TCR 52 Breach party

As the white light faded away, I found myself on the featureless expanse of the surface of the moon.

The suit shifted itself around me as the internal pressure expanded out where it could.

Falco spun around to check on everyone. “I don’t hear a whistling sound on the coms, so I assume no one is leaking?”

Looking around, I checked on Polygraph, then Buzz. The lie detector was looking around in concern while the device controller had a look of sheer childlike wonder on his face.

Waving to get Polygraph’s attention, I gave her a questioning look and a thumbs up. She nodded and returned it.

Holding my hand up to block the intense white sunlight, I got a look at the landscape all around us.

The featureless landscape.

“Falco? Which way is Ares base?”

I saw his suit begin to slowly spin around, with one of his gloved hands in the air. "Southwest? Which I now realize I had no clue which way that is… Anyone?"

The suits turned back and forth as everyone tried to look at each other without the ability to just turn their heads.

At last, Heron held up his hand. "The blockers are that way." He pointed in what could have been a random direction. "I can feel them from here."

Falco set his hands on his hips. “Excellent. That’s why I hire the best. Teamwork people.”

Shrike began to mutter on the com line, while Phoenix slapped Heron on the back, “Good job little brother.”

Then he turned, took an eight foot step with both of his hands waving around as he tried to keep his balance, "Whope!" and then face planted on the ground.

Crouching down, I jumped lightly with both feet in the direction Heron had pointed. “Bunny hops everyone, the astronauts already figured out the best way to move around up here. No need to reinvent the wheel.”

Of course, I had to finish my hop with a three point landing to keep from falling flat on my face myself, and this right after me going off like I was the expert. But at least I wasn’t the only one who needed a while to get the hang of moving on the moon.

I’m on the moon.

Somewhere back on earth my real body must have the same creepy smile as Samantha’s did right at the moment.

I am on what amounts to another planet. In a spacesuit, traveling on the surface in near vacuum at something like a quarter of Earth's gravity.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

At least by proxy.

Stopping for a moment, I looked up and around.

There. Earth.

So small…

A gloved hand waved in front of my helmet. Buzz spoke up. “I took a picture, and It felt like the phone worked. I’ll send you a copy. But you need to keep up so I can keep everyone off the long ranged sensors.”

With a last glance, I turned away and began to hop for all I was worth to catch up with the rest of the awkwardly moving group.

We got to a cliffside where Heron confirmed we were facing the right way. Teamster pulled out the Sonic destabilizer from his storage.

And some shovels.

Falco announced over the comms, "The sonic rock crusher will shatter the stone between us and the base, but it won't get the tailing out of the way. Time for the Brutes to earn their keep."

It basically went, fire the disrupter which created a back blast of exploding rocks and dust. Dig out twenty feet of rubble, then fire it again.

For hours.

Phoenix voiced my concern. “Hey, don’t we only have four hours of air in these suits?"

Falco laughed. “Five. And Teamster has extra tanks, don’t worry, this I planned for.”

Oh yeah, he has my complete confidence.

Finally, as I cleared some stone away, I could see a barrier made of white fibrous material with bits of broken stone bedded in it.

Buzz walked forward to run his hand over it. “This is the insulation to keep air from leaking out in the porous regolith. I’m not getting any signals from the other side, so no one should be waiting on us.”

I gave him a look, “That was a possibility?”

He gave me a grin and a thumbs up. "Expect the unexpected. Then hire a girl who can take down Man Mountain Foraker to deal with the unexpected. You’re up. Just wait for us to plug the tunnel behind us so the air from the base doesn't all leak out and set off an alarm that’s out of my range.”

The airbags on the side of the portable hatchway inflated almost instantly and ballooned out to overlap each other as well as seal off the tunnel. Of course, when we opened it to leave, all the air in the section of the base we were busting into would blow out.

Bad news for anyone chasing us. But I guess I could close the door behind me. And they had to have hidey holes and emergency suits in there right?

After getting a thumbs up from Buzz I began tearing off the two feet or so of sealant with Phoenix stepping up to help widen the hole until we were looking at a wall of thick steel.

I reached for my right glove. “Ah, I have to take the gloves off or I tear them up ripping the wall open, but that’s going to depressurize my suit.”

Falco held his hand with one finger up in the air. “Hang on…” Then reached up to turn off his com before pressing his helmet up against Teamster’s while they talked things over.

I mean, the vacuum wasn’t going to hurt me, or would it? The lack of air wasn’t a problem, but depressurization and cold could damage Samantha's body pretty badly. I think?

Damn you Falco. If you had given us a day to prepare I could have looked this stuff up. Or figure out what might be a problem in advance. Are you always this sloppy, or is there a reason you are in a hurry?

Falco turned his com back on. "The air tanks on the emergency door should have some compressed air left in them. If we disconnect them from the airbags and vent them, it should help. Other than that I would say try to hurry up and punch your way through.

Phoenix tapped me on the shoulder. "Once we got some air in here, I can heat it up without opening my suit. That should protect your hands a little. We can also tighten up your belt and Falco's around your arms to slow down losing any air.”

I shook my head a little. That was not what I was expecting from the big muscular guy. He must have recognized the look as he sighed. “Dad picked out good genes for intelligence for us too. I got a degree in structural engineering and audited various physics classes. Online of course.”

Holding up both hands I apologized. “Sorry, it’s just no one hears about you guys other then getting into fights and stealing things.”

He nodded. "It's okay, I am used to it. Besides it helps sometimes to be underestimated."

After tightening up the belt, and taking a deep breath, or is that bad if you get exposed to a vacuum? I think it may blow your lungs out somehow.

Anyway, I tugged off both gloves, and instantly some heat in the air from where the big guy was holding his palms out at me, as well as a dull pain in both hands and some whistling sounds coming from my sleeves.

Bracing my feet, I punched the wall, bringing my fist up from my hips as I put my whole body behind the punch.

Four inches of steel layered with other materials. One punch put my fist all the way through as air began to rush in through the hole and shot up dust all around us.

I paused before I pulled my fist free and began to tear the hole wider. I had never really tested how strong I was in Samantha’s body.

This strong.

Falco began to clap his still gloved hands together "We're in."