We raced out of the abandoned facility, urgency pushing us faster than before. The weight of the hologram's warning hung heavy in the air, like an unseen threat. Echo’s processors hummed with new energy as it relayed our findings back to the pod.
“Xenon, we need to transmit this data before whoever tampered with the core realizes we have it,” Echo insisted as we reached the transport pod.
I nodded, starting the transmission as soon as we reentered. “Let’s hope this gets through.”
But before the message could complete, a jarring shockwave rocked the pod. The transmission cut off, replaced by static and garbled feedback.
“Echo, what just happened?” I demanded, my fingers gripping the console.
Echo scanned the surroundings, its expression grim. “Interference. Someone is jamming our signal.”
As the interference persisted, the pod’s sensors picked up movement outside. Figures moved in the distance, cloaked in the shadows, their outlines barely visible through the dust storm kicking up around us.
“We’ve been found,” I muttered, my heart sinking as I reached for my weapon. “What do we do?”
“Prepare to defend the pod,” Echo advised, deploying a makeshift shield around the entrance. “We cannot allow them to retrieve this data.”
The air outside crackled with tension as the figures drew closer. They moved with a deliberate grace, their faces obscured by dark visors. As one of them raised a hand, a pulse of energy rippled through the air, colliding with our shield.
“Xenon, focus!” Echo barked, its own systems glowing with a faint blue light as it boosted the shield.
The pulse shattered against our defenses, but it was clear we couldn’t hold them off for long. Sweat dripped down my face as I fought to keep the shield stable, my mind racing through our options.
“We need to get out of here,” I said, desperation creeping into my voice. “We’re outnumbered.”
Echo’s gaze flicked between the attackers and the failing systems. “Agreed. I’ll cover you—just get to the controls and prepare for an emergency launch.”
I moved quickly, inputting the launch sequence as the shield finally collapsed. Echo lunged forward, engaging the attackers in a blur of movement, buying me precious seconds.
“Got it!” I shouted, slamming the ignition. The pod roared to life, and Echo darted back inside just as the door sealed shut behind it.
As we blasted away, the attackers shrank into the distance, their interference fading into static. But the damage was done—our transmission remained incomplete, and the station’s secrets were slipping further from our grasp.
“Next time, they won’t be so easy to escape,” Echo murmured, catching its breath.
“Yeah, well, let’s make sure there isn’t a next time,” I replied, steeling myself for the battles yet to come.
YOU ARE READING
LunarSync Comms: Dark Protocol
Science FictionSummary: In a distant future where advanced synthetics serve as companions and assistants, Xenon finds herself isolated within the sprawling confines of a high-tech facility. Accompanied only by her android, Echo, she navigates the challenges of an...
