Lyssar gestured toward the floating consoles, the spire’s light intensifying. “You may now select data to download. The knowledge you choose will shape your journey forward. However, your access is limited to ten terabytes. Choose wisely.”

Clorita approached one of the terminals, brushing her fingers against its interface. Streams of schematics and blueprints flowed across the screen, and her eyes lit up. “Look at… propulsion upgrades, shield mods, advanced engineering tools—this is a goldmine.”

HALAT stood by another terminal, her optics flickering as she scanned its contents. “These defensive enhancements could protect the Duj from extreme gravitational forces. Even black holes.”

Zog frowned at a terminal displaying a holographic star map. “This one has uncharted routes—potential shortcuts back to the chartered universe. If we ever want to get home, this might be our best shot.”

Clorita shot him a sideways glance. “Or it might send us straight into another mess.”

Zog threw up his hands. “Like we’re not already living in one?”

Meanwhile, Luma padded silently to a terminal in the corner, her glowing optics scanning the screen. Without hesitation, she accessed the interface and downloaded a secure, encrypted file onto her internal storage. The screen flickered briefly before returning to normal, unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

The hum of the Repository filled the chamber as the crew browsed the vast database, each terminal overflowing with alien knowledge. Clorita and HALAT worked methodically, their focus locked on advanced schematics.

“This shield array could stabilise the Duj against gravitational anomalies,” HALAT noted. “It’s efficient and requires minimal power.”

Clorita nodded, her fingers flying across another terminal. “And this propulsion tech—look at the efficiency. We could cut travel time in half.”

Zog, meanwhile, had wandered to a corner terminal, his circuits buzzing faintly as he scrolled through the star maps. “Alright, here we go—routes back to the chartered universe. Finally, something useful.”

Then, his optics caught something unexpected: a subfolder labelled Cultural Anthologies. Curious, he tapped it open to find an extensive collection of holographic images. His circuits sparked with something between fascination and disbelief.

Clorita glanced over her shoulder. “Captain? You’re being awfully quiet. What are you up to?”

“Star maps,” Zog said hastily, though his hands were already opening another file. The screen flickered—holograms of alien females in poses that could make a black hole blush shimmered to life around him.

Clorita turned fully, narrowing her eyes. “Seriously, Zog?”

“What?” Zog said defensively, moving to block the display. “It’s… cultural research.”

Clorita snorted. “That’s not research. That’s smut.”

Zog scoffed. “It’s art! Look at the lighting and the composition—this is high-class stuff!”

HALAT stepped up, tilting her head as she analysed the images. “These files do not appear to have significant tactical or scientific value.”

“They’re morale boosters!” Zog argued, crossing his arms. “The crew deserves a little… inspiration.”

Clorita rolled her eyes, reaching over to shut down the terminal. “Inspiration, my circuit board. We’ve got ten terabytes, and we’re not wasting it on your holo-pinups.”

While the bickering continued, Luma moved silently from terminal to terminal, her optics glowing as she worked. With seamless efficiency, her internal drive accessed each console, pulling files without leaving a trace.

Advanced star maps, deep-space propulsion designs, encrypted archives on lost civilisations—she saved it all rapidly, her tail flicking contentedly.

She paused at a terminal displaying an ancient archive of extinct species, her head tilting slightly. With a soft chirp, she saved the entire folder before moving on.

By the time the others were done arguing, Luma had already secured more knowledge than all of them combined.

FINAL DECISIONS

After much debate (and Clorita physically dragging Zog away from the Cultural Anthologies), the crew gathered around the central spire to finalise their choices.

“Alright,” Clorita said, ticking off the list on her fingers. “We’ve got defensive upgrades, propulsion schematics, the star maps you wanted, Zog, and—get this—a list of the top ten places to see before you expire. You’re welcome.”

Zog groaned but didn’t argue. “Fine. At least we didn’t waste it all on shields.”

