A breath too far

Cold.
Dark.
An almost complete lack of sensation. His mouth was stretched in a silent scream, his tongue boiling at absolute zero.
The duralium hull had peeled open like a burning metallic flower. Warm inviting lights glowed from inside while computer terminals waited diligently for his input. A hands breadth away, yet impossibly distant. Newton's third law had no place in a vacuum.
He swam and kicked against nothingness, slowly drifting away from safety.
Robert was about to die. Not a hero, just a scared academy graduate.
Lights flashed on behind him.
A robotic arm clamped around his dying body.