You Can't Take The Sky From Me!

Herman was acting strange. He kept growling at a cabinet, then proceeded to bark. His tail was stiff, standing upright, signaling caution. Sometimes it waved left and right, and then proceed back to the barking.

"What is it, Herman? Why do you keep growling?" Jared asked, his feet resting on the dashboard. He was counting his physical money--coins and papers, making sure he knew how much he had without using a credit card. With Charles chasing him, he couldn't use any electronic payments. So far, the money he has now seemed like enough to get him through the next two space stations, but he'd need to come up with a way to get more cash after that.

Before he could look at the hologram map on the screen to strategize his next move, Herman's barking grew even louder. Jared had to leave his seat and join his dog to figure out what the problem was on their ship.

Herman was barking at something white—someone had placed a piece of bubble gum on the side of the cabinet. It was strange; it wasn't typical for Herman to care about random used bubble gum. Jared grabbed his screwdriver to remove the gum and discovered a sonar device that could detect movement.

Now, not only was Herman growling, but Jared also felt the urgency. He rushed to the toilet, flushed the device down, and then ejected the tank into outer space. The bad news was that he couldn't use the bathroom now. But the good news was that he'd probably just escaped Charles' tracker—the one he must have planted the last time he'd been in the cabin.

Jared could not stop swearing. He swiped all the money on the dashboard back into his side bag and pulled the lever to change direction.

While driving, he checked the map and activated AI assistance. "Sara, dive into the dark web and look for another pirate stronghold!"

The computer wasted no time; she calculated data from the GNS in just a split second and found another refueling station for the outlaws.

"Closest pirate stronghold found: Pila, located at (xxxx; yyyy). Shall we go?"

"Yes! Yes! Show me the direction!" Jared was impatient.

"Got it! Direction to Pila established. Have a safe journey!"

Jared checked the direction again and noticed the track was circular, as if it were trying to avoid something, making the journey twice as long as originally planned.

"Sara, why is the route curving? What are we trying to avoid?" Jared tapped on the hologram layer to enlarge the details and set the interface to real-time. He noticed something like dark-purplish clouds, as if dust and debris were piling up. But also, something was moving. As he zoomed in enough to see the details, he realized what it was.

"Oh, it's the cosmic storm. You don't want to get near it. Would you like me to explain the dangers of entering a cosmic storm?" the AI offered politely.

"No!" Jared turned off the AI and focused on driving to Pila. He knew how fast police pods were, and he hoped he wasn't too late to escape them—and that there were no more hidden trackers that Charles had left in his cabin. Oh wait, he could actually plant a tracker on the surface of his pod.

Jared slammed his fist on the dashboard in frustration. "Damn it, Charles! Should I enter the cosmic storm instead to escape you?!"

Just as Jared finished speaking, Herman growled again. Then he barked loudly in the southern direction, alerting Jared to the approaching police fleets.

"Sh*t!"

Moments later, his radar beeped, detecting a fleet of ten police pods rushing toward him. Jared wracked his brain, trying to devise a way to escape. While he wasn't sure if his idea was the best, he steps on the gas pedal, pushing the vehicle to maximum speed.

He turned on the AI assistant again and commanded, "Sara, pilot us to Pila!" Jared then left the driver's seat, because he need to do something to his stubborn pursuers.

Sara, the AI, responded calmly, "But we're being chased by the police. You know the pirates' rules: no approaching their stronghold with police in pursuit."

"Just drive us there!" Jared snapped as he rushed to a hidden stash under the floorboards.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. It's against the guidelines, as it would endanger you. Your safety is my first priority," the AI replied in an even tone.

"What a f*cking useless AI!" Jared groans, ignoring her. He pulled out a trash bag he had collected and hurried to the toilet door. First, he shut the septic tank valve to secure the system. Once it was safe, he stuffed the trash bag into the toilet and flushed it down. With the container already ejected, the trash bag would flow directly into the hollow tank space.

After securing the tank, Jared locked the toilet door tightly and released the valve, causing the dog poop to be sucked out into outer space, creating a trail of mines. He sighed, realizing he'd have to replace his toothpaste and toothbrush later on.

Meanwhile, Charles commanded his assistant, "Remi, when the target is close enough, hack into his system."

"Understood," Remi's voice came back over the comm, clear and sharp. She sat in the cockpit with him, her hands flying over the interface of her console. Her fingers moved with practiced speed, navigating the complex networks of their ship's system. Her eyes darted between multiple screens, her focus unwavering.

Charles kept his focus on the tracking display. Jared's ship was still visible on their radar, far off in the distance. A tiny speck in the dark void of space, but a speck he could track, thanks to their specialized tech.

Remi's voice broke the silence again. "Tracking at 50,000 kilometers. Approaching."

"How much longer until we're within range?" Charles asked, fingers brushing against the console in nervous anticipation.

"Not much. We need to be within 10,000 kilometers before the systems are vulnerable enough for me to hack," Remi replied, her voice remaining calm, though the slight tension in her tone was obvious. Hacking Jared's systems would require getting past encrypted firewalls and shields—nothing that couldn't be done, but the closer they were, the easier it would be for her to penetrate.

The distance shrank quickly as the ship's engines hummed and pushed them forward, accelerating towards their target. Each second passed like an eternity, and Charles could feel the weight of the situation. It wasn't just about capturing Jared's ship—it's about something that cannot be found anywhere else; his gene.

"15,000 kilometers," Remi noted, her fingers dancing across her console. "Shields are up, but nothing we can't get through. I'll start the prep."

