“I know I've said it already, but doing that doesn’t change anything.” Marcus said with a sigh.

“Every inch between me and that is something I’ll keep thank you very much.” The gnome answered with a quiver.

The gnome, who initially claimed their name was Redshot, had become far more helpful with their answers after learning about their place on the totem pole. The first answer they’d given when pressed was their name was actually Tobin Wiggledrop. Tobin had, on coming back to his senses, immediately climbed up onto one of the cupboards and refused to come down, unwilling to step on Datov’s surface.

“Datov is more than the ground below us, they’re the water in the sea, the sky above us and even the air we breathe... man that sounds preachy. Oh that’s a good question, are there religions in the System?” Marcus asked, holding the notepad the gnome had been carrying in his back pack.

“Um, real ones or fakes ones?”Tobin asked back, now taking slightly shallower breaths.

“There’s a difference?” Marcus said with raised eyebrows.

“W-well there’s ones that are just some things people believe on rules they follow, more ways of living than religions. Then there’s the ones that follow actual gods.”

“Wait, gods are real!?” he exclaimed.

“Beings that the System defines as gods, sure. Don't know what the difference would be, they’re entities with ridiculously high...” he looked down and shuddered before looking at the ceiling instead. “A god is a hex, someone with levels in the hundreds of thousands.”

“Hear that Datov, you’re apparently stronger than god’s already, which is admittedly a little concerning.” Marcus said with amusement.

“Datov best!” They said with pride, the message causing Tobin to shudder. They’d already worked out that he couldn’t hear the planet, but the mass of mental energy was extremely noticeable, and what had tipped the gnome off initially. Now that he knew where it was coming from, he trembled every time Datov spoke. Their attempt at having Datov talk directly to the poor man had left them unconscious on the ground, seizing and bleeding from the ears. Marcus had been relaying things since.

“So does religion... do anything? System-wise I mean.” Marcus asked, keeping the gnomes attention in order to prevent another breakdown.

“W-well, it depends on faith, so I'm not really sure...”

They’d had him answering every question they had for over an hour, though many questions remained un-answered. While Tobin had used the system all their life, they were a thief, poacher and bounty hunter, not a scholar. But as Datov put it, sometimes the only teacher was the best teacher.

They’d learned that quads, as they were known in the galaxy Tobin was from, were the upper crust of what people could achieve. Those who reached five digits were considered lords, rulers and the most powerful around, generally only a handful managed it in a given galaxy, second only to gods.

Third now.

The gnome had no idea how nobody had noticed the planet was alive, and considering his reaction, Marcus believed him. While the majority of people who’d visited Datov had died, either by the local wildlife or from Datov themself trying to say hello, he couldn’t believe no one had noticed the planet below them and reported it. The planet becoming sapient wasn’t a recent event, so it wasn’t just the last few people and they were clearly noticeable with identify, so what was going on?

“So you haven’t been to Datov before?” he asked, double checking. “This is your first time here?”

Tobin nodded furiously. “First and last. The second my guiding stone is recharged I'm leaving and never coming back.”

“And how long do you have left before its ready?”

“Six more long hours.” They sighed.

“Oh don't say it like that, Datov might get offended.” Marcus said, trying not to smile at the gnomes panic.

“I-I didn’t mean-!”

“I kid, but I do have some more questions. For instance, what did you actually come here for? There’s no one to rob, or steal from here.”

Tobin scratched his chin. “Normal hunting actually. The body of an untainted triple grade animal would be worth a small fortune to me, and things like guiding stones don't come cheap.”

“Oh? Criminal industry been rough lately?”

“I know you’re being sarcastic but yes, actually. The local governments being making a push to reduce the number of scavengers about the place, which affects me too.”

“Datov question! What think Datov forests?” Datov asked.

“Datov would like to know what you think of their forests.” Marcus relayed.

“They’re great! Lots of trees and... Other trees!” They replied with panic. “I'm more of a city guy, but this is definitely the best forest I've seen.”

Marcus listened to Datov’s next words before sighing and relaying them again. “Datov wants to know what a city is.”

Fifteen minutes followed of vague gestures, explanations of other words and a few drawings in the dirt outside. In the end they all settled for ‘like the house but everywhere and for lots of people’.

“Want see!” Datov cried once they’d explained enough.

“Might be a little difficult, but we’ll see what we can do for you.” Marcus answered the eager planet. “Well Tobin? Datov wants to see other places, any ideas on how to make that happen?”

Tobin looked at him in horror. “You want to inflict that on other worlds? Are you crazy?!”

