Chapter Text
March 20th, year 2810, somewhere in space.
It was an aggravating, agitating crackle and scratching that awoke Noah from his slumber, the offensive sound being emitted from Noah’s own person. Still in a groggy state, he glanced down at the walkie talkie clipped to his suit.
“Everyone, I repeat, everyone is to arrive at the command module immediately.”
Blinking blearily, Noah sat up as much as possible whilst still confined in his cylindrical sleeping chamber, rubbing the crust from his inner eye. In desperate need of a nice stretch, he reached, with more struggle than necessary, to open the hatch of his sleep module and shimmied his way out.
He had no idea how long he’d been out for, and peering out the window that stretched across one of the metal walls of their sleep quarters provided no help in figuring this out, the only thing visible for endless nautical miles was the never-changing pitch black expanse of space, specks of white littering the sub zero sky.
Noah allowed himself to drift through the room, stretching his arms over his head, eliciting numerous pops from his under stimulated joints.
“Any day now, Noah.” The same snarky voice announced itself from his walkie talkie.
Piss off, Heather Noah rolled his eyes at the thought, yet moved to exit the room nonetheless.
Grasping onto a nearby handle on the wall, Noah hauled himself forward and it turn, was sent flying across the room. Automatically, the door swiftly drew itself upwards, allowing Noah to pass through into the hallway. After flying through countless windy hallways, Noah floated before a door larger than the rest, a keypad situated next to it.
Wordlessly, Noah pressed his palm against the unit, a whirring sound accompanied the horizontal laser that phased down the display pad, sending an invasive tingling sensation prickling through the nerves of Noah’s forearm. Noah shivered in disgust, he’d never get used to that.
“Welcome, Noah Mundaliar, ID number 1673-“ A synthetic voice spoke in a monotone.
“Yeah I get it, lemme through.” Noah would have tapped his foot with impatience.
“As you wish.”
The door was promptly swivelled open, revealing the rest of his crew waiting, mostly all of them, patiently. Heather was the exception, who had a foul expression that contorted her face.
“Save the lecture, Heather, I ignored it the first dozen times and I don't plan listening anytime soon.” Noah waved Heather off, disallowing her from beginning her spiel, something that was routine by this point.
“For the umpteenth time, that’s Captain to you.” Heather pointed an accusing finger at the other.
"Again, not listening."
Noah went to cross into the command module room, bringing a hand up to his chest to press at a circular gadget stuck to his suit. Immediately, he felt himself fall, feet hitting the metal floor with a loud clang. He wobbled to retain his balance as he stumbled forward a few steps, suddenly feeling 100x heavier, the previous weightless sensation now completely gone.
“Graceful.” Heather’s eyes squinted with amusement.
Straightening himself up, Noah glowered at Heather through lidded eyes. “Hardy har.”
"Watch the 'tude tooth pick." Heather gestured to Courtney and Geoff who stood around the central meeting table. "Go bother someone else."
Why she'd called him here if she was going to shrug him off as if his presence was a personal vendetta against her was anyone's guess, just a Heather attribute he supposed. The quip he had at the ready diminished quickly, arguing with Heather was a special, more excruciating type of torture. It didn't matter how well thought out, or logical your points were because to Heather, this was her universe and everyone was simply living in it. Noah learnt this quite some time ago, so instead of biting back, he simply walked over to where Bridgette and Trent sat at the control desk. Glancing over Bridgette's shoulder, he saw the outlined route their ship was taking, destination: Earth.
"Tell me we're almost home." Noah dragged a hand over his face.
"Almost, should be around a week max." Bridgette responded, not missing a beat.
"Good." Noah could see the way Bridgette's lips curled into a smile from her reflection in the glass of the viewport.
Trent piped up from beside Noah. "Heather, we are getting a request for communication from headquarters."
"Send them through." Heather nodded at Trent as she lifted a hand to her headset. "Oh and Noah, go fetch me a coffee."
Ah, that's why he was there.
Noah grumped, his already furrowed eyebrows deepening further. The action accentuated the wrinkles of his forehead, which were way too prominent for someone in their early twenties. Despite his annoyance, he headed for the door once more, if only to have a brief reprieve from his mind numbing co-workers.
"Oh one for me too please, you know how I like it!" Bridgette called out sweetly, to which Noah huffed. He wasn't some errand boy.
Noah detested the trip to the kitchen, located on the total opposite side of the ship. Although Noah was lazy, a fact too obvious to refute, it wasn't because the trip caused physical exertion, he didn't have to walk after all. It was the ominous humming and lonely alcoves eloped in darkness that creeped him out.
