The Von Braun sat silently on the landing pad, its smooth, white hull shimmering under the subdued glow of the bay’s floodlights. From Kai’s vantage point on the starboard side, it was evident that the ship had been stripped down to its bare essentials. Its engine bay was a gaping void at the rear, while the vital subsystems lay scattered around the pad, tethered to large pallets like forgotten pieces of a once-great puzzle. Pulling his eyes from the ship, he looked over the rest of the hangar. Fortunately, the area was deserted, a promising sign. The bay resonated with the soft hum and creak of machinery from the life support system, the reassuring sounds that keep this floating hunk of metal livable.
To the right of the hangar, near the lockers, stood the unmistakable silhouette of the Lentz Alcubierre Tunnel Drive. Its bulky exterior gleamed with a variety of aftermarket modifications and enhancements, giving it a beefy, intimidating appearance. A chaotic tangle of cables protruded from its side, snaking their way to a series of terminals actively running diagnostics.
With quick mental calculations, Kai leaped across the landing pad and landed softly beside what appeared to be the primary computer console. Locking his boots to the deck, he steadied himself at the edge of the equipment as the machine buzzed quietly, processing a constant stream of raw data from the prototype. While his eyes flicked over the numerous screens, each filled with an indecipherable cascade of scrolling text, his frown grew deeper.
“What am I looking at?” he muttered under his breath.
“Are you asking me a question?” came Parri’s quizzical voice, crackling over the radio.
Kai glanced up at the camera nestled in the rafters above. “Is this the console I should use to transfer the drive schematics?”
“Yeah, you just need to initiate a storage transfer process.”
His eyes returned to the confusing layout of unlabeled buttons, large silver knobs, and twin keyboards. With a heavy sigh, he regrettably asked, “Alright, and how do I do that?”
A soft snicker floated through his ear. “You don’t know how to transfer data?”
“I do, but not from a diagnostics terminal,” he shot back defensively.
“Well, well, well,” Parri teased. “It looks like you don’t know everything after all.”
With a grumble, Kai conceded, “Sonar, just give me the instructions.”
Parri guided him through a series of precise key commands to initiate the download process. Once the commands were entered, Kai crouched down and placed the toolkit on the deck, securing it to the metal floor. He took out a small, hand-sized data storage device from the box and inserted it into an available slot on the side of the console. Within moments, the screens flickered with various progress bars.
“Download in progress,” he announced, his voice distracted as he scanned the shadows to confirm he was still alone.
“Roger dodger,” Parri cheerfully replied.
His focus reverted to the nearby prototype engine as his thoughts centered on the mission’s requirements. Since he needed footage of the drive in action, he grabbed the tracking device from the toolbox. It was a flat, disk-shaped tool that fit comfortably in his palm, with two wires protruding from the back, designed for an external power source. As he examined the prototype for a hiding spot, it quickly became clear that anywhere on the drive was too exposed. Gradually, his gaze shifted to the stripped-down ship as a plan formed in his mind. Though installing the tracker inside the enemy vessel would take more time, he reasoned it would significantly reduce the risk of detection. A side glance at the download screen showed the progress was only at 5%, giving him plenty of time to hide the tracker.
Kai touched the paper-thin microphone on his neck. “Sonar, there’s going to be a slight adjustment to the plan. I’m heading to the ship. Keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors.”
“Um, okay?” Sonar replied, a hint of concern in her tone. “Well, the passageway you came down is still clear.”
“Roger.” Kai slipped the tracker into the left pocket of his coveralls and retrieved a screwdriver from the toolbox. Disengaging his boots from the floor, he leaped into action. He glided parallel to the surface, slipping smoothly under the right wing of the ship. At the rear of the Athena-class vessel, a retractable ladder awaited, providing access to the craft. Kai latched onto the ladder with both hands and gracefully swung around, planting his feet firmly on the rungs.
As Kai climbed aboard the ship, he activated his mag-boots, expecting their familiar magnetic pull to snap him to the floor. However, when they failed to engage, a brief moment of confusion drew his attention to the deck. The surface beneath him was a smooth, reflective resin embedded with intricate circuits. Unlike the metal decks on most ships, this type of flooring was used only by the Ursae Dynasty and required an active power source to function. He knew it could exchange electrical signals with the ship’s computer and a nanosuit, allowing the Ursaens to track movement throughout their vessels. However, there were also sinister rumors that the flooring could override a nanosuit’s security protocols and hand control over to the ship’s bridge, deepening his distrust of anything Ursaen.
He floated through the aft section of the ship, gliding past the cargo bay at the heart of the craft. The interior was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint glow of blue emergency lights outlining the walkway like landing strips. Most internal modules had been stripped away to reduce weight, leaving exposed wires reaching from the walls like spindly fingers. The interior reminded Kai of a derelict spacecraft, picked apart by scavengers until only the skeletal husk remained.
Approaching the cockpit, he faced the imposing tombstone-style door. A small recessed control panel rested within its frame, but as expected, the display was dark and unresponsive. Kai opened the stiff access panel on his right and rhythmically pumped the red lever. With a reluctant groan, the door split down the middle, opening wide enough for him to squeeze through and step onto the bridge.
The cockpit was designed for a single pilot, evident in its elongated oval shape with waist-high walls that seamlessly supported a sweeping glass dome arching gracefully overhead. Periodically placed supporting arches formed a skeletal framework that emphasized its elegance, creating an artistic illusion of a glass tunnel fading into the nose of the ship. Both sides of the cockpit featured flat, shelf-like structures crafted from polished white aluminum alloy, where handholds were seamlessly integrated into the structure rather than mounted externally. Glossy black leather accents decorated the surfaces, imparting a sense of sophistication, while the rich scent of burnished metal mingled with the warm aroma of well-oiled gunmetal.
Facing him was an artistically curved white captain’s chair, its design contoured to fit the human body, creating a striking contrast to the angular, boxy seat of a Topaz Outrider model, like the Shizukana Kage. The piping and wires flowing from the chair were arranged with an artistry similar to wings, enhancing the cockpit’s visual appeal. Not only was the chair designed for comfort, but it could also spin 180 degrees and slide smoothly into the console when a pilot arrived.
Kai carefully navigated past the elegant seat and slid onto his back beneath the flight console. With a screwdriver in hand, he removed the protective plate hiding the tangled mass of colored wires inside. He began installing the tracking device, wiggling his fingers through the chaotic web of components, when Parri’s worried voice crackled through the radio, “Blazer, are you still inside the ship?”
“Yes,” Kai replied calmly, paying no attention to her tone. As the silence lingered over the radio without a response, his fingers stopped moving and curled around a clump of wires. His mind raced with possible explanations for her sudden silence, none of which boded well for him. “Why do you ask?” he cautiously inquired.
Parri hesitated. “Um…”
Kai nervously glanced at the cockpit door, his pupils dilating to pierce the darkness beyond. Carefully, he reached for the floating screwdriver nearby and turned it in his hand, like a stake. Expecting trouble, he whispered, “Sonar?”
The radio emitted a loud squelch as Parri’s frantic voice erupted, “Damn it, damn it!”
Kai jolted with surprise, his head painfully hitting the underside of the flight console when he jerked upright. “Ow, shit!” he yelled, quickly rubbing his forehead. “What the hell, Sonar? What’s going on?”
“Damn, I’m sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to the loading dock access. Crap, Kai. You need to get out of there, now!”
Kai wriggled out from under the console and cautiously peered over the controls. “Is someone coming?” he asked, eyes darting to the imposing black and yellow-striped bulkhead door.
“Yes! More than just someone. It looks like a Ursaen officer and his cronies,” Parri frantically explained. “You’re trapped, Kai, I mean, Blazer. Your cover is blown. You have to splitsville right now!”
“Lock them out!” he urged.
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“What?”
“Deny them access to the hangar bay.”
There was a moment of hesitation, as the static in the open transmission lingered. “Oh… that’s a good idea.”
Kai leered at the massive door, listening to the frantic typing over the radio, but he knew it was already too late. The large bulkhead door rumbled open and slid upward, revealing Prefect Marcus Ovius at the front, flanked by two stern-faced security guards. Between them floated a seven-foot-long crate. Instinctively, Kai ducked back down to hide, heart pounding with indecision. His eyes flicked between the cockpit door and the mess of wires under the console. With a burst of courage, he scrambled back under the flight controls and promptly resumed installing the tracking device.
“What are you doing?” Parri’s panicked voice chimed in his ear. “Get out of there!”
“Just keep me posted on their movements,” Kai instructed, his voice steadying as he focused on connecting the leads from the tracker to the power supply of the console.
Back aboard the Shizukana Kage, Parri sat at the small security console tucked behind the flight chair, her eyes glued to the flickering monitor showing the scene unfolding in the hangar. The tension was thick as Marcus Ovius guided the two guards past the nose of the Von Braun. Parri’s heart pounded when the Prefect suddenly raised his right fist, signaling the guards to stop as his gaze swept across the empty hangar, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Her throat ran dry as she relayed the unfolding scene to Kai. “Okay, they’ve stopped right under the nose of the ship. The big one is making some wild hand gestures. I think he’s barking orders, but I can’t read his lips. Um, yeah, now he’s pointing at the cockpit.” Parri rubbed her blurry eyes and leaned closer to the screen. “The guards are definitely eyeing the ship. I think they heard you.”
Kai’s calm voice whispered through the headphones that hugged her ears, “Remain calm, I’m almost done.”
Parri scoffed, sputtering her lips, and shifted to the edge of her seat, her heartbeat racing as the Prefect casually approached the back of the ship. Feeling helplessly detached from the danger, her eyes widened in alarm as her voice rose, “The big one is going to catch you! He’s headed for the access ladder!”
Inside the cockpit of the Von Braun, Kai was a picture of focus. His fingers moved quickly as he stuffed the tracker deep inside the wiring of the console and replaced the panel, ensuring his actions remained hidden from prying eyes. With urgency pulsing through his veins, he pulled himself out from under the flight controls and squeezed through the narrow cockpit door.
In a dramatic display of zero-g acrobatics, he dove through the ship’s interior toward the light spilling from the aft door, racing against the echoing footsteps of the Prefect. Just as Marcus pressed his broad hand against the ladder, Kai seized the door frame, launching himself out of the Von Braun and pivoting skyward with momentum. Marcus spun around the ladder, his foot landing on the first rung with a heavy thud as Kai caught the lip of the tail section and swung like a pendulum. His body slammed against the fuselage with a muted thump as his boots magnetically sealed with the hull, just in time to avoid detection when Marcus looked upward.
In a sudden burst of excitement, Parri leaped from her chair, shouting, “Holy shit, he didn’t see you! You’re clear! You’re clear! You’re so damn lucky he didn’t spot you!”
A dry laugh crackled over the radio. “I’m deaf now. Thanks for that.”
Mortified, she slapped both hands over her mouth, stifling her joyous relief. “Sorry,” she murmured.
“It’s alright,” Kai whispered, suppressing his winded breath. “That was a close call. I can’t believe it actually worked.”
Her upper lip curled in shock as she leaned closer to the monitor, seeing him stand up and crouch on top of the ship. “Wait, what? You didn’t plan that?”
With a gentle chuckle, Kai admitted, “Nope, not at all.”
Gobsmacked, her jaw dropped as she buried her fingers in her hair. “What if it didn’t work? Did you have a backup plan?”
“Negative.”
“No?”
“That’s what I said.”
Parri’s fingers dragged down her cheeks in disbelief, holding back the urge to scream again. With a long, exasperated sigh, she sank into the chair, eyes fixed on the monitor, watching Kai creep to the edge of the ship to survey the scene below. For a brief moment, he looked up at the camera hidden in the rafters, as if meeting her gaze directly with a coy wink and a mischievous smirk. “Can you see the guards?” he asked.
“What’s the point?” she grumbled, crossing her arms and puffing out her bottom lip. “If you’re going to do this mission by the seat of your pants and toss our plans aside, why even bother with what the guards are doing?”
“What’s got your panties twisted in a knot? I had to act quickly and improvise. This was just a minor hiccup. We’re still on track.”
“Are we, though?” she replied, her tone laced with skepticism. “Because, from where I’m sitting, everything is flying off the rails.”
Kai’s tiny image on the monitor made a calming gesture. “We’re fine, so calm down. I can’t do this without you. So, please, take a deep breath and tell me what the guards are doing.”
“Fine,” she relented, dramatically throwing her hands up in the air. “Whatever. If you wanna test your luck, I can’t stop you, but when you get shot, don’t come crying to me.” She adjusted the camera angle to zoom in on the guards, muttering under her breath, “Tell me to calm down. I’m not the one being reckless and waiting till the last mother-loving second to escape. I swear you do that shit on purpose. Damn near gave me a heart attack. I’m too young to have heart problems, but do you care? No, apparently you don’t.” After a quick breath, she pressed the mute button on her headset and shared the latest intel. “Okay, uh… they’re below the nose of the ship, unpacking whatever’s in that crate. They look distracted at the moment.”
“Sonar, you’re on mute,” he calmly noted. “I didn’t catch anything after your temper tantrum.”
“Temper tantrum? I wasn’t—” She sealed her lips tight and tapped the button again. “Can you hear me now?”
“I read you fivers.”
Parri closed her eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing her frustration by slowly repeating, “I said the guards are under the ship and unboxing the equipment.”
“Roger that.”
Back inside the hangar, Kai focused on the red toolbox sitting on the floor at the far end of the large landing pad. More importantly, his eyes fixed on the data storage device partially protruding from the console, knowing his mission would fail if the Ursaens discovered the illegal copy of the prototype blueprints. Adjusting his stance, he pushed himself toward the shadowy rafters of the hangar just above the console. He soared through the air, grabbing onto the steel beams and blending into the darkness to watch the two guards below unpack an unusual device. It was approximately two meters long and mushroom-shaped, bulbous at one end with a long stem. Small, systematically arranged, organic-looking knobs clung to its shaft like barnacles.
“What is that?” Parri’s voice crackled through his earpiece, laced with curiosity.
“I dunno. It looks organic to me,” Kai whispered, briefly tearing his eyes from the guards to scan the diagnostic console below him.
“Do you think it’s part of the prototype?”
As he searched for a spot to hide, he calmly answered, “I can’t say for certain, but it resembles Stygiamite technology.”
“I’ve never even heard of the Stygiamite corporation.”
“No,” he chuckled. “Stygiamites are aliens, or at least the only ones we know of. I’ll explain later. Right now, we should back up this footage, just in case. Those Ursaens are a crafty and secretive bunch. We might be able to sell the footage for a hefty sum on the black market.” Kai shot one last glance at the distracted guards and pushed away from the rafters, floating silently down to the deck. When he landed, his boots clicked against the metal floor, startling the two guards. Their attention snapped to the prototype, apprehension on their faces.
“Gav, did you hear that?” one guard asked, his brow knitting.
“Yeah, that was weird,” the other guard replied, glancing around nervously.
“What was it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was a rat or something,” Gav speculated with a dismissive shrug. “Don’t get jumpy on me, Caydin.”
“A rat in space?” Caydin scoffed. “Really? That’s what you’re going with?”
“Sure, why not? They can stow away on ships and end up on a station. Maybe it’s a pet of someone who works here.”
Gav squinted, his voice unconvinced, “Now we’re suggesting it’s a pet rodent?”
