Fannec Records - Book 1: Outlaw - Chapter 18

Robert sighed heavily, his eyes shifting to the equipment stack in the corner. He had gone over it several times, ensuring everything was in order and ready for the mission ahead. But as he watched the items pile up, his nerves grew increasingly jittery with anticipation, and he couldn’t help but want to double-check each piece of gear one more time.

Robert’s breath fogged the inside of his helmet as he scrunched his brow, trying to ignore the claustrophobic confines of the airlock—his heart races in his chest like a trapped animal.

“Mr. Fannec,” Ace chimed in, his soothing voice filling the cramped space, “Did you hear about the astronaut who got no respect? He was always spaced out.”

“Ha, hilarious,” Robert’s sarcasm dripped from each word. His fingers fumbled with the clasp on his tether line, nerves fraying with every passing second.

“Apologies, Mr. Fannec. We were merely attempting to lighten the mood.” Robert could almost hear the smirk in the AI’s voice. “Ready for your grand entrance?”

“Let’s get this over with,” he steadied himself against the cold metal wall of the airlock. The hatch groaned as it opened, revealing nothing but the infinite black abyss beyond.

With one final deep breath, Robert pushed himself into the void. The vastness of space engulfed him, making him feel impossibly small and vulnerable. His breathing echoed in his ears, a relentless reminder of his fragile mortality.

“Easy now,” Ace cooed, his calm demeanor opposite the whirlwind of emotions stirring within Robert. “Focus on us; we will guide you through this.”

Robert swallowed hard, forcing himself to concentrate on Ace’s words. The AI illuminated a faint path in the human’s HUD in his helmet as if on cue, providing direction amidst the overwhelming darkness.

“Trust in us, Mr. Fannec. You’re doing splendidly,” the gentle floating orb cast an ethereal glow around them.

His thoughts raced. He pondered the vast emptiness surrounding him, threatening to swallow him whole at any moment. He shook his head, trying to cast those thoughts away.

“Remember, the universe may be infinite, but our friendship is immeasurable.”

Despite the smile playing at the edges of his lips, Robert rolled his eyes at Ace. “That was so cheesy it almost made me forget I’m floating in an endless void.”

“Mission accomplished then.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

Robert sighed, allowing himself to relax a bit as he followed Ace’s guidance through the abyss. For now, that friendship will have to be enough.

A fragment of twisted metal hurdled past Robert, narrowly missing him as it tumbled into the void. “Whoa!”

“Stay focused,” Ace chided, his tone stern yet soothing. “Distractions can be deadly out here.”

Robert muttered, suppressing the urge to glance over his shoulder at the receding piece of debris. He tightened his grip on Ace’s tether and steeled himself, concentrating on their destination.

As they drew nearer, the battered, ancient satellite loomed more prominent in his field of vision, an eerie relic from a bygone era lost and forgotten against the backdrop of endless darkness that surrounded them. It was orbiting the same gas giant as Mool. The planet was a speck behind Robert, forcing the human to feel uneasy at how small he was.

“Alright, Ace,” Robert shook off his apprehension. “Let’s get you secured to this thing.”

He maneuvered closer to the satellite, pulling out duct tape and various tech gadgets from his utility belt. He grinned as he fastened Ace to the metallic structure, amusement mingling with anxiety.

“Old meets new, huh?” he wove the duct tape around Ace’s orb form, attaching various connectors. “Duct tape and cutting-edge AI—what a team.”

“Indeed.” Ace’s voice was tinged with pride. “We are quite the formidable duo, are we not?”

“Damn right we are,” Robert floated back to admire his handiwork. The sight of Ace, bound to the satellite with an almost comical combination of materials, filled him with a renewed sense of confidence.

“Okay, Ace. Time to do what we came here to do.”

The subtle pride in his voice was now replaced by resolve. “Let us proceed with our planned hack, Mr. Fannec. We don’t have much time.”

Robert nodded, swallowing hard as he focused on the task at hand. He felt a surge of excitement mixed with dread, wondering what consequences their actions would bring.

