-----V-----

The landscape was covered in snow, above me the skies were grey, and it was snowing heavily. I have been following Ethan and his group‘s footprints through the snow, but due to the snowfall, it was getting more obscure. And the tracks were almost completely gone.

It was quite cold, I only had my good-ol jacket with me above my armor. I really should have bought clothing for the cold.

I didn‘t want to give up looking for them, but I really needed to find shelter. I needed my body to be warm to stay alive. That was obvious, but I seriously needed to find Ethan if I wanted to get off this world.

If I give up now, then it would be ten times harder for me to find him. I must press on.

There in the distance, a light. I couldn‘t see what it was, the snow was blocking my vision, but I believed I wasn‘t going crazy when seeing that light.

I trudged forwards through the tall snow. Heating up my hands with my warm breath. Grinning at the thought of dying to the lamest way possible of hypothermia.

I was only a few steps away from the strange device that melted the snow around it. And there it was, an open hatch that snow was falling through.

„Found you,“ I muttered through the cold.

As I walked down the stairs, my body was heating up by the lit torches. The nearest ones to the hatch were out due to the wind. Thankfully there were still some left deep down in the vault.

I entered a room, blaster at the ready. Corpses of robotic machines were scattered around the room. They weren‘t here.

There were quite a lot of the robots here, they must have been really weak if they lost against Ethan‘s group. Maybe their strength only came in numbers I‘m guessing.

Continuing on, the next room had also robots, but now there were also big ones. I looked over at the head of one of the big ones and saw traces of a weapon that none of them had. Amara must have shown herself already. I hope Ethan isn‘t having any ideas about helping her out, I wouldn‘t believe he would help her.

I walked down the spiral staircase that leads down. And as the walls turned to glass, my eyes widened as I was staring down at a spaceship.

It was some sort of hangar, and there Ethan was with his group, walking up to it.

I started speeding down the stairs, being careful not to fall and break my ankle. If he gets that ship running without me, then I will be stuck here for a long time!

As I took the last step down the stairs, Amara was there. And it looked like she was waiting for me.

„Let me guess, he didn‘t allow you to join him?“

„Yeah, and I was about to think of a way to take the ship alone, but then I noticed you were quite close in the area, so I waited.“

I really need to find where the tracker is on me.

„Why would you wait for me?“

„There is no need to fight any longer, that ship is the ticket out. And you. . . we are going to help each other.“

Glancing at Ethan, I didn‘t care if I left him here. He did try to ditch me after all. I understood Amara‘s intentions earlier, she just wanted what I want as well, a way out. And she would do anything to get what she wants, we were quite alike.

With a grin, I got my blaster ready, I aimed towards Ethan. I didn‘t intend to shoot from this distance, but I really did want to.

„So, what‘s the plan?“

-----E-----

„What is this?“ Reve asked.

„It‘s a spaceship, and just like the name says, it will sail through the vast and empty place called space.“

„Let me guess, you have been on one, haven‘t you?“

I glanced down towards Nia. She was staring at me with full of questions.

„I. . well. . yeah. You could say that.“

If I could fly out to space, I might need to ask the others if they wanted to come with or not. I‘m not just going to take them with me without their agreement. I would think I am breaking quite a few galactic rules if I take them off Kentri. But now that I can see that there are spaceships around here, I believe it‘s fine. I think the sentient species here, human and lizard, are not primitive.

We were close at the entrance of the ship. I turned around to face everyone.

„I really should ask you all this, if I could understand how to fly the ship, would you all join me?“

I wasn‘t even sure if I could find a space station or planet that I am familiar with, I hope there is some sort of navigation system in there that I understand.

They thought for a moment, except for Nia who quickly talked first.

„I‘ll come with you! We did promise to share the treasure after all!“ she said as she hopped about with her arm raised so she would be noticed.

Nia doesn‘t really have a home here, and she is quite hated by many people. I guess it would make sense that she didn‘t want to stay where a man named Wilmer is around.

„Alright, Reve, how about you?“

„I think I‘m staying here. I don‘t understand space at all, my life is here at my blacksmith shop. I‘m quite curious about where you are really from, but I would likely be even more confused if you tell me, so it‘s best that I don‘t know.“

I crossed Reve‘s name off the list in my brain.

„That‘s fine, how about you two?“

„I‘m fascinated by other planets, of course, I want to join you,“ Letya spoke.

I glanced over at Ivona, she looked irritated for some reason.

„I‘m not interested. I would have hoped we would have sold this instead. There is no other treasure around the floor. Reve and I aren‘t getting anything from this.“

„There might be something inside, you don‘t have to be that angry.“

„I am only annoyed because you lied about where you are from. Are you an alien in human form?“

I wouldn‘t argue with that. Even though we might be both humans, I am not from this world. Does she really hate me for being lied to? I haven‘t seen her angry like this before.

