The days following the Trauma Crawler's death passed in a blur. Aventus's body healed quickly under the care of the station's medical staff, their advanced techniques mending the deep bite wound on his side with precision. The physical scars faded, but the memories of the fight—and the illusions—lingered, haunting the edges of his thoughts.
Now, he sat alone in his room, the space quiet and spartan. The bare walls seemed to echo the solitude he had grown accustomed to, and the only real comfort was the large window that overlooked the station's O2 gardens. The view beyond the glass was alive with soft greens and the faint glow of bioluminescent plants. The gardens were peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded days ago.
The room itself was efficient, functional. A single bed was pushed against one wall, its sheets neatly tucked, though rarely disturbed. His armor rested on a stand near the corner, polished and ready, the twin daggers secured in their sheaths beside his holster. A simple desk sat near the window, empty save for a datapad that Aventus rarely used.
The faint hum of the station filled the silence, a constant reminder of where he was—a place that was still not home, not really. Aventus leaned back in the chair by the desk, his indigo eyes fixed on the garden beyond the glass. The soft glow of the plants painted faint patterns of light across his face, but his expression remained neutral, calm.
The Trauma Crawler was gone. The station was safe again. And yet, the unease in his chest hadn't fully faded. The experience had left a mark, not just on him, but on the station's crew. People moved a little quicker now, their gazes sharper, as though expecting another threat to emerge from the shadows.
Aventus sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, now pulled back into a loose ponytail. His injuries were healed, and his body felt strong again, but the fight had taken something intangible—a piece of himself that he wasn't sure how to reclaim.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime from the door. Someone was outside, waiting.
The soft chime echoed again, drawing Aventus's attention. He pushed himself up from the chair, his movements fluid but deliberate, and crossed the room to the door. It slid open with a faint hiss, revealing the familiar figure of Dr. Elara Vale.
She was a striking woman, her sharp features softened by the perpetual curiosity in her piercing green eyes. Her dark hair was swept into a loose bun, strands falling slightly as though she'd been too focused on her work to care about appearances. A lab coat hung open over a sleek, functional jumpsuit, and in her hands, she held a datapad, its screen glowing faintly.
"Dr. Vale," Aventus greeted, his voice steady but neutral. He stepped aside, motioning for her to enter.
Elara nodded in acknowledgment, stepping into the room with an air of purpose. "Aventus," she replied, her voice smooth but efficient. "I came to let you know the pod is ready. I just finished running the final diagnostics."
Aventus raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly against the wall as he crossed his arms. "That was quick," he said. "I figured it'd take longer."
Elara smirked faintly, the corner of her lips curving just slightly. "Well, when K'Raal gives the order, things tend to happen faster. And honestly, I've been wanting to try some new configurations. You just gave me the excuse."
She held out the datapad, the screen displaying a schematic of the pod. It was sleek, enclosed, and fitted with an array of neural interface systems. "This will let you temporarily disconnect from Horizon Drift," she explained, her tone slipping into her usual precise cadence. "You'll enter a virtual environment where you can train without risking yourself—or the station. It's used primarily by the security teams for tactical simulations, but K'Raal approved your use of one of the spare units."
Aventus's indigo eyes flicked to the schematic before returning to Elara's face. "K'Raal approved it?" he asked, skepticism creeping into his tone. "That doesn't sound like him."
Elara's smirk deepened, and she shrugged. "I think you surprised him. Maybe even impressed him. Doesn't mean he trusts you, but… well, let's just say he values results." She tilted her head slightly, her expression softening. "I imagine this is his way of giving you space. A chance to figure things out without being completely isolated."
Aventus exhaled through his nose, a faint hum of acknowledgment escaping him. "And you? Why help me?"
Elara tilted her head, studying him for a moment. "Because I'm curious," she admitted honestly. "You're not like anyone I've met before. And after what you did with the Trauma Crawler, I'd say you've earned a little support." She tapped the datapad lightly. "Besides, this pod is good tech. If anyone can push it to its limits, it's you."
Aventus nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Where is it?"
"The training wing," Elara replied. "I've got it set up in one of the isolated rooms. Fully calibrated, with a few custom scenarios you can try. You'll have full control over the environment—you can train however you want."
He pushed off the wall, standing straighter. "All right. Let's see what it can do."
Elara nodded, gesturing toward the hallway. "Follow me." As they exited his room, Aventus allowed himself a faint sense of anticipation. For the first time in days, the thought of stepping into the unknown didn't feel like a threat—it felt like an opportunity.
Aventus followed Elara through the winding halls of Horizon Drift, the hum of the station's systems a faint backdrop to their footsteps. She led him to a section of the training wing, an area he hadn't yet explored. The sleek, sterile corridors gave way to a more industrial feel, with reinforced doors and glowing interface panels marking the pods' location.