“Mean!” Datov grumbled, the ground shaking slightly in response, making the gnome go an even paler shade.

“I-I mean, if you wanted to I suppose you could, but Datov is the best planet, so why would you want go to others right?” They said frantically.

“Good save.” Marcus muttered, impressed. “So any way to have a look? Phone call?”

“We’re a long way off the grid here, otherwise you could try that I suppose.”

“How far? Actually, do you have a map of some kind?”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a hold of a star map?” Tobin asked incredulously.

“I do not. But since you seem to know where we are, do you have one?”

They looked hesitant for moment before rifling through their pockets.

“Just so we’re clear, these really are hard to get, they’re just very handy for my line of work.” They muttered as they searched.

“Always good to know where to escape to. Is the table going to be big enough or do we need to go outside?” Marcus asked, moving his notes.

Triumphantly, they pulled out a black plate and took a deep breath for climbing down off the cupboard. Moving as if the ground might swallow him up at any moment, they made their way outside.

“A table won’t help. Space is three dimensional, so you need a three dimensional map.” They said before pressing a button on the plate.

Lights rushed out of the map, leaving Marcus momentarily blinded and wondering if it had been a trick. But as his eyes cleared he found himself in space, surround by stars that were slowly spiralling to a stop. Tobin was still next to him in this illusionary space, and was consulting some information he was reading off the plate.

“Okay, so according to this, Datov would be right around...” Making a few gestures, the gnome span the stars around, the map moving and zooming in a particular galaxy, a particular arm and then finally a single area where they could see a green planet with a small star orbiting around it.

“Here. Gods they really are massive.” They said, awe in their voice.

“They’re a planet, Isn’t that kind of a given?” Marcus asked.

“Planets come in all sizes, and physics come second to the Systems rules. Datov is well over a million kilometres across, that’s bigger than some life supporting stars.”

“Datov best?” the planet in question asked.

“Yes Datov, you’re the best.” Marcus answered before talking to the trembling gnome. “So where’s the nearest planet with people from here? A place where we can make proper contact.”

“Umm, that’d be...” again the stars moved this time flashing spheres around a number of worlds until two connected. “Nekratain. It’s not home to the most friendly people, but I have some contacts there that could give you some better communication equipment. It’s actually one of the places I was going to go after here to sell what I hunted.”

“Ok then. Datov, want to go visit Nekratain and say hello to your neighbours?”

“Go! New friends!”

“So where is it?” Marcus asked, trying to make sense of the slowly shifting map.

“According to this, it’s currently a few dozen light years southeast of here.” Tobin said as he studied the map.

Marcus frowned. “How can a planet be to the southeast? Isn’t that kind of... relative?”

“Blame the System if you want, but according to it and its maps, there’s a universal north, as well as an up and down.”

“That’s dumb, but ok. Any issues about people being on top of the universe?”

“A few hundred empire wars, but no one takes it that seriously.” Tobin shrugged.

“...going to circle back to that one, but which way’s southeast from here?”

Swiping the plate, Tobin made a small glowing compass appeared in the centre of the map.

“Anything else? If not I’d really like to hide in a corner until I can leave.” He asked hopefully.

“Leave the map here, but sure go sit inside if it’ll make you feel better.” Marcus shrugged before talking to Datov. “Can you try to move that way?”

“What way? Can’t see!” Datov complained.

Right, he thought, it was small for him so it’d be invisible for the giant planet. What they needed were some larger markers that they could both use.

“Ok Datov, here’s my plan, I need you make four things around here that we can both see, that are easy to tell apart and, this part is important, far enough away that making them won’t kill me. Four things, one on each side. Do you think you can manage?” he asked the planet.

“Can.”

Marcus was immediately glad he mentioned doing it far away as the ground began shaking, birds taking flight as Tobin screamed from inside the house. In the distance he watched as a mountain forced its way out of the ground, taking the forest up with it while a mass of ice began to coalesce out at sea. To the left and right two huge shards launched out of the soil, one of what looked to be stone and quartz, the other...

“Is that gold?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yellow metal! Can see?”

“I can see it very clearly. We’ll talk about different metals and why certain ones might not be the best to build towers out of, but that works well. Ok now, are you able to turn around on my location?”

The sky shifted randomly for a few moments but soon the sun was spinning above him in a smooth circle, the point of the compass matching its speed.

“Very good. Now slow it down, and ill have you turn until I can tell you which way to go. Keep going... okay, stop there.” He said with satisfaction, trying to ignore Tobin’s gibbering in the background. “Now, if we take the gold tower as north and the mountain as-”

“W-wouldnt it just be easier to put one thing somewhere and have the planet go towards it, rather than create a compass.” The gnome interrupted, trying to walk back over but having their legs fail them.

