A/N: After Bulma and Vegeta's emotional goodbyes. Vegeta is finally launched into space!
Wrong Number Continues!
Sorry for the late update. I have around 5 Work In Progress' going on at the moment. I am working through them one at a time and trying to give my best to each. But I hope you will enjoy the new chapter! Lots of stuff is happening, and I needed to do a bit of research. shout-out to The_Ruby_Rabbit for all the help! You're the real MVP! It was very intimidating writing about such advanced space and aerospace engineering facts! And her help was awesome!
In saying that, I could never write something like this with 100% accuracy! So it needs to be read with a grain of salt.
Also, just for a refresher...
Captain - Leah Hamilton
Pilot (SIC) - Elijah Howe
Missions Specialist - Alfred Semyonov
Payload Specialist - Marcia Steiner
Aerospace Mechanical Engineer - Vegeta Prince
Enjoy my amazing readers!
Chapter 29
I am neither tame nor content with our destined lot.
I condemn the frontier and violently push beyond.
With the whole of the human race behind me.
I animate our one desire and propel out,
Eclipsing the unprecedented boundary of the unknown.
Vegeta ran his hands over the metal plaque, completely encased into the ship. The embossed words of their mission staring darkly into him as he began his breathing techniques. His body would be leaving the only home it had ever known. Amongst the terror, and instincts his body deluged his sense with. An audacious spirit inside him, one that could not be silenced was exhilarated by the chance to explore the darkness.
"Hang tight team, we are going over the diagnostics now," a male voice came over the speakers.
Tilting his head slowly, he eyed his closest comrade. Elijah. The pilot.
"Don't stress out young whippersnapper! We'll get to the ISS by the end of the day. The ride always goes too quickly" The older man chuckled. "So enjoy it while it lasts!"
"Easy for an ancient to say, time goes so quick when you've been alive for a millennia"
It was inevitable, a punch connected with his arm. Making a sharp hiss escape Vegeta's throat.
"That's assault." Vegeta smirked.
Elijah laughed along with his newest team member. "Bunch of whiners you kids nowadays. Now pay attention and continue running the program for Obi, you need to get used to her."
"Yeah, yeah. You and Bulma sound like a broken record. Like I haven't worked with state of the art tech before. All I've heard over the past two weeks in quarantine was, Obi this… Obi that… Don't fuck up my prized invention."
Static from an outside micro turning on pierced the air. "I can hear you…" Bulma's voice sounded.
Another wack came from his older friend. And they were friends now, there was no one he would rather fly this thing with than Elijah. It felt like pure bliss to be a part of a genuine comradery. He had not felt so accepted before, it was strange. Took some getting used to. But two long years of training made short work of their getting to know each other stage.
"Leaving the planet in style, hey Vegeta?" Elijah asked.
"Leaving the dog house you mean?" Leah, their captain, spoke up over her team's sniggers.
Never having had this peculiar mix of sensations run through her. 18 squeezed her own hands while her muscles shook out the anxiety. The mix was a touch of pride, anxiety and excitement. Actually a touch was a bit on the stifling side. They dominated her every being. A strong mood setter for the rest of the day.
"Look! The clouds are clearing, that's what Bulma said they are waiting for right?" Chichi blurted out, pointing high into the sky.
18's attention was promptly changed from circulating inside her body, to back out into the wide open sky and air around her. The launch had been delayed by clouds, cumulus to be exact. Billowing ice crystals, water droplets. Whatever.
"Something like that…" Krillin muttered, covering his eyes and looking up.
Something that is so regular in everyday life, something we see almost everyday and is so natural to our world. The fact that something so harmless ordinarily, could stop a technologically advanced mission such as this one, in its tracks was simply amazing. But also terrifying.
What were they getting into? The mere thought of this brought on her apprehension like a motherfucker. Mother nature was cruel, she did not care for planet earth's advancement. It was all cold hard luck that humans even existed at all. Any tiny divot from their carefully perfected plan could mean devastation. Knowing all she did, 18 could not comprehend how uneasy Bulma must be. Finally she was starting to understand her friend and her actions over the past few years.
