Gan gazed out over the new sector, looking for anything familiar. There were no Marau ships, no planets, only a sea of asteroids hosting plenty of scavenge-able material and a few ships adrift.

  One such ship stood out to him. The vessel was a spectral titan, a wraith marooned in the cosmic dark, its serpentine silhouette tracing an elegy across the stellar quilt. Once a behemoth of alien engineering, it now lay crippled, cast adrift on the tides of the silent cosmic sea.

  Its shape was an enigma, defying human concepts of shipbuilding with an almost organic sense of design. It was as if something had grown it rather than built it, its once sleek and glossy surface now pockmarked and faded. Its shapeshifting hull had been torn apart, the left flank of the ship torn open like a wounded beast. A cruel monument to a violent past, the gaping hole was a stark testimony of the violent ferocity of a bygone battle.

  The missing sections of its hull appeared almost amputated, like limbs lost in a cosmic struggle, revealing the stark, skeletal substructures that once pulsed with alien technology. Deep within the exposed innards, shimmering fragments of opalescent circuits winked back at the light of distant suns, a dying twinkle in the eye of this once formidable beast.

  Meteorites had gouged brutal furrows across its body, leaving craters that bore the scars of silent impact, their paths etched into the ship like the calligraphy of destruction. A myriad of small, iridescent fragments from the meteorites embedded themselves into the hull, creating a harsh contrast against the bleak dereliction, an abstract painting of force meeting unyielding resistance.

  The abandoned ship bore its wounds with the solemn dignity of a titan laid low. Its alienness was only intensified by the ruinous state of its form. To behold it was to peer into the face of a once-mighty leviathan, hewn and battered yet still possessing an eerie grandeur as it drifted in silence through the infinity of the cosmos.

  While the sight of such a broken titan was a striking testament to the ravages of time and conflict, it was a tantalizing prospect for a Scavenger like Gan. The potential bounty that lay within the derelict vessel was almost irresistible—uncharted technologies, rare minerals, a wealth of salvage that could fetch an incredible price on any market.

  But a closer look revealed why Gan was reluctant to approach the spectral leviathan. Amid the jigsaw of shattered hull and exposed conduits, a distinct, ominous glow emanated from deep within the ship’s wounded flank. This was not the twinkling of damaged lighting or the intermittent flare of a faulty reactor; it was a steady, sickly green luminescence that painted a cautionary tale against the vessel’s ruined interior—the unmistakable sign of an exposed and unstable warp core.

  Warp cores, the heart of any advanced spacecraft, provided the power necessary for faster-than-light travel. They were marvels of technology but also volatile. In their stable state, they were secure, their containment fields providing a safety barrier between the tremendous energies they harnessed and the rest of the ship. But once those containment fields were compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic. A breach could cause a chain reaction, leading to a warp core breach—an event that would release an explosion of titanic proportions.

  Such a risk made the prospect of salvaging the vessel too great. While the rewards might be tempting, a single misstep could trigger the unstable core, obliterating Gan and the Valtorian in a flash of catastrophic energy. This was not a gamble Gan was willing to make.

  The presence of an exposed warp core suggested that the ship’s systems had experienced a catastrophic failure. If the containment fields had failed, it was probable that other critical systems were also compromised. Life support, atmospheric containment, even the structural integrity of the hull—all these could be in a perilous state of disrepair.

  On top of these inherent dangers, the sheer alienness of the ship’s design presented its own challenges. Without a working knowledge of the ship’s layout and systems, Gan could find himself lost in a labyrinth of damaged corridors, or worse, trigger a still-active defense mechanism. The unknowns were too many, the risks too high.

  Gan cast one last lingering gaze at the derelict behemoth before turning the Valtorian’s nose away. The spectral titan would continue its silent, mournful drift through the cosmic sea, its secrets remaining shrouded in mystery and the echoing silence of the stars.

  Gan also spied Marau mines that looked like they had seen better days. Some of their dents and scratches were from skirmishes of long ago, and an odd one had its weaponry on the surface instead of in its belly. Either that or they designed it for speed.

