"I take my eye off you for a day and look at you completed a savior mission, becoming a system user, and now being a ladies' man, oh I'm so proud" Nathan spoke to clip through the comm much to clips annoyance.

"I know the foundation can do it and that your in a position to make it happen" Clip responded unamused by the previous remarks.

Nathan chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "Hahaha, yeah, it's already done. An interesting girl, to say the least. She blinded her own eye and burned her cheek on two separate occasions while trying out home-brew experiments. You've always had an interesting tas—" Clip didn't bother listening to the rest and ended the call, turning his attention back to Azzy. She was gently petting the Moa's feathers, her focus entirely on the bird.

Just then, Azzy took out her communicator, her expression shifting to shock as she read something on the screen. Clip walked over, ready to part ways as the announcement came in that his flight was ready to depart.

"Well then, it has been—" he began, but before he could finish, Azzy jumped up from her seat and grasped his hand with both of hers, shaking it vigorously.

"Thank you so much! I owe you," she said, her voice full of gratitude.

Clip's breath hitched as her hands made contact with his. A surge of overwhelming sensation shot through him, her warmth, the texture of her skin, the pressure of her grip, it all collided in a flood of sensory input. He winced slightly, trying to maintain his composure, but the sharpness of the sensation caused his body to stiffen involuntarily.

Azzy, noticing the sudden tension in his posture, quickly released his hand, her eyes widening with concern. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Clip took a deep breath, willing the intensity of the feeling to subside. "No... it's fine," he managed, his voice a touch strained. "I'm just... sensitive to touch."

Azzy's concern deepened, but she nodded, understanding that there was more to his reaction than just discomfort. "I'll keep that in mind. Still, I really appreciate your help, Clip"

He gave a small nod, not trusting his voice to stay steady. "May you find success in your challenges. I believe in you, to be able to see your vision through."

They stood there for a few more moments Azzy eyes widen a bit "I believe in you" she murmured the words, word that she never thought shed hear.

The flight announcement echoed through the terminal again, a reminder that time was running out. Clip turned to leave, but Azzy called after him.

"Wait! Clip... if you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out, okay? We're in this crazy universe together now, and I'd like to think of us as... friends."

As the word left her mouth, an announcement for her own flight sounded through the terminal.

He paused, her words hanging in the air. Friends. The word echoed in his mind, reverberating like a shout in a canyon, each echo carrying a different voice. A strange feeling washed over him, as if he had forgotten something important. It wasn't a term he was used to, not in the way she meant it. But something earnest in her voice made him consider it, just for a moment.

"I'll keep that in mind," he finally said, his voice softer than usual. As the words left his mouth, a flicker of confusion crossed his face. 'What did I just say?'

With that, Clip turned and ran toward his flight, his body still reeling from the overstimulation caused by Azzy's abrupt and vigorous handshake. But there was something more, something he couldn't quite grasp. He didn't understand his own reaction. He hated people, always had. But now, after talking to that researcher, he still hated people, yet in that brief interaction, he felt as though he had connected with someone.

'See, Operator, told you talking wouldn't kill you,' Nox's voice chimed in, as smug as ever.

"I thought I told you to quiet down, Nox," Clip muttered under his breath, his tone laced with thinly veiled antagonism. Ever since the screening, Nox had been bombarding him with questions: "What do you mean you have no desire?" "That Nathan guy is definitely hiding something." "You say you hate humans, yet you seem to risk your life for their benefit. Do you really hate them?" "You didn't seem to particularly hate Nathan." "What are you? You certainly don't look like any of the humans we've walked past."

As Clip boarded his flight, the words "friends" and "connection" continued to echo in his mind, unsettling him in ways he hadn't expected. He stepped onto a moving platform that carried him to a level in the middle of the ship. Navigating through rows of seats and airlock rooms, he finally reached his designated seat, two spots away from one of the airlocks.

'I don't about lux but I for one don't like the idea of my operator just throwing his life away, surely you have something to live for, and if you don't then you better go and find one.'

Annoyed at the constant noise he simply asked 'and how do you advise I do that.'

'Annoying the boss is not part of your purpose, Nox' Lux's flat voice finally spoke

A voice came through the speakers, "Attention passengers, we will soon be ascending into high orbit, so please remember to have your gravity restraints on, and thank you for traveling with Pegasus Zip."

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Clip looked out one of the few windows and saw a neighboring ship slowly fading from view as his flight ascended

'What did you do before joining the service of the foundation, Operator?'

"…I was born in a factory city that was nearly destroyed because of Sedna 9. I was a slum rat, scavenging for scraps and pickpocketing. I don't have any parents, but they were nice enough to bother leaving me a name. Though, when I think about it, it might not even have been my name. In a chance encounter, I pickpocketed Nathan while he was leaving one of the facilities, but he caught me. Surprisingly, he wasn't mad. In fact, he looked elated and said he saw something in me. From there, I—I—" he paused, his vision still focused on the window that showed the vast stars of outer space. He tried remembering, but the attempt only gave him a headache. "From there, I took odd jobs for the foundation and got the retriever job a bit after that."

The speakers came to life again. "Approaching Blitz Ring, please remain seated. Your pod's protective lens will be activated at this time. Do not, at this time, remove the restraint. Pegasus Zip is not liable for any incident involving passenger action."