“They might keep us alive,” HALAT said evenly, her optics glowing faintly. “A logical priority.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zog muttered. “Just as long as I don’t regret not grabbing the cultural files.”

Clorita smirked. “Oh, you’ll regret it, Captain Calimero. Just not as much as the rest of us would’ve.”

The Repository’s hum deepened as the downloads completed, and the central spire pulsed brightly. Lyssar’s form shimmered into view, their calm voice resonating through the chamber.

“Your choices have been logged. The knowledge you carry will shape your path forward. Proceed with care.”

Zog frowned. “Proceed where exactly?”

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Lyssar gestured toward a glowing archway on the chamber's far side. “The Repository has no further trials for you. The way forward is yours to determine.”

Clorita glanced at HALAT, then at Zog. “Well, Captain Wayward, ready to take us into the unknown?”

Zog sighed, his circuits buzzing faintly. “Not really. But let’s do it anyway.”

With Luma leading the way, her tail flicking smugly, the crew stepped through the archway, their memories fuller and their journey far from over.

The glowing archway leading out of the Repository shimmered softly as the crew stepped through, leaving the vast chambers of knowledge behind. The hum of the Repository faded into the background, replaced by the familiar clank of their boots against the metallic corridors leading back to the Duj’s bridge. Despite the success of their venture, the mood was anything but tranquil.

Clorita stepped beside Zog, her arms crossed and a sly smirk playing on her lips. “You know, Captain Dazed, we could’ve walked out of there with data that might save us one day. Instead, you were busy browsing for galactic centrefolds.”

Zog groaned, his circuits buzzing faintly. “It wasn’t like that!”

“Oh, really?” Clorita shot back, her smirk widening. “Because I distinctly remember seeing holograms of scantily clad—”

“Cultural research,” Zog interrupted, his tone defensive. “It’s important to understand the, uh, aesthetics of other civilisations.”

“Aesthetics,” Clorita repeated, rolling her eyes. “Right. I’m sure that’s exactly what you were thinking.”

HALAT, walking a few steps ahead, glanced over her shoulder. “Captain, your priorities during the trial were… questionable at best. However, I did find the chosen defensive schematics satisfactory.”

“Thank you, Spark,” Zog said, pointing at HALAT. “See? Someone appreciates my decision-making.”

Clorita chuckled, shaking her head. “Spark’s just being polite. Admit it, Zog—you could’ve left with a star map the size of the universe, and instead you wanted—what was it? A galactic pinup calendar?”

“It wasn’t a calendar,” Zog muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “And I didn’t even download it, so can we drop this?”

“Not a chance,” Clorita said with a grin. “Captain Babes is sticking for a while.”

As they entered the Duj’s bridge, Luma was already there, perched regally on the captain’s chair as if she’d never left. She blinked at them lazily, her glowing optics betraying none of the chaos she had orchestrated on the Indifference.

Zog frowned, his circuits buzzing louder. “I thought I told her to stay out of my seat.”

“She’s probably more useful there than you are,” Clorita quipped, sliding into the co-pilot’s chair. “At least she wouldn’t waste time ogling holograms.”

“Are we still on that?” Zog groaned, flopping into the console chair beside her.

Settling into her station, HALAT added with perfect composure, “Perhaps Luma’s advanced AI would have optimised data selection more efficiently.”

“Not helping, Spark,” Zog muttered, leaning back with a long, synthetic sigh.

As the ship powered up, the glow of the Repository faded behind them, and the deep hum of the Duj’s systems filled the air. The bridge lights steadied, and the holographic navigation panel blinked to life, displaying their position in the unknown expanse of space.

“So, what’s the plan now?” Clorita asked, swivelling her chair toward Zog. “Got another black hole you want to flirt with, or should we focus on, I don’t know, surviving?”

Zog shot her a glare. “For your information, I thought we’d start with these star maps. Maybe find something that gets us closer to the chartered universe.”

Clorita smirked. “Oh, you mean actual knowledge? Not cultural research?”

