-----V-----

The star started to rise. That means my break is over.

I continued the path up the mountain. With two backpacks that had full of supplies gets me pretty tired, I needed to stop a few times just to get some needed rest.

We are not going to get a reward at this rate. Goddamn you Ethan. You are scared of heights, aren‘t you? He should have at least tried. If he fell he would have landed in the water. Or actually, he might have landed on some of the rocks with his bad luck.

Thankfully, there have only been a few wolves around this time. I could easily deal with them. And now they have started avoiding me.

This artifact blaster is the best weapon I have ever had in my life. I am glad I connected to it. I only needed to shoot one shot and the beasts fall down.

„Oh, hello there,“ I said to a wolf that growled at me.

He was blocking my path, if he wouldn‘t move away I would shoot him.

„Come on, run along now, I don‘t want to go back down the mountain seeing all of you dead.“

It didn‘t move.

I sighed. And then pulled out my blaster and shot it, killing it instantly.

„You dumb lizard wolves.“

I proceeded up the mountain, stuck in my thoughts while I moved.

When I was back at the crevasse, Ethan easily accepted to give me the bags. That was really strange for him. Why did he trust me? I thought for sure he would be against it no matter what.

Maybe there was something I missed, but what? I did see him look somewhere in the distance while I talked to him. Was there something there? I should check it when I get back.

„Ethan, what is in your mind right now?“ I muttered to myself.

----------

Jesus, why does this Darryl guy live up here?

The star has already started to set, but I have finally arrived at this guy‘s house.

It didn‘t look like an ordinary house, it was much bigger than I thought. Does this guy live alone? If so then he has his own entire mansion for himself.

On top of the mansion was a dome with no glass on it, or any architecture. It was just a plain old dome, completely white.

I saw lights coming from the windows. So he is awake, that‘s good.

I walked up to the door. I looked around and actually found a doorbell. They have those around here?

I rang it.

I heard the ring inside the house. I felt like some sort of galactic pizza delivery guy.

„Coming!“ I heard an old guy calling to me.

The doors opened and I saw the old guy who I guessed was Darryl. He was wearing white pajamas and slippers that matched. It was obvious that he was old, he had wrinkles around his face, and his hair and beard were grey.

„Hi, you ordered the pizza?“

„Pizza? What's that?“

„Ah, nothing, forget it. I have the supplies for a man named Darryl.“

I took off both the backpacks and gave it to him.

„Ah yes, that‘s me. Thank you very much, and uh, why are you alone with two bags?“ Darryl asked.

„Oh right, that. My frie. . . colleague fell down a crevasse and I need some rope if you have any.“

„Oh dear, yes don‘t worry I have some. Why don‘t you come in while I fetch you some,“ he said with a friendly smile.

Ah, a smile. There were a few things I don‘t like about people. And one of them is friendly people, they always make you think that they are good, but then end up backstabbing you. Even though he is old, I should be wary.

I thanked him and stepped inside. I thought the place would have many rooms, but this is just one giant room and maybe two other smaller rooms that I noticed far back.

The room had many tables around with papers scattered everywhere, and in the middle was a giant cone-shaped object with a small lens on the bottom. It was pointed upward at the dome.

Wait a minute. I think I have seen one of these before.

Yes. It is a telescope, I haven‘t seen one since I was a kid. Could this be. . ?

The old man already came back with some rope.

„Here you are, I thought it would have taken me longer to find it, but I guess my memories are still intact.“

„Hey old man, what is this place?“ I asked.

„Well I think it‘s something you don‘t really care about, no one does anymore.“ He looked sad all of a sudden.

„Please just tell me.“

„Well if you insist. It is an astronomy lab.“

It really was one. I felt for a smile coming from me, but I immediately brought back my composed face.

This is it, I could finally confirm if this is a different planet.

„Old man, is it fine if I could use that telescope?“

„Huh? Are you interested?“

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

„Yes I am. I want to see the other planets around here.“

„Well, this was unexpected. The last time someone was interested in this stuff was my grandchild and some other girl.“

„So is it fine?“ I asked eagerly.

„I am sorry, but you won‘t see the planets at this time. You will have to come back later.“

Damn. Please don‘t tell me I have to climb all the way back here just to confirm my suspicion the next day?

„Fine, I will come back later then,“ I said and grabbed the rope from him and turned away.

„Wait, boy. I could show you some pictures of them if you like.“

Pictures?

„Do you mean like hand-drawn? If there is color then I might be interested.“

„Oh, I don‘t draw them. My camera does all the work.“

Oh, that‘s great. . . Wait what?

„A camera? You have one of those around here?“

„You seem to know of them, interesting. And I thought I had the only one of a kind artifact.“

„Huh?“

„It‘s an artifact given by my grandchild. It took some time to find out how it worked, but then we finally figured it out.“

I have seen different kinds of artifacts around the city before. Some were not weapons. Maybe they were minor artifacts or something?

„I would like to see your pictures, old man.“

„Alright, just follow me towards that table. Oh, and can you just call me Darryl.“

„Yeah sure, old man.“

He looked annoyed.

We walked towards one of the tables, and Darryl moved away some paper until he picked up three pictures and then put them down, side by side.