It was currently Noah's second trip out to space and he was yet to become acquainted with the nagging feeling of loneliness, something one would feel being situated thousands of lightyears away from everything they've ever known.
Once he arrived, Noah pressed a palm against the ID panel and swung himself through the door before pressing the gadget on his suit once more. He dropped to the floor, no more graceful than the first time.
Getting to work, Noah hustled his way around the ship's kitchen, fetching a couple mugs from the overhead cabinet. He grimaced at the smell wafting from the coffee beans container. That was something he hadn't gotten used to yet either, the cups of slosh called coffee on this ship. It was a multi billion dollar vessel, you'd think they could afford to splurge a little on the coffee. Of course not, McLean inc wasn't known for their cushy work quarters.
He paused pouring the boiling water once he heard the door slide open behind him. Sparing a fleeting glance over his shoulder, Noah spotted the crew's chef, DJ, enter into the room.
"Noah!" The other man's face lit up at his presence. "Another coffee run?"
Noah gritted his teeth, adding the additional sugar to one of the mugs, just how Bridgette liked it. "I really don't like how it's catching on."
DJ let out a hearty laugh, clapping Noah on the shoulder which elicited a grunt of surprise.
"Well, it's nice to have someone down here in the kitchen, back at home I'm so used to my Ma buzzing around the kitchen with me." DJ adorned a wistful expression, eyes fixed on nothing in particular. "Man I miss her."
Noah nodded in understanding, he had a family waiting for him back on Earth also, a mother who made much better coffee than this, and too many sisters who'd laugh at his expense. Yeah, he missed them.
"Well if it helps, Bridgette says its a week until we're standing on fresh soil." Noah spun himself around, resting his back against the counter top as he stirred the coffee with a metal spoon.
The smile on DJ's face widened, eyes crinkling at the motion. "That does help, thanks man."
"Sure."
After pouring the milk, Noah held the cups of coffee in both hands, DJ immediately went to grab two stray coasters from the bench. He then approached Noah and placed each coaster atop of the mugs.
"No spillages this time!" DJ gave him a wink.
Rolling his eyes, Noah headed for the door. "Thanks, I'll see you soon."
Noah exited the room, he could walk to the control module room, avoid any spillages like DJ had suggested. Or, he could fly through the hallways in a much messier yet convenient manor at just the press of a button. Of course he'd take the safer route. Not. Screw you Heather.
That was the biggest bonus of this gig, the impressive technology Noah had access to without any expense.
When Noah arrived back into the room, only a few spills on the way, Bridgette scurried over to help him with the mugs. "Appreciate it, Noah!"
"This one's yours, minimal spillage." He held a mug out to Bridgette. "The other one's reserved for Heather." Noah wore a smug expression, handing off the second coffee to her, this one with a noticeable amount of its contents missing.
Bridgette's reprimanding stare didn't do much when it cracked into a smile.
"Hey, she's lucky I didn't accidentally swap the sugar with salt." Noah waved her off.
Bridgette just snorted. "Right, right, you're too kind for your own good."
"Glad someone's finally noticed." Noah wasn't joking in the slightest.
"Alright everyone enough of that, I've got news." Heather paused as she accepted the mug offered by Bridgette. "I've been informed we must take a detour."
"What?" Courtney slammed her hand down onto the table. "Two months, two months is what my contract says, I don't accept this overtime work!"
Taking a sip, Heather's eyes peered at Courtney from over the mug. "Okay no need to get your knickers in a twist," Heather chortled, "And its not a choice."
"You want to explain why we have to take a detour?" Noah huffed.
"I was getting to that." Heather pursed her lips. "Communications are down on a nearby space station, headquarters haven't been able to get a hold on them for weeks. It is now our job to fix it."
"I fail to see how that's our problem!" Courtney sniffed.
"Do you want to get paid?"
...
"Seems their local communications have been severed as well," Noah added, struggling to maintain his balance as he shoved a leg into his astronaut suit, hopping awkwardly on his other foot.
Trent grumbled to himself for a moment. "That's... Weird."
"I second that, I'm ready to get home to the waves!" Bridgette called from where she was adjusting the front of Geoff's suit, pressing a peck against his glass helmet.
Once everyone had suited up, they passed through the decontamination room before marching down a descending ramp that unfolded from the side of the ship, revealing the view of their surroundings. From where Noah stood, he failed to see any movement in the vast distance, he shared a look with Trent.
