“An unidentified ship is approaching the station, Lieutenant Hayder. They are requesting a call. Should we patch them in sir?”

Lieutenant Hayder rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was far too early into the day for him to be dealing with this. Working at the border guard station was an exhausting and boring job. “Anything else you can find out about it?” he asked.

“It… seems to hail from the Michealean Theocracy,” came the immediate response. “The name on the side says, ‘Eldridge XIII.’”

Hayder frowned. A ship from the Theocracy? That was unusual. It was rare to see a ship from them around this area of space. What were they even doing here? “Patch them in,” he ordered. “And search our database for anything else you can find on the ship.”

“At once, sir!”

The screen on his desk turned on, but he motioned with his hand for it to be transferred to the bigger screen so that everyone could see. However, he ended up slightly regretting that decision as a dark-skinned woman with black hair appeared on the screen wearing only a gold and red bikini top and a short silk skirt around her waist.

Hayder’s frown only grew deeper. Who was she? Some kind of prostitute?

Someone sniggered behind him. “She looks like your wife, man,” he said, followed quickly by a petulant, “Ow!”

Hayder rolled his eyes, making a note to scold him later. Judging from her expression the woman had heard what was said. He chose to pretend it never even happened, as he folded his arms behind his back. “Name and business, please,” he said to the woman.

“Oh… uh… I’m Sana.” The woman introduced herself and placed a hand on her chest. Her eyes would quickly shift between something offscreen and Hayder. “Actually, our situation is currently dire. We’ve nearly run out of fuel, water, and food. I understand that current policy in Nemesis is that aid is provided to ships who claim to be stranded in space and can prove they aren’t hostile.”

From the corner of his eye, Hayder saw someone give him a nod. “You are correct,” he said. “And you have yet to engage in any hostile action against us. Granted…” His brow raised. “I am only assuming that you are the captain of this ship.”

“Y-yes!” squeaked the woman.

How suspicious, Hayder thought. Another nod from one of his subordinates. No match on any known criminal, huh? Well, that didn’t absolve any of her crew. Perhaps she was hiding someone?

Though… Hayder stared at the woman’s face, trying to maintain a calm and rational smile while hiding her nervousness behind it. People like her have no business lying.

“Fine.” He tapped his desk a little impatiently. “Hanger 15 is free. You will dock your ship there. Avoid entering the city area until security properly checks your ship for any unwanted cargo or persons. Thank you for adhering to Nemesis law and welcome to our city.”

“N-No!” Sana stammered, bowing her head. “T-Thank you for helping us.” With that, they cut their connection and the screen turned black.

“Sending instructions to Hanger 15,” someone said to his left.

Hayder nodded and found himself tapping his desk in mild frustration. Something was bugging him, but he couldn’t exactly put his finger on it. “Savannah,” he said. “Replay the call for me.”

She blinked. “Of course, sir.” She tapped a few buttons and brought the video back to his personal computer. He watched through it a second time, not finding anything in her speech or choice of words that jumped out at him. The background behind her was empty and the only suspicious thing she was doing was occasionally looking offscreen for a few moments.

Instead, he found himself focusing on her clothing. Archaic he’d call them. Her skirt barely covered her… legs…

His eyes narrowed, as he snapped his fingers. “Savannah call a security squad and tell them to go to 15!” he shouted, whirling away from his desk. “Quickly! And tell them I’ll be joining them shortly.”

“O-Of course, sir!” Savannah stammered.

“What’s got him so bothered?” Hayder heard someone mutter in the crowd, but he chose to ignore them.

He entered a nearby elevator and headed down a couple of floors and, luckily the docks weren’t that far from where he worked. It was just down a couple of hallways and a few turns. By the time he reached the hanger, the group of security he had ordered was already there and the Theocracy ship was just about finished docking.

In the corner of the room was a pair of Igo mechanical suits, but they were unmanned, much to Hayder’s displeasure. Though he understood why. Compatible pilots were just a rarity and he doubted that security could spare any for this.

