Astronauts And Nuclear War

An astronaut and cosmonaut are on the International Space Station when their countries go to Nuclear War with each other. Their last orders are to eliminate the other.

(The International Space Station is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station.)

*

I floated past Rozaliya’s sleeping form. She's the only other person on board the ISS—and the only cosmonaut. I've finally gotten a hang of staying upright. It's been 10 days. We've not found much this time, and Flight Director Crusoe is getting more and more agitated every time he talks to us. I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is..it's big.

"Hey. Vhatcha doin?"

I turn. "Oh, hi Roza. I thought you were asleep?"

Rozaliya laughed merrily, her red hair forming a halo around her face. "Yes, I vas—until somebody decided to valk around, bumping into numerous things," she raised a teasing eyebrow.

I turned red. "I'm not that loud. Besides, I'm—"

"You realize there's no point lying, right?" she interrupted. Man, I swear she could literally see what I was thinking.

I tore my hands through my blond hair. "The truth is..Commander Crusoe feels..off, somehow. I think he's hiding something from us,"

"Rait? I talkt to Direktor General Dmitiv and he vouldn't look at me—zat's not like him."

I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by our headsets buzzing. I made a clumsy show of wobbling to grab my headset and by the time I turned around, Rozaliya was already adjusting her audio and video.

I shook my head, laughing. "How do you do that so fast?" She shrugged, grinning. I quickly slipped on my headsets and turned on video. The screen flickered to life with the face of..Director General Sarah Jones? What is going on? I saluted. "Director General Sarah, what's the problem?" the screen didn't seem to have a signal—she kept flickering on and off.

"—Dan-er. Russ-a -n- Amer-ca Nucle-r war. -ill Roza—ya,"

"What?!" my breathing stopped. I must have misheard. There's no way—is there? I looked at Roza, who looked shellshocked by whatever whoever was on the phone with her said. She looked at me, fear and confusion burning in her eyes.

"I repe-t! Bew-re Da-ger. R—sia and A-erica Nucl-ar wa-. Kill Rozaliya. Th-s is a c-mma-d. Do not disob-y," she disconnected.

There was no mistaking it this time—Director General Sarah ordered me to kill my best friend. I looked at Roza again, and she slowly took off her headphones, covering her mouth with her hand. I was almost afraid to ask.

"Did-did Director General Dmitiv call? And..did he order you to kill me too?"

Her eyes widened as she slowly nodded...