  Gan chuckled at the sight of the old, rusted, and useless Marau mines he found floating in the sector. The sensors registered them as mines, but they were inoperative and just waiting to be destroyed. He was tempted to do it himself but knew that he should conserve his resources for activities that mattered. He flew closer to the debris to inspect it further.

  As he did, he made contact with his Paktu, Elo.

  “Gan! Thank the Ancestors you’re safe!” Elo exclaimed, overcome with relief. “We were so worried about you!”

  “I’m doing fine! I just had a bit of a scare with several Marau ships out here. Luckily, they didn’t spot me,” Gan replied.

  Elo sighed. “Yes, I’ve heard rumors of some tactical events. Our diplomats have been reporting that the Marau have been getting more aggressive, trying to push us out of our territory. We’ve had to send more and more ships out to protect our claims. I didn’t want you to get caught in the middle of it.”

  “I’m glad you did. I wasn’t expecting to see any Marau ships out here.” Gan silently wondered just whom he might have been getting his information from. Perhaps it was the Engaru, he mused.

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Elo informed him. “Your last payment of material didn’t go through.”

  Gan was dumbfounded. “I don’t understand why it didn’t go through. All the indicators told me it had processed.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Well, it did not. You’ll just have to do it again, but that isn’t important right now. Tell me about the new sector that you’re processing in. The Council is most interested in your progress.”

  Gan brought Elo up to speed with how he got there and what he was seeing. Elo was shocked at the incident involving the Marau fighter and the fusion reactor. The Marau had broken the treaty that had been in place for over fifty years by firing on Gan’s equipment.

  Elo interfaced with the Valtorian’s sensor arrays. This was not a simple task. These arrays were a dense network of sophisticated detection instruments that continually sampled the cosmic environment. Each sensor—whether it detected electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves, particle density, or exotic energy signatures—contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the ship’s surroundings. Now they were at Elo’s command, feeding him invaluable information about the challenges that Gan faced.

  He began by accessing the visual sensor suite. A real-time stream of data coursed through the dedicated data channels, forming a crystal-clear, three-dimensional representation of the space around the Valtorian. The spectacle that unfolded before him was a mix of serene beauty and imminent danger—an immense celestial tapestry bristling with the silent, predatory threat of the Marau cruiser.

  His sensor arrays added further depth to his understanding, their high-resolution scanning capability revealing minute details of the Marau ship and its movements. The cruiser’s velocity, trajectory, and even surface composition became discernible, allowing Elo to make precise predictions and tactical assessments.

  Meanwhile, the neutrino detectors and particle analyzers were hard at work, capturing the silent whispers of subatomic particles that passed through the Valtorian. These subtle signals could unveil the secrets of the Marau cruiser’s power system or hint at the activation of its weapons.

  Further deepening his understanding was Pelve, who made available several comprehensive reports. These documents were more than just dry data; they provided detailed analysis, a product of Pelve’s advanced AI capabilities. They chronicled the patterns of the Marau’s movements, scrutinized their tactical tendencies, assessed their weaponry, and even hypothesized their intentions.

  Every bit of information was like a piece of a complex puzzle, and as Elo sifted through the data, the picture became clearer.

  Elo was so silent for the next few minutes Gan wondered if the faster-than-light communications array had dropped his comm link.

  Finally, Elo spoke. “I agree with your assessment. Those Marau mines look like they might have seen action in the second era. It’s a harmless, old relic from a time long gone by. I think you’re fine to scavenge in this sector.”

  Gan nodded to himself. “I’ll continue on then. When should I attempt another upload?”

  Elo paused for a moment and appeared to be giving Gan’s question considerable thought. He reached into his belt and withdrew a small device on which he began pressing buttons. Gan recognized it as Elo’s computer, which he used to check in with the Council. Finally, Elo looked up and spoke.

  “Hold off until you’re in a secure zone. We need that material but don’t want to risk it getting scrambled or falling into Marau hands.” Why did Elo seem so motivated to keep the Council informed of what Gan’s progress was?