He stood in front of the squad as the ship drew to a stop. He raised a hand, stopping a couple of them from reaching for their guns. “Do not draw your weapons until I command it,” he ordered.

A bridge extended out to one of the ship’s doors from the walkway of the hanger. After a few moments it opened up and out walked – no, slithered – the woman on the video. There were a few strangled gasp from behind him, but a quick sharp glance from Hayder quickly shut them up.

Hayder turned his attention back to Sana. “You’re not human,” he noted raising his hands, showing that he was unarmed, hoping it may calm her down. “Is there anyone else with you? Don’t think of trying to hide them, we’ll be searching your ship.”

Sana nervously bit her lip and nodded.

“Will they come out then?”

Sana glanced behind her, but she didn’t need to say a word as two other non-human entities stepped out from the darkness. Both women, though one had the body of a spider and the other of a horse. The horse woman was wearing a full suit of armor complete with a large broadsword, but a weapon like that wouldn’t be of any use against their guns.

“Search the ship for anyone else,” Hayder ordered. A portion of the gathered security broke formation and marched into the ship. The monsters didn’t move to stop them, but the horse woman’s hand neared the hilt of her sword, her entire body tensing.

Still, something told him that they wouldn’t find anything in there. “Do you mind explaining?” he asked.

The horse woman grimaced. “I knew this was a bad idea,” she hissed to Sana, who didn’t respond.

“We don’t really know what’s going on either,” Sana admitted with a wince. “We just… appeared in that ship a couple of days ago. Coraline – an AI – told us that if we came here then someone might help us get home.”

“And where is your home?”

“Um…” Sana frowned. “The desert?”

Hayder blinked. “No, I mean what planet or star do you come from?”

Sana only stared back in confusion. “…Sorry?”

There was a long silence following that as each side struggled to find something to say. Eventually, the team that went to search the ship returned with nothing. Though one of its members whispered into his ear about an AI, confirming what Sana had just said.

“Sir,” someone behind him spoke up nervously. “I’ve seen a movie like this! If you don’t listen to them, then the ‘hole station’s bound to blow up-!”

“Shut the fuck up Jensen!” barked Hayder. Frustrated, he gritted his teeth, before making a decision. “Fine, then. In that case, we’ll lock you up in the holding cell until we can determine what to do with you. I’ll inform the CEO of this situation.”

The spider girl’s eyes suddenly turned dangerous. She raised her arm, for some reason, but before Hayder could react, Sana moved in between them, her arms held outstretched. “W-Wait a moment,” she stammered out. “W-We’re not going anywhere unless we’re promised that we’re not going to be hurt!” She glared defiantly at Hayder.

“Of course,” he replied. “Just don’t cause any trouble and you’ll be fine.”

“How goes the mining of Rhama?”

“Operators are reporting a 10% fall from last year, consistent with our current models.”

“Have them prioritize specialty metals for now. Once the moon moves into the planet’s shadow we’ll transition to the commons then and keep closer to the surface.”

“I’ll pass along the message.”

CEO Edger sighed as he walked through the Nemesis Company’s headquarters’ hallways within the center of the space station. He ran a hand through his scruffy unkempt dirty blonde hair. He didn’t look all that well. He was walking with an almost haggard stance, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his slacks and his tie almost undone. He also hadn’t shaved for a few days if the bristly chin was any indication.

“Dammit,” he sighed, staring out at the derelict city of the Nemesis Station through a nearby window. “This just isn’t going to work out much longer.”

“You are receiving a call from Lieutenant Hayder,” his secretary suddenly announced, looking more professional and clean than her boss ever did...

Edger blinked. “Huh? What was that Uma?”

Lekha frowned, pushing a thin piece of metal into his face. “He’s calling you,” she repeated. “Don’t leave him hanging this time, please.”

“Uh…yeah.” Edger took the phone and held it to his ear. “Hayder. What’s up?”