Marcus frowned. “That’s... ok fine that’ll be easier. Ok, you come here and tell Datov when they’re lined up.”

“Me!? But I can’t-”

“You know where we’re trying to go, and even if you can hear them, Datov can hear you just fine. Now come on, steer the planet.”

With bit more coaxing, and the subtle threat of Datov being upset with him, Tobin eventually got them pointed in the right direction. Now there was just one last step.

“Ok Datov, try moving in that direction.” Marcus said, pointing dramatically.

“Go! ...Working?” Datov asked, unsure.

“I have no idea. Tobin, does that map show if we move?”

“According to its data, it updates locations once a day. But I plan to be long gone by then, and I'm taking my map with me.” Tobin said, trying to hold his composure.

“Oh are you now.” Marcus stated, staring down at him for minute before sighing. “Ok, sure. You’ve helped us a fair bit, and it’d be wrong for us to keep you here if you have somewhere else to be. I'm all for people going where they need to.”

“Family!” Datov agreed.

“Exactly, but so that we can check if this is working... Datov can you move your light; I want to see if the we can see changes in the other stars.

“Night time!”

The sun span off to the other side of the planet, Datov even having the good sense to take the clouds as well, leaving them looking up at a perfectly clear night sky.

“Well Tobin, you’ve got better eyes than eye do, and can probably do math as well. Are we moving?”

Tobin just looked, mouth open wide. “They can move the sun as well?”

“Moons too, faster than should be possible but like you said, physics comes second. But about that movement?”

“Oh right.” The gnome said with a start, pulling the rifle off his back. Rather than a normal gun that Marcus had been expecting, it was a collection of lenses and crystal between two brass rods attached to a large scope that was now put to use. “It’s not the most precise, but yes, Datov is currently moving. At this speed I’d estimate your arrival in... four hundred years, maybe five. Again, I don't have the right equipment, and star gazing really isn’t my field.”

Marcus’s expression went hard. “Four hundred years? That’s not gonna cut it. Datov we need to go faster. Like, a lot faster, or we won’t get there in time.”

“Time?” They asked.

“People don't- Tobin, what’s the average life expectancy in the system these days?”

“It varies by race, but normally, I’d say about a hundred for a triple, maybe three hundred for a quad? Don't know about the others.”

“Thanks. Datov, people don't live that long. That means that before we got there, I’d be dead, my family would be dead, and you’d be all alone. We need to go faster.”

“No be alone!” Datov shouted, the force of their words shaking the sand around them.

The one moon that had been overhead began moving, orbiting from one horizon to the other at speed, the other two matching pace with it. Slowly they accelerated, the lunar ring moving away from them and their destination towards the back of the planet. Just when they’d lost sight of them, the sky lit up in that direction, a vibrant blue light flaring upwards across world.

“M-Marcus, do you have any clue what that is?”Tobin asked in fear.

“I'm thinking, and this is just a guess, that Datov figured out a way of using his sun and moons as an engine to travel faster?” he said slowly.

“You sound pretty sure of that for a guess.”

“Well I'm guessing at what they did, but I can see that those stars are moving now.” He said, gesturing towards their goal. Sure enough, the distant stars were now actively moving, not fast, but visibly to the naked eye. “How’s our travel time look now?”

Tobin looked through his scope, made some notes, checked them, then checked them again.

“Assuming Datov can sustain this, as well as being able to stop appropriately, instead of four hundred years you’re looking at... three and a half days to Nekratain. Give or take an hour or two.”

“Fast enough?” Datov asked, a serious tone in their voice.

Marcus laughed, built up tension leaving his body. “Plenty fast. Soon we’ll have millions of people to talk to, and millions of things to see. And as for you Tobin...”

“Y-yes?”

“You’ve been nothing but helpful after our first... incident, so if you feel like sticking around until our arrival, it’d make life easier for us. Either way though, you came here looking for some things to hunt right? Well we’ve got a few days before we come into contact, so how about we find you some game?” He offered.

“Really? Id kind of given up on it at this point, but that’d be great, debts don't clear themselves after all. As for staying... let’s see how the hunt goes. Come on then, I remember seeing some bear tracks on the way here.”

“Really, you want to go right now?”

“Sure, why not? It’s not like we can wait for daybreak.” They shrugged before beginning to march away, leaving Marcus standing there laughing.

Wiping a tear form his eye, he looked up at the stars and smiled.

“Hang in there Smalls, I'm coming.”