Fresh Air

The group huddled in the air lock. Air testing equipment had failed generations ago. A few exterior cameras still worked. That’s how they knew some forms of wildlife had returned.

The seals for the airlock hadn’t been opened since it was first closed shortly after the catastrophe. There were fears that, once opened, it couldn’t be sealed shut again.

With anxious energy, the bolts were thrown, and the airlock opened onto a new world outside.