Sunlock
2078
The heavy door sweated against the unyielding, mountainous heat leaning on the outside of the sunlock. The walls are two suits away, already icy in preparation for the onslaught of radiation that would blast in at the touch of a button. They were ready, they had trained for this. A step forward, and almost instantly, an arresting weight on the shoulder.
“Do not. Not before.” The voice was even and calm, commanding like the hot sun.
“Yes, checks...” They said, and turned to face her. She was slighter, a smaller, lighter suit encasing a hard body, scrollwork and tiny trinkets tinkled around equipment tightly webbed one. Arms moved through the family pattern, muscle memory checking for each piece of life saving equipment and an hidden arsenal of tools.
They followed, remembering the games and rhymes that had fed those muscles. Working around the outside of their bulky tank suit and inside to the control surfaces, buttons and switches.
“We ready?” She asked. Face shaded by both a clear visor and a dessert cowl.
“Ready ready” Oea breathed, mostly to themselves , picked up and carried across the tight space of the sunlock to the other.
“First time at 70 is always a blast” crackled a voice, from the head of big truck “But stick to, head up, and you'll be back before”
Sweat beaded on their forehead, the old suits systems struggling to gather and store moisture, but this wasn't heat, not in here, this was just nerves.
They reached into the suits arm, gripped the hand control, performed a last little spec dance, and applied the vice-like hand to the door bar.