When they entered the pod room, Aventus paused, taking in the setup. The room was dimly lit, with a row of enclosed pods lining one wall, each one sleek and metallic, glowing faintly with a soft blue hue. Cables snaked across the floor, connecting the pods to a central control console. The air buzzed faintly with the hum of advanced tech.
Elara walked ahead, her boots clicking softly against the floor as she approached the nearest pod. She tapped at the console beside it, her green eyes scanning the interface as she input commands. "This one's ready," she said, her voice calm but efficient. "You'll have a neural interface to immerse you completely. You'll feel everything—temperature, resistance, even pain—though it'll be dulled to keep it safe. But don't let that make you complacent."
Aventus nodded, his indigo eyes scanning the pod as she worked. "Anything I should know before stepping in?"
Elara glanced at him, smirking faintly. "Don't die," she said, though her tone was light. "Your vitals will be monitored from out here. If anything spikes dangerously, I'll pull you out, but the system's safe. You'll adapt quickly."
She stepped back, motioning for him to approach. Aventus moved to the pod, his hand brushing over the cool surface before climbing in. The interior was padded, almost cocoon-like, with a sleek visor positioned above his head. Elara adjusted the neural interface, a thin band that rested snugly against his temples.
"Once you're in, you'll have access to the planet selection menu," she explained. "The presets will allow you to tailor the difficulty level, environmental variables, and time limits. Start slow—it can be overwhelming at first."
Aventus nodded again, leaning back as the pod began to close around him. The hiss of the seals was faint, almost soothing, as the visor descended over his eyes. Darkness enveloped him briefly, and then a soft glow filled his vision as the system booted up.
The interface was clean and minimal, displaying a rotating menu of planets and scenarios. Aventus scrolled through the options, his fingers moving instinctively over the controls. Each planet was accompanied by a brief description, the text glowing softly in the virtual space.
When he reached Skarbos Prime, he paused. The image of the volcanic world filled the display, its molten rivers and jagged peaks rendered in vivid detail. Below the image, the description read:
Skarbos Prime
Environment: Volcanic world with molten rivers, ash storms, and extreme heat.
Challenges: Navigating unstable terrain, avoiding lava flows, battling heat-adapted creatures like fire drakes and magma worms.
Aventus smirked faintly, his fingers hovering over the selection. "Let's see how 200 years has changed this place," he murmured to himself, his tone carrying a mix of curiosity and resolve.
He made the selection, and the world began to load. The interface dissolved into light, and a rush of heat and sulfurous air filled his senses.
The interface solidified around Aventus, presenting him with a detailed view of the volcanic expanse outside. He stood within a reinforced bunker, its thick metal walls streaked with scorch marks from past eruptions. The faint hum of machinery reverberated around him, blending with the distant roar of molten rivers beyond. The bunker's interior was spartan, with racks of virtual weapons, monitors displaying seismic activity, and a rugged workbench scattered with simulated tools.
Before him, a glowing interface hovered in the air, offering a range of scenarios. Each option displayed vivid descriptions and potential objectives, tailored for different challenges.
-----
Scenario Options
General Survival
Objective: Survive for as long as possible against Skarbos Prime's harsh environment.
Challenges: Endure ash storms, navigate unstable lava fields, and fend off aggressive fauna like fire drakes and magma worms.
Duration: Open-ended.
Focus: Adaptability, resourcefulness, and endurance.
Resource Hunt
Objective: Locate and retrieve specific resources hidden across the volcanic terrain.
Challenges: Solve environmental puzzles, evade hostile creatures, and survive the treacherous landscape while carrying valuable payloads.
Duration: Variable.
Focus: Exploration, problem-solving, and stealth.
Wave Defense
Objective: Defend the bunker against waves of increasingly challenging enemies.
Challenges: Reinforce defenses, manage limited resources, and survive relentless assaults from heat-adapted predators.
Duration: Until all waves are defeated or defenses are breached.
Focus: Combat tactics, resource management, and endurance.
Lava Run
Objective: Navigate through an active lava flow to reach an extraction point.
Challenges: Time-sensitive movements, precision jumping, and avoiding falling debris.
Duration: Short, high intensity.
Focus: Agility, timing, and quick decision-making.
Creature Hunt
Objective: Track and eliminate a large apex predator native to Skarbos Prime.
Challenges: Use clues to locate the creature's lair, prepare for a final confrontation, and adapt to its unique abilities.
Duration: Medium-length.
Focus: Tracking, strategy, and high-stakes combat.
Seismic Rescue
Objective: Rescue simulated survivors trapped in a collapsing lava field.
