AFTERMATH
"Well, this is a mess," I muttered, surveying the battlefield.
The void was littered with smoldering debris—twisted chunks of metal, shattered hulls, and the faint glimmer of molten slag. The pirates were gone, reduced to little more than wreckage floating aimlessly in the dark.
This wasn't a dream.
The realization hit me again, heavier this time. My body felt like lead as I leaned back in the pilot's seat. The Erebus Veil hummed steadily around me, its systems thrumming with quiet efficiency.
"Alright," I said, forcing myself to focus. "What now?"
Running wasn't an option. I didn't know where I was, how far the next safe zone might be, or what might be lurking nearby. For now, salvaging the wreckage was my best bet. Supplies, data caches—anything useful could make the difference between surviving this mess and dying in it.
I deployed the Erebus Veil's drones, watching as the sleek, spider-like machines darted out into the debris field. Their cameras fed live footage back to the console, giving me a clear view of the pirates' ruined ships.
I felt a pang of unease as I studied the wreckage. In the game, salvaging pirate ships was just another mechanic. Out here, it felt disturbingly real. The twisted remains of cockpits, the charred outlines of where people—pirates or not—had been…
I shook the thought away. Sentimentality wouldn't keep me alive.
The inventory slowly filled as the drones did their work: rations, weapon mods, scrap metal. Most of it was junk, but then one of the drones returned with a glowing data cache.
"Let's see what you've got," I muttered, opening the cache.
The screen flickered to life, displaying a map of the local star system. The data included coordinates for several locations: mining bases, scattered colonies, and the pirates' main base.
A grin spread across my face. "Jackpot."
The pirate base intel alone was worth more than the bounties I'd collected. I could raid the base depending on the size for treasure or sell the info to a military outpost. Either way, it was a gold mine.
But there was a catch.
"No data on neighboring star systems," I muttered. The cache was incomplete. I still didn't know where I was in the galaxy. To figure that out, I'd need access to a trading colony's network.
The largest trading colony nearby was Astraeus Prime, built into the heart of an asteroid cluster. It was a sprawling hub of commerce and chaos, known for its loose regulations and thriving market. Perfect for someone in my position.
I set the coordinates and engaged the Hyperspeed Drive. The engines roared to life, and the ship surged forward, the stars outside stretching into bright, glowing lines.
The console chimed as the ship adjusted its trajectory automatically, avoiding asteroids and debris. I didn't fully understand the tech behind it—some kind of advanced AI-driven evasion system—but it worked like a charm.
The Hyperspeed Drive disengaged smoothly, the ship dropping out of FTL near Astraeus Prime. The colony loomed ahead, a sprawling monstrosity built into the rocky embrace of a massive asteroid cluster.
Dozens of docking bays jutted out from its surface, each one swarming with ships of every shape and size. Bright lights flickered across the station's facade, and industrial cranes moved cargo between freighters like clockwork.
"This is the Port Authority of Astraeus Prime," a voice crackled over the comms. "We've received your docking request. Uh… Captain? Your identification data seems… corrupted."
I hesitated. My real name felt wrong, out of place in a universe like this. The name on the console stared back at me. It wasn't just a game tag anymore—it was my identity now.
"This is Captain Wolf," I said. "Ship designation Erebus Veil. Requesting permission to dock."
"Understood, Captain Wolf. Proceed to Docking Bay 14. Welcome to Astraeus Prime."
As the Erebus Veil settled into the docking bay, I let out a slow breath. The battle, the salvage, the jump—it was all behind me now.
But this was just the beginning. Astraeus Prime was a new start, a chance to find answers and carve out a place in this galaxy.
I stepped out of the cockpit and into my new reality.
Astraeus Prime
Stepping off the Erebus Veil, I barely had time to take in my surroundings before two uniformed officers intercepted me. Their stern expressions left no room for negotiation.
"Captain Wolf, is it? We need you to come with us for questioning."
I sighed. "Great," I muttered under my breath as they escorted me to the Port Security Office.
Inside a small, sterile interrogation room, a stocky officer leaned forward across the table, his eyes narrowing as he flipped through a data pad.
"So, care to explain how you came into possession of a haul of rare metals like this?"
