The End To Come - Page 25 3D Render, Digital Artwork by emarukk

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The End To Come - Page 25

3D Render by emarukk

As Aldo spoke, a low hum began to swell, gradually transforming into a deep, resonant rumble that reverberated throughout the shuttle. The noise crescendoed as Aldo engaged the main generators, their mechanical heartbeat filling every corner of the vessel. More power surged into the life support systems, causing the airflow within the shuttle to intensify, but the air lacked freshness, carrying a sharp scent of recycling, like metal tinged with ozone. Olivia was acutely unaware of the stark difference between the shuttle's circulating air and the crisp, fresh atmosphere of Verdantia station. The realization of how fortunate those living in farming stations were would take time to fully dawn on her. The gravity plating lay dormant, patiently awaiting activation, while most other systems hummed to life.

"Now, kid, hold tight; we have to move," Aldo commanded, his voice cutting through the mechanical symphony, clear and authoritative. He deftly maneuvered the controller, and despite the ferocious roar of the steering rocket, which thundered through the shuttle's hull and resounded like a drum beat within its hollow spaces, the thrust was gentle and brief. The sudden acceleration and thruster burst were daunting for Olivia, who was unfamiliar with the cacophony of a spaceship. Even with the active inertia dampening, her stomach twisted as if the universe had subtly shifted beneath her. With gravity yet to be engaged, she found herself hovering lightly in her seat, gripping the handlebars of the safety harness with white-knuckled determination. She pressed her small shoulders against the unyielding security harness, striving to anchor herself to the seat, but felt as if she might slip free with each movement of the shuttle. It was the first tangible shift since they had boarded, a delicate glide into the vast unknown that starkly reminded her of their distance from anything familiar. She tightened her grip, pushing herself firmly into the seat and harness, her eyes fixed on the cockpit, searching for stars or any reference point to anchor the dizzying sensation of movement.

Aldo sat alone at the helm, the pilot's chair still rotated backward so he could monitor the station through the rear display. Olivia couldn't discern his face clearly from her vantage point, yet she observed the remarkable stillness that enveloped him. His shoulders were squared with precision, and his hands rested calmly against the edges of the controls, exuding an air of unwavering composure. Against security protocols for actions under danger, his helmet lay discarded. The faint, pulsing glow from his cybernetic eye blinked intermittently, casting a gentle, rhythmic light that was oddly soothing in the sterile silence of the cockpit. Despite the urgency of the situation, the old man exuded an aura of unshakable calm.

Olivia couldn't see it, but before Aldo's eyes lay the remnants of Verdantia, slowly spinning in the vast void. It was a fractured ring of steel and debris, illuminated by the fading emergency strobes, a haunting yet strangely serene sight from this distance, like a shattered crown of light encircling nothingness. It lacked the cinematic grandeur of the explosion Olivia had envisioned. As the shuttle executed a few more burns, it gradually gained speed, maneuvering to escape the expanding debris field. With each acceleration, Olivia's head spun, disoriented by the lack of clear direction. The air was filled with the loud rumbles of generators and the persistent hum of airflow, punctuated by muted alarms from the cockpit. The angry bursts of steering thrusters hit the hull with a force akin to a drummer striking his instruments with fervor. The movement was undeniable, yet direction remained elusive. It felt as if they were racing toward the station, though Aldo was expertly guiding them away from danger. Olivia closed her eyes momentarily, trying to hang on to her seat amidst the disorienting chaos.

Suddenly, Aldo initiated a communication channel, and the system notified them with a crystal-clear woman's voice that resonated through the cabin. Olivia's frightened eyes darted up toward the cockpit, her heart pounding in her chest. Aldo cleared his throat, his voice calm and authoritative, yet tinged with a formality that seemed almost out of place amidst the chaos. It was not the voice of a man fleeing from the rapidly expanding debris field of the explosion that loomed behind them. With unwavering steadiness, he announced, "Salvage Operator SCL-7911-AX-9934. Alimony Express. Registering exit from Verdantia orbit. Proceeding to jump gate Beta-Six. No official flight control. No visual, signal, or transponder contact with Confederate vessels. Broadcasting manifests to all traffic in the zone. Transponder number AEEX-7911-ORV-3471. The vessel is armed."

The air in the cabin was tense as a brief pause followed. Aldo turned his gaze to Olivia, his serious expression meeting her wide, emerald eyes, before he looked out the window toward the spot where the station once stood. The words that followed sent a chill down Olivia's spine. She had expected them, the inevitability of their arrival hanging over her like a shadow, but hearing them aloud was an entirely different ordeal. Aldo maintained his steady speech, his tone unwavering: "Informing Confederation vessels or flight control in channel Navy-Navy-5-Gabriel-2-Bravo-Civilian-Civilian. Alimony Express under license SCL-7911-AX-9934. Salvage retrieved: one agricultural support tube, one personal spacesuit, and one unclaimed 3rd class citizen, female, station-born. Farmer girl."

Olivia's entire body stiffened, caught in a whirlwind of emotions. Her ears rang with the echo of the phrase, a mixture of disbelief and recognition. Words had stripped her naked, robbing her of her humanity, yet there was something undeniably awakening about hearing her own name among the salvage manifest items. Understanding what salvage manifest meant and hearing herself listed as an item was a humiliation she could barely endure. Yet, without quite knowing why, listening to Aldo read the manifest details was like divine intervention, sparking something inexplicable inside her. It didn't break her as she thought it would, but the opposite happened. One detail in particular struck her pride like a sledgehammer against metal; it was a direct affront to her character. Olivia was typically humble, but this revelation stirred something new, a defiance that cracked through her usual humility. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. As she stared at Aldo, her emerald gaze was a storm of conflicted emotions, not fear but a simmering anger. Protocol had labeled her as salvage, a status she would bear until reunited with her parents. She had braced herself for the manifest, knowing its inevitability, but the term… farmer girl. That cut deeply. It suggested Aldo had stopped reading her file after Verdantia was mentioned, making assumptions of his own. This remissness fueled her internal struggle, leaving her not to stand at a crossroads between acceptance and rebellion.