SATELLITE [STEVE HARRINGTON]

you drink, you die

THE NEXT MORNING, GINNY WOKE UP THE SOMETHING WARM AND TRICKLING BESIDE HER HEAD. She opened her eyes, frowning at the strange liquid trailing down the wall when a drop splashed onto her head and she realized—

"Steve!" she cried, jumping to her feet at the speed of light. "You're peeing on me!"

"Oops, sorry!" he apologized, and she watched the stream travel to the left. She made a disgusted noise and used her sleeve to wipe off her head, while Robin laughed.

"Happy Birthday to you," the girl with freckles said, giggling. Ginny shot her a look, but couldn't stay mad for long because the situation was just hilarious.

Suddenly, a loud clanging noise caught them off guard, and they looked over to see Erica banging the vial of green liquid onto one of the large metal barrels in the room.

"Hey, hey!" Robin said, darting over to stop her. "Careful, careful, careful!" She yanked the tube away. "We don't even know what that is!"

"Exactly!" Erica countered. "It could be useful!"

Ginny walked up with a scowl. "Useful how?"

Erica sighed, as if she could hardly be bothered to explain this to someone as stupid as her. "We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die."

"I hate to break it to you," Robin said, "But this is not water."

"No, but its a liquid. And if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying of thirst?" She gave them a sweet smile. "I drink."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You drink, you die, so—"

She stopped when Robin slipped away, pressing her ear to the nearest wall. She looked at Ginny with wide-eyes.

"We've got company!"

Hastily, she threw open the hatch to the elevator shaft. Ginny grabbed Erica under both arms and slung her into the air, saying quickly, "Steve!"

"What's happening?" came his voice, as he reached down to pull Erica up.

"Someone's coming!" Robin hissed, making a basket with her fingers to let Ginny step on. She did so, hoisting herself up into the hole. Steve and Dustin pulled her up, before she turned around to lift Robin.

They closed the hatch just in time; the elevator door raised and two men in blue jumpsuits entered. One sniffed and muttered something in Russian.

Steve peered through the grate, raising a finger and encouraging them to be quiet. His eyes locked on the tube of green liquid Erica still held.

They waited until the Russian men left the room and the door started to close, before Steve leapt down and stuck the metal tube under the door, keeping it from closing.

"Let's go!" he said. Erica tossed him her backpack; he slid it under the gap, while they each crawled under.

The glass on the vial started to crack when Ginny went under, leaving only Steve to have to make it through. "Steve, hurry!" Ginny hissed to him.

He made it just in time, the vial breaking after he rolled out, the door slamming shut behind him.

The green liquid spilled everywhere, sizzling and burning the floor beneath it. "Shit!" Ginny cried, tugging Steve to his feet before his arms got singed.

They all gaped at the liquid as it burned a hole in the floor, melting whatever it touched. Robin grinned at Erica. "You still wanna drink that?"

Dustin turned around, his jaw dropping instantly. "Holy mother of God."