"Like I've told you five times already," I said, struggling to keep my frustration in check. "I salvaged it from some pirates I shot down. I didn't exactly stumble on a treasure map."
The officer didn't seem convinced. "A self-styled mercenary, unaffiliated with the guild, arrives with no identification, no verifiable records, and a cargo hold full of rare metals. You don't think that looks a little suspicious?"
He had a point, but I wasn't about to let him drag this out longer than necessary. "Look, I was attacked, I fought back, and I took what was left. I don't see the problem here."
"Pirates, huh?" The officer's lips curled into a half-smile. "And how did an unaffiliated mercenary like you manage that?"
"Skill, mostly," I said with a shrug.
The officer didn't laugh. He tapped something into the data pad and leaned back in his chair, clearly waiting for me to slip up.
Before the conversation could spiral any further, the door swung open. A woman entered, her presence commanding instant attention.
She was striking—blonde hair tied back in a pristine braid, ruby-red eyes scanning the room with predatory sharpness. Her crisp white military uniform, trimmed with gold and draped with a red mantle, completed the image of authority.
"Lady Celeste" The officer bolted upright, his demeanor shifting from combative to almost sycophantic.
Celeste ignored him, her gaze locking onto me. "Is this the captain of the unfamiliar ship in Docking Bay 14?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," the officer stammered, fumbling to hand her his data pad.
She reviewed the information quickly, her eyes narrowing slightly before turning back to me. "Quite the haul you've brought in, Captain. Rare metals, salvaged weapons… all from pirates, you claim?"
"That's right," I said. "I've got the data caches to back it up, too. I was planning to turn them in and claim the bounties before your officer here decided I needed an interrogation."
Her lips quirked into the faintest smile. "And you are not affiliated to any guild?!, how strange,you didn't think to register with the Mercenary Guild first?"
"Didn't exactly have time for paperwork," I said with a shrug.
Celeste turned to the officer. "Is there any evidence that his cargo is stolen?"
"N-no, ma'am," the officer admitted.
"Then there's no reason to detain him further," she said firmly. "Rare metals are in high demand, and this transaction will benefit the colony."
"But, ma'am—"
"Enough," she said, her tone sharp enough to cut steel. "You've wasted enough of the captain's time. Process his documents and release him, do not forget I am carrying out an inspection, and I have heard some alarming reports, about the dock security extorting people, I hope this is not what is happening here?!."
The officer swallowed hard and scurried out of the room, leaving me alone with Celeste.
"My apologies for the inconvenience," she said, her tone softening slightly. "Port security can be… overzealous."
"No harm done," I said. "I get why I look suspicious."
Her crimson eyes lingered on me, unreadable. "Still, you're an unusual case. A ship with no proper registry, a captain with no ID, and enough firepower to take out a squad of pirates. Tell me, Captain Wolf… where exactly did you come from?"
I stuck to the cover story I'd been refining during the interrogation.
"There was an accident during Hyperdrive," I said. "I don't know if it caused my memory loss, but when I came to, I was under attack. I fought back, salvaged what I could, and found my way here using the pirates' data caches."
"You've lost your memory, yet you remember how to fight and pilot a ship?"
"Muscle memory's a hell of a thing," I said with a faint grin.
She chuckled softly, though her eyes remained sharp. "Well, Captain, I'll notify the military base about the intel you've recovered. Make sure you're available—we may have use for you in the near future."
She turned to leave but paused at the door.
"And, Captain… try not to make any more trouble while you're here."
Her smile was dazzling, but it sent a chill down my spine.
With Celeste's intervention, the rest of the process went smoothly. The bounties—19,000 credits for the pirates and 150,000 for the data caches—were processed without issue. Combined with the rare metals sale, my account now held a hefty 1,669,000 credits.
I did some quick mental math. Meals at the colony were 5 credits each, water 3 credits per liter, and docking fees 150 credits per day.
"Not bad," I muttered. "Could live here for decades if I wanted to."
But staying put wasn't the plan. Astraeus Prime was just the first stop on a much bigger journey. With a spring in my step and a sense of possibility buzzing in my chest, I headed back to the Erebus Veil.
The station wasn't going to explore itself.