Chapter 45: 42.73291% Chance
"What the fuck is wrong with all of you?! You are supposed to be some of the best and brightest that the training academy has to offer, so, why can’t you find a single ship?!?" screamed Captain Xarvyn of the Sisalik Searcher Class S942.
"Um, Sir?" said the communications officer as she approached the enraged captain. "Do you think we should try T Galaxy? Maybe Captain Zonax will attempt to sell some of the research equipment on his ship in order to gain more money."
"T Galaxy? T Galaxy?! You really think they are dumb enough to go to T Galaxy? Get off of my bridge and send in a replacement. You are off duty until you learn just how stupid you are!" shouted the captain, so angry that he wasn’t even trying to make sense anymore.
Tha’juen quietly snorted as he watched the scene in front of him unfolding like an entertainment video he had once seen advertised when he was at a space station between hunts. Personally, he found entertainment videos to be a complete waste of time and anyone that would watch them was clearly lacking intellect.
Mind you, he did agree with what the captain had said. There was no possible reason for the other Sisalik captain to risk going to T Galaxy. Especially after it came out that the Alliance was not welcome anywhere near planet W59271 and to do so would result in swift and devastating consequences.
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I stared at the nebula in front of me, marveling at the sheer beauty of it. It looked like those pictures of space back on Earth where different colored lights illuminated the darkness around it.
"And I have to go in there?" I asked as we continued to get closer to the dangerous mix of gas and cosmic dust.
"Yes," said Jun Li, not looking up from where he was quickly typing on his console. "This now makes it the 2,364th time that you have asked me that question. My answer remains the same. If we want to get the Sisalik X94, you need to go into the nebula and retrieve it."
"Well, I figured that if I asked you the question enough times, your answer might have changed," I said with a shrug like I wasn’t starting to get stressed about the idea of leaving a perfectly good spaceship to go into the very place where planets are formed. "And how do I even propel myself forward?"
"I am sure that your armor has a propulsion system that will push you in whatever direction you want to go. Now, are you ready?" he asked as he finally stood up from his seat. I activated my armor as soon as he came close and he handed me what looked like a USB drive on the end of a chain.
Putting the chain over the top of my head, I looked down at it. "And this will be okay out in space?"
"For the 319th time, yes, the program will be completely fine out in space. All you have to do is install it in the slot designed for it in the fighter craft," sighed Jun Li. The robot was taking on more and more human traits, including impatience apparently.
"You know, you are more than welcome to go in my place," I reminded him as I scrolled through the list of add-ons to my suit of armor. "Propulsion system," I said out loud, wondering if that would be an easier way of finding what I was looking for.
"No such system found," replied my helmet. You know what? I think I finally felt was fear was... or maybe it was just a nervous reaction, but either way, I was not liking this plan.
Jun Li walked me to the launch bay, and I was pretty sure that he was not doing it out of nicety but rather as reassurance that I did actually leave the ship.
"You will be fine," he said as we stood outside of the bay. "You have a 42.73291% chance of success on the mission!"
My eyes went wide at his stat. I was pretty sure that he hadn’t mentioned that he had calculated a less than 50% chance of success. My stomach crawled into my throat as the door behind me slid open and Jun Li pushed me into the launch bay.
"Have fun!" he quickly shouted as the door closed between us.
"I am pretty sure that I hate you right now," I grumbled under my breath, knowing perfectly well that he can hear me.
"You love me," he replied with a shrug. "Launch bay doors opening in 5...4...3...2...1."
All of a sudden there was a rush and anything that wasn’t bolted to the deck was sucked off into space like a vacuum cleaner sucked up dirt. Unfortunately, I was part of that dirt. I bit my lip trying to hold back the scream threatening to come out of me.
I flip a few times as I was ejected into the vastness of space and for a second, I felt panic. I looked around, still spinning and flipping out of control, the lack of gravity playing havoc on my system. I didn’t know which way was up and my stomach was definitely feeling it.
"Stability system engaged," came the female voice from my helmet and I felt my free fall slowly come to a stop as my suit rightened. I didn’t know how it even determined which way was up, but I was damn glad that I stopped that uncontrollable spinning.
"Consciousness detected. Hello Mei Xing, would you like to activate the thrusters?"
"Yes," I said stoically, or at least I was going for stoic. I didn’t know if it was coming out that way or not, but I was more than a little grateful for thrusters.
I spun myself around in a tight cycle until I was facing the direction of the nebula. "Thrusters activated."
All of a sudden, it felt that I had been shot out of a gun and I headed towards the nebula and hopefully this X94 ship.
