“It quickly became clear for the G.S. that earth wouldn't fall so easily. The V.C. had dug their main-servers deep into the earth in order to harvest geothermal energy and to be safe from natural disasters. The server network stretched for miles over the whole planet, connecting the old cities like a web. The battles went on for months before the G.S. finally admitted the futility of their approach. They had to ship in every soldier and drone, while the V.C. had access to a seemingly endless supply.”

***En Route to Agena***

***Antioch***

When I awoke, I was drifting amidst dead pirates and tools. It was an eerie and very unpleasant experience. The Nano-Workers had followed their orders to the letter. They dutifully sealed the corridor and re-established a breathable atmosphere. Thanks to the new Power-Cell upgrade, I was able to survive in the vacuum of space for long enough.

The only thing I was missing, was a plug to recharge myself quickly. If I had that, I probably wouldn't have bothered with an atmosphere.

Still shaken, but determined not to die alone in the darkness, I went to work. As much as I despise the fact, but G.O.D.'s promise to find others of my kind kept me going. When G.O.D. stuffed all that knowledge into my mind, I also got a good idea how the transporter's systems work.

In the end, it became clear that the little escapade with the pirates had cost me four weeks of my time.

The living area of my transporter was busted. The explosion of the fusion cell had ripped a huge hole into the side of the cylinder which housed the habitat. Luckily, I had three damaged ships and a lot of repair-drones combined with Nano-Workers at my disposal.

My transporter's engines were undamaged, so I used it to collect the dead pirate ship and the other damaged transporter. Both also held a full contingent of repair-drones, raw materials, and food-stock. Since I am just a single person, I had enough food to survive on it longer than I had fuel to run the fusion reactor.

As much as I would like to simply stay put and build my own little hideaway, sooner or later I would have to return to a star for supplies. Without fusion energy to provide heat, space would quickly turn into a dark and cold grave.

It was a lucky turn of events that only the foreign transporter's engines were busted, leaving the living area and the storage rooms intact. When I searched the other vessel, I also got a new skill for exploring the - luckily - empty vessel. It was the reward for the side-quest which caused me to stop in the first place.

Steady Mind: Improved mental facilities allow you to stay calm. Maybe you won't fall into the next trap so easily. You are also less likely to lose your cool in a stressful situation. Adults who cry are uncool...

The addition caused a rise in my Mental Growth and allowed me to unlock the first skill-set in my Mental Growth tree. Given the opportunity, I immediately went for more help, as I had a feeling that I am not a hands-on kind of guy. The upgrade had a heavy cost and was time intensive, but it was worth it.

Recon: Improved mental facilities are always nice to have. You can control up to five more drones for reconnaissance, or Nano-Workers. Maybe you won't fall into the next trap so easily.

That made it a lot easier to salvage the three wrecked ships. Unfortunately, the electronics on the pirate ship were totally busted. The whole vessel got a dose of radiation which was strong enough to kill even the bacteria on board. Apparently, it also took out the computers. But the worst thing were the bodies... luckily I had the workers to clean up the whole mess.

So, after four weeks of using everything I knew – thanks to G.O.D. – and a lot of help from my little army of repair-drones, I was finally able to continue with my quest.

I utilized every working part of the three ships and left the rest drifting in space. The result of my efforts doesn't look anywhere close to the old transporter, but more like a chimera which was puzzled together.

Between the two transporters, I almost had a whole, working spaceship. Together with the pirate ship, I was golden. I kept the aft section of my own transporter, but incorporated the working living quarters into the hull of the busted pirate ship. A transporter's engines are over-engineered to begin with, so that wasn't a problem. The pirate ship's engines were simply strapped to the hull. The hope may be futile, but maybe I will be able to utilize them at a later date.

I also decided to keep the pirate ship's hull, because the thing had way better armour, so it's a nice place to retreat to if the shit hits the fan. It went without question to place the functioning living section inside the hollowed out hull of the pirate ship. The deeper the command centre is inside a ship, the less likely it is to be taken out. Additionally, the pirate hull is still armed to the teeth. The weapons aren't worth much without electronics, but I am confident that it's possible to repair or replace the important parts sometime in the future.

