The Indifference hovered cautiously over Erythra, the living planet pulsating with a rhythm that seemed both inviting and unnerving. Its voice rumbled through the ship’s speakers like distant thunder.

“I will allow you to land,” Erythra said, its tone almost playful. “If you amuse me.”

Zog frowned, glancing at Clorita and Blip. “Amuse you? How exactly are we supposed to do that?”

“Tell me a joke,” Erythra continued, its voice reverberating with what might have been amusement—or menace. “A good one. Not the pitiful drivel most travellers attempt.”

Blip perked up, his tail wagging. “Oh, I’ve got this! Why don’t robots trust atoms? Because they make up everything!”

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, Erythra spoke again, its tone dripping with disdain. “That was… unbearable.”

Blip growled softly. “Tough crowd.”

Clorita stepped forward, her expression calm but her voice sharp. “Perhaps you’d prefer a story. One with stakes.”

The planet hummed thoughtfully. “A story… intriguing. Proceed.”

Clorita began weaving a tale of a rogue AI and a band of misfits who outwitted it with their cunning and resourcefulness. Her words painted vivid pictures, each exaggeration more elaborate than the last. Even Zog, who had heard Clorita spin yarns before, found himself drawn into the story, despite knowing most of it was nonsense.

As she finished, Erythra rumbled softly. “Acceptable. You may land. But be warned—my skin is not without its… quirks.”

Zog exhaled in relief. “Thank you, Erythra. We’ll tread carefully.”

Erythra’s voice was firm. “You will, or you won’t leave.”

The ship descended cautiously, its landing gear brushing against the undulating terrain as the surface rippled like a living sea. The cockpit filled with Erythra’s voice once more.

“Welcome to my domain. Harvest what you need, but tread lightly. I am… easily irritated.”

Blip snorted. “Didn’t we have a captain who was easily irritated?”

“Shut up, Blip,” Zog muttered, guiding the crew toward the airlock.

The crew entered a surreal landscape, the ground soft beneath their boots and glowing plants pulsating faintly in the dim light. Strange whispers drifted through the air, fragments of Erythra’s consciousness brushing against their thoughts.

“This place is… unsettling,” Zog muttered, watching the ground shift in response to their movements.

Clorita crouched to inspect one of the glowing plants, her mechanical fingers tracing its delicate structure. “It’s fascinating. Every part of this ecosystem is alive and connected to the planet’s mind.”

Blip sniffed the air, wagging his tail. “Smells like snacks.”

BOB’s voice crackled through Zog’s earpiece. “Careful, Captain. Any misstep could provoke… consequences.”

“Noted,” Zog replied. “Let’s get what we need and get out of here.”

The ground beneath them suddenly trembled violently, and a deeper, darker voice boomed through the ship’s speakers.

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“You think you can take from me and leave?” the voice growled. “Without payment?”

Zog froze, his circuits buzzing with alarm. “Erythra? I thought we had permission!”

“That voice is not mine,” Erythra’s calmer tone replied, now distant and uncertain. “It is… her. Umbrathra.”

The darker voice—Umbrathra—spoke again, her tone cold and relentless. “I am the shadow you ignored, the hunger you cannot satisfy. I demand a price.”

Clorita’s glowing eyes narrowed. “What kind of price?”

“One of you must stay,” Umbrathra declared. “A companion for my consciousness. The rest may leave… if they can live with the guilt.”

Blip’s ears perked up, and he barked nervously. “Stay here? With the creepy, split-personality planet? Uh, hard pass.”

“No one’s staying,” Zog said firmly. “We’ll find another way.”

“There is no other way,” Umbrathra hissed. “Choose, or I will crush you where you stand.”

Clorita stepped forward, her tone steady but calculating. “Umbrathra, you want a companion. Someone who can understand you, challenge your mind, and share your thoughts. Correct?”

“Yes,” the planet rumbled.

Clorita nodded, her expression unreadable. “Then I propose a trade. Not one of us—something better. An AI companion. A mind perfectly tailored to your needs, capable of endless conversation.”

Zog shot her a wary glance. “What are you doing?”

Clorita ignored him. “You don’t need fleeting, flawed organics. You need something eternal. I’ll create an AI designed just for you.”

Umbrathra’s voice trembled with suspicion. “An artificial mind? You think it could satisfy me?”

Clorita smirked faintly. “Test me.”

Clorita worked furiously, her fingers flying across the portable interface as she accessed Indifference’s database. Zog watched uneasily, standing beside Blip.

“She’s building a fake AI,” Zog muttered. “This is insane.”

Blip tilted his head. “So we’re lying to a sentient planet? Bold strategy.”

“It’s not fake,” Clorita snapped, not looking up. “It’s… streamlined. Enough to keep her busy.”

Blip barked nervously. “If this goes south, can I blame you?”

Clorita glared at him. “Yes. Now shut up.”

Minutes later, she presented a glowing AI module, its sleek design humming faintly in her hand. “Umbrathra, this is your companion. Test it.”

The sphere flickered to life, its voice smooth and confident. “Greetings, Umbrathra. I am Companion Prime, designed to engage with your vast intellect.”

The crystalline formations glowed as Umbrathra communicated rapidly with the AI. The cavern trembled slightly, then fell still.

Finally, Umbrathra’s voice softened. “It is… sufficient. Leave it and go.”

Back aboard the Indifference, the engines roared as the ship lifted off. Blip wagged his tail, relieved. “We did it! No one had to stay behind!”

BOB’s voice crackled with dry amusement. “Except for the hastily assembled AI. I give it two weeks before Umbrathra figures it out.”

Zog sighed, glancing at Clorita. “Think she’ll come after us?”

Clorita smirked. “Not if she’s busy arguing with her new best friend.”

Zog leaned back in his chair as the planet shrank in the distance, muttering, “This is why I hate sentient planets.”

Blip wagged his tail. “Still smells like snacks.”

Clorita leaned back in her chair, exuding a confidence Zog wasn’t entirely sure she felt. “It won’t. We'll be lightyears away by the time it figures it out.”

Blip barked a laugh. “If it figures it out. I mean, who doesn’t love bad poetry?”

“Bad poetry?” Zog asked, his circuits buzzing with alarm.

IND-E chuckled darkly. “Oh yes. It’s part of Companion Prime’s ‘charm.’ I may have programmed it to recite limericks. Terrible ones.”

Zog groaned, setting the ship to hyperdrive. “We’ve just turned a sentient planet into a bad poetry connoisseur. I don’t think this can get any worse.”

Clorita smirked faintly. “Relax, Captain. If it does come after us, it’ll probably just want a sequel.”

Erythra’s faint glow disappeared into the void as The Indifference slipped into the stars. For now, the crew had escaped unscathed—but Zog couldn’t help feeling like they had just planted the seeds of future trouble.