-----E-----

I strolled around the ship with an empty glass. Trying to find my way to the cafeteria. The ship was too big for us, it could hold maybe around 50-75 people, but we were just three.

It has only been a few days since we left the planet. I had Nia mark the corridors so we could find each room easily. It might have just been me, or Nia is naming everything entirely wrong. Because I was not finding the cafeteria sign.

After several minutes of pondering about the markings, I finally found it by following the sign for „Chairs & Tables.“ It really was a horrible idea to make Nia label everything.

The automatic doors opened, and Nia was there playing with the food synthesizer in the back. Most of our rations were depleted, but thankfully, this ship has some high tech way of giving us food. Just by using the synthesizer, we could get every nutrition we needed.

„You really should name the signs better. I can‘t get around without getting lost.“

Nia turned with an apple in her mouth. Of all the things she could make, she synthesized an apple?

„You could just try and remember where everything is, it isn‘t that hard.“

„Well, while you and Letya have been looking around, I have been using my time to figure out this ship. And try to familiarise myself on how to only use one arm,“ I gestured to where my left arm once was.

I placed down the empty glass on a table, which once contained water. Letya handed it over to me while I was trying to use the holographic screen on the bridge. I have only been into the cafeteria once, so this is my second time here.

The cafeteria was big enough for the entire crew, if it was full, of course. There was a kitchen by the side, but we usually just use the synthesizer.

„So? You figured something out?“

„After messing around for a while with the wires, I managed to find out which planet we are headed. I believe it was called Das. . . something, Dasos? The one that is filled with trees, the tropical planet.“

„Good. That‘s good,“ she said with an out of character somber tone. And I understood why.

After Nia and I told about ourselves, I asked if she was okay after Reve‘s death. But apparently Letya didn‘t tell her while I was unconscious. Nia didn‘t see him fall, because she was busy turning on the ship.

„He‘s dead?!?“ She yelled when I asked her. I really should‘ve asked Letya if she knew before I said anything to her.

Reve was only one of the few people she was friends with. So it hit her hard when I told her. Letya and I tried to comfort her as she shed tears on my shoulders. I felt her tremble when I held her close with one arm.

Only the next day after I told her, she started smiling again. But I felt like it was forced. I didn‘t want her to hurt more so I didn‘t say anything about it.

„I couldn‘t find out how long it will take until we arrive. But I am guessing after watching the progress bar for a while, that we should arrive in a week.“

She sat on the table near the synthesizer, then nodded while biting down on the fruit.

„Do you know where Letya is?“ I asked.

„She‘s likely at the top floor.“

I thanked her and left the cafeteria after I glanced back.

I went up the ladder that leads to the top floor. It wasn‘t that hard as I suspected using only one arm, I could actually climb rather easily. There were four floors on the ship. The bottom was where the core of the ship and hangar was. The top floor was the smallest, it was likely only used for relaxation, due to the floor being soft and the ceiling made out of glass to see the stars. While the second and third floor were the accommodation, cafeteria, bridge, and all that.

Letya had her knees on the ground, while holding onto that golden circular necklace she wore. That necklace was likely the only thing that wasn‘t white. Her gauntlets were by her side.

„How you doing?“ I asked.

„I‘m fine, just gazing up to the stars.“

I glanced down at her necklace.

„What does that necklace represent?“

„This? It‘s my beliefs.“

„Can you tell me about it?“

„If you really are interested.“

She motioned me to sit next to her. I walked up and sat down with one knee up.

„I‘m listening.“

„It originated in Oxy. That is where I was born. And it slowly spread out around the planet, I have even heard it‘s also spread across the other planets.“

„So you aren‘t from Stratos?“

„No, I was only there as an artifact hunter. There aren‘t many people in the kingdom that adopted it, but it‘s really common in Oxy.“

„What‘s it called?“

She took off her necklace and showed it to me. On the circular necklace, were three hands on the ends facing to the middle, in the middle were four small circular zettra stones, they appeared to still have a bit of energy. There were also lines going in a circular shape from the zettra stones to the palm of the hands.

„It‘s called Palms of Zettra. We are believers of the Elders, the ones we believe created the artifacts and gave us the stones to use them.“

Palms of Zettra? Now I have heard of other religious names before, but this one. . . I don‘t know, it just sounds weird. It just might be me. I shouldn‘t really criticize it. What do you even call a person who follows this religion? Zettrian? Zettrist?

„Interesting, so you folks believe in the gods who made these artifacts? What about the dungeons and all that?“

„It is said in the old lore that the gods, which we call the Elders, created the dungeons and vaults as tests for people who are worthy holding an artifact. Yes, some places don‘t have such dangers, but they are still tests even though artifact hunters don‘t have to try hard for artifacts.“

As I was pondering to ask the next question, the spaceship suddenly rocked to the side. I fell down on my back along with Letya and slammed to the nearby wall. The ship then steadied itself.