“Okay, fine, a cat then,” the other guard conceded.
“That’s not any better. We’re in a zero-g environment, so how would that even work? Does the cat have tiny magnetic booties or something?”
“Maybe,” Caydin said with a shrug, unable to come up with another explanation.
Gav rolled his eyes and scoffed, his interest in the subject fleeting. “Who brings a cat to work, anyway?”
“You say that like a joke,” Caydin shot back, “but I heard a story about a guy who brought a pet cat on a rescue mission once. He was out in the black, trying to save a stranded pilot. Everything was going smoothly until the cat accidentally triggered the thrusters, causing the rescue ship to smash into the stranded pilot. Resulting in a tragic collision that killed them both.”
“Damn,” Gav said with a deep, drawn-out breath. Slowly, his brow pinched closer together as he thought it over. “Wait, if they both died, who witnessed the event?”
“Man, I don’t know. I didn’t ask for proof. It’s just a story I heard.”
The two guards returned to installing the alien device, carefully unscrewing the bottom panel of the Von Braun to reveal the complex scanner module underneath. Meanwhile, Kai took the opportunity to sneak around the diagnostics console and retrieve the storage device, pulling it slowly out of the media slot until it disengaged with a soft click. As he backed out of sight behind the equipment, he whispered over the radio, “I have the data. The situation is too hot. I’ll have to wait for departure.”
Parri’s mocking voice crackled through the static. “Are you sure you don’t want to try another half-ass plan like sprinting for the airlock? Maybe they won’t catch you. Or, better yet, why not jump out of your nanosuit and dance around butt-naked? I’m sure they wouldn’t expect that. Hell, they might even think you’re a flipping lunatic and give you a pass.”
“Sonar,” he grumbled, his tone threatening.
The radio snorted, “Fine, copy that, Blazer.”
Kai flicked his gaze back to the guards as they carefully removed the scanner module from the ship and replaced it with the strange, organic device. When he saw Marcus hunched over the flight console in the cockpit, connecting the alien object to the ship’s systems, worry flashed across his face, hoping he hid the tracker well enough.
Moments later, a crackle of static from his radio sliced through the tension. “Blazer?” Parri’s voice came through, slightly shaky.
“Go ahead.”
“Um,” she hesitated. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.”
Kai took a breath, pulling his focus away from the guards and settling back under the shadow of the console. “It’s a stressful situation, so don’t worry about it.”
Parri made a sputtering noise over the radio. “That’s an understatement. Also, um… thanks for not giving me the ‘other’ nickname.”
A small smile spread across his face, the sincerity in her voice warming his chest. “You’re welcome,” he said gently. Leaning around the console, he watched the guards finish their questionable installation. As they stowed the scanner module in the crate, the Prefect left the ship and regrouped to lead them back the way they came. As the heavy bulkhead door slid shut behind them, Kai exhaled a long-held breath, his shoulders relaxing. “Well, that was unexpected,” he remarked.
“Unexpected?” Parri echoed. “That’s a strange way of saying terrifying. I was watching from a safe distance, and my ass cheeks are still clenched tighter than a drum.”
Kai paused briefly, shaking off the mental image. “Um… Okay? Well, we should be in the clear now.” He looked toward the airlock. “Is my way back still open?”
“Let me check.” There was a brief pause before she confirmed, “Yeah, the way is clear.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.”
Question for the Comments: Kai just confirmed that the Ursaens are playing with "Stygiamite" technology. Between the "organic mushroom" device and the Prefect's suspicious behavior, how deep do you think this conspiracy goes? Also, did Kai's "swing around the hull" move make him a hero in your eyes, or just a reckless lunatic?
I am updating every single day until we reach the finale of this 13-chapter story. Hit Follow to stay tuned as we move from the hangar to the maiden voyage.
Rating. It helps the story find more readers during this daily run
How do we feel about Kai’s "seat of his pants" strategy?