"Weird is right, where is everyone?" Noah continued forward, squinting to see better across the great expanse.
"Does it matter? Trent, start work on the communications, Geoff and Bridgette..." Heather faltered. "Make yourselves useful, I'll be back on the ship."
"Heather?" Courtney interjected, exasperated.
She halted suddenly, head dipping in evident annoyance. "What?"
"You're always banging on about being Captain." Courtney crossed her arms over her chest.
"So?"
"Act like it," Courtney seethed.
"Oh whatever, just get off my back!" Heather continued her path to the ship, completely ignoring Courtney's words as the former gawked at her.
"That woman is insufferable!" Courtney waved her arms around in frustration. "Only taking charge when it benefits her."
"Tell me something I don't know." Noah frowned.
"I'm going to go get her, Noah?"
"Oh, I think I'll have a walk around, scout the place out you know?"
"Go crazy." She threw a lazy hand over her shoulder, storming up to the ship.
Noah really was fed up with his crew's antics, being confined in that ship- no matter how big it was- with them had began chipping away at his self control to not lash out at them. He took this as an opportunity to walk around, alone, for a change. He was almost grateful for the impromptu deviation of their original route home.
"Hey Bro careful out there, this place gives me the heebie jeebies." Geoff's voice waned slightly as he cowered behind Bridgette.
"Right."
...
"The heebie-jeebies, really?" Noah scoffed to himself.
When asked what he wanted to be in fourth grade and he replied "A cosmonaut trained in the cognitions and workings of aerospace apparatus," which given it came from a nine year old at the time was only mildly off putting to the parents asking, this was not what he had in mind.
How Geoff had made it this far was long lost, thrown out of orbit to the depths of space, on Noah. Perhaps Geoff was secretly impossibly smart, the dumb kind of smart. Noah is yet to confirm. The himbo provided useful for in-flight entertainment however, when he wasn't sucking face with Bridgette, so Noah could let it pass.
Noah was drawn out of his internal spiel, halting mid step as he felt a horrible shudder rack his body, causing goosebumps to flood the surface of his skin. Suddenly he felt extremely restless due to the rapid berating of his heart.
It felt as though his every move was being observed, but once again, he spotted no one in his near vicinity. He did, however, notice a nearby shed isolated from the rest of the base. It looked banged up, out of place, it really gave him the heebie jeebies.
Noah blinked, there's no way he just thought that.
"Pull yourself together Noah, you've spent way too much time around those clowns." Frustrated at his unease, Noah suppressed his worries and continued marching across the base, proceeding past the dingy looking shed.
The eery silence remained when Noah felt the surface of the terrain swiftly change underneath his boot. Glancing down Noah saw a large crater he was lucky he'd missed, exceeding numerous feet in depth.
Looking upwards, Noah witnessed what he guessed was once a building now in shambles, metal panels and glass strewn everywhere. Scorch marks were evident under the rubble, suggesting some kind of explosion had occurred. Noah didn't jog, but briskly ambled his way closer to the wreckage.
"How does this even happen?" Noah crouched down, lifting a piece of scrap metal up. It was cold, this hadn't happened recently. "Someone's getting fired." Noah murmured under his breath.
He reached to activate his walkie talkie. "Guys, looks like someone's had a field day with the explosives over here." Static was the only response that came. "Crap, comms are out, how did I forget?"
Deciding he'd relay his findings to Heather, he started his trek back to the ship. He'd almost arrived when the shed was caught in his peripheral once again. This time, he couldn't shake the curiosity that drew him towards it. "A quick look can't hurt."
It was dark when Noah entered, menacing shadows casted along the floor. He retrieved a flashlight tucked away in one of his suit pockets. He flicked it on before swiping the light over the contents of the shed briefly, nothing noticeable from a first glance.
"Anyone... In here?" Noah cringed at the way his voice cracked. Not expecting a response, Noah was startled when he noticed a set of eyes illuminate from the darkness, green and bright.
Tentatively, he scooted closer and directed the beacon of light at the unknown object. It looked to be some sort of android.
Noah drew his face closer to observe its metallic surface. Noticing the dust layered on thick, he blew a gust of air to rid it of the grime. It backfired when the cloud of dust ricocheted, leaving his helmet blurred and his vision obscured.
Groaning, Noah rubbed at the glass, observing the robot who seemed to come to life, a whirring sounded as its engine fired up. Quickly, it began circling Noah, rickety wheels drifting and eliciting sparks against the metal flooring. It continued to encircle him, demeanour weirdly panicked.