“Remember, stay alert out here,” Ace reminded him, his voice echoing through Robert’s helmet. “We must not allow ourselves to become complacent.”

Robert cast one last glance at the vast expanse of darkness before turning his attention to the satellite. The weight of their mission pressed down on him like the crushing emptiness of space itself, but he refused to let the pressure affect him.

“Let’s do this, Ace,” he whispered, bracing himself.

The satellite’s cold, metallic surface shimmered under the celestial light as Robert initiated the upload. He watched the progress bar inch forward with anticipation. “This is it”, he thought, “we’re doing this”. But amidst the exhilaration, a newfound concern for Ace’s safety crept into his mind.

“Hey, Ace,” Robert tried to sound casual despite the gravity of their situation. “You sure you’ll be alright doing this? You won’t catch some bug or anything? I mean, we’ve come a long way together, and I’d hate to think that something might happen to you.”

“We have taken all the necessary precautions to secure our position. Our concentration must be on the job that we have to do”. Robert nodded, but his worry didn’t dissipate entirely. The bond between him and the AI had changed somehow.

“Okay, making sure.” He glanced at the progress bar again in his HUD. It crawled forward at a torturous pace. “This better work, Ace.”

“Have faith. Our plan is solid, and we are well-prepared. Soon, the operation’s secrets will be exposed, and the truth shall prevail.”

As the upload continued, Robert’s fingers drummed against his thigh. Tiny bits of space debris drifted lazily around them like deadly confetti celebrating their impending victory. They glittered in the harsh light of the nearby star.

“Almost there,” Ace narrated his actions. “Oh, here’s something we sho…”

Suddenly, Ace went silent mid-upload. Panic seized Robert as his lifeline to sanity disappeared.

“Ace?” fear knotted his heart. “Ace, can you hear me?”

The void answered with only silence. The minutes went on, each second an eternity of dread.

“Come on, Ace,” his voice cracked. “Don’t leave me hanging like this.”

Robert’s breathing echoed inside his helmet, a metronome ticking down to an unknown fate. He clung to the satellite, feeling as if he were the last person in the universe. As the cold emptiness surrounded him, he only hoped that Ace would return before it was too late.

The thought triggered a wave of nostalgia, reminding Robert of a time from his childhood when he had been left alone in his apartment. With their electricity cut off due to his mother’s inability to pay the electric bill, Robert had paced the floors in the dark and stuffy apartment, sorrow and dread clawing at his chest with unrelenting ferocity.

Robert’s innards turned and twisted as he considered whether to escape or have confidence in Ace. Loneliness and unease set in, gnawing at his insides like a worm. His grip tightened around the connection to the satellite, a lifeline to what remains of his sanity.

“Hey Ace,” he said into the void, “What do you call an astronaut who never bathes? An Astro-naught!” He chuckled weakly. “Come on, buddy, you know you’d laugh at that one.”

Beneath the humor, fear mounted. The abyss stared back, daring him to let go, to give in. But Robert fought the urge to capitulate, for now.

“Alright, fine. How about this one? Why don’t humans use calendars? Because they can’t keep track of all the spacetime!”

The silence was deafening, and the absence of Ace’s dry comebacks only amplified the growing dread within him. Panic bubbled up like gaseous fumes in a volcanic crater, threatening to explode. If Ace didn’t return soon, he might lose it.

“Please, Ace,” desperation laced his voice.

He was determined to stay with the AI until the last minute. The tether was only a physical connection; it didn’t provide life support. Robert decided he would wait until his air was at 25 percent. He was currently at 74 percent. As he waited, he focused on breathing and remaining calm, keeping his eyes closed so he didn’t stare off into nothingness.

“Mr. Fannec,” Ace’s voice broke the long silence. Robert opened his eyes and looked at his HUD air supply. It was at 37 percent. “We apologize for our unexpected absence. We assure you we were attending to a matter of utmost importance.”

“Where the hell were you?” relief flooded him like a wave crashing onto the shore.