A display lit up on the passengers' pods, showing a giant mechanical ring that dwarfed the ship, spanning several kilometers long.

'So what, you just got born and as a baby started life alone? No one raised you?'

As the Blitz Ring neared activation, Clip could do nothing but sigh and simply answer, "I wasn't alone, at least not in the middle..." A few seconds passed before he felt a slight pressure on his chest, his back pressing against the seat as outside the window, streams of light flickered. The pressure stopped, and an announcement came on, indicating they were free to move and order food for the next few hours. The pod lens receded, and Clip walked to the airlock, where large, thick panes of glass separated him from the stars. He gazed at his reflection and at the millions of streaking lights passing by, what he assumed were stars.

"I—" Suddenly, the lights went out, and the ship's emergency alarms blared. Every passenger froze in place, panic setting in as they scrambled to get back to their pods. An alarm on a flight could only mean one of two things: something with the ship had gone terribly wrong, or some idiots were attempting a takeover. The next words—or lack thereof—from the announcer would confirm which.

The speaker crackled to life. "A rift has—a rift has just opened on the bridge. All passengers remain in your seats and brace for re—agh AHHHHHH!" The speaker cut off with a deafening scream.

'A rift! Here on the ship?' Clip's mind raced with the implications of this, the impact this information would have on humanity's conflict against the Rift Beasts. He was so lost in thought that he completely forgot about getting to a pod and bracing for reentry into true space.

The ship suddenly lurched, and Clip was mercilessly smashed into the nearest wall. The impact sent a jolt of searing pain through his body. It felt like every nerve in his body had been lit on fire, the sharpness of the sensation so overwhelming that it momentarily blurred his vision.

Grunting he tried to force his body to move, but the shock of the collision had left him momentarily paralyzed, the overstimulation rendering his limbs sluggish and unresponsive he felt something warm coming from his possibly a head injury.

'Operator! Get up!' Nox's voice cut through the haze with urgency.

Clip struggled to push himself off the floor, every movement sending ripples of pain through his body. His hands trembled as he tried to steady himself, his mind fighting to regain control over his senses. The ship's alarms blared louder, the shrill sound a stabbing pain in his ears, making it even harder to focus.

Using the wall for support, Clip slowly pulled himself to his feet, every movement an ordeal. His muscles felt like they were on fire, his nerves screaming in protest, but he forced himself to move, to keep going .

He took a few small breaths before turning calm again, his gaze sharpening as the ship lurched to the side. He balanced himself against the movement, blood slowly trailing down his face. The ship rumbled, and the cries and wails of passengers filled the air. Another explosion echoed through the ship, shaking the floor beneath him. The lights flickered to red, and the pods people were in began to move into slots in the floor, securing them.

'Talk about a bit of déjà vu, am I right, Operator?' Nox's voice sounded almost playful, as if he hadn't been worried a moment ago.

Clip didn't respond. He needed to get to a pod. The cries grew louder, drawing his attention to the other cabin. Through the chaos, he caught sight of something horrifying, blood splattered across the walls, and a monstrous creature moving among the passengers, its claws ripping through them with terrifying ease.

'A Rift Beast,' Clip realized. He looked at the people desperately trying to push one another aside to get into the remaining pods. They were sitting ducks.

The beast turned its gaze toward him, its 4 round eyes locking onto his. For a brief moment, they stared at each other.

Without wasting another second, Clip spun around and bolted in the opposite direction. Adrenaline surging through his veins, pushing the pain in his body to the back of his mind. He couldn't afford to engage that thing, not in his current state, and definitely not without a plan, it would simply be meaningless.

'What happened to not being afraid of throwing your life away, non the less a good decision, operator' Nox said as if taunting him for going back on his word.

"I never said that, I just said I have no desire not that I would get myself killed for nothing" Clip shot back hearing the screams of the unfortunate people who's pod didn't move

'Is it really okay Boss? To leave those poor people to die?' Lux questioned her tone showing no worry much to Nox.

'Ha, nice one. You almost sound like you care. In case you forgot, the Operator has no powers,' Nox retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I have to get to an escape pod, if I get in one of the normal passenger ones I risk the chance of being stuck and killed or being stuck in a iron coffin." The escape pods were usual spaced out around the ship in easy to access rooms like the room Clip was about to open.

'OPERATOR, WAIT!' Nox's sudden outburst cut through Clip's thoughts, but it was too late.

He wrenched the door open, expecting to see a hatch leading to a pod with twenty seats. Instead, he nearly stumbled into a tear in reality a rift, a trial rift.

'Shit…' Clip's breath caught in his throat as he stared into the rift. It was like looking out a window into another world. The rift showed a view of a vast desert, the sand swirling in the wind as sunlight flickered off the grains, creating an almost hypnotic shimmer.

He turned back, only to see more Rift Beasts closing in, mercilessly slaughtering anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. Blood spattered the walls, and the screams of the dying filled the air.

'Well, better now than never, Operator,' Nox chimed in, almost cheerfully.

Clip clenched his jaw, knowing that he was out of options. The rift was dangerous, possibly a death sentence, but the beasts were certain death. He steeled himself, the decision made in a heartbeat. With no other choice, Clip stepped toward the rift, bracing himself for whatever trial awaited him on the other side.