“Please speak a little more professionally. I’m currently on the job.”

“Uh… Report?”

A sigh from the other end. “An unidentified ship from the Michealean Theocracy arrived at the station today, their captain asking for aid. There were only three people inside but they were – and forgive my bluntness here – monster girls.”

“Sorry. Monster what?”

“One was a lamia. Another is a centaur. The final one was some sort of spider woman hybrid. I don’t know how to describe it. It was like something out of a bad fantasy novel.”

Edger blinked, as the gears in his head began to spin. “From the Michealean Theocracy, you said?”

“Yes.”

“What was the ship called?”

“Sorry?”

“The ship. Did it have any sort of name?”

“Er… The Eldridge XIII.”

Edger’s eyes widened. So… he thought while frowning. The rumors might be true then.

“Where are they being held?” he asked.

“The holding cell between Hanger 14 and 15. I’ve handcuffed them and I’m just awaiting –“

“Great. I want to meet them.” Edger glanced behind at his secretary. “Lekha push back everything on my schedule. This is far more important.”

“Sir?” Lekha blinked.

“Wha-? You cannot be serious Edger-?!”

Edger hung up, a crazed grin stretching across his face. This was it. This was the opportunity he was looking for. “Let’s go, Lehka,” he said confidently, heading towards the docks with Lekha trailing behind him like a shadow.

“What the hell are you thinking-? Gah, that dumbass hung up on me!!”

Sana watched as Lieutenant Hayder threw the small thin piece of metal he had been talking to onto the ground in frustration. “He’s really mad at that toy,” she whispered to Charlotte who was in the cell next to her, with only some old rusted metal bars keeping them separated. Each of them had gotten their own cell, but it wasn’t as nice as their rooms on their ship.

However, instead of receiving a response, Sana realized that Tomoe and Charlotte were only glaring silently at her. “W-What?” she nervously asked.

“This was your idea, you know,” Charlotte pointed out, holding up her hands, and showing off the handcuffs around her wrists. “If we get killed…”

“I’d die by fighting before that,” Tomoe muttered more to herself.

“C-Come on!” Sana exclaimed. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. No one’s going to attack us without reason!” She turned to look at Hayder. “Isn’t that right, Lieutenant?!”

“Don’t talk to me right now. I’m not in the mood to deal with more idiots.”

“O-Oh.” Sana could feel her hope starting to dwindle.

Suddenly the door to the holding cell, burst open surprising everyone there. In walked Edger and Lekha. There was a giddy expression on Edger’s face as he lay his eyes on Sana and her companions.

“So,” Edger said, pulling up a chair in front of them and sitting down. “You’re the three I’ve heard so much about.”

“It was one phone call,” muttered Hayder.

Edger ignored him. “Introduce yourselves.”

It took a second for the words to register within Sana’s mind. “Oh, I’m Sana.”

“No last name?”

“I don’t have one,” admitted Sana, before she added, “Sir.”

“Interesting.” Edger turned his attention to the centaur. “And you.”

Charlotte gritted her teeth, but nevertheless, her entire body stiffened to attention. “I am Charlotte la Brienne, the princess of the Brienne family!” she introduced in a commanding tone.

“Oh!” Edger looked impressed as he clapped his hands. “A princess! How fascinating!” Though, he could clearly see how she was holding back her hostility.

“I’m Tomoe,” Tomoe said to Edger. “No last name either.” She frowned. “Now are you going to tell us who you are?” She glanced at the two people flanking Edger, expecting them to get angry at how rude she was being, but they looked more exasperated than anything.

“Oh, I’m merely the CEO of the Nemesis Space Station,” Edger explained. “You can call me Edger.”

Sana blinked. “CEO?”

“Well to put it simply, the Nemesis Space Station is the headquarters of the Nemesis Company, a mining company based around the mining of the nearby moons of Isis. Almost everyone who lives hers, either works or has a family member who works within the company, save for a few diplomats and merchants in other parts of space,” explained Edger. “I’m called the CEO, but you can also refer to me as the mayor or ruler.”

