She watched Misha exit the airlock and carefully work his way along the Mir space station outer skin. There were spaced EVA handholds installed to keep the cosmonaut from floating away from the station. In addition, he had a long tether secured at the exit of the airlock.
“Working my way toward the solar arrays,” came Misha’s voice.
“Roger that,” replied Babette, speaking English, as Misha was doing, to avoid any possible miscommunication because of language during the space walk.
It is a beautiful and exciting scene, she thought. Sunlight reflecting off the silver exterior of Mir and the white space suit slowly moving along, like a white moth on a giant silver cocoon.
Then she panicked. Floating behind Misha like a giant snake moving in slow motion was his tether, all of it. It had disconnected from the airlock.
“Misha,” she called, “you are not secure.”
There was no reply.
“Misha, do you hear me? Please respond!”
Still no response.
Misha was now close to the arrays. He moved to the next handhold but released the last before clutching the next and started floating away from the station.
“Misha!” screamed Babette. “Come back!”
The white spacesuit drifted farther away.
“Mishaaaaaaaaaa!” screamed Babette.
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