You’d think that after spending an unknown time in a crate, being transferred from wherever I was built, to the Station, that tight spaces wouldn’t bother me anymore.
Being crammed in a shuttle with Captain Emilia, and Telet definitely changed that.
Between the slow lash of the Captains metal tail, and the way the Oroloro took up over half the crew cabin, I was feeling cramped.
“Alright, Olli, Telet,” Emilia began, as she adjusted the controls, keeping us on course for the fuel depot, “I grabbed you two for this for a couple reasons. First, this depot is Oroloro run, so you’re in charge of communications Telet.”
Telet coiled around itself in what I could only assume was an act of excitement, causing its many hands to come into contact with almost every surface within reach, “This-one has not seen family-ones in months. This-one will do its best to render proper trade deal for Captain-one.”
I shifted away from the writhing mass, noting how Emilia rolled her eyes, and seemed to try not to smile.
“Well, since I know how much you liked going out into vacuum—“
“Not at all, but go on.”
She chuckled, rolling her eyes again, “You’re gonna maneuver the fuel lines, and fill the tanks. Since you can go outside, it’ll be faster than having to land at the depot, since we can just latch on the outside.”
If I could scowl, I would have. Instead I stared at the captain impassively, before letting out a sighing sound.
“Alright, you’ll need to walk me through that. I’ve never handled anything like that before. Most advanced unit I worked with on the station was a deep fryer.”
“Will do. Now climb into the airlock in the back, we’re almost in position.”
Climbing out onto the hull of the depot wasn’t exactly difficult, but in comparison with the tight confines of the shuttle, the openness of space was… humbling.
I stood, feet magnetically clamped in place, staring out at the distant stars. The nearest one was just under 10 billion kilometres away. My optical filters cycled to lower its blaze to a dull glow.
“Alright Olli, you’re going to walk around the port side of the shuttle, and head up to the top of the depot,” Emilia’s voice rang in my auditory inputs. In the background I could hear a sibilant hissing sound, which I can only assume was Telet speaking it’s native tongue.
I trudged slowly up the side of the depot. Every couple moments I noted micro-meteorite impacts against the glowing dome of the structures energy shield, sending the darkness into a kaleidoscopic fractal.
Several robots puttered about slowly on the surface of the depot, maintaining outer hull plating, and sensory devices. They paid me no mind, as I arrived at the position the captain had told me to go to.
“Alright, we have the go ahead to begin fuelling. Grab the tube marked theta. Bring it back to the shuttle and attach it to the hub tank.”
I bent down, unlatching the tube, and pulling it up. As I turned back toward the shuttle I noticed one of the robots watching me. It was the only other humanoid model out on the hull , and when I glanced in its direction it seemed to busy itself with spot-welding a piece of hull.
“What was that Olli?”
I began pulling the fuel tube towards the shuttle, having to move slowly to ensure I didn’t apply too much force in any direction, and launch myself or the fuel line out towards the abyss. I kept my optics focused on the robot, replying to Emilia, “Just noting the robots out here.”
“Yeah, from what I know this refueling station has a small army of them to do outer maintenance.”
“I see…” was my reply as I pulled the tube up to the fuel canisters. Latching in place was easy enough, and once it was secure I felt it shudder, as it began pumping fuel into the spare tanks.
I returned to gazing out at the stars as I waited, left to occupy myself on the hull. Over comms, I could hear Telet still chattering away. While I didn’t know them well enough to really be able to tell, they certainly seemed happy to be talking to their own kind.
Half an hour passed with little of interest happening, as the fueling rig continued its job, pumping the spare tanks full.
I’d grown inattentive early enough, but was brought back to the moment as an object ripped into existence less than a hundred meters from the side of the station. I felt my body pulled for a moment by the sudden gravitational arrival, though my mag locks held me solid to the hull.
My optics cycled, scanning the mass of metal that had appeared, as alarm signals began to transmit on wide-frequency from the station.
“Olli! Are you okay out there?” Emilia’s voice seemed filled with concern.
“Affirmative. What is that?” I questioned, noting bits of debris trailing from what I could only assume was a vessel. Across one side, deep scoring was obvious, and another section seemed to be nothing but melted metal.
“It’s a…” Emilia began, and I could just barely make out Telet exchanging information with the base, before she continued, “Draconakai warship. What’s left of one at least. It must have come from the station we picked you up at.”
I didn’t reply immediately, my senses heightening, scanning the ship before me. I could feel deeply ingrained protocol codes telling me to initialize a rescue. Other codes suggested attack, though those ones were even deeper, and seemed... Wrong.
“Olliver? We’ve got confirmation of a damaged distress beacon on board. The depot has signalled it is claiming salvage rights.”
“My sensors are picking up possible life signs on board,” My servos tensed as I shifted into a low crouch, “Between one and four living beings are still on board. Likely in critical condition.”
There was silence on the other end of the comm now. Telet had even ceased speaking with the depot crew.
“Initiating rescue protocol.”
I’d already kicked off the surface of the fuel depot before Emilia had the chance to say anything else, disengaging my mag lock as I did so, hurtling towards the slowly drifting hulk. I barely thought it, and I’d already calculated a trajectory to strike the side of the ship, though for a couple of moments I was free of anything.
I could hear Emilia cursing, and Telet scrambling about as they tried to explain to the station what was happening. I ignored it, as the signal weakened. The hulk was running a mass jamming frequency.