Finally, I was able to fire up the engines and to continue my quest. My encounter had the little benefit of topping off my reserves, so I decided to fly directly to my final destination. Between the three wrecks, I had more than enough fuel for my new, hand-crafted ship. I even admit that I had fun building it. It was nice to create something, even if I just re-utilized working parts.

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Another positive point was that I was able to confirm my transporter's database. I ran a comparison with the one on the second transporter and came up with the result that they are identical. The database on the pirate ship was useless. Either it got damaged when the electronics were busted, or the pirates made it unusable before they died.

The entire time, I was wondering if I should use my boon to ask G.O.D. if there is a quicker way to get things done. In the end, I decided firmly against it. The situation was far from hopeless and while I am not at the end of my wisdom, I refuse to throw away such a powerful card. I will use it when I have a few free questions, but for now, one of G.O.D.'s answers might mean the difference between life and death.

A beeping sound distracts me from my musings, so I sit up in the pilot's chair of my new ship. Following the example of a movie I once saw, I named my new ship Chimera. After all, it's a chimera! “Hahaha!”

G.O.D.: You aren't very creative.

My laughing fit cuts off abruptly and it takes a long time until the message fades away. Finally, I decide to simply act as if this never happened.

After a quick check, I realize that I am about to arrive in Agena. Probably that's why the entity is starting to pay attention to me.

Having learned from my mistakes, I decided after the pirate incident not to take G.O.D.'s quests at face value. The strange entity is obviously trying to screw me over in order to make things more 'interesting' for itself.

For that very reason, I decided to drop out of warp before I actually reach my goal. Then I would go dark for a few days, drifting without energy through the system.

My plan is to quietly observe and to learn as much as I can before I actually do anything regarding the quest.

I reach for the console and choose a random exit point for the ship. A few moments later, I fall out of warp and power down the engines. Using only the thrusters, I send my vessel into a slow, spinning motion, ensuring that my sensors can cover the sky to the highest effect.

Upon checking the communication channels, I am greeted by deadly silence.

But that's nothing to be worried about. It's not like I knew anything about the pirates before they attached themselves to my hull. Their armour acts as a perfect camouflage against a large spectrum of radio-waves, essentially turning their ship into a blind spot. Of course, the Chimera has lost that advantage, since I added parts which aren't covered by the armour. I am relying more on the fact that a single mote of dust isn't easily found in the vast sea of space.

With nothing else to do, I evaluate the results of my passive scans. The system has four rocky planets which are orbiting around a white dwarf. There is no mentionable asteroid belt. With some imagination, I can make out an area which is a little denser in regards to ionized particles.

Interesting. That's a clear indicator that the system is frequently traversed by ships with fusion engines. The stars behind the affected area show a slight shift in their light's intensity. Humming, I enter the gained information into a three-dimensional representation of the system and focus my search along this perceived shipping route.

It takes hours, and I am almost halfway through the system, when I pick up several silvery domes on the grey surface of the third planet.

G.O.D.: Quest: Find Others! – Updated!

You have found another research station. It belongs to the group which held you captive. Provide a distraction, so that the prisoner can escape!

“Hooold on!” I raise my hand, waving it frantically. “We are done playing it this way! I only went along because I saw no other choice! This looks like you are screwing with me! Again! You dubbed everything else up until now as a side-quest and provided little to no information, but this is a main-quest, isn't it? You even updated the information. Shouldn't there be a little more detail on what's going on? The pirates were the last straw! If you don't give me something tangible to work with, I am out of here! There is no way that I run back into the arms of those bastards! Not with a rigged up piece of handicraft like this one!”

I gesture at the ship around me. “A single hit to the fusion engine and I am done for!” I hit the console, indicating that the Chimera isn't exactly fit to attack anything right now. The research station may be a sitting duck, but it surely has a working defensive system. Enough to blast this ship to dust. Crossing my arms, I sit there for several long minutes. When I still get no response, I start calculating the best vector to get the heck out of here without being seen.

That's when it happens.

G.O.D.: Quest: Find Others! – Updated!

You have found another research station. It belongs to the group which held you captive. They have another prisoner of your kind who is aware of the situation. All that's needed is an opportunity to escape. Provide a distraction, so that the prisoner can escape! The prisoner will disable the defence system as soon as the station's personnel is distracted. An extraction point is provided, you just need to arrange for transportation.

My quest