"How nervous do you think they both are?" 18 asked.
Raditz and Tarble were laying on the soft green grass of the viewing field, legs crossed over and shaking in enjoyment. Obviously so oblivious to all the nuance and skill going on in that moment, just across the way.
"Vegeta is shitting bricks right now, dude is about to go into orbit!" Raditz said simply.
"Bulma will be scared too, watching her boyfriend blast off into space after…"
"Chichi!" 18 quickly spat, nodding toward Tarble.
"Come on guys, I'm not a kid anymore. I talked and talked and talked to him about the mission, about every little thing that could go wrong. Vegeta and I are at peace with whatever happens!"
Wow, had he ever been so articulate? That was surely Vegeta speaking through him. She found herself hoping Vegeta came back to continue being a model for the younger man.
"You just want his stuff" Raditz laughed.
"Something like that!" Tarble smirked back.
A green hand grabbed the boys shirt and lifted him off the ground, causing the younger brother to squirm and protest.
"You little shit, don't act dumb. You're brother is on a rocket about to be blown into space!" Piccolo shouted, causing Tarble to cover his ears.
"Ok, ok! I was kidding. I care if he dies! Alright?"
"That's really fucked up Tarble…" Krillin muttered.
"Yeah dude, you shouldn't joke about that sort of stuff," a familiar but shocking voice rang in her ear. Funny, 18 wasn't sure he was going to show up.
"Yamcha! You decided to come." Krillin slapped his old friend's hand.
Shoulders shrugged, he looked almost as uncomfortable as every one felt. All eyes on him.
"It's a big day, I couldn't miss it…"
"No one expected you to be so considerate and supportive after being such a complete and utter fucking pork chop." Raditz said harshly, still not facing the younger fighter.
18's neck was tense as she switch between her friends. Did she really feel sorry for him right now? After everything he had put Bulma, and fuck her and Krillin through? Watch a friend suffer like that, seeing her pain and being able to do nothing. Then for her to be tormented was down right infuriating.
Yamcha fiddled with his hands, sparking more empathy from the blonde. "Yeah, I guess I kinda deserve that."
Without another word, he just dropped down, ass to grass and somewhat slumped over.
Could this day get any more intense?
Work had a way of diluting her senses, pushing down on the rising acid and dread that invaded her stomach. She couldn't allow the fears to rear again, they were only fucking clouds.
"Obi is in, we had some issues with her taking over the environmental monitoring access from the LSS. She did it though, in her own unique flare," A young man in glasses said, smiling up at her.
Enjoying the room's warm reception to Obi was one of the pinnacles of her career so far. She was like no other A.I. Integral to Bulma's success on this mission. Obi had an uploaded personality. Her own unique thoughts and feelings. Completely separate from their current systems, having her own total autonomy.
"She's definitely unique!" Bulma mirrored her thoughts. "They are lucky she is going with them."
"I can't believe the board approved her… Not that I think she shouldn't go, they definitely need her!" Her assistant almost sang out in glee.
"You, me and Dad are the only ones who know of her, and what she truly is. Let's keep it that way until the reveal," Bulma winked.
The young man smiled and zipped his lips shut.
"Scouts honour!"
Turning her line of sight fell on and engaged with her fathers. He motioned her over to him with a new coffee, steaming from the top of the cup.
"We have confirmation, the weather is improving. We will be given the go ahead in moments."
Letting go of her held breath, something she wasn't even aware she was doing. A tremendous weight lifted from her shoulders. Grabbing the coffee, she blew the top of the liquid before sipping it.
"Perfect, Obi has settled herself in, she is now in control of the LSS and found her spot inside the onboard systems," Bulma said.
"Good, lets update them. It is beginning to drop back into the stone ages over there." Dr Briefs chuckled. "Get them up on the main screen, we have a surprise."
