I take a bite of my lamb chop, savoring the juicy meat, before wiping my hands. My stomach churns as I notice the oxygen levels dropping on the monitors. I quickly alert Noor, my colleague, and she closes the door as I seal the lid on my food. We both buckle our seat belts and put on our oxygen masks, following safety protocols.

The oxygen levels in the room gradually start to improve, but the red alarms on the walls continue to blare loudly. Noor and I exchange anxious glances, waiting for updates.

Suddenly, the speakers crackle to life, announcing the captain's return from a trip to another spaceship. I feel relieved as I catch my breath, but now the alarms are glaring silently.

Then the captain's voice comes through the intercom.

He shares news about replenishing the icy water supplies and securing more oxygen masks and food for us to eat. He also mentions the damage done to the cargo bay, where Noor and I are stationed, by a small group of meteoroids. Yet, the captain's determination to save the stranded crew members echoes through the static-filled intercom. He emphasizes that the crew is his priority, no matter the risks.

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As the announcement comes to an end, the captain addresses Noor and me directly, reassuring us that we’ll never be abandoned and instructing us to await help to get to bay's control room.

When the intercom cuts off, the red alarms turn green.

"We're detaching it," I say, my voice shaky, as I take off my mask. "I think we're jettisoning the bay of the ship."

Noor springs to her feet, checking the monitors again. She notices that the oxygen levels in the room are stable and observes Dispatchers coming to our location. As they make their way toward us, she notices them assisting other crew members out of the bay.

I quickly tell her to check the door and be mindful of the oxygen levels outside. She secures the door and goes back to her seat. Then, the door creaks open.

A Dispatcher clad in a hazmat suit walks into the room. I feel a surge of relief and express my heartfelt gratitude to him.

Then another Dispatcher pauses at the door, and suddenly I hear a loud thud beside me. I look around to see Noor lying face down in front of her chair.

As I try to stand, my legs give out, and I stumble, losing my balance. I collapse to the floor, and my gas mask thumps beside me. My vision becomes foggy, and the room spins around me. I reach out to Noor, struggling to catch my breath, as a puff of fume emanates from the gas mask against my face.

I fight against drowsiness, straining to look up and squinting through the blur. I see the first Dispatcher standing over me, giggling.

"Tell the captain," he says, "we've got ourselves two more lambs to eat."