anyone would have been able to do, the meteor was traveling too fast for any sort of evasive maneuver to have been effective. She just hoped the Board would understand that.

"Bot Z in position." The console announced, snapping Nita's attention back to the monitors.

"Bot Z enable Mag Tracks and place container flush against the wall, on top of the other containers. Cover the breach, then return to the aft holding station." Nita instructed, knowing that the electromagnets installed in the robot's treads would prevent it from being pulled into the vacuum of space.

"The Board should give me a medal for this one," Nita said.

"I agree captain," the familiar voice answered from behind her.

"Mr. Trant," she said hoping the ship's lead engineer didn't see how much he'd startled her, "how are things in the engine room?"

"They're not good captain. Massive damage on two of the turbines. And we'll be lucky if the other two stay functional for more than 48 hours or so. The air containment system has no chance of being fixed, but it looks like you've taken care of that in a rather - unusual - way."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"And you should captain, I would have never thought of rearranging the ship's cargo and using the containers to patch the breach. Not only that, but you were focused enough to keep the center of gravity equal.

"Don't look at me like that. I had to travel through the port side hallways, for every crate you moved starboard you matched it with one on port."

Nita waved Trant's compliments away, any other captain would have done the same. "Is there a reason you're here Mr. Trant?"

"Ahh," the engineer stumbled, anxious about having to deliver more bad news. "Yes captain. You see, the oxygen generator has sprung a leak. Highly toxic, flammable pure oxygen is pumping into section 45. I have already ordered everyone to vacate the area.

"Whether you want to hear it or not, you saved the lives of everyone on this ship. I just want to make sure you're aware of the new threats aboard so that we all stay alive."

Nita nodded her head, "Thank you Mr. Trant."

Trant recognized the tone and gave a bow before leaving the command room.

Left alone with her thoughts Nita replayed the situation again. Was there anything she could have done different? There was so much damage to the ship. And Trant's report didn't leave her feeling too optimistic. Sure, the rescue ship had already departed, but it was still three days away. Would the air generator work until help arrived? How would they vent the dangerous gas building up in the aft of the ship when the time came?

Nita's eyes widened in horror at her last thought. She scrambled for the control panel, hitting the bot connect button and shouting into the microphone. "Bot Z, immediate power down. Repeat, power down, do not proceed to the holding sta-"

The explosion rocked the ship, throwing Nita against the console. "Too late," she mumbled, feeling the blood start to pool around her. All of her work, all of the lives on the ship, all would be lost because she had sent one robot back to the holding station. A robot that she had not ordered to deactivate its electromagnets. The fact that the ship was perfectly balanced, that she had moved the containers perfectly, all was for nothing.

The blackness was growing around the edges of Nita's vision as a second explosion tore through the belly of the ship.

"I'm sorry," was all Nita could say before she slipped out of the waking world for the final time.