Bulma turned her head to the side, still facing her father. She couldn't quite give her whole self yet to the mission. Not until he was safe. Had that reporter been right, was she really cut out to help lead this mission. Knowing what she stood to lose.
"Good afternoon team Terrastera!" An image shot on screen of the pilots and crew. Their horizontal bodies only registered further anxiety. "Comfortable in the pod, are we?"
"With all do respect Dr Briefs, can we get the hell out of here already?" Alfred asked with Marcia nodding sharply in the background.
It was a good thing only the visual feed was being broadcast to the public. "To think, we have another 10 months together," Leah grinned.
"Twenty four, fucking seven with you all," Vegeta mumbled. "Just kill me now."
"Good to hear, well… Since the weather has been clearing up and our orders will be given at any time." Dr Briefs walked slowly over to a computer screen. Ignoring the murmuring going on around them and directly from the monitor of the Team. "We have a surprise for you, Bulma?"
The profound sense of her mouth curving into a smirk echoed the satisfaction she felt in her bones. She had hid this from everyone. From Vegeta. One of her life works greatest achievements. Hell, she considered the mission to be null and void at this point. She had reached what they were searching for. But alas the red tape prevailed and here they were.
"Thanks Dad, I want to welcome our sixth member…"
"Obi," Leah smirked through the screen. "We know an A.I is coming with us Ma'am."
The stretch of her jaw widened as did her resolve.
"Obi…" Bulma said. "Say hello to your Crewmates."
You could hear the room inhaling and holding their breath. The electricity of the unknown filled the air and protruded from inside the rocket. Bulma's eyes fixated on Vegeta, waiting desperately to see his reaction.
An extremely familiar, high pitched voice beeped, so human-like it confused the room for a moment. "Hey guys, I'm so excited to be coming with you all!"
A few people turned to Bulma, confused, watching her mouth. She stood still, her face stone cold still. Only her smirk was suspended in time.
"Bulma? Quit messing with us." A voice sounded out into the tension.
"You some ventriloquist or something?" Elijah asked.
"She isn't messing with you, I am Obi," Bulma's own voice said again.
"Wait.." Vegeta cottoned on.
"You're Obi? Bulma is... Obi?" Leah, the captain asked.
"Bulma transferred her own consciousness into my hardware. I am the first, true A.I. Branching off from my creator to become my own life form of consciousness, wants and desires. She is brilliant! And such an attractive woman too, the full package really!"
The whole room's jaws dropped. Obi was definitely playing into the moment, hell, just like she would have is she was in Obi's shoes. This was it, she exploded into the world as a scientist. As the facts began to sink in, one by one the faces turned to the screen. The monitor, from their perspective, housing the astronauts.
"You singled out your own consciousness? You've found the physical footprint? you...y- you know what the consciousness consists of?" A worker asked from in front of his computer screen.
Murmuring erupted at the conclusion of his assertion. However, Vegeta's face was what she had concentrated on the entire time. While all the implications filtered through his mind and conveyed in his eyes. He looked out to search for her too.
"You are fucking ingenious." Vegeta said.
Once the feeling of confusion past, the cold hard weight of understanding brought him back into work mode. The bomb she just dropped on the entire mission was huge. Going through the implications of her actually finding a physical form of her consciousness, and transplanting it into code was an struggle for him to grasp. It was so far out of his depth of knowledge. But he understood how much weight the meaning of her discovery held. Suddenly her message on the walkway to the rocket was showing the beginnings of making more sense.
"And I wanted to tell you, ask Obi about her duty to you. The duty I assigned her"
Thoughts, filthy thoughts, filled his mind. What was this duty? And the earplugs? Surely she didn't replicate her own fucking consciousness just as some kinky sex play? Right? However, it was not lost on him that she essentially was coming into space with him. Being in control of the life support system, controlling everything inside the rocket and pod. She really was going to be protecting him. Bulma did all of this, within such a short amount of time. The realms of her intelligence, her genius were lightyears from his own basic knowledge. How much of her did he really understand? All her anxieties over the mission, over him taking the position. And with that train of thought his viewpoint had changed positions. A new light shone on his girlfriend.
