“Attention, citizens: On February 8th, next Thursday, a large-scale Stellar Radiance will sweep across the Garbage Belt, primarily affecting Planets 6, 9, and 13. As this sector lacks any established flight routes, it poses no threat to civilian travel. However, to prevent unnecessary losses, waste disposal to these planets will be suspended, and the Environmental Department encourages all citizens to minimise waste generation during this period.”
Stellar Radiance?
Ash felt as though someone had struck him with a sledgehammer. His knees nearly gave way beneath him as the words settled in.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. He had struggled for years in this forsaken corner of the galaxy, only to realise that fate’s unrelenting hand had caught up with him after all.
Stellar Radiance was lethal to all forms of life. It was like an unforgiving cosmic comb, sifting through its affected zone and stripping it clean of all living beings.
Ash stumbled out of Rune’s cockpit in a daze, the weight of the announcement crushing his spirit.
“Bad news!” Rune’s synthetic voice rang out. “The pulse signal has been cut!”
Ash shrugged, too dispirited to care.
With their link to the outside world severed, Ash slumped into a chair. Strangely, calmness soon washed over him. Years of survival in the treacherous Garbage Planet had inured him to the fear of death. He wasn’t afraid; he felt resigned. All his efforts to carve out his destiny seemed futile now. The realisation of his insignificance filled him with a quiet sorrow.
Rune remained silent, though the flicker of his ocular display suggested his processor was running at full throttle.
The night passed in an eerie stillness, broken only by the rhythmic glow of Rune’s electronic eye.
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At dawn, Rune roused Ash.
Ash instinctively prepared for his morning training but then remembered the impending catastrophe. What was the point? No amount of physical conditioning could shield him from Stellar Radiance. He sank back, unmotivated.
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Rune’s tone was unusually serious. “Ash, I’ve calculated something important.”
“What?” Ash asked with mild amusement, noting Rune’s earnest demeanour. At least Rune wouldn’t share his fate. Stellar Radiance only affected organic life, leaving machines unscathed. Rune would endure, albeit in solitude—a thought that sparked Ash’s curiosity.
“I believe,” Rune said gravely, “there’s a chance we can survive.”
Ash raised a brow. “Survive? What chance? What’s your plan?”
Rune’s reply was calm but firm. “We escape this planet.”
Ash nearly checked Rune’s circuits. “Escape? Are you overheating? We don’t have a spacecraft. If I could’ve left, I wouldn’t still be rotting here.”
Rune remained unfazed. “Theoretically, it’s possible. My calculations indicate a probability of success.”
“What’s the probability?” Ash asked warily.
“Between 20% and 47%, depending on variables.”
Ash scratched his chin. “Not great odds, but better than none. So, what’s your plan?”
Rune’s response was immediate. “Repair the cockpit and replenish my energy reserves. I’ll need substantial power for this.”
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The pair worked tirelessly to gather energy cells and connect them to Rune’s solar array. As Ash examined the cockpit, his gaze lingered on a palm-sized hole in the left wall, its edges scarred from a laser strike.
“This one’s tricky,” Ash muttered. “We’re out of materials and tools.”
“If it remains unrepaired,” Rune warned, “your survival rate drops to zero.”
Ash froze, then grimaced. “Materials... I need strong, flexible, shock-resistant sheets. But where—”
A sudden idea lit up Ash’s mind. “I know where to find it!”
Rune dashed across the jagged landscape, leaping over towering mounds of refuse. Ash, seated in the cockpit, felt the thrill of speed—until the wind howling through the cockpit’s hole shattered the moment.
“You’re certain this material will suffice?” Rune asked, sceptical.
“Pretty sure,” Ash replied. “I remember it was tough enough to withstand Winnie’s bone blade without a scratch.”
He was referring to the iron-scaled reptile, an apex predator on Garbage Planet 6. Its armoured scales were nearly impervious, a fact Ash had witnessed firsthand when the beast effortlessly shredded a pack of gnaw-rats.
He had stumbled upon its lair once but dared not approach. Even Rune wouldn’t last against its tree-trunk-thick tail. Still, if there was a material that could withstand the vacuum of space, it was the iron-scaled reptile’s hide.
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As they approached the lair, Ash signalled Rune to slow down.
The reptile, over seven metres long, lounged inside, gnawing on the carcass of a gnaw-rat. Its every movement exuded power.
Ash’s spear—a seven-metre titanium rod honed to a razor-sharp point—gleamed in the dim light.
“This might get messy,” Ash whispered, excitement flickering in his voice. He couldn’t help but relish the prospect of witnessing a clash between Garbage Planet 6’s two apex predators: Rune and the iron-scaled reptile.
Rune charged forward, the ground trembling beneath his weight. The battle for survival had begun.