Charles nodded, his gaze still on the distant pod. The ship's hum vibrated in his chest as they closed the gap. Everything had to align perfectly. If they didn't manage to seize control of the pod, they'd lose Jared, and their window of opportunity would vanish.

A break of noises came from his fleet's comm; it sounded like someone was arguing.

"What are you guys fussing about?" Charles broke through their arguments.

"Major, I ain't a complainer, but when someone poops in the cabin, you're going to question their morals!" one officer sounded mad over the comm.

"I told you it wasn't me!" his friend shouted back at him.

"Then who else? Argh, it stinks so bad!"

"It's dog poop!"

"I got the same smell too, guys, and we're in different ships," another officer replied.

"10,000 kilometers," Remi stayed focused on her task, despite all the ruckus in the background. Her tone was sharp. "Initiating the access sequence. We'll need to breach their encryption to take control."

"Do it," Charles ordered, his voice low and filled with intensity. "Get in before he knows what hit him."

Remi's fingers actively hitting the buttons on the console, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She worked fast, bypassing the first layer of security and moving into the pod's central control system. The readouts on her screen flashed as she decrypted and overrode the security protocols, trying to gain full control over Jared's camper pod.

"Alright, guys, just—" Just as he was about to say something to his team, Charles saw it: a black trash bag with dog poop floating inside it. It looked like an image of a potato falling out of the bag, but it froze mid-air. It was too late for Charles to hit the steering wheel to evade the poop; it hit his cockpit window.

Looking at the dirt on his window, Charles growled. He then called out to his boys over the radio communication, "Guys, it's our target. He threw his dog's poop at us."

For a few seconds, there was chaotic noise coming from the comm. Some officers were rapping out their anger, but others were laughing out loud.

"Accessing… bypassing secondary firewalls… moving toward main control," Remi remained unbothered, even with the dog poop's shadow falling on her face. Her voice stayed steady despite the complexity of the task.

Charles kept his attention fixed on the pod as the distance continued to shrink. They were close now—close enough to make or break this operation.

"5,000 kilometers," Remi reported, and there was a new urgency in her voice. "I'm in. We're starting to push control over his systems. His pod is losing command."

Charles clenched his jaw. Jared wouldn't know what hit him. "Keep going. Disable all external systems and lock him out of his controls."

Remi's fingers moved faster, her concentration absolute. "Locking him out now… disengaging manual override… all systems are under our control."

There was a brief pause, then Remi's voice break the silence. "The pod is fully under our control. He can't access any of his systems."

Charles exhaled, feeling a rush of satisfaction. They'd done it. Jared's vessel was now completely under his control. Soon, he would be in jail, and Charles promised Jared wouldn't forget it—even in his next incarnation!

Jared banged the dashboard as his system got hacked. But he couldn't let his emotions take over the situation. He hurriedly turned off all electronic systems, from navigation to maps. With the GNS deactivated, he lost his way to Pila, and the only thing visible to him was the cosmic storm.

Alarms beeped as the AI shut down, leaving Jared to drive manually. At this rate, they'd catch him, and he'd end up in jail until Charles got what he wanted! Knowing Charles, it wouldn't be a fun experience. Charles would make sure Jared was as uncomfortable as possible until he said "yes" to the "marriage proposal".

After successfully switching to manual drive, Jared steered his camper pod toward the cosmic storm.

"Yo, Major! Our fugitive—is he trying to kill himself?!" a voice from his team crackled through the comms.

"Shit!" Charles swore. He needed to capture Jared before he entered the cosmic storm and ended up killing himself. But as Jared only sped up even more, Charles's heart pounded in disarray.

He tried to contact Jared, but the system was turned off.

"Remi, turn the target's system back on!" Charles commanded, and Remi acted quickly.

Jared grinned excitedly at the scared Herman hiding under the dashboard near his feet—the safest place in the entire universe. "I'm sorry, Herman. I guess I should've left you at the animal shelter, huh?"

But upon hearing that, Herman's scared expression turned into a big, goofy smile, his tender eyes gazing lovingly at Jared.

"No? It's better with me?! You're such a soulmate!" Jared grinned as he kept speeding up, eager to face the doom awaiting him.

Suddenly, the system rebooted, and his pod began digitally steering away from the storm. Charles had hacked into the system, trying to save him. Charles's face appeared on a holographic display.

"Jared, what are you doing?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Charles's voice was filled with anger.

"I told you, we're done! I'm not coming back, and you need to accept that," Jared replied, his voice calm and resolute.

Charles lost his composure, his emotions spilling out as he scolded Jared. "Why are you so stubborn?! I just want another chance!"

"I appreciate your effort, buddy," Jared said with a gentle smile—a kind of smile that showed he didn't give a damn about what was about to happen. "To get me back, you're willing to do whatever it takes—burn the land, boil the sea, turn the world upside down... That's crazy. I'm flattered, really. But…"

Jared growled as he fought against the system that was trying to prevent him from entering the cosmic storm. She can try, of course, and let's see who's going to win the control!

Meanwhile, the storm began disrupting the electronic devices. Jared continued, his voice carrying a calm intensity like a gentle thunder roar. "…you can't ever take the sky from me!"

The system finally died for real as Jared won the battle against Remi's hacking. With fearless determination, he faced the storm, putting on his mouthguard and glaring defiantly at the raging tempest.

The last thing he heard was the ear-splitting sound of thunder, crackling sparks, and Charles's voice screaming his name before the radio went completely dead.

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