As the Nebula Voyager docked at Axiom Prime, Sarah Chen felt a mix of anticipation and unease. The bustling spaceport was a far cry from the gritty confines of Nova Scrapyard, and she knew that every step forward was a step into unknown territory.
Buddy Stellar's jovial voice cut through her thoughts. "Well, my dear, we've arrived! Are you ready to take Axiom Prime by storm?"
Sarah gave him a measured smile. "One step at a time, Buddy. We need to be strategic."
As they made their way through the crowded terminal, Sarah's mind raced with plans and contingencies. Her unexpected success on the Nebula Voyager had opened doors, but it had also painted a target on her back. She needed to pivot, to find a way to leverage her skills without drawing too much attention.
"Buddy," she said, her voice low and serious, "about the repair work..."
Buddy's face fell slightly. "Ah, yes. I suppose you'll be wanting to scale back a bit? After all, we can't have you burning out that brilliant mind of yours."
Sarah nodded, relieved that he'd provided the perfect opening. "Exactly. The repairs on the ship... they took more out of me than I let on. I think we need to be more selective moving forward."
She paused, then added, "But I have an idea that might be even more lucrative."
Buddy's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh? Do tell, my dear."
"I've been working on something," Sarah said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a small, deep green pouch, no larger than a playing card. "What do you see?"
Buddy examined the pouch, confusion evident on his face. "It's... a very nice bag?"
Sarah smiled. "It's more than that. It's a spatial pocket. And unlike most spatial technology, this one can be used even by those without mental energy."
Buddy's jaw dropped. In an instant, all his grand plans for Sarah's repair work vanished from his mind.
"Repair quantum chips? Forget that!" he muttered under his breath. "We need to mass-produce these miraculous spatial pockets!"
But even as excitement coursed through him, a flicker of doubt crossed his face. "Is this... is this really possible?" he asked, his voice a mixture of awe and skepticism.
Sarah smiled, enjoying Buddy's reaction. She reached into her bag and pulled out a deep green pouch, about the size of a playing card.
"See for yourself," she said, tossing it to him casually, as if it were nothing more than a cheap trinket.
Buddy caught the pouch, his hands trembling slightly. He turned it over in his hands, marveling at its unremarkable appearance. Eagerly, he tried to open it, but the pouch remained stubbornly sealed.
Confused, he looked up at Sarah, who chuckled. "You need to bind it to your citizen ID first," she explained. "Hold your ID chip against the green energy block."
Buddy did as instructed, and a soft click signaled the binding process was complete. Now, when he tried to open the pouch, it yielded easily.
With reverence usually reserved for priceless artifacts, Buddy reached inside. His eyes widened as his hand seemed to disappear into an endless void. He could feel the boundaries of the space, but it was far larger than the pouch's exterior suggested.
"By the stars," he whispered, pulling out a book that was clearly larger than the pouch itself. "This is... this is revolutionary!"
A complex mix of emotions played across Buddy's face. There was awe, certainly, but also a hint of something deeper - a realization of the possibilities this invention opened up, not just for profit, but for leveling the playing field between those with mental energy and those without.
"How large is the space inside?" Buddy asked, his voice hushed with wonder.
"For this green-level pouch, it's about half a cubic meter," Sarah explained. She noticed Buddy's excitement and decided to temper it with some reality. "Actually, it's smaller than the standard spatial pocket cards. I had to make some compromises."
Seeing Buddy's questioning look, she continued, "The original spatial pocket cards are controlled directly by mental energy, so they don't need to worry about energy consumption. They can be as large as possible. But I designed this for universal use, powered by an energy source. To ensure long-term stability and durability, I had to sacrifice some volume."
Sarah then detailed the limitations, "Items you put in can't be wider than a palm. The opening mechanism will last for about 10,000 uses before the energy block is depleted and turns transparent. After that, it can't be used anymore."
She paused, gauging Buddy's reaction before adding, "Those with mental energy can see and directly retrieve items from inside. Those without will need to feel around to find what they need."
To Buddy, these limitations seemed trivial. All cards were consumables to some extent; some just lasted longer than others. The ability to use and access items was far more important than any perceived drawbacks.
Buddy nodded, trying to hide his continued excitement. He tucked the green pouch away, but his eyes couldn't help darting to Sarah's large backpack. If she could casually give him a spatial pocket, surely she had one for herself. So why the big bag?
Sarah noticed his curious glance but offered no explanation. In truth, after getting enough materials from Yun, she had made herself a standard spatial pocket – a thin purple chip card attached to her own pocket, with enormous capacity and convenience. It had consumed a lot of her materials.
All her valuable items were actually stored in there. The backpack mostly contained non-valuable items, with just a few things she might need for casual conversation.
The reason she didn't put Buddy's spatial pocket in her own was simple: spatial pockets couldn't contain other spatial items. She had to carry it separately.
As for why Sarah had gotten herself such a big bag... well, she had tasted success with Yun and was hoping to use the seemingly bountiful package to lure in some ill-intentioned individuals for a bit of trickery. It was a traditional Nova Port skill, Make it work.
Unfortunately, people as easily fooled as Yun seemed to be in short supply. Sarah felt a twinge of regret about that.
Aloud, she simply said, "Despite these limitations, I think you'll find it quite useful. Shall we discuss how to proceed with this invention?"
"By the stars," he whispered, pulling out a book that was clearly larger than the pouch itself. "This is... this is revolutionary!"
Sarah watched him with amusement, thinking back to Jake's spatial pocket. 'Thank you, Jake,' she thought wryly. 'You've been more helpful than you could ever know.'
"How many of these can you make?" Buddy asked, his eyes gleaming with the prospect of untold riches.
"As many as we need," Sarah replied confidently. "But let's not flood the market. Rarity has its own value, after all."
Buddy nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Of course, of course. We'll need to be strategic about this. But Sarah, my dear, do you realize what this means? We're sitting on a goldmine!"
As Buddy rambled on about potential buyers and marketing strategies, Sarah allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.