Here, the degeneration could be seen in harsher tones. Steel hung listlessly in the air, held by a thin thread of old rusted screws. Now and then steel clanged against steel, creating an eerie sound in the dense silence. It is as if the earth was holding its breath: Waiting, anticipating, but without hope. Even within the closed cabin they could smell the odour as it crept into the very pores of the machine. The craft groaned, defenceless against the silent killer.
Tanya felt itchy; the desire to scratch so overwhelming that she tried to rub her arms but the protective suit stopped her from doing that. Everyone placed their masks back on; their eyes burning from the fumes the earth exhaled. Her throat burning and she pawed at it a few times as well. The moment that she inhaled the pure oxygen she felt at ease.