"Alright, alright, slow down I can't get a good look at you." The android quickly listened and halted immediately in front of Noah, much like his golden lab back at home.
Upon closer inspection, there were gashes and dents littering the expanse of its torso, Noah let his fingers roam across the dips and grooves of the metal, the cold temperature matching his frigid finger tips through the fabric of his gloves. Noah then retrieved one of the robot's arms from where it lay idle beside it, drawing it closer to his face for inspection, the way the robot flexed and whirred its hand about forced a chuckle from Noah, it seemed to be trying to show off.
"Cool." Noah smiled in approval.
The android let out a quiet beep, the sound brought Noah's attention to its facial panel. A digital arrow flickered weakly on its screening, teetering towards a bright face sporting a massive grin.
"You seem... Strangely sentient." Noah eyed the android with suspicion. "You wouldn't kill me and take over the universe would you?"
The lights on its facial unit flickered, an action resembling a single blink.
"You're right that was stupid, I'm talking to a hunk of metal, I really am going crazy."
The arrow faltered, moving in the direction of a sad, annoyed, unhappy? Face while its arms folded across its metal torso. Yeah, weirdly sentient.
The robot then retracted its arm, releasing itself from Noah's grasp, and proceeded to spin him around.
"What the-"
Noah felt himself being nudged, quite forcefully mind you, towards the entrance to the shed, the robot prodding at his back.
"Okay, okay! You want to leave I get it." Noah bit back after a rather aggression shove.
The robot stopped its insistent shoving and instead reached for Noah's hand, metal claw clamping around his wrist. It hauled Noah the rest of the way until they were out in the open, although it didn't stop there. It continued to lead Noah, ignoring his shouts of protest, all the way back to Noah's ship.
Trent heard Noah's footsteps nearing, throwing a glance over his shoulder. "Good Noah you're back, couldn't get ahold of you since comms are still down, damage is worse than I anticipated."
Finally drawing his attention away from where he was tinkering with a nearby satellite dish, Trent finally took notice Noah's new companion. "What's this?"
"A pain in my ass," Noah jeered as he tried to tug his arm away, the robot's grip on his wrist simply tightening as it attempted to haul him the rest of the way up into the ship.
"That's no way to talk to a stranger." Trent mused.
"It's a robot." Noah deadpanned.
Heaving himself upwards, Trent dusted off his suit gloves and approached the two.
"Well the robot's got the right idea, we should head inside." He glanced over towards the satellite dish. "Need to give Heather the bad news."
Noah raised a questioning brow.
"The satellite is totally busted, I have no idea how it's happened but we'll need a whole new one at this point."
Looking over Trent's shoulder, Noah could see what he was referring to. The satellite had an array of dents caving the surface in, the feed horn bent in an awkward manor. The android next to Noah became increasingly persistent at this, Noah wasn't able to resist the robot's attempts this time, its grip too firm.
Trent let his head fall back as he laughed. "Looks like he likes you."
"How stellar." Noah gritted his teeth.
...
"So have you fixed it yet?" Heather demanded once she noticed the three enter through the door to the command module room. "And what is that?" She screeched, pointing a finger at the android.
"Noah's newest BFF." Trent snorted at the glare sent his way. "Regarding the satellite situation though, I can't fix it."
"What do you mean you can't fix it?" Heather snapped.
"The satellite dish is completely wrecked, repairing it is unrealistic, we'll need a replacement."
"Replacements take time." Heather pinched the bridge of her nose. "Whatever- Noah, did you find anyone, apart from that rusty pile of junk?"
"Nope, but I did find an explosion site, looks like one of their main buildings was completely destroyed."
Courtney perked up, "So they must have evacuated, that explains the lack of people."
"I guess..." Noah murmured.
Although that still wouldn't explain the destroyed comms, the satellite was way too far from the explosion site for that to be the cause of the damage. Not only that, if they'd evacuated like Courtney suggested, they would have surely notified someone, that would make sense. Their communications at this station are wrecked but the satellites around space would have allowed them a form of communication with headquarters, just like their ship had before they arrived.
Noah didn't have time to voice his concerns when he was almost knocked to his feet, his near fall intercepted by the sentient hunk of metal that caught him, keeping him upright. A massive thud sounded from the side of their ship, one forceful enough to rock it.
The chills Noah had felt earlier that day came back in an instant, this time the intensity increased by ten fold.