Challenges: Maneuver through unstable terrain, balance time pressure, and protect survivors from hostile wildlife.
Duration: Short to medium-length.
Focus: Precision, leadership, and quick problem-solving.
-----
Aventus scanned the list, each option glowing faintly as he hovered over it. The bunker's hum and the faint rumble of distant eruptions filled the silence as he considered his choices. His fingers flexed instinctively near the hilt of his virtual daggers, ready for whatever challenge lay ahead
Aventus selected Creature Hunt, the glow of the option intensifying before the screen dissolved into a new interface. The next display was simple but foreboding—a difficulty slider, stretching from 1 to 30, its edges glowing faintly like molten metal.
Aventus hovered his finger over the slider for a moment, his indigo eyes narrowing as he weighed his choice. After a brief pause, he adjusted the difficulty to 3. The display pulsed, acknowledging his selection, and a brief description of the challenge appeared:
Challenge Rating: 3
Creature: Ashscale Basilisk
Description: A heat-adapted predator with reflective scales that shimmer like molten metal. Its primary attack is a venomous bite, and it has a stunning gaze that can briefly disorient prey. Known to burrow into volcanic terrain, the Ashscale Basilisk strikes from ambush, using its environment to gain the upper hand.
The interface dissolved, replaced by a simulation loading screen. A faint rumble echoed through the bunker as the world outside began to change, the molten rivers and jagged terrain shifting subtly to accommodate the creature's presence. Aventus tightened his grip on his daggers, rolling his shoulders as the simulation initialized.
"An Ashscale Basilisk," he muttered under his breath, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Let's see how you stack up." The hum of the bunker faded as the hatch behind him opened, revealing the scorched expanse of Skarbos Prime. The hunt was on.
The heat of Skarbos Prime pressed against Aventus like a tangible weight, the air thick with the sulfuric tang of molten rock. The terrain was jagged and unforgiving, with rivers of magma snaking through the expanse, their fiery glow casting flickering shadows on the rocky surfaces. Aventus moved carefully, his movements deliberate and controlled, staying low and within the cover of larger boulders. The faint hiss and crackle of the lava provided a natural background noise, masking his footsteps.
His indigo eyes scanned the environment with sharp precision, searching for any sign of the Ashscale Basilisk. Tracks, disturbed ash, or perhaps a shimmer of movement against the infernal backdrop. It didn't take long before he spotted it.
The creature lay coiled near the base of a jagged rock outcropping, its shimmering, molten-like scales blending almost seamlessly with the heated terrain. Aventus crouched lower, tightening his grip on his daggers. The basilisk's reflective hide caught the faint light of the magma, creating a disorienting glimmer that could have easily been mistaken for a heat mirage. But Aventus knew better.
Moving with practiced stealth, he crept closer, his steps silent against the ash-covered ground. He closed the distance swiftly, his daggers poised. With a sudden burst of motion, he struck, the twin blades finding purchase in the creature's flank. The Ashscale Basilisk hissed in pain, writhing as dark ichor splattered onto the ground. Aventus twisted his blades before pulling them free, leaving deep, jagged wounds behind. The damage was brutal, but the creature wasn't finished yet.
The basilisk whipped around, snapping its venomous jaws at Aventus, but he moved quickly, stepping back just as the fangs sliced through the air where he had been. Its hiss was sharp and angry, its molten eyes blazing with fury as it searched for him.
Aventus avoided meeting its gaze, knowing the disorienting effects of its stunning glare. He focused, steadying his breathing as he adjusted his stance. He gripped his main-hand dagger tightly, drawing on the precision of his training. With a calculated lunge, he drove the blade into the creature's side once more, the strike hitting true. The Ashscale shrieked in pain, ichor pouring from its wounds.
The basilisk lashed out again, its powerful jaws aiming for Aventus, but its momentum faltered. The strike went wide, its head burying itself into the soft ash with a muffled thud. Aventus smirked faintly, his confidence steady as he circled the flailing creature.
"Getting sloppy," he muttered under his breath, adjusting his grip as he went in for the final strike.
His main hand missed, the blade glancing off the creature's tough scales, but his off-hand dagger plunged deep into its exposed neck. The Ashscale Basilisk spasmed violently before collapsing, its molten-like shimmer dimming as its life drained away.
Aventus stood over the creature, catching his breath as he wiped the ichor from his blades onto the ash at his feet. The oppressive heat of the simulation lingered, but the fight had left his mind sharper, his focus honed. He straightened, rolling his shoulders as he surveyed the rocky expanse once more.
"Not bad," he said quietly, glancing down at the defeated predator. He stepped back, letting the simulation begin its reset sequence, the volcanic terrain shimmering and distorting as the system prepared to pull him back to the bunker.