Moon Triangle Area.
The violent pain nearly made Komarov faint, but he jolted awake again.
The helmet kept blaring pressure-loss alarms. The vehicle was pitch-black. He instinctively groped along the side of the seat but could not find anything. Breathing grew increasingly difficult. Like the waterboarding training he had undergone, a tearing pain spread through his lungs.
"Komarov! God! Are you conscious?" Valentina's voice rang through his helmet. "Your helmet's cracked! Don't move, don't move—I'll patch it up!"
Komarov felt something shoved into his hand. It was clearly tape. Lunar engineering tape had a unique design; unlike ordinary tape, it was easy to find the torn end. After each use, the tape's end automatically curled into a small roll, creating an obvious bump that could be located by touch.
When he had first seen this kind of tape during last year's lunar landing, he had merely marveled at how convenient the design was. He had never imagined that a year later it would become a lifesaving tool.
Komarov forcefully pulled the tape free and groped around to press it tightly over his helmet. He could feel Valentina sprawled over his helmet as well, frantically using tape to seal the crack.
A pressure-restoration alert sounded inside the helmet. Komarov could finally draw a breath. His head still spun, but the period of irregular breathing had not lasted long. A few more breaths should ease it. However, the piercing pain in his face was becoming clearer and clearer.
"Did we flip over? Are the wheels facing the sky?" Komarov suddenly felt blood flowing into his hair.
"We flipped over. The rear of the vehicle took two rocket munitions. You're still not clearheaded, so don't move around!" Valentina sounded anxious. "We're both hanging upside down in our seats by the safety belts, with