The Aurora Borealis Keeps Its Lament novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Blackout

The blizzard came in two days later, and at nine at night the lights went out.

The whole station went black at once.

Chairs scraped, someone swore in the mess hall, and Paloma's voice rose over everything: "I have chocolate and no flashlight, who wants to die with me?"

Sabina's calm voice cut across the dark.

"The main generator's tripped. The reserve fuel is in the shed at the end of the east walkway. I need two cans, please. Quickly, the instruments will freeze."

"I'll go," I said.

I had told Iker that morning in the corridor: "Work only, Doctor. No favours and no debts, either way."

He had said, "Agreed," to the wall behind me.

I wanted to be useful in a way that had nothing to do with him.

I found my headlamp, pulled the hood tight and went out into the walkway.

The wind hit me like a hand.

The covered walk was a steel tunnel with snow drifting in at the sides, and my lamp showed ten feet of floor and nothing else.

At the end stood the shed door.

I pulled it open, found two fuel cans, and started back with one in each fist.

Halfway along the tunnel, my lamp flickered and died.

Total black.

I stood still with a can in each hand.

"Left," a voice said. "Hold your left foot back. There's a step."

"Iker?"

"The edge of it is iced. Let me take one of those."

He was so close that I felt his breath on my forehead.

I had not heard him come.

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