The clones couldn't have picked anything worse for them to do. The cold during the free-fall was unbelievable, and once the parachute was open, they were shaken left and right by strong winds. Moreover they could barely see, as the sun was low on the horizon, never rising much.
In preparation to their solo dive from the stratosphere they got three training launches with experts from lower altitudes. Absolutely not enough.
LWAZI
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die tomorrow...
He was sitting in the snow, the parachute wrapped around him.
JUNIOR
How exactly are you going to die?
Asked Junior, as he staggered towards him.
LWAZI
I don't know... heart attack, explosive decompression, parachute won't open, drowning in my own tears... take your pick...
JUNIOR
My bet is on hypothermia.
LWAZI
Oh yeah... that too...
Junior sat down beside him. They watched the spaceship coming down, waiting for the clones to come pick them up.
JUNIOR
R-328 and X-466 really are crazy...
Lwazi turned around and looked at Junior with a bewildered expression on his face.
JUNIOR
What's up?
He said, noticing Lwazi's astonished look.
LWAZI
I don't think I ever heard you badmouth those sadistic aliens!
JUNIOR
Yeah, well... this launch is too much even for me.
LWAZI
Took you long enough!
JUNIOR
I mean... there's people who train their entire lives to do what we're about to do. And we only had a couple of days and three tries!
LWAZI
Maybe they expect us all to die...
JUNIOR
Perhaps that's exactly what X-466 is planning...
Lwazi shook his head.
LWAZI
You would fit in rather nicely with them...
JUNIOR
Thanks.
LWAZI
That wasn't meant as a compliment.
That night, to his surprise, Junior fell asleep rather fast, which was odd, considering how nervous he was. The night before a baseball game he always struggled to get to sleep. This time though, his nervousness made him wake up way sooner than everyone else. He tossed and turned for a while before giving up and heading to the kitchen. He sat down biting on a cookie, staring into space.
The second to wake up was Irina. She came into the kitchen and completely ignored Junior. "Some things never change..." he thought to himself.
JUNIOR
Udachi!
She glimpsed at him, harshly judging his dreadful attempt at Russian.
IRINA
Keep your luck. You are going to need it!
And out she walked.
The next time Junior saw her up close, she was sitting in front of him inside the clones' ship. They were climbing ever higher and into the stratosphere.
X-466
Once the hatch opens...
Bellowed X-466 at the scared young boys and girls sitting around him.
X-466
...jump outside one at a time. Stick the landing and sit tight. The beacons we gave you will lead us to you. Just like we practiced.
He finished with a smirk.
R-328
Final equipment check!
At that order, everybody checked their own chest straps and glove seals. Once they had done that, they bent down so that an attendant could check their oxygen tube one last time.
ATTENDANTS
Equipment checked!
R-328
Altitude reached. Open the hatch.
The entire craft shook as the hatch started opening up.
R-328
Get ready to jump.
Everybody unstrapped themselves from their seats, got up and turned to face the hatch opening.
Out of curiosity, Junior looked at the faces around him. Every face was scared or terrified, except for one person. This person was determined and focused. Nick was staring straight at Irina, and Junior naturally followed his gaze. Everything seemed normal at first.
The hatch opened fully.
R-328
Jump!
Paaye was the first, followed shortly by Marina. After she jumped, several things happened at once.
At the back of the line, Lwazi crashed to the floor, bringing two more people down with him. Instinctively everybody turned towards them, but not Junior. His gaze was fixed on Irina, who was stumbling forward, towards the open hatch. When she fell outside, Junior was already running to her. While taking his last step, he remembered the last time he had seen unconscious bodies falling from the sky....
He jumped.