  Gan started to say something about attempting it then. After all, it made more sense to him to do it sooner rather than later, but he remembered his place. Elo was his Paktu, and he was but a pupil. As it was, traces of his frustration didn’t even appear on his face; he was so ingrained in subservience to his Paktu.

  “I’ve made a tough decision, Gan. I’ll remain lodged in the Valtorian’s systems. This will allow me to monitor things remotely, maintaining an uninterrupted line of communication with you.”

  “But, Elo, won’t that compromise the Valtorian’s core functioning?” Gan asked, concern seeping into his tone. Gan also hated the idea of being spied upon.

  Elo seemed to pause, considering his words. “It’s a risk, yes. But one that needs to be taken given your situation. I’ll perform regular system check-ins, monitor your status, and assist you with real-time information.”

  “Alright, Elo. If you believe this is the best course of action, I trust your judgment,” Gan responded, surrendering to the plan Elo had decided as he signed off.

  He wasn’t pleased with the implication that he might fail, and it only doubled his resolve to scavenge more materials than his classmates. Elo had chosen him for this mission out of all the other students. He hoped he wasn’t regretting his decision, Gan wondered to himself. If he was, there wasn’t much that either could do about it now.

  Gan got up and went back to the sensor array.

  His ship’s sensors constantly relayed a wealth of information about the diverse array of celestial bodies that populated the region. Some were small and jagged, mere fragments of rock, while others loomed like behemoths, their icy surfaces reflecting the distant light of the stars. The remarkable diversity of the asteroids was matched only by the valuable materials that they harbored within their cores. Veins of gold, platinum, and other rare metals snaked through their interiors—tantalizing prizes for any Scavenger with the skills to extract them.

  Interspersed throughout the sector were vast space debris fields, the remnants of battles long forgotten and missions gone awry. These fields stretched across the void, their individual components locked in an eternal dance around each other. The debris fields were home to an eclectic mix of materials, ranging from twisted scrap metals and shards of broken machinery to the husks of abandoned spacecraft, their once-proud hulls now weathered by the ravages of time and cosmic forces. Some ships were Ellurian, some were Marau, and some were from races that Gan did not recognize. These debris fields were not much to look at but were a potential source of valuable materials for Gan to scavenge.

  This should be a very profitable sector for Gan’s people. However, the sector’s riches did not come without risks. Unpredictable space phenomena, hazardous conditions, and remnants of old defense systems were just a few of the many dangers that Gan had to navigate as he scoured the vast expanse of space for scavenge-able materials.

  The events of the day weighed upon him, and Gan realized just how tired he was. He mentally noted that it had been a while since he had slept last or had any downtime. He had gotten most of what he had hoped to accomplish done that day and deserved a break, Gan thought to himself.

  “Pelve,” he beckoned.

  “Yes, Gan?” Pelve’s disembodied voice inquired of him.

  “I need to get some rest. Can you take over for a while?”

  “Of course, I will be happy to assist,” Pelve replied.

  That was the nice thing about having an AI for his crew; Pelve never got tired.

  “Thanks, Pelve,” Gan replied as he pivoted and started back to his quarters.

  “Oh, and Gan. I deciphered another episode.”

  “That’s great news, Pelve. Can you route it to my quarters? I’ll watch it tonight before I go to sleep.”

  “You got it, Gan!” Pelve replied. “Have a good night.”

  Gan grunted his thanks and headed back to his quarters where he settled in and watched another cache of the strange communications that Pelve had found and deciphered.

  In it, the girl and her family encountered a group of friendly alien creatures that communicated telepathically. He was particularly impressed by how her mother and father not only befriended the creatures but were also able to help them solve an ecological crisis affecting their planet.

  Gan couldn’t help but wonder who his own parents were and what might have happened to them. Why was Elo all that he had? Why couldn’t he remember life before the Academy?

  Gan fell asleep pondering the mystery of his heritage, secure in the knowledge that Pelve had the conn.

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