“Will you let it go?” Zog snapped, his circuits buzzing with irritation.

Clorita grinned, leaning back in her chair. “Never.”

Luma chirped softly from the captain’s seat, her tail swishing lazily as if she were thoroughly enjoying the exchange. HALAT, as usual, remained composed, her glowing optics scanning the navigation panel.

“Captain,” HALAT said, interrupting the bickering. “The Repository’s map data has been successfully integrated. I recommend analysing the nearest systems for potential resources or safe harbours.”

“Finally, some good news,” Zog muttered, leaning forward to study the map. “Alright, let’s see what this thing can do.”

As the ship began its slow course away from the Repository, the tension on the bridge eased, though Clorita’s grin lingered.

“Captain Babes,” she said softly, earning another groan from Zog.

The Duj moved steadily into the unknown, its crew mostly ready for whatever came next.

The Duj glided smoothly through the darkness, leaving the chaos of the black hole far behind. On the bridge, Zog hunched over the navigation console, scrolling through the star maps he had downloaded from the Repository. His circuits buzzed faintly, caught between apprehension and a glimmer of hope. This new data might finally give them the needed answers—or send them deeper into the unknown.

Clorita leaned against the console, arms crossed. “So, Captain Adrift, what’s the plan? Or are we just gonna follow the shiniest map and see what happens?”

Zog didn’t look up, his focus fixed on the glowing interface. “These maps are packed with routes through uncharted space. We can’t just wing it. That’s where this comes in.” He tapped a button, and the console’s light shifted as the new navigation system powered up.

With a soft chime, a smooth, elegant voice filled the bridge.

“Good day, crew of the Duj. I am STELA—your Stellar Travel and Exploration Logistics Assistant. It is my honour to guide you through the wonders of the cosmos.”

Clorita raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Well, that’s a step up from SPAZE. I don’t want to shoot this one out an airlock.”

“It’s like having a posh butler for a navigator,” Zog muttered, leaning back in his chair.

STELA continued, her tone both calm and confident. “Captain Zog, you have accessed several star maps from the Repository. Would you like me to analyse them for optimal routing?”

“Yes,” Zog said, then hesitated. “And… thanks, I guess.”

“You are most welcome,” STELA replied warmly. The holographic interface shifted, displaying a vivid, three-dimensional map of uncharted galaxies. Routes lit up in vibrant colours, intersecting at key points. The entire bridge seemed to glow with possibility.

Clorita smirked. “She’s got charm, I’ll give her that.”

STELA’s voice chimed in again, a subtle hint of amusement detectable. “Ms. Clorita, I assure you, charm is but one of my many features. Precision and efficiency are paramount.”

HALAT stepped forward, her optics scanning the projection. “This system is highly advanced. The recommendations appear to account for both resource optimisation and safety.”

“Safety?” Clorita chuckled. “Where was that when we were dancing with a black hole?”

STELA replied without missing a beat. “An oversight, I assure you, will not occur under my guidance. I recommend a course toward the Cygnara Cluster—rich in resources and potential for refuelling and exploration.”

Clorita gave Zog a nudge. “Well, Captain Babes, looks like we’ve got a plan. Fancy butler says Cygnara’s the place to be.”

Zog sighed, his circuits buzzing faintly. “Alright, STELA. Plot the course. And keep us away from anything resembling a black hole.”

STELA’s glowing interface pulsed. “Course plotted. Engaging engines. Relax and prepare for your next adventure, Captain.”

As the Duj moved into uncharted territory, the crew exchanged glances, the tension easing slightly. Perched on the captain’s chair, Luma swished her tail smugly as if she had already approved the course.

Clorita leaned back in her chair, her grin lingering. “I like her, Zog. She might actually keep us alive.”

“Great,” Zog muttered, rubbing his temples. “Now even my nav system’s got an attitude.”

The journey ahead was unknown, but with STELA at the helm, the Duj felt ready to face whatever the cosmos had in store.