“In the early Precambrian, where we’re hoping to end up, the oxygen isn’t yet formed, so you’ll need this suit to survive.”
After being thoroughly briefed on the journey, I was also briefed on its purpose. The asteroid also fell on the same lifeless world. Thinking of Eliza’s frightened eyes the moment I abandoned her in the Jurassic, I agreed and only then wondered why on earth one of their specialists wasn’t making the trip. “My dear girl,” I told her bluntly, “I don’t know if your coworkers who sent you to me told you, but such a trip costs…”
I let the phrase float in the air, but she nodded delightedly and that’s when I suspected one of her coworkers was trying to mock me. During the journey, I would have to don a lightweight, flexible suit, much like the kind used by astronauts, fitted with oxygen tanks that gave me a four-hour range.
