Reuben sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the ceiling of his cramped apartment. Located in a rundown building on the outskirts of the city the walls were thin and poorly insulated, letting in the hot and dry air from outside. The furniture was old and worn, with a small couch and a beat-up coffee table taking up most of the living room. The kitchen was cramped and poorly equipped, with an ancient stove and fridge that barely seemed to work.

Despite its shortcomings, the apartment was home to Reuben. It was all he could afford working as a mechanic to make ends meet.

Reuben always had bigger dreams than fixing broken-down spaceships for a living but on Tethys, a planet ranked near the bottom of the affluence scale, opportunities were few and far between.

The ranking system of the planets was a way of measuring the relative prosperity and success of each planet, with F being the lowest rank and A being the highest. Tethys, being ranked E, was not considered a particularly desirable place to live and work, as it was struggling economically and technologically compared to the higher-ranked planets. Most people were content to stay in their station, resigned to a life of hard work and minimal rewards. Reuben couldn't blame them. It was hard to stay optimistic when you were struggling to make ends meet and the prospects for the future seemed bleak.

Snapping himself out of his daydream Reuben got up, grabbing his jumpsuit he headed out the door, ready to face another day. Tethys was a harsh and unforgiving planet, both in climate and opportunity. The air was dry and hot, and the streets were filled with dust and debris. Reuben's commute to work was a long and tedious one, and he was used to the monotony of the journey.

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As he walked down the street, he witnessed a mugging in progress. A group of young thugs were surrounding an older man, taunting and threatening him. Reuben knew he should just keep walking, and mind his own business. Mugging and other petty crimes were a regular occurrence on Tethys, and he had learned to turn a blind eye.

He kept walking, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that gnawed at him. He knew he should do something, but he couldn't afford to get involved. He had his own problems to worry about, and he couldn't afford to make any more enemies.

Upon arriving at the workshop, he was greeted by an unusual sight. A sleek and modern spacecraft was parked in the bay, its gleaming exterior adorned with the emblem of an A-ranked planet. Reuben had never seen anything like it on Tethys before.

But it was the pilot that really caught his attention. A beautiful blonde girl, surrounded by a group of bodyguards dressed in expensive-looking armour. They were arguing with Reuben's boss, Damien, and Reuben couldn't help but wonder what was going on. He made his way over to listen in on the conversation.

"I don't care what your policies are," the woman was saying, her voice laced with anger. "I need this repaired, and I need it done now."

"I understand, ma'am," Damien replied, trying to placate her. "But we have a backlog of work, and we can't just drop everything for you."

"Do you have any idea who I am?" the woman snapped. "I'm not used to being treated this way. My father is a very influential person, and I won't hesitate to bring him into this."

Reuben watched the exchange with interest. He had never seen anyone quite like the woman before. She was obviously accustomed to getting her way, and she wasn't afraid to throw her weight around. 

He smirked hearing the conversation, knowing Damien was not one to budge. 

"What are you smiling at ?!?" a high-pitched but intimidating voice shouted

Reuben's stomach dropped.