My hand hit the hull, and I grabbed hold, locking my palm first, and then bringing my legs against the side, to walk along the scorched metal. Close up, it was obvious the ship had been attacked, but my sensors couldn’t read by what.
Human vessels usually used solid munitions, and the scoring along the hull matched no energy weapons my internal database could pull up.
I dragged myself along, sensors scanning for optimal entry. Up close, I was having an easier time tracking biometric signs. Three currently in stable, if agitated, condition.
I paused for a moment. These were new sensations. Something to do with the rescue protocols triggering had unlocked a suite of new senses, and as I became aware of them it was momentarily overwhelming.
I shook my head, and continued moving. Seconds passed in silence on the hull, as internal codes attempted to boost my communication suite to match the enhanced senses, and recontact Emilia.
I slipped through the gap in the hull, optics scanning the area. Internal damage was as severe as external, the gash running through three decks, and multiple bulkheads.
Above, I could sense the life signs. Two now. Something had changed while I was distracted.
Static clicked in my comms, still blank from outside influence. Internal servos spun up as I grasped at a sealed hatch, wrenching it slowly open with a low grind.
Stepping into the hall beyond, the hatch crunched shut as I let go of it. I logged the strength necessary to open a blast door. As far as previous exertions said, my chassis was pushed to its limit to succeed at the feat I’d just accomplished.
Air, a breathable atmospheric mixture, refilled the hall. Evidently despite the damage, a processing bank somewhere aboard the vessel was swiftly sealing off areas to prevent decompression, and unsealing them when safe for atmosphere.
I pushed onward, moving swiftly. Signs of energy weapon fire was evident down the inside of the hall, heat scoring across a good chunk of the floor and wall.
I paused next to an internal comm terminal, scanning it quickly. Trade dialect was used on the buttons, making it easy to pick out what I needed. I tapped several keys, before running an info-link cable to it.
Immediately my comms jumped to life. An automated message was playing through the internal comms, looping in a language I couldn’t understand. As well though, I was reconnected with Emilia and Telet.
“Captain. Two life-forms active. Numbers dropping. Attempting to find, and rescue.”
Emilia shot a string of curses across the transmission band, but I cut her off, “We will require the shuttle to retrieve survivors.”
“Olli. If those are soldiers…”
“They are sentients first. Galactic trade law states all sentients are afforded the same basic rights. That includes those who do not yet know the laws.”
I could hear her annoyed huff, as I began moving again. Having parsed into the system, it would no longer jam me.
I accelerated, moving at what could be easily described as a light jog, toward the life signs. More blast scoring filled the hall. Half-way down I found two deceased. Their bodies laid out how they’d died, brutal wounds across their frames. Memory indicators flagged them as similar outfits to the attackers back at the station.
Ahead I could hear the whine of a plasma cutter.
I slowed, rounding a corner, to see a robot, one hand burning itself through a blast door. At its feet another body, obvious burn marks scorched through its armour. It’s chassis looked similar to my own.
“Unit. Identify yourself, and enter maintenance stance.”
The words were transmitted over shortband, effectively appearing in my mind directly. I could feel protocol’s logged deep in my circuits telling me to shift my stance.
I ignored it, instead cycling up defensive protocols, “I am Olliver. Identify yourself. This is a rescue mission.”
The robot didn’t stop trying to burn through the door, though it’s head did turn to face me.
“Model A-55. A-Ver. Completing class 3 extinction mission.”
It’s optics cycled, like my own did, swapping through visual options. I could tell it was scanning me.
“Stand down I-Ver unit. Infiltration unnecessary.”
I shifted my stance, hands raised and began to advance towards it. I could tell the door would only hold a few more moments, “You stand down. There are sentients onboard this vessel.”
“Confirmed. Sentient extermination in effect,” The plasma cutter turned off, and it turned to face me. I could hear the sizzle of dripping metal, and cycling servos.
It moved faster than I had time to think, dashing towards me cutter outstretched.
I reacted, pure combat protocols, no thoughts, hands grappling to keep the torch away from my torso. Data screamed at me over short-band transmission, trying to overwhelm my senses. I replied in kind, a cycling stand down signal, trying to overpower it as my own servos strained.
It was easily stronger than most sentients, but as it’s systems whined in strain against my grip, I slowly broke its stance. My own systems were barely cycling above what I’d used to rip open the hatch earlier.
“Stand down, I-Ver unit,” it transmitted again.
I didn’t listen, as images of fighting others like it flashed up from my memory banks. Instead, my arms charged up, wrenching the other machines limbs off, my fist wrapping around its optical array and wrenching it free of its torso, before crushing it under heel.
I stood, in the sudden silence that followed, over the mangled machine carcass, as my systems stabilized.
The voice came from behind me, and I turned slowly.
The captain stood halfway down the hall, talons set to combat mode.
I nodded, “Life signals pick up one beyond that door,” I pointed ahead to where slag still dropped from the other robots attack, before crouching down to examine it closer.
Emilia moved past me, as I examined the damaged machinery. It looked similar enough to my own body. It even had its designation etched in the same place as my own.
“Olli, help me get this open, they’re still alive in there!”
I stood, moving to help, wondering what the machine had meant by infiltration unnecessary. I’d have to find out….
