Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 73 - Trial by Fire

Chapter 73 - Trial by Fire

The vast expanse of deep space stretches infinitely, a boundless ocean of darkness speckled with distant, glimmering stars. The cold is palpable, a quiet, creeping chill that seeps through the ship's reinforced walls. The sun is barely more than a pale ember, swallowed by the cosmic abyss.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I release myself into the weightlessness of space travel. Instantly, my body lifts, drifting into the air with a slow, deliberate tilt. There's an odd sensation—my limbs feel impossibly light, yet a creeping unease coils in my chest, as if I'm in a never-ending fall. The lack of gravity is exhilarating, but it also sends a shiver of panic through me.

This is only my second time in deep space, the first being my journey aboard the space bus from Earth to Xyraxis. Back then, the experience had been fleeting—seatbelts locked tight, the journey through the void lasting mere minutes before the artificial gravity of Xyraxis took over. There had been no time to savor the sheer vastness of space, no opportunity to feel its strange, weightless embrace.

But now? Now, I am truly immersed in it. I can stretch my arms and spin freely, unshackled by gravity. This is what I imagined space travel would be like—liberating, infinite, surreal.

Nearby, Agent Feena secures her long pink hair into a ponytail, tying it with a practiced ease to keep it from floating wildly. With a small smile, she plucks two extra hair ties from her wrist and hands them to Myrrh.

"Here, take these."

"Thanks, Agent Feena," Myrrh replies, her lips curving into a soft smile as she gathers her vibrant blonde-green hair and twists it into twintails. The delicate movement of her hands seems almost slow, deliberate, as if every action in zero gravity requires extra care.

Agent Feena drifts toward the front of the cabin, a confident glimmer in her eyes. Turning to face us, she clasps her hands together and gestures beyond the ship's viewing panel.

"Welcome to the asteroid belt of our solar system," she announces. "We're currently floating between Mars and Jupiter. The Void Box is approximately three thousand kilometers ahead, but at our current speed, we'll reach it in about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, feel free to relax. There's a coffee machine and a cookie baker to the right if you need a snack. And if you start feeling motion sickness, the lavatory is on the left."

I nod, still adjusting to the disorienting thrill of weightlessness. "Got it."

I suddenly realize that my body has flipped upside down, my legs loosely crossed in an awkward, floating Indian-sitting position. The disorienting sensation makes my stomach churn, and before I can even attempt to fix it, I catch Agent Feena's bemused stare. Her sharp green eyes narrow slightly, her expression hovering between amusement and mild exasperation.

Feeling a rush of embarrassment, I decide to "swim" my way back into a proper position. I move my arms and legs, attempting to paddle through the air like I would in water, but instead of steadying myself, I end up flailing uselessly, spinning ever so slightly. My movements only worsen the situation, making me feel like a helpless, upturned turtle.

"Help!" I yelp, my voice carrying an edge of desperation.

"You doofus," Myrrh groans with a sigh. With a swift push off her chair, she glides through the air effortlessly, reaching out her hand toward me. "Here!"

Her fingers are just out of reach, hovering in front of me like salvation. I stretch my arm as far as I can, but the zero gravity betrays me. Before her hand gets close enough, one of her twintails drifts toward me first, its green strands floating like a delicate ribbon caught in a slow current.