Chapter 6: Away From The Sun
A sense of panic flooded the bridge of the ship.
“A problem? What’s happening out there?” Scootaloo moved her attention from the window to one of the consoles.
“The airlock doors, they ain’t openin’!” Applebloom shouted in horror.
Over the radio, Spike’s voice was distressed, “Open the airlock doors, Sweetie Belle!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the white unicorn quickly tapped on her console, “I really can’t! The circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong!”
“I could have told you that!” Spike shouted again.
The earth pony spoke on the radio, “Spike, don’t panic out there, you have less than two minutes of air left.”
“And that means I have even less time to get back inside,” the dragon’s tone seemed to have calmed, “and now for the how.”
“The door isn’t opening by the button, right? Well, try to open the door with your own two claws!” the orange pegasus spoke into the radio.
Back outside in space, Spike heard the idea, “Are you kidding me? That sounds like the dumbest thing ever, Scootaloo. How in Celestia’s name do I do that?”
“Got any better ideas out there, Spike?” Applebloom asked over the radio.
Before the dragon could answer, Sweetie Belle’s voice came on again, “One minute of air left in your suit!”
Taking a sigh, Spike spoke, “Guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
Scootaloo’s voice came on the radio, “I’m going to try and open them again while rerouting all available power to the doors themselves. It should force the doors open. Are you ready?”
With a gulp, Spike grabbed onto the ship. He knew he had no other options of what to do. “Yeah, I am.”
“Here it goes,” the pegasus pressed the button.
Spike watched the doors begin to stir. He couldn’t hear any of the machinery working and trying to open the door, but it was apparent the doors were struggling to slide apart.
“It’s not working. The doors only opened up a little crack,” Spike informed.
“Then ya gotta help it open yerself,” Applebloom shouted.
“Are you stupid? If the power to the doors give out, SPLAT! Spike get’s caught into the doors!” Sweetie Belle exaggerated.
“I don’t have a choice,” the dragon shoved his claws into the small crack between the two doors. Using every bit of strength he had, Spike struggled to push the doors apart. Slowly, he pushed the doors far enough apart so he could enter. But as the door became bigger, the atmosphere of the airlock room was escaping into the vacuum of space, trying to push Spike right back outside.
“Spike, are you okay? How’s it going back there?” Scootaloo shouted over the radio.
The struggling dragon uttered a few words, “Can’t….talk….I’m a bit….busy….”
“You have fifteen seconds of air left!” the unicorn blurted out.
The airlock doors were separated far enough for the dragon. Ignoring the warning Sweetie Belle gave, he used his claws to pull himself inside of the ship. Grabbing on to any solid item he could, Spike pulled himself further in while the vacuum of space continuously tried to pull him back out.
“You’re out of air, Spike, you’re out of air!” Sweetie Belle panicked.
“I’m in, but the doors are jammed,” Spike labored to even speak, clinging on to the railing inside of airlock.
“Jammed? The doors won’t close now?” Scootaloo was shocked, “We can’t stop now! How do we get those doors closed?”
“There’s an override button in the room somewhere, Spike. Ya gotta hit it to close the doors,” the earth pony ordered, “Hurry!”
While hanging on the railing, Spike looked around the room, “I can’t see….wait, it’s near the airlock door! It’s too far for me to reach from here.”
“You got to hit it, before it’s too late!” the unicorn shouted again into the radio.
The dragon’s breathing] was getting more quick and cautious, “Al-Alright….here it goes….and if I don’t make it….tell….tell Twilight that I love her very much….”
“She knows, Spike, an’ ya can tell her when ya get back in here!” Applebloom yelled into her microphone.
He looked down at the door. The air continued to rush out of the ship and into space. Next to the door was a large red button, the emergency door closer. Taking one last breath, Spike let go of the railing and was swept up in the rush of air. Trying his hardest to keep his eyes open, he kept his vision fixed on the red button. Flying closer to it, he reached out his claw. With the last bit of his conscious awareness, he moved his claw right up to the button and pressed it with every bit of strength
The moment the button was hit, the sliding doors shut quickly. As they did, the rushing air ceased, gravity returned to the room, and Spike fell onto the floor. The flow of oxygen returned into the room. The dragon’s body, however, didn’t move.
Not even a second later, the door to the rest of the ship opened and three ponies rushed in.
“Spike, ya did it!” the yellow filly exclaimed cheerfully.
Sweetie Belle looked around, “Where’s Spike?”
“Look!” Scootaloo pointed to the dragon in the space suit.
The three quickly rushed to Spike’s side.
“The helmet! Take the helmet off of him!” the unicorn panicked.
Applebloom and Scootaloo where quick to comply. They looked at Spike’s face with his helmet off. His eyes were closed and his body seemed lifeless.
“Is he breathing? I can’t tell!”
“Did he run out of air?”
“Do ya….do ya think he’s….”
The girls continued to talk over the dragon. Spike’s body stirred. He coughed and began to gasp for air. The fillies looked down at him with smiles and tears in their eyes. “My mind is going….I’m afraid….” he mumbled incoherently.
“It’s okay, Spike, you’re okay….” Scootaloo said, wiping a tear out of her eye.
“I….I made it?” he asked, sitting himself up.
“Yeah, ya managed to make in,” Applebloom hugged the dragon, in which the other ponies joined in.
Spike took a deep breath and a sigh of relief, “Well, I’m really glad that worked then. Those would have been terrible last words. Now let’s just get out of here and back home.”
Sweetie Belle agreed, “Yes, l think it’s time we put an end to our trek through the stars.”