The group sits around the pot with leftovers on the gas stove, enjoying - the view of the skyline from above. They had decided to wait on top of - one of the tallest sky scrapers the city had to offer to increase their - odds of seeing where Emily would land. The intense light of the setting - sun paints Nova Metropolis in vibrant hues of yellow and orange and the - moon is already visible in the sky. They are engaged in a conversation - about the mind-boggling vastness of space and all it contains. + the view of the skyline from above. To increase their odds of seeing + where Emily would land, they had decided to wait on top of one of the + tallest sky scrapers the city had to offer. + + + The intense light of the + setting sun paints Nova Metropolis in vibrant hues of yellow and orange + while the moon is already coming over the horizon. + + They are engaged in a conversation about the + mind-boggling vastness of space and all it contains.
- bebebebeep bebebebeep bebebebeep bebebebeep + bebebebeep bebebebeep bebebebeep
The alarm on Jack's watch interrupts them. He presses one of the
@@ -22,13 +27,16 @@
They get up. James pulls a pair of binoculars out of his bag. Jack does
the same. Annie looks at both of them - her face clearly showing her
disappointment.
- Don't worry, I gotchu. says Jack
- as he pulls a second pair out of his bag before they start walking
- towards the edge.
+ Don't worry, I got ya. says Jack
+ as he pulls a second pair out of his bag and hands it to her with a grin.
+
+
+ Oh, thank you! She takes it and they
+ start walking towards the edge.
Michelle and James are already leaning against the railing and looking
- towards the sky. Jack and Annie join them. Jack takes a compass out of
+ towards the sky. Annie and Jack join them. Jack takes a compass out of
his pocket and briefly looks at it. Then, he points in a direction in the
sky and says:
The shuttle should appear somewhere around
@@ -37,33 +45,39 @@
I see it! There! she exclaims before
handing them back to him.
It looks like a tiny, red glowing dot in the sky, slowly growing in size.
- For a few minutes, nothing seems to happen. The dot gets bigger and
- bigger, turning into a black triangle as the glow dims and finally
+ For a few minutes, not much seems to happen. The dot gets bigger and
+ bigger, turning into a black triangle as the glow fades and finally
disappears. The shuttle sheds its heat shield as it slowly comes closer.
Around the 15 minute mark, Jack notices that it has moved almost above
them.
- That's a bit too close for comfort –
- and way too fast. he says.
- Parts appear to be breaking off from it. They watch the last couple
- minutes of the fall realizing that something has gone seriously wrong.
- It plummets into the city, taking multiple buildings down with it.
- The ground shakes slightly. Nobody says anything for a while as they
- watch the buildings around the impact crumble and the remaining parts
- rain out of the sky in a mix of awe and shock.
+ That's a bit too close for comfort
+ – and way too fast.
+ Looking at Annie, who seems visibly scared, he adds:
+ It's not gonna hit us, the odds of that
+ are pretty slim, but something's not right.
+
+ As if on cue, the back of the shuttle breaks apart, turning into a
+ cloud of fragments. need a better way to say the
+ very back The rest plummets into the city moments later, taking
+ multiple buildings down with it. The ground shakes slightly. Nobody says
+ anything for a while as they watch the buildings around the impact
+ crumble and the remaining parts of the shuttle rain out of the sky in a
+ mix of shock and awe.
Michelle interrupts the silence: Guys, over
there! She points into the sky behind them.
A parachute...
+ Jack: She has more luck than sense.
reaction needed – something along the lines
of "Sie hat mehr Glück als Verstand"
They watch as it disappears between the buildings.
- Annie walks over to Jack's bag and, on a hunch, unpacks the radio
- he had insisted on bringing.
+ Annie walks over to their bags and, on a hunch, unpacks the radio
+ Jack had insisted on bringing.
Maybe, she can hear us from here...
She hooks up the battery, flips the power switch, and turns the frequency
@@ -72,7 +86,8 @@
that clear at some point before this chapter. Maybe include the part where
Jack insists on bringing it.
Emily, can you hear us? Are you okay?
- Might benefit from proper radio protocol
+
They hear a slightly distorted but clearly happy response through the
noise: