Naomi decided it was time to repair the failing systems—before lack of oxygen made the choice for her.
"All right, next step is puttin' on that spacesuit and scavengin' junk floatin' outside. Suits are in that locker, grab one," Osaka said.
Naomi opened the locker built into the ship's wall where Osaka pointed. Several sizes of spacesuits and helmets hung inside. All of them looked oversized for her small frame, but she couldn't afford to be picky. She pulled out the smallest and began slipping into it.
"Oh—right. I'm still in uniform. I was so focused I forgot. And I can't wear this over a skirt. Osaka, turn around while I change."
"Now hold up. I'm just an AI, girl. Don't care 'bout naked or nothin'. Ain't even got a gender. ...All right, all right! I'll turn 'round, happy now?" he grumbled.
Naomi gave him a sharp look until his hologram rotated away. She stripped quickly, then wriggled into the suit.
"Okay, Osaka, you can look now. Does this look right?" she asked.
She clutched the helmet under her arm and spun once to show him.
"Yeah, that'll do just fine. Pop the helmet on, seal her up tight. Now twist that lever. Feel the air comin' through?"
All the other suits were silver-white, but hers was pale yellow, almost chick-like—childish even.
"Uh, it smells weird in here. Are you sure this has been cleaned?" she muttered, wrinkling her nose.
"Ain't nobody worn that size before—brand spankin' new. But the oxygen's over a century old, might be a bit stale. Don't fret, ya ain't gonna keel over," Osaka drawled.
Naomi scowled, but curiosity outweighed disgust as she peered around inside the helmet.
"Now scoot to the hatch. Time to head out. You claustrophobic? Afraid of the dark? Well tough luck. If ya are, better get over it—'cause it's do or die, sis," he said.
Her heart thumped faster, but she pushed herself along the ship's railings, drifting through the nearly gravityless interior toward the airlock.
The hatch was like something from a submarine—a round, solid door. She cranked the heavy valve and sealed herself inside the small chamber.
"All right, ventin' the air. Gonna see some mist—pressure droppin', that's all. Don't lose your cool," Osaka said.
A hiss sounded, like a balloon deflating. A fog spread, then disappeared, leaving her in silence.
"Okay, hatch is vacuum now. Breathin' still good?"
"I'm fine. No problem," she said, though her pulse hammered.
"Good deal. Now clip that carabiner at your waist. That tether's your lifeline, sis."
She hooked the cable onto her suit and nodded.
"Nice. No trainin', straight to the big leagues, but we ain't got time. Crankin' hatch open now."
With a pop, the outer hatch swung open. Darkness gaped beyond. Naomi switched on the light on her helmet, its narrow beam slicing a path into the void. She clung to the railing and eased herself out.
Weightless, she floated, but her boots' electromagnets pulled gently against the hull. And then she saw it.
A blazing white dwarf loomed before her, its vastness impossible to measure—like an entire sky filled with clouds, but solid, menacing, and incomprehensibly real.
"No gawkin' now. Move it or lose it, sis," Osaka quipped.
"Ha—barely holding it together. Let's hurry and find those parts."
The star's light painted the hull of the Grim Reaper an eerie blue.
"Radar shows ship junk on the far side. Sit tight, I'll roll us 'round," Osaka said.
"Oh, so you can fly this thing. Would've been nice if you'd helped earlier," Naomi said.
"Now hold on. Autopilot's fried. I can wiggle us a bit, sure, but full piloting? Nope, that dog won't hunt," Osaka answered.
The ship rotated, revealing a graveyard of broken vessels. Hulks drifted and occasionally collided, exactly as the name promised: a Spaceship Graveyard.
"Looks clear for now, but stirrin' wreckage could send junk our way. Keep sharp and hustle," Osaka warned.
* * *
Three hours passed.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted. Did we get everything?" Naomi groaned.
"Not even close. I was hopin' to patch life support, but your oxygen's runnin' dry. Time to pack it in, sis," Osaka said.
"Right. Running out of oxygen would be bad. And honestly—I need a break anyway. I'm coming back in," Naomi said.