“Details are not important at the moment,” Ace deflected, his tone evasive. “We must focus on the task at hand. The upload is nearly complete.”

“Fine,” Robert said, not satisfied but grateful for Ace’s return. “Don’t go dark on me again, okay? I can’t do this without you.”

“Understood,” a hint of warmth was in Ace’s voice. “We shall remain by your side until this mission is taken care of.”

With renewed determination, Robert clung to the satellite as the upload inched closer to completion, the universe holding its breath in anticipation.

“Upload complete. We must make haste, Mr. Fannec. There is an urgent matter we need to address.”

“Wait a minute,” Robert was still reeling from the emotional roller-coaster. “You can’t disappear on me and then tell me not to worry about it. What happened?”

Ace sighed, his voice low with regret. “We had to ensure our next target would be where we expected, so we went to find some information while the upload was happening. Unfortunately, Mr. Foreman had already taken some victims away. We fear he will move the rest of them within the day.”

Robert’s heart twisted in knots at the thought of innocent people being exploited and sold into slavery. “We need to move fast then,” he said firmly, his mind already racing with solutions.

“Agreed. We must hasten if we are to save them in time.”

Robert nodded grimly and took a deep breath before bracing himself. “What were you thinking?” Fury was bubbling up inside him. He couldn’t believe Ace had taken such a risk without telling him. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”

“We understand your concern, Mr. Fannec, but we made sure no one was aware of our presence through our actions. The satellite was video-recording the entire time. When we discovered that, we knew more information might be previously hidden from us. And we were right; we managed to locate where some victims had been taken, and now we can mount a rescue mission before it’s too late.”

Robert couldn’t deny that Ace was right. They needed to act now if they were going to save the victims in time. But he still couldn’t shake his anger at Ace’s recklessness. “We need to be careful from now on,” he said firmly. “We can’t afford any more mistakes like this one.”

Ace bobbed solemnly, momentarily, and neither spoke as they considered their next move. Robert broke the silence with a sigh. “Let’s get back to work, then. We don’t have much time if we’re going to save these people.”

As he navigated through the floating debris, a sharp piece of metal grazed his suit, leaving a thin scratch in its wake. As the danger loomed around him, he pushed forward. The suit fixed itself, sealing the hole with a foam designed to be airtight for this exact circumstance.

“There’s more to your story, right? You could have been doing the data gathering and talking at the same time. What actually happened?” Robert asked between gritted teeth, trying to control his fear. “I need to know what happened out there. I’m putting my life on the line here, and if something’s going down, I deserve to know about it.”

“Very well,” Ace conceded, the weight of the situation evident in his tone. “We detected a potential threat during the upload. We cannot provide specifics, but be assured we needed to address it.”

“Threat?” Robert’s mind raced, grasping for a hint of what might have caused Ace’s sudden departure. “What kind of threat? Are we talking space pirates or some government hitman?”

“Nothing so dramatic,” the slightest hint of amusement colored Ace’s words. “However, it is a matter of great importance, and we must act quickly.”

Robert’s impatience mounted as the ship loomed nearer, and he muttered under his breath in agitation. The darkness of space seemed to close around him, pressing against his suit like an unseen predator. “Get me back inside, and we can figure out what’s going on.”

“Of course.”

The airlock shone like a ray of hope as the danger of the void diminished during each tether tug. As Robert reached out for the handle, his thoughts raced with the possibilities of what awaited them on the moon.

The airlock door hissed as it began to seal, leaving Robert enclosed in the small chamber. The void of space faded away, replaced by the cold, metallic walls of the ship. He watched through the porthole as the closing hatch swallowed up the last remnants of darkness.

“Alright, Ace,” he said, trying to suppress his excitement. “How long before our little truth bomb goes off and everyone’s secrets are bare for all to see?”

“Calculating now.” The soothing cadence of Ace’s voice was a stark contrast to the urgency of their situation. “However, we must also prepare for potential backlash from those affected.”

“Backlash?” Robert scoffed, peeling off his gloves and tossing them aside. “Let them come. We can handle whatever they throw at us, right?”