“Like a king?” Sana looked him over. “You don’t look very kingly.”

“We’ll it's 2245,” Edger laughed. “Modern fashion has moved forward.”

“The CEO is just very lazy and not very interested in fashion,” the secretary said, adjusting her glasses.

“L-Lekha!”

Sana stared at Edger in amazement. She had never met a king before!

Edger coughed into his hand. “Well moving on…” he said, turning his attention back to the three girls. “I was hoping you could explain to me your circumstances. If you came here for aid, then it’d be only fair if we asked for full transparency.”

“R-Right!” Sana nodded. Taking turns between the three of them, they explained their story to Edger, recounting nigh everything that had happened before they arrived at the station. Edger listened to their story silently, only occasionally stopping to ask a question or correct them on a term.

Once they were done, Edger was silent for a few moments in deep thought. Finally, after a while, he said, “Another world, huh? No not even that, you three are from another dimension.”

Sana blinked and it looked like she wasn’t the only one confused by the statement as even Hayder and Lekha were confused. “Sir?” Lekha asked.

Edger waved her away, focusing his attention on Sana. “So, I’ll be honest for you. I don’t believe we have a way to get you three home. I don’t have an inkling of how you arrived here or how to get you back.” He studied their faces. Tomoe and Charlotte looked disappointed, but Sana was still waiting for him to continue. “So that in mind, let me ask you… What do you plan to do if I were to let you go?”

“Sir, you can’t-!” exclaimed Hayder.

“I’d keep looking for a way to get us home!” Sana defiantly said, much to Tomoe and Charlotte’s surprise. “I’d never give up!”

It took a second for her words to register with Edger, but when they did, he started to laugh. “I like you, Miss Sana,” he admitted, with a wide grin. “And because of that, I’d like to make a deal with you.”

Sana looked a little more apprehensive. “A deal?” She didn’t exactly meet his eyes. “I’ve been told… never to make a deal with shady merchants.”

Hayder and Lekha stifled a laugh from behind him. Edger ignored it. “Well at least let me outline the deal. You see, if you stay here then I can guarantee you’ll never find a way to get home. But perhaps if you were to explore the rest of controlled space, there’s a chance you’ll find a clue.”

Sana frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Become mercenaries,” Edger replied simply. “Explore controlled space and search for clues regarding your situation. It’s dangerous certainly, but it’s my belief that it’s your best chance to return home.”

“Become… mercenaries…?” Sana repeated slowly.

“Edger?” Even Lekha sounded baffled, while Hayder just stared at the CEO in wide-eyed shock.

“Think about it.” Edger stood up and motioned for Hayder and Lekha to follow him. “You have time to give me your answer. There’s no rush.” With those words, he left the building with Lekha and Hayder in tow, leaving only a single guard behind.

Tomoe narrowed her eyes once they left. It’d be easier to escape now. “Sana,” she whispered, turning to the snake. “I can…” Her voice died in her throat as she realized that Sana was genuinely considering Edger’s offer.

“You can’t be seriously thinking it’s a good idea!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“Well…” Sana frowned. “Just maybe…”

Coraline had been turned off with the rest of the ship. Security hadn’t been sure about her capabilities or how much she controlled the ship, so it was decided she’d be kept off until an AI specialist arrived.

But this made it so that if anything occurred within the ship, it wouldn’t have been noticed by anyone. Granted, the Eldridge XIII was being guarded by a top-notch team so there was no chance that someone would sneak onto the ship. However…

The doors to the teleportation room opened by themselves. At first, it didn’t seem like there was anyone inside. But after a few seconds of silence, a large clawed red hand reached out of the room and grasped the wall, its claw piercing the steel. Whatever the monster was, it let out an angry roar that reverberated throughout the ship.

A demon. A true demon has come to Nemesis.