„What happened?“ Letya asked worriedly.

„I don‘t know, let‘s go down and find Nia.“

I quickly got up and went down the ladder. Nia came into view after she turned a corner.

„Everything is moving!“

„Don‘t worry, it‘s likely only happening because of the damaged thruster.“

It‘s really something we should still worry about. A damaged thruster could do a lot to a spaceship.

„Let‘s look around, and if you two see anything odd, then come get me.“

They nodded and ran in different directions.

I went down the ladder to the first floor and glanced around the power core. It basically was an engineering bay, but I didn‘t have anyone to staff people here.

The core was giant. It ran on zettra power and a lot of it. Pistons were pushing the power around the ship, making a loud thumping noise that was only heard when in the engineering bay. I walked to the side of it and touched its plate and carefully looked at every angle.

Nothing seemed to be off. Except I noticed beneath on one of the wall dust was scattered around. I inspected it, rubbing it between my fingers. It felt like it was metal, maybe parts of the wall have eroded away. But the ship was shiny and seemed brand new when first seeing it with my eyes. How could it wear off so quickly?

The walls were not waring off, but the ceiling, however, had some of the paint job turn from black and gray, too brown and reddish.

„Why is this happening?“ I muttered.

„Ethan! Come quickly!“

I glanced up at the ladder, Nia was at the top calling to me.I quickly went up the ladder after Nia and followed her.

After turning a few corners, I saw what she alerted me for. Close to one of the airlocks‘ walls had completely eroded away. Dust laid everywhere on the ground. Not just the paint, but the metal itself has crumbled down. And oddly enough it was familiar. Even though I felt like something like this happened recently, I just couldn‘t put my finger on it.

Letya ran up behind us.

„Some of the walls in the hangar has also some broken parts like this wall.“

Shit, why is this happening?

Then a sudden flare of memory appeared. This situation was quite familiar back on one of the other worlds. Vincent was there with me, keeping away from walls that were eroding right in front of us with great speed. It was the time when nanomachines ate everything in their path and leaving nothing behind. Metal and flesh, nothing was left behind from them.

I shook that thought away, no way these are Nanos, they wouldn‘t let a single dust fragment fall to the ground.

Then when I glanced down to Nia, her gauntlets reflecting the light from the ceiling.

„Ah crap. I think I know what is going on, and you should too.“

I pointed to her gauntlets. Nia moved her hands in front of her, inspecting them. Then a sudden look of shock and fear erupted.

„Oh no, I doomed us, didn‘t I?“

She is the one who turned on the ship. Not by turning a key, but by hacking her way inn. She once did that to a weapon and a tank, but after a moment, they turned to dust.

How could I have forgotten about that? Why the hell did I make her hack the ship?!? I‘m so stupid!

„I don‘t understand. Why do you say you doomed us?“ Letya asked, confused.

„When she uses artifacts that she hacks, they turn to dust after some time,“ I explained.

„But it has been a few days!“ Nia said.

„How am I supposed to know why the ship has survived so long? Can‘t you do something to fix this?“

„No. I don‘t think so,“ she muttered.

The tank she hacked before didn‘t survive an hour, but this spaceship has survived for days. I can‘t understand why. Just only now we have discovered a few broken walls.

„Try whatever you can, we only have about a week left of the travel. If this gets any worse and it speeds up, then we are done for.“

„Can‘t we just swim around out there?“ Nia asked.

„Ehhh, yeah no. I‘m guessing you don‘t know how space works. Thank god you haven‘t opened up an airlock to "Let air in". Otherwise, we would lose oxygen and die.“

„Really?“ She tilted her head, confused.

„I‘m going to make you learn about space. But not now, we have other things to do first if we want to survive.“

I looked at both of them. Wondering what I should make them do. I already asked Nia to try and fix the problem with her gauntlets. But what should Letya do? I glanced at my singular arm. I guess she should stay with me to be my left hand.

„Nia, try and reverse the effect if you can. Letya, help me repair some of the walls, or try and clog up holes that are open to space.“

They nodded. Nia began fiddling with her holographic screen against the broken wall, and Letya followed me to a storeroom.

Thankfully there was a room on the ship with tools that I recognized slightly. Who knows why there were familiar tools here, but I didn‘t want to argue. There were even spacesuits in the storeroom, but not close to an airlock, or the hangar.

„Help me put the tools in my bag, then let‘s find a broken wall.“

The ship shook, almost making me and Letya fall.

„I hope to god we will arrive before we lose half of the ship,“ I muttered.