“And every day you're in this place you're two days nearer death”
#
The sound of my breath
The soft clicking and churn of the suit radio
“Do you have a visual on the issue?” I heard a voice ask me through my helmet radio, I focused my gaze on the relay station as I slowly floated toward it. Holding onto my harness tightly and squinting my eyes to try and see anything that was amiss.
“Negative, looks fine. The amplifier looks intact, I'll take a better look.”
“Right, be careful out there Jacobs.” I heard the reply followed by static.
“Will do Mike, will do.”
I slowly approached the relay station, well it wasn't much of a station as much as it was a buoy floating in the middle of nowhere. These small pieces of junk, though outdated, are still used for long-distance communications. And since they are both old and lack any good protection from any debris, microscopic or otherwise, they tend to break down. But in this sector, those occurrences are quite rare because of the low traffic... Alas, someone's gotta fix them anyway.
I use the suit thruster to center myself so I can grab the handle next to the amplifier, a rather large dish. Once I grabbed the handle and stabilized myself I finally got a better look at the amplifier.
“From the looks of it, it's untouched. Some paint chips, but it looks just fine. Do you copy?” I said into the ether, soon a reply came alongside static.
“Copy, take a look at the panel...” static “What's up with the da-static-ignal?”
“I'm making my way to the control panel, do you copy?” I waited for the reply for a few moments as I used the handlebars to get to the control panel of the relay. After about ten seconds I heard Jacobs reply.
“There's so-static-srupting the signal. I'll see what's happening with the comms, check your he-static-dio. Copy.”
“I hear you” I checked the frequency on my end “It's all good here.” I said with only static on the other end. I paid it no mind and focused on the task at hand. I finally came over to the panel and looked at the code opener next to it.
“Six, two... Jesus, what was it again? Mike, can you tell me the code again? Do you copy?”
“Co-static-again? Copy.”
“The code for the panel Mike, nine digits.” I heard only static on the other end for a few seconds.
“Six, two static... one” Came the barely comprehensible reply. I sighed in exasperation, of all the times the signal could be choppy this is the worst.
“Can you send over Finn? Send over Finn. Do you copy?”
“Copy, I-static... I fix static”
I could only assume he understood what I said. So I waited with the only sound being static and the only sight being the dull gray of the closed panel and the soft blue glow of the small screen with dashes where numbers should go next to it. One minute turned into two and then into three. I finally decided to turn around and look at the ship. I saw a figure slowly coming toward me and the relay, he was attached to a harness as well. I saw the glint of his metal frame shine in the sunlight and the all too familiar red blinking light right above his eye... Or lens, that would be a slightly more accurate way to phrase it.
“Finn, what the hell took you so long.” I said into the ether.
“I apologize for the wait, sir.” The uncanny robotic voice replied with only slight static.
“Alright, can you tell me the code for this thing?”
“Give me a moment, sir. This is RSB-2239 I assume?”
“You already know which one it is.”
My robotic assistant reached for one of the handlebars and quickly made his way next to me, turning his camera-like head to the code opener and focusing his lens on it.
“The code is 624839021” He came with the answer. Before I could even reach my hand out to type out the code his hand already typed it out with great speed and dexterity.
“Open sesame.” Finn said as the panel door finally clicked open revealing the mess of wires inside.
“You know, I sometimes really wonder why they just don't send robots instead of us humans on these jobs...”
“You flatter me, sir.”
“Yeah, yeah... Let's have a look at what we have here now.” I opened the panel door completely to have a better look inside. At first, everything seemed to be in order, but I soon realized something was not as it was supposed to be. Furthermore, some of the wires seemed to be cut or ripped out.
“The wire for the amplifier is disconnected and the... That's where the calibrator should be I'm pretty sure? Good thing I got you here I'll be needing some extra hands.” I said to Finn “Mike if you can hear me I have bad news. It looks like it'll be a few hours before this thing is operational. The wires are in disorder, hell it looks like someone sabotaged the thing.”
Static
“Finn, did you check the comms back on board?” I asked as I grabbed the wire for the amplifier and reconnected it into the right socket.
“Yes, everything is optimal. Might I add you said that it looks like the relay was sabotaged? Do you wish to imply this is communications sabotage?”
