Allan Skywalker, a man with a name so fitting for a space explorer that it bordered on the cliché, stood aboard his moderately-sized spaceship, the Galactic Meanderer. He glanced out of the window, pretending to be lost in thought, when in reality he was just trying to avoid cleaning the ship's bathroom. As an explorer whose only real talent was getting himself into trouble, Allan spent most of his time drifting between various spaceports in search of peculiar knick-knacks that would make his friends back on Earth jealous.
On one particularly ordinary day, Allan found himself browsing the wares at the Interstellar House of Curiosities and Overpriced Antiques, a space station that served as a haven for those looking to unload their extraterrestrial finds. Allan's eyes were immediately drawn to an old piece of parchment that looked like it had been used as a napkin by a space pirate with particularly greasy fingers. He unfolded the parchment, discovering a star map that looked like it had been drawn by a drunken cartographer with a penchant for squiggly lines.
Intrigued and sensing an opportunity to avoid bathroom duty for a while longer, Allan purchased the map and brought it to his friend and mentor, Professor Zedekiah Quatermain. Quatermain, who had a doctorate in both ancient languages and obscure hobbies, studied the map with an expression of such grave seriousness that it could only be described as comical.
"Allan," Professor Quatermain announced, "this map seems to lead to a hidden treasure in the asteroid belt, or it could just be a diagram of someone's breakfast. Either way, it's a good enough reason for you to assemble a crew and venture into the depths of space."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Allan, never one to shy away from the possibility of riches or procrastination, set out to assemble a ragtag crew of misfits who had nothing better to do. His first recruit was Lily Gagool, a spaceship pilot whose reputation for daredevil stunts was only rivaled by her penchant for getting lost. Despite her questionable navigation skills, Allan knew that her enthusiasm for adventure would make her the perfect partner.
Next, Allan sought out the expertise of Vishnu Lakshmi, a scientist whose primary focus was on asteroid compositions and whose secondary focus was on the art of interpretive dance. Allan found him in the middle of a particularly expressive performance, and Vishnu eagerly agreed to join the crew – if only to escape the mockery of his fellow researchers.
To round out the team, Allan enlisted the help of Tsun Jing, a strategist who had a penchant for overcomplicating every plan she devised. Despite her intricate schemes often resulting in hilariously convoluted outcomes, Allan knew her outside-the-box thinking could prove useful in their quest for the treasure – or at the very least, provide some entertainment.
With the crew assembled, Allan gathered them aboard the Galactic Meanderer and unveiled the dubious star map. The crew stared at the parchment, trying to hide their skepticism as Allan outlined their mission to find the hidden treasure (or breakfast diagram) in the asteroid belt. Despite their misgivings, the promise of adventure and the opportunity to avoid their mundane lives for a while was too strong to resist.
As the Galactic Meanderer sputtered its way towards the asteroid belt, Allan Skywalker gazed out into the vast emptiness of space, his heart swelling with anticipation and indigestion. He could only imagine the ridiculous escapades that lay ahead, the bizarre encounters that would leave them questioning their life choices, and the absurd twists of fate that would ultimately define their journey.