"Hello Zenin, been a while," the familiar voice filled my hideout, accompanied by the flickering hologram of Ryvek's scarred face. His cybernetic eye whirred as it focused, the golden iris contrasting sharply with his natural brown one.
"Ryvek," I replied carefully. "Didn't expect to hear from Support Operations. Moving up in the Syndicate world, are we?"
He laughed, the sound distorted by the weak connection. "Someone has to keep you wanderers from getting yourselves killed. Speaking of which..." His artificial eye flickered. "Noticed an interesting drone in your area. ASE standard issue. Routine sweep, they say, but..." He let the sentence hang.
I kept my expression neutral. "Drones are everywhere these days. Hazard of the profession."
"True, but these ones seem particularly interested in some unusual energy fluctuations. The kind that make people ask questions." Ryvek leaned closer to the camera. "Questions that might attract the Imperial Corps."
My stomach tightened at the mention of the Corps, but I maintained my casual demeanor. "Just doing some maintenance on my ship's power core. Nothing exciting."
"Right," Ryvek drawled. "And I'm just a concerned citizen doing my civic duty. Look, whatever you're really working on out there – and we both know it's something – you might want to dial it back. The Syndicate's getting curious, and trust me, you'd rather deal with us than the Corps."
"Appreciate the warning," I said, already calculating how much time I had before things got complicated.
"Keep moving, Zenin. Starkus is getting a bit too interesting lately." With that, the transmission ended.
I sat back in my chair, processing the conversation. "Analysis?" I asked my AI.
"Ryvek's warning appears genuine, though his mention of the energy fluctuations is concerning. The experimental reactor's output has increased by 47% in the last week."
I moved to the back of my hideout where the reactor hummed quietly – my latest creation, capable of generating energy bursts that could power a small city. Or, as it was becoming clear, attract unwanted attention.
"The reactor's signature..." I began.
"Matches certain phenomena the Syndicate tracks, yes," my AI finished. "Particularly the type associated with advanced technology they're eager to acquire. Would you like me to explain why the Imperial Corps is also interested in such signatures?"
"Spare me the lecture. I've had enough run-ins with the Corps to know exactly what they're like." The elite officers of Universal Security, operating directly under the ASE's authority. They were living weapons, augmented to perfection and programmed with one purpose – maintaining order at any cost.
A soft ping interrupted my thoughts. Another message from Ryvek: "Heads up. Syndicate recon team inbound to your sector. Officially, they're conducting a resource survey. Unofficially... well, you know how it goes. Might want to consider that vacation we discussed."
"Perfect," I muttered. "How long until they reach our position?"
"At current speed, approximately six hours," my AI replied. "Though I'm detecting multiple stealth drones already scanning the perimeter. They're using a modified Syndicate frequency. Quite clever, actually. Would you like me to admire their technical specifications while they expose our location?"
"Your sarcasm subroutines are getting better every day." I moved to my monitoring station, watching the blips of the drones on the scanner. "What about the Imperial Corps? Any activity?
"One patrol vessel entered the system twenty minutes ago. Their trajectory suggests they're following the energy signature. Estimated time until they reach scanning range: eight hours."
I ran my hands through my hair, weighing my options. The reactor was too valuable to abandon – its technology could revolutionize energy production across the galaxy. Or, in the wrong hands, power weapons beyond imagination. But moving it would take time we didn't have.
"Should I prepare the escape protocols?" my AI asked. "Or do you have another brilliant plan?"
I moved to the workbench and began gathering tools. "The Syndicate and the Corps both want what's causing those energy fluctuations. So let's give them something to chase."
"Oh dear. That tone of voice usually precedes something extremely dangerous or incredibly stupid. Often both."
I grinned. "What's life without a little excitement? Begin reactor modification sequence. We're going to need a very big distraction."