A few days later, the dim light in Aidan's room flickered, casting strange shadows on the cracked walls. The smell of metal from machines hung in the cold air, even inside his small room. The ventilation system hummed softly, a constant noise in the quiet room. His room was tiny, with only a bed, a small table, and a locker for his things. But it was the only place on Vesta-7 where he could find even a semblance of peace. He sat on the edge of his tattered bed, looking at the data slate in his hands. The numbers on the screen were blurry because he was thinking about other things.
'4,012 credits' he whispered to himself. He had made a lot of progress in the last few days, but the goal of saving enough money still felt like a huge burden. Aidan sighed and leaned back, dropping the slate on the bed next to him. He looked towards the small window above his bed. Through the dirty glass, he could barely see the dim lights of the mining outpost shining through the swirling dust storms. Beyond that was the unknown – a whole galaxy full of exciting possibilities that he could only imagine.
Aidan was lost in thought when there was a sudden knock on the door. He frowned. It was unusual for anyone to visit him. He wasn't very social, and he spent most of his time worrying about how to survive, so he didn't have many visitors.
"Who is it?" he called, his voice edged with suspicion, fearing it might be some local thugs.
'It's Kiera,' a muffled voice said from the other side. Aidan's face softened. Kiera was one of the few people he trusted on Vesta-7. They had become friends through years of facing difficult times together and understanding each other without saying much. He remembered a time when a group of rough guys were giving him trouble. Kiera stepped in and protected him, using her sharp words and brave attitude to scare them away. Moments like that showed him he could always count on her. Kiera was a miner like him, about the same age as his mother. Her hair was streaked with white, and her face had lines from years of hard work. But her eyes, though tired, still had a gentleness and fondness for them like a caring mother.
Aidan opened the door and saw Kiera standing there. Her face was dirty, and her hair was tied back in a loose braid. She was holding a small bundle wrapped in cloth.
"You look like hell," she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
"Thanks," Aidan replied dryly, closing the door behind her. "What's that?"
Kiera placed the bundle on the table and unwrapped it to reveal a piece of equipment - a small, handheld scanner and a lunchbox.
"Found this in the scrap pile," she said. "Figured you might have a use for it."
Aidan's eyes widened. "Is that a Luminarite scanner?"
"Not a great one," Kiera admitted. "It's old and busted, but it should still work for small deposits. Thought it might help you get ahead."
Before Aidan could say anything, Kiera interrupted him. "You're not alone, you know. You also have to look for your sister. This will definitely help you a lot." She smiled fondly.
A Luminarite scanner was a special and expensive tool used to find where the valuable Luminarite mineral was hidden in the rocks. The one Kiera gave him was old and damaged, but the most important parts still worked, so it could still find smaller deposits. This scanner was a lifeline for Aidan – it would help him reach his goal of leaving Vesta-7 much faster. But there were also dangers. In a place where people were desperate, having this tool could make him a target. He had to be careful and protect it well, because one mistake could cost him everything.
Aidan picked up the scanner, turning it over in his hands.
"Why are you giving this to me?" he asked, glancing at her.
Kiera shrugged. 'I'm not getting any younger,' she said. 'This thing won't help me anymore, but it might help you get ahead.'
Aidan felt a pang of gratitude. "Thanks, Aunt Kiera. I'll make good use of it".
"Just don't let Garrick see it," she warned. "He'll try to take it from you the first chance he gets."
Aidan nodded he knew better than anyone else what will happen if others were to discover this, He kept the scanner into his locker and said "I'll be careful."
Kiera lingered for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. "You ever wonder if there's more to this place than what we see?"
Aidan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... the Darnaths wouldn't keep this outpost running if it was completely tapped out. There's got to be something they're not telling us."
Aidan frowned. He had never considered that. The Darnaths were ruthless, but they were also shrewd. If Vesta-7 was as depleted as it seemed, why hadn't they abandoned it?