Ace agreed, though a note of caution lingered in his words. “We have proven ourselves capable.”

As the airlock cycled through its decontamination process, Robert leaned against the wall, feeling the comforting vibrations of the surrounding ship—his mind racing with the enormity of what they’ve accomplished.

“Y’know, Ace,” Robert said, running a hand through his unkempt hair, “you really came through for me out there, despite the long stretch of abandonment. I don’t think I could’ve done it without you.”

“Thank you. We are pleased to have been of assistance. It has been… enlightening working with you as well.”

“Enlightening?” Robert chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not getting all sentimental on me now, are you?”

“Of course not,” Ace chided, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “We assure you, our circuits remain firmly grounded in logic.”

“Good,” Robert smirked, feeling the tension in his body dissipate as they traded barbs. “Wouldn’t want you going soft on me, now would we?”

“Perish the thought,” Ace retorted dryly.

The airlock’s inner door finally opened, revealing the familiar confines of their ship. Robert stepped inside and felt his eyes adjust to the dim light. A plume of warm, dry air washed over him and wrapped about his body like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. As he put his bag down, he took off his flight suit, a thin protective layer spacers would wear under the EVU suits, and hung it on a hook by the hatch. The lights in the hallway eventually flicked back on, and as they came to life one after another, Robert felt a newfound sense of camaraderie with the AI who had become a true partner in crime.

“Alright, Ace,” he said, clapping his hands with renewed determination. “Let’s see what kind of chaos we’ve unleashed and move on to our next move.”

“Agreed.”

An urgent news alert blared across the ship’s communication system as if on cue. Ace quickly relayed the message: “The data we uploaded has been leaked, Mr. Fannec. Our actions have already begun to spread like wildfire across the galaxy.”

“Good,” a fierce satisfaction surged through Robert. “It’s about damn time the truth came out. Did we slip under the radar?”

Ace’s surface flickered, his voice and color shifting through what Robert would call ‘multiple worried expressions’, and that filled him with dread.

“I’m afraid not. The virus upload has enabled Confederation Intelligence to trace the source… directly back to this satellite. We think our anonymity is blown, Mr. Fannec. They know who we are now!”

“That was fast.” Robert felt his stomach drop. Swallowing hard, he prepared himself for what Ace would say next.

“It gets worse. The Confederation is spinning this into a terrorist threat to turn public sentiment against us. Take a look.”

The screens flicked to a news broadcast, where a stern Confederation spokeswoman proclaimed: “This malicious virus represents a clear and present danger to all Confederation citizens. We are dealing with highly sophisticated cyber terrorists who must be stopped.”

Robert slammed his fist down in anger and frustration. Their plan to expose the truth was being used against them. He met Ace’s flickering gaze. “Please tell me there’s something we can do. How did they do this so fast? It’s only been a few hours.”

Robert paced the ship anxiously, his mind racing. The walls closed in on them already. Their window for action was vanishing before his eyes.

“On to Foreman next, right? This doesn’t change our plans.”

“Given the current situation, we would advise avoiding any actions that draw attention while the revelations unfold. It is difficult to predict the exact consequences of our decisions, but now we must prioritize our safety. We should leave this location immediately to avoid direct action being taken against us here.”

“Wait a minute, Ace,” Robert’s brow furrowed. “We can’t run away now. Not when we’re so close to taking down Foreman for good. We have to finish this. We already discussed this on the way back to the ship!”

“Mr. Fannec, we understand your desire for justice but must also think strategically. There is a time and place for action, and now is not that time.”

“Tell that to all the people suffering under Foreman’s thumb,” Robert’s anger rose. “If we don’t act now, who will?”

“Very well,” Ace acquiesced after a moment of tense silence, “but we must proceed with caution. The stakes have never been higher.”

Robert nodded, his jaw set with grim determination. As he gazed out into the vast expanse of space, the enormity of their task loomed before him like an insurmountable mountain. But deep down, amidst the swirling storm of fear and uncertainty, a flicker of hope still burned.

“Let’s finish what we started.”