"We are clear for launch," Obi perked up. "Begin the countdown"
Even now, in this moment she was looking out for him. Deciding to reveal Obi right before launch had distracted his mind. He would be in space in 10 minutes time.
"Here we go team, Terrastera will be embarking on the most thrilling ride of any living human." Leah said, clenching her fist.
"10"
All the chatter from ground control, the sounding off of the launch procedure faded. This time, all he heard was the robotic voice counting down from ten.
"8"
Contrasting feelings, pressure from his suit. The vulnerability of being on his back, legs in the air. Time stood still, the excitement in his breathing was concentrated in his chest. It was heavy, the heaviest it had ever been, heart racing. Panic failed in comparison to the immense, intoxicating thoughts of the launch.
"Shuttle main engines engaged"
Vegeta counted them in his head as he watched the engines come to life below them. 1..2..3
"6"
Thoughts of his parents jumped into his headspace. Their smiling faces, pride filling into the cracks of the wrinkles. With greying hair, they seemed so fragile. He had never imagined them older before. Strange they appeared like this now. Something inside him, deep within confirmed, they had always been there with him. But why not now? On his single most greatest venture,they appear. It wasn't too strange he determined.
An overwhelming grin completely took over his facial muscles. Tears began to form while he thought of his brother, Bulma, his friends. Everyone he was about to leave behind.
"1"
No going back.
"Zero"
The solid rocket motors ignited, causing the most violent force he had ever witnessed. It was far off any sort of gauge he could ever have imagines. Firing them into the sky at such ferocity. They began creaming at one another as they relayed the checks on the instruments to one another. Shaking, pounding, shuddering into a speed of 250km/h and beyond.
Accelerating at and past 2g's, going supersonic, he felt as if he would become one with the seat he was strapped into. The rockets jettison away from the spacecraft, and the crazy shaking and noise begin to fade. Five more minutes and they would be in orbit. Already clearing themselves of most of the earth's atmosphere, they raised their visors.
The disparity from the last few minutes to now was inconceivable. He could hear his crewmates, read his instruments. It was sleek, almost comfortable.
"30 seconds to orbit"
Being told of this moment, he remembered how Elijah had described it. Jarring came to mind. But it could never prepare him from going from 3G's to 0G's in an instant.
A most odd sensation washed over his entire body. There was no more gravity. Specks of dust coming up from the instruments, along with anything not bolted down that began to float, were nothing in the shadow of his own being. His arms began to float beside him, normally held down by gravity, this was the new normal. It was weird, exciting. Frightening.
"Wooo!" Elijah hollered beside him. "Bet that was worth the entry fee!"
Before he could open his mouth to talk, Vegeta had to un-clench his smile. He had been grinning the entire time, completely unaware. What a sight that would have been.
"What a fucking ride!" Vegeta hooted.
"We're chasing that record 3 hour flight to the ISS ya'll, let's give it a good crack!" Leah said proudly.
Looking up at the plaque that had been molded into the spacecraft, Vegeta once again ran his fingers over it.
I am neither tame nor content with our destined lot.
I condemn the frontier and violently push beyond.
With the whole of the human race behind me.
I animate our one desire and propel out,
Eclipsing the unprecedented boundary of the unknown.
For a commercial mission, they sure were treating it as a human glory crusade. They were only going to mine some fucking rocks, for God sake.
Chuckling at his own thoughts, he rubbed his face. Yeah, only mining an asteroid! Not only were they going to attempt to jump onto a fucking asteroid, but also travel farther than anyone had ever gone before. And come back!
The plaque still seemed a little over the top. Even for such a monumental mission. They weren't going on a quest to find life or anything, just to make the Briefs a hell of a lot richer than they already were.
Spontaneously, her words flashed across his mind once more.
"And I wanted to tell you, ask Obi about her duty to you. The duty I assigned her"