"Maybe," he said cautiously. "But what can we do about it?"
Kiera smiled faintly. "Probably nothing. Just a thought. Anyway, I should get back before someone notices I'm gone. Take care of yourself, Aidan."
"You too," he said as she left.
Alone again, Aidan sat on the cot, Kiera's words echoing in his mind. Could there be more to Vesta-7 than he realized?
From the bathroom came his sister. "Who was it?" she asked.
"Aunt Kiera."
"Oh, Big Sister Kiera came..."
"Yeah, she brought us dinner, like always."
Kiera had been a close friend of their parents. She, too, had once dreamed of leaving Vesta-7, but her husband had died in a cave-in, and those dreams had died with him. After Aidan's parents passed, Kiera had stepped in to care for him and his sister, often bringing food and offering support despite her own struggles.
When she learned of Aidan's plan to leave, she had insisted on giving him her savings. But Aidan had refused, determined to earn his way out without burdening others. For one person to leave, they needed 4,000 credits. With a dependent like his sister, the cost rose to 5,000. Despite working tirelessly and earning 2–3 credits a day, the high cost of food and occasional thefts by gang members made progress slow. Without his parents' inheritance, he wouldn't have even come this far.
"Let's have our dinner, brother, or it will become cold." His sister's voice broke through his thoughts. Aidan nodded, joining her at the table.
As they ate, his resolve hardened. He would leave Vesta-7—not just for himself, but for his sister and the future they deserved.
---
The next morning, Aidan woke up early. A little bit of light from the sunrise was coming through the window, making long shadows in the room. He quickly put on his old work clothes and boots. The scanner Kiera had given him was on the table, and it looked a bit worn. He put the scanner in his bag, along with a few tools and a water bottle."
"I'll be back before dark," he told his sister as he headed for the door.
"Be careful," she said, her voice tinged with worry.
Aidan stepped outside into the dusty air of the mining town. The town was made up of many small, metal buildings that were rusty and falling apart. The miners were walking around, looking tired and unhappy. The sound of drills and machines was everywhere, a constant reminder of the hard work they did to survive. He walked towards the entrance of the mine, a big hole in the rocky ground. As he went deeper, the air got colder and the walls of the tunnel closed in around him. The dim lights on the ceiling made scary shadows on the rough rocks.
Aidan found a secluded spot deeper in the mine, away from the prying eyes of other workers. He pulled out the scanner and activated it. The device hummed to life, its screen flickering before displaying a faint signal.
"Come on," he muttered, adjusting the settings. The scanner's readout began to stabilize, showing a small deposit of Luminarite nearby.
He set to work, carefully extracting the mineral. The scanner's precision allowed him to target the richest veins, making his efforts more efficient. Hours went by as he kept chipping away at the rock. The only sounds were the steady rhythm of his work and the occasional rumble of the mine far away.
When Aidan finally came out of the tunnel, his bag was much heavier, and his body hurt from all the work. The sun was setting, making the sky look red and orange. Aidan walked to the trading post, a small building in the middle of the town. Inside, the air smelled of oil and metal. Traders were arguing about prices, and their voices made a lot of noise.
Aidan approached the counter, where a grizzled man with a cybernetic eye stood. He placed his haul on the counter, watching as the trader inspected the minerals.
"Not bad," the man said, his voice rough. "I'll give you 10 credits for the lot."
Aidan felt very happy. He earned much more money than he expected in just one day. It was much better than his usual pay of only 2 credits per day. He nodded and accepted the money. The scanner had helped him a lot, and he knew that with its help, his dream would come true much sooner.
As he left the trading post, his thoughts turned to Kiera's words. If there was more to Vesta-7 than met the eye, he needed to find it. For his sister, for their future, and for the chance to finally break free from the chains of the past.
As Aidan stepped into the fading light, unknown to him a shadow slipped into the alley, eyes glinting with malice. It had seen everything and it wasn't going to let him walk away unscathed.