“You make a good point, though I don't see any good reason as to why. And who else has the code for this thing anyway? It's not like these codes are handed to anyone willy-nilly... I'll send that to HQ. Take some photos of the damage Finn.” He leaned in and looked into the control panel, turning his head every once in a while as he focused his lens on points of interest.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I continued to work with the wires trying to reconnect what was disconnected. I thought about what Finn said, though there was some pirate activity recently, it was in the Jupiter Sector, a way out of from here.
Meanwhile, Mike was still not answering any calls. I could only hear static on the other end as he presumably tried to fix whatever was disrupting the signal. As I was lost in thought my hands worked on auto-pilot, I didn't even realize that just below the fuse box there was a device that was blinking.
“Sir, there appears to be some sort of device below the fuse box.” Finn told me kicking me out of my auto-pilot, I looked below to see the device. It was attached with what appeared to be hot glue.
“What's this?” I asked myself out loud as I grabbed the device and tried to yank it out, but it wouldn't budge. It was glued solid to the fuse box.
“Let me try.” Finn said as he extended his mechanical arm and grabbed the device. With a swift motion, he managed to detach it from the fuse box without damaging any surrounding electronics. He inspected it and gave his verdict.
“It looks like a rudimentary EMP, but it seems the pulse is rather weak.” He said with his monotone and robotic voice. Only then did that lingering feeling turn into a pit in my stomach. Something was very wrong.
“I think that's what's disrupting the signal between us and the ship, crush it.” I ordered Finn, but he merely lifted his head back up and focused his lens on me.
“Sir, with all due respect I cannot do that. There is an underlying risk of this device being fitted with an explosive. The fact I removed it from the fuse box was a miscalculation on my part. It can still be dangerous. Your safety is my top priority.”
“Finn, we've been in worse situations...” I murmured to myself, arguing with a robot the likes of which Finn is a fruitless endeavor. “Alright, just throw it as far as you can, we'll see if the signal will be any better.”
“Affirmative.” Finn replied as he extended his arm upwards and threw the device into the void, its blinking light quickly disappearing into the blackness of space. I could only think if this was a wise move, throwing an EMP device into space without disabling it or destroying it? Finn will be fine I think, but I will be the one reprimanded.
“Mike, can you hear me? Do you copy?”
A few seconds later a reply came forth.
“I hear you, what happened?”
“There was a make-shift EMP fitted just below the fuse box, we threw it out. I suggest you contact HQ immediately and inform them of the situation we might be looking at a terrorist threat.”
“EMP? Jesus... Yeah I'm sending a report now...” I heard a pause on his end, though the connection was still on. “Wait I'm getting something... There's an SOS signal 19k Clicks away, I'm trying to triangulate it.” I could hear Mike typing something out, I could hear the worry in his voice.
“Holy shit...”
“W-what's happening?”
“Jacobs get back on the ship right now we have to go.”
“Mike tell me what the fuck is going on?!” I heard silence on the other end. I saw Finn look into the space behind me, his lens fixed on a singular point.
“Finn?”
“Sir, there appears to be a debris cloud heading our way.” Finn said as he kept his gaze fixed on that singular point, I couldn't see anything.
“Jacobs, Finn get the fuck out there ASAP!” Mike yelled into the microphone.
“Michael there is no time. Leave the area immediately, I will take care of Jacobs. You need to send evac to our last known location once the coast is clear.” Finn replied turning his lens toward the ship.
“Finn are you insane?” I said shocked at the words from Finn. If Mike leaves we are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Just then I saw a glint in the distance, then I saw ten of them, then a hundred. The smaller ones came first whizzing passed us like bullets.
“I'm not leaving without you get your asses back on bo-” Before Mike could even finish the connection was severed, and a hail-storm of debris hit the ship rupturing the hull and from what I could see depressurizing the main cabin. Mike was dead in an instant.
The debris hit the relay with ferocity, I could hear the straining and grinding of metal on metal as the relay station was ripped apart. The harness holding me to the ship was severed. I held onto the handlebar with all my might. Then the handlebar was severed from the main body of the relay.
Silence, nigh absolute.
The sound of my labored breaths.
