the alchemy of time
Micah’s hands trembled as she attempted to pull on her space suit. Six astronauts' lives relied on her actions in the coming moments. She trained for years; but the chaos of this reality assaulted her calm wits. The Environmental Control System (EAS) on the Golden Eagle space capsule had been compromised and oxygen supplies were rapidly diminishing. Micah knew the repair protocols inside out—she could envision exactly where, amidst the nest of pipes, that she’d have to reach, and which valves to turn. But knowing these algorithmic steps didn’t really matter right now. She had mere minutes—two at best—to properly suit up, so her body could absorb a flood of needed oxygen. Her field of view narrowed into a slim gray haze, and her breaths became increasingly precious. Time marched on, agnostic of her desperation.
In those lucid moments of adrenaline, Micah found a calm memory—when time felt eternal. It was April 2020, just two years ago, and the world was at a standstill with most at home under quarantine. She remembered those many nights of being cooped up at her sister’s, as they endeavored to keep a household together while wrangling her sister’s second grader and her newborn. Night after night, they would endure the baby’s crying, only to be met the next morning with the fervent energy of her nephew as they attempted homeschooling him. Exhausted, Micah forged hours into her early morning so she had the necessary time to comb through EAS design documentation—usually before brushing up to teach a second grade geography lesson. Through all the noise, the chaos, laughter… and the many, many spills, she waited, excruciatingly, to reclaim a sense of normalcy.
Alarms blared. In trying seconds, time was racing. Micah, at last, locked the helmet of her space suit into place; and took a deep breath of oxygen. The network of EAS piping and valves were within her field of vision—she reached for the first valve...
And at this moment, Micah longed for the days at her sister’s, when she waited, excruciatingly, to reclaim a sense of normalcy.
-m
April 19, 2020
Photo Credit: Michael Wallden, Installation Artist: Daniel Arsham