Catapult to the Stratosphere
I tried activating the hacking module just in case, even though the launch sequence had already begun. Static— But it cut out almost immediately with a signal loss warning. I considered ripping it open with the Nexus, but the bulkhead was way too thick. And according to the blueprint footnotes, the loading port wasn't a single layer—it was double, maybe triple. Realizing there was no way to yank out the missile that had already entered the relaunch procedure from in here, I racked my brain.
'Head to the muzzle and pour rounds in reverse to blow it up from the inside?' Not a bad plan. The issue was getting back outside in time—too tight.
Less than two minutes of launch time stared back at me. I watched the countdown tick down relentlessly, then a crazy idea hit me. First, I prepped the sniper cannon I'd scavenged from the wreckage of the defense squad I'd smashed through on the way here.
'Not Nexus-spec, but... as long as it fires.' Plenty good enough to intercept a missile.
Intercept. Yeah, that's what I was planning—to shoot down the missile. How do you intercept something launching at hypersonic speeds? Whirr— I optimized the Nexus's weapon control system for the new gun and headed back to compartment 3.
The launcher that had been loading the missile was frozen mid-process, its underbelly intact. The loading bay was big enough for a Nexus to fit. Peering inside, I spotted the twin rows of catapults stretching out.
'Multipurpose electromagnetic catapult launcher.' True to its name, it wasn't just for accelerating missiles. So why not let the Nexus hitch a ride too?
'Built for unmanned stuff like missiles—who knows if a pilot could even survive.' I interfered with the catapult's drive system via the hacking module and eased the Nexus inside. Spreading the legs just a bit made it fit perfectly. Since the launcher was aimed upward, the Nexus tilted back slightly to match.
I felt the pull of gravity tugging at my back as I stared down the barrel to the distant muzzle. The launcher was so long that even at this size, the opening looked like a tiny hole. The brilliant light streaming in through it almost seemed holy.
'Intercepting from the ground? Ridiculous.' The second I launched, it'd be out of sight in a blink—impossible to hit. To drop the missile, I needed to be within weapons range. So I decided to ride along with it.
Shhhk— The catapult mechanisms realigned as the launch prep kicked in. Acceleration rails slid under the Nexus's feet.
'Can't catch a missile, so launch first. Hit it before it hits max speed.' I let the system handle the launch angle. It wasn't aimed way off—just a minor error I could correct manually.
Thud! Prep complete, the lower bulkhead sealed. Now only the white light pouring through the muzzle remained.
'Sky's overcast, but this light's so bright.' Light always hits different coming from the dark.
Rumble— With about 40 seconds to missile launch, I fired up the catapult for real. Boosters cranked to max, the Nexus vibrated like it was gonna burst—like a chained guard dog begging to be unleashed. Then—
Crackle! Blue electricity arced along the catapult rails.
BOOM!!
The accelerators fired, hurling the Nexus forward with brutal force.
"...Guh!!"
The crushing pressure crushed any sound from my throat. I gripped the controls with everything I had, fighting to stay conscious. The Nexus shuddered like a spaceship punching through reentry, roar filling my ears. Altitude spiked wildly.
I clawed my fading senses back to the forward cams. The Nexus burst from the muzzle, climbing, climbing. Clouds loomed closer.
Shhhk— We punched through the carpet-thick overcast. Darkness swallowed us briefly as droplets beaded on the hull. The climb continued.
I held onto consciousness, staring ahead. How long did the shaking and pressure last?
Shhhk— Finally, we broke free of the thick cloud layer. Blinding light welcomed me from the dark. The catapult thrust was tapering off.
"Hah, hah."
Final altitude: roughly the troposphere. I looked up, but no sun—just more storm clouds higher still. Did this overcast even have an end? I stopped gazing upward and checked the missile countdown.
'...Launching any second.'
3 seconds. 2 seconds. 1 second.
Down below, the missile should've rocketed from the muzzle by now. Its thruster would kick in fully, smashing through the sound barrier. I aimed the sniper cannon and waited. No relying on sensors—pure instinct. Gut feel to nail the intercept.
I recalled the direction compartment 4's launcher had been aimed, cross-referenced it with compartment 3's angle, and guessed the missile's climb path.
I didn't expect success. But since I was up here, why not take a shot at downing a missile?
This wasn't just fulfilling some insane catapult fantasy. Rumble.... Imagination? Amid the high-altitude gale, a faint, alien thruster whine cut through. I gripped the stick tight.
Imagination? One cloud patch below bulged oddly. The instant I spotted it, no hesitation. I swung the sniper cannon sideways, adjusted angle upward, and fired.
Bang! Exo-frame weapon, so minimal kick to the Nexus. But the slug flew true.
Splat! A distant cloud tore open. A tiny missile, barely visible, streaked out like lightning.
Slug trajectory met missile path perfectly. Flames roared from its thruster as it pushed for top speed. But at the warhead's tip waited my high-caliber AP round.
Flash— And there was light.
"Ugh...."
Systems screamed errors as I recoiled. Sensors drowned in noise, everything glitching.
Rumble.... Blinding light like going blind. A second sun under the clouds—one I'd never seen with my own eyes since birth.
How long did the deafening roar last? Only after ages did it register as thunder. I cracked open my clenched eyes and checked ahead.
A massive fireball loomed. Smaller than expected.
'Lightened for hypersonic missile mounting.' Still, a nuke was a nuke. Turbulence tossed the Nexus; EMP scrambled systems. Sensors spiked radiation hard.
Wouldn't kill me inside the Nexus, but damn, terrifying power. Below, the blast had punched a massive hole through the cloud deck. Faint ground haze showed through. Ahead, the crater blazed fiercely. Dazzling light persisted. Higher up, the shockwave had ringed away another cloud layer.
"...?"
I hadn't noticed at first amid the glare. But through the scattered clouds, brilliant light poured. And beyond....
'Blue sky.'
Perfectly clear azure that opened my chest wide. Not a photo or render—real, right before my eyes.
Breath caught. How long since I'd seen it? If that's the sky, that light piercing the clouds must be sunlight. Beautiful. Incredibly so.
Who knew such a sight waited beyond the gloom. I'd forgotten. How could I forget a view like that?
I stared blankly, thoughts frozen. Rumble.... The roar faded. The fireball evaporated, shrinking.
'...That should do it. Missile down.'
I moved the Nexus. Time to wake from the dream and return to reality. The ashen world waited below.
As I turned from the blue sky—my eyes caught something beyond.
"...Huh?"
Undeniably unnatural silhouette. No natural formation—an artificial shape, faint against the distant haze, blending into the blue.
Weird. 'Visible that big from so far... how massive is it?'
Scale beyond guessing. Eyes wide, but clouds rolled back in. Overcast reclaimed the blue.
'Optical illusion?' Camera glitch? I grasped at excuses uncharacteristically, but the image was too sharp.
I watched that colossal shadow in the sky until the clouds swallowed it again, like living will reclaiming the heavens.