My heart pounding like cannons mid-siege.
And a start realization of what was happening.
I was going to die.
All I could do was close my eyes and accept my fate... There was no going back from this.
…
#
“Jacobs, sir?” I heard the all too familiar robotic voice, but this time it didn't sound so monotone as it did always. It had a hint of genuine worry. I opened my eyes to see the focused lens of S23, Finn, holding onto me.
“I'm alive...?” I said as both an answer and a question, surely I thought I was dead. Such a storm of debris and none of it hit me. What are the chances?
“Good to see you are well, sir.”
“You too Finn, you too. Mike is... He's.”
“Deceased, unfortunately.” … “There was nothing we could do, sir.”
I nodded inside my helmet.
“Where are we now?”
“We're in space. Floating.” He looked behind me and extended his arm grabbing my shoulder.
“You have an oxygen leak, sir.”
“Well, shit.” I chuckled, I didn't know what else to do, how else to react.
“What are you doing Finn, let it go. I'm dead already...”
“I'm doing my job, your safety and well-being are my top priority. We're a team sir.”
I simply stared at Finn, I started to feel dizzy as the oxygen levels in my suit slowly depleted.
“A team.. Yeah, we're a team.”
“I will send a distress signal.” Finn said as he looked around.
“Yeah... you can do that.” My vision went blurry, and my speech slurred. There was silence and no reply from Finn for a few seconds as I timed my every breath.
“I think I am afraid.”
“Me too... Finn...” I closed my eyes, consciousness slipping away.
“Sir? Jacobs? Stay with me, Jacobs. Stay... With... Me...”
#
Clicking. Heartbeat monitor.
That's what I heard as I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by a white sterile ceiling above. My vision was blurry still but it slowly started to get back into focus. I saw that I was lying down on a bed. Next to me was an array of machines, life-support.
I raised my arm, I could still move it. I put my hand into a fist, I lacked some feeling in it. I curled each finger individually testing their dexterity.
“You're awake!” I heard someone say, they just entered the room it seems.
“Trevor Jacobs, I must admit the amount of luck that was on your side was extraordinary. But I still have some good and bad news.” I saw the man lift up a see-through tablet, he tapped away on it.
“Where's Finn... Mike?” I asked weakly.
“I see that your memories haven't come back yet, they will. You don't have any permanent brain damage or any physical damage other than slight frostbite on your limbs. The bad news is, well, for your crew.” The doctor brought down his tablet and put it on an adjacent table.
“Michael Langley has been found deceased in the cockpit of your ship, there was nothing we could do, unfortunately. It was quick, I can assure you. As for your android assistant, according to the reports they had to pry open his arms from your body. Luckily he was holding the breach in your suit which froze over and didn't let any more oxygen out. He sent out a distress signal with the remainder of his power. I am not an expert but there was a short-circuit which destroyed the CPU and corrupted the memory bank. You owe that android your life... “
“I'm the only survivor?”
“Unless you had anyone else with you, yes.”
“I see... Where am I?”
“FTS Dauntless, I can't answer any more of your questions I'm afraid. The SSA will have an answer to any other questions you might have. I'll take my leave now, if you need anything else just call.” The man turned around and left the room, the automatic doors closing behind him.
“The Solar Security Agency? Great...” I said to myself as I relaxed my head and body. I turned my gaze to the right to see a window looking out into space. I could see a blue dot in the distance. Despite the loss, I experienced today and the near-death experience...
“Every day I'm on this job I'm two days nearer death... hah.” I could only give a slight laugh at the situation. But to whom do I owe the fact that I'm alive? Everyone, from Mike to Finn and the FTS Dauntless. I will remember all of them as long as I am alive.
The universe is rife with all kinds of things. Violence of man and the ruthlessness of nature. We have built this world with sweat and blood, and sweat and blood are required to maintain it. We are bound to lose those close to us, our friends and family in this process. Our flesh and blood... Our iron and circuits. We degrade ourselves in order to not let the machinations of our civilization rust and decay. We keep the arteries of commerce clear, we keep the blood cells moving, and we keep the heart pumping. Our jobs are not easy, they are not without sacrifice.
Because things break, and someone's gotta fix 'em.