„I can tell you that I am human, I was even quite shocked myself when I found out that there is a civilization of humans on a different planet other than my own homeworld and other settlements.“

Ivona breathed steadily and went to her usual composed self.

„I am not really interested if there are humans up there, though it is a curiosity. You can take that ship if you want. You helped me take down the bandits that took my people, you also helped me save them from slavery of the Dynami Empire. I guess helping you at this vault, and helping you get back to wherever you came from is your reward for what you did for me.“

I smiled and thanked her. I turned towards Letya and Nia.

„Are you two sure about this? There is no guarantee that there is a way back here.“

„Of course, I am fully sure about this, Mr.Shield.“

„Same here.“

„Great, shall we then go? Reve, Ivona, do you two want to take a look inside?“ I asked.

„Might as well, we might not see this type of artifact again.“

As I was moving towards the entrance, I glanced down at the screen of my shield. I wanted to check if I unlocked a new program after going through the vault. I did get the program for the location of a gemstone on the planet, but it seemed I didn‘t need it at all.

And as I was scrolling through the list, I saw a program called Redirection. So the only way to get new programs is to go through vaults, and maybe dungeons if you are lucky. Too bad, I am not going to any new dungeons any time soon.

But how exactly am I going to charge my shield? I have never heard of a zettra stone outside this star system. Its a completely new ore that I haven‘t heard about before I got to this planet.

As I was reading what the new program could do, I heard a familiar voice from behind.

„Ethan! Are you planning on leaving without me?“

It was Vincent with his smug and punchable face. Of course, he just needed to appear at the part where I was about to leave.

He had his blaster pointed towards us. Amara was there as well with her sniper.

„What do you want, Vincent?“

„That ship, of course.“

„And why would I allow you? I earned this myself, not you!“

I yelled at him, I wasn‘t going to get tricked again.

A thought hit me when I was looking at them. The sniper that killed the noble‘s daughter, it must have been her. How didn‘t I think of that when I first saw her earlier? It makes sense, she would know a way off, and she gave Vincent the info. But it wasn‘t really needed when I found the spaceship.

„You were the one who killed Elishia, aren‘t you?“

„The noble? Yes, it was me. You didn‘t think that the first time seeing me? How pathetic.“

„You really screwed us, the noble family thinks that we were responsible!“

She is a pain, I would have never believed that I might have made an encounter with her in my career. I am not really in that much trouble as Reve, he has a life of a blacksmith here, and now he must try and convince the nobles that he wasn‘t part of it.

„And you are responsible! You drove her to the balcony, not me!“

Her finger was at the trigger, and it was twitching.

„Ethan!“ Vincent called. „I am fine with just taking a ride with you on the spaceship, I‘m not intending to take the wheel for myself. And then when we find a friendly planet or space station, then you and I don‘t have to be together again.“

I thought for a second. Which wasn‘t really needed, because I know he is just lying.

„Ethan, we can stall them while you fly off,“ Reve said, and Ivona nodded in agreement.

„Might as well help you one more time, I really wanted to punch him in the face back when were rescuing my people.“

Vincent has likely one of the strongest artifacts of us all, along with Amara‘s strong rifle. They wouldn‘t be able to survive one shot from them. Except maybe for Reve, he might survive a shot with his artifact armor.

„You two don‘t have to get yourselves in danger. They can hurt you easily.“

„Don‘t underestimate us, I still have a few programs that I haven‘t shown you!“ Reve said and laughed.

„Heh? You have some really powerful stuff hiding in that artifact of yours?“

„Of course! But I can only activate them once per day, I think this is a good time to show off!“

„If you two really don‘t mind, then go for it. And thank you, really.“

They nodded and turned towards Vincent and Amara. Their artifacts at the ready.

I quickly turned towards Nia and Letya.

„I need you two to turn on the ship and fly it out!“

„Eeeehh? What?“ Nia was confused.

„Just think of it like an artifact that you hacked before, it‘s just the same. I need to stay at the ramp so they can‘t go inside. And I am also going to support Ivona and Reve.“

„Um. . . sure.“

Nia and Letya ran up the ramp and entered the ship. They haven‘t seen one before, but I believe they will find the place to take control of the ship.

„So, what will it be? Or are you just going to ignore me the entire time!“

„Vincent. There has been something I really wanted to say to you for a long time, ever since you left me with injuries and took all the artifacts we gathered from me.“

„And what will that be?“

„Vincent, go die in a black hole with all the riches you own. That‘s the nicest way for me to tell you to go fuck yourself!“