The pictured were really high quality, it was astonishing to look at, like if I was actually looking at a small planet. And these planets did look familiar.

„Do you know their names?“ Darryl asked.

„No, I do not.“

When I first looked up about the lost civilization on a space station, I never found out about the names of the planets, only the star name, which was Tessera.

„From the left, we have Aganos.“

Aganos, it was a desert planet and the closest to the star. It was mostly rock and sand, but there were few patches of vegetation. And the planet has no moons.

„Next is Dasos.“

Dasos, the tropical planet, and the second closest to the star. It was a planet with trees and full of vegetation and greenery. The planet has two moons named Arithmos and Elenchos.

„Then there is Edafos.“

Edafos, a planet full of snow and ice. Barely any vegetation was around. It was the furthest of all the planets.

„Edafos has only one moon, and it is called Aspida. Then that should be all.“ Darryl finished.

They all look similar to when I first scanned the system. But there is something I need to ask first.

„How you laid out the pictures, is that the row closest and the furthest from the star?“

„Yes, if you want to ask where Kentrikos is, then it is between Dasos and Edafos.“

Holy shit.

Wait so Kentrikos, is that this planet‘s name? I think I just want to call it Kentri, its much easier that way.

„I forgot something, what are the moons name?“ Might as well know their names while I am here.

„How could you forget? Well whatever, the smaller one is Eirini, and the bigger one is Polemos.“

Then there was only one last thing I need to ask.

„What is the star called?“

If he says Tessera, then Ethan and I are still on the planet where we found his shield.

„Huh? Shouldn‘t everyone know? Or do only the old folks know these days?“

„Is the star named Tessera?“ I asked without patience.

„Oh, so you do know. If you would have said Sun then I would have questioned my sanity.“

No way. We never have been transported to a different star system. We are still on the planet. But how? Did my scanner fail? Or does this planet have some sort of cover over it to conceal themselves? That must be it, there was something covering the planet, that must be the only explanation of how the scanner didn‘t see the active civilization.

But there was also a second mystery, the creatures here. Some of them aren‘t even supposed to be here. And these artifacts, what are they?

Wait a minute.

„Wait, did you say Sun?“

„Yes I did.“

„Why?“

Sun? That is the Earth‘s star, why would he know it?

„Oh, I just remembered the last time someone visited me and was really interested in astronomy. It was a girl who asked me if the star is called Sun. I almost lost my faith in the schools for children then. Why do you ask?“

„Nothing, forget it.“

Who was she? There is someone else on the planet?

„Actually, what was the girl‘s name? And what did she look like?“

„I don‘t remember her name or face, but I do remember that she had an artifact weapon that I have never seen before.“

„Do you know what weapon it was called?“

„No, but it looked like a big blaster, with a long barrel and a small telescope was on it.“

That description pointed towards a sniper rifle. They are really powerful, and she has one. I must keep that in mind.

„When did she arrive here?“

„You must calm down with all the questions, but I remembered that she arrived maybe about a half a year ago.“

Half a year. Crap. It is going to take time to find her. If she is even still on the planet.

„Well thanks for your time old man, you have been a great help.“

When was the last time I have actually thanked someone honestly?

„No, thank you, I haven‘t talked to someone in a long time about space. Oh and please, I have a name.“

I grabbed the rope and headed to the door. I opened it and looked outside.

It was dark, super dark. And the wolves would be much harder to deal with in the night. I managed somehow before to find places to hide and rest. But I think I should take a rest here.

„Hey uh, ol. . .“ I stopped to see him look irritated. „Darryl, can I maybe stay for the night?“

„Yeah sure, come on, I will show you where you could sleep.“

I thanked him and slept the whole night.

----------

The next morning was here, and I was going down the mountain. It was much faster than going up with all the luggage. But it still took me the entire day to reach Ethan, because of all the wolves who decided to attack me.

But I did finally reach the crevasse.

I arrived at the crevasse and called out Ethan‘s name.

„Oh, finally! Do you know how long you took?! I have no food supply left!“ Ethan yelled at me.

Ah, I have to deal with his annoying mouth again.

„Sorry that I had to go up the mountain with two bags that had full of supplies, and that I had to fend off wolves, and also that I am a human being that needs rests.“

„Oh, right, sorry. You do have the rope though, right?“

„Of course.“

I tied it around a rock and then threw the rope down.

While he was moving towards the rope I checked out the last thing he looked towards when I was here before.

There was nothing there, except for a collapsed wall. Likely from the earthquake. But I did see some small lights, but just barely. It must be my imagination, maybe fireflies? Glowworms?

„Alright, can you pull me up now?“ Ethan said. He had the rope tied around him.

„You better owe me something, we probably won‘t get the reward because of you.“

„Oh whatever.“

He got back up and looked around.

„Well this place looks like a shit hole.“

„What? The hole you were just in, or because of the rocks that fell on all the wolves around here?“

„Take a guess.“

I looked towards a dead wolf, that was not splatted by rocks, instead, it had a bullet wound, probably from me.

„We might as well take one of the wolves here and sell the scales, we might get something out of it.“

Ethan agreed. We took with us a wolf and continued down the mountain.

I wonder what Ethan did the entire time down there? There must have been nothing there for him to do.

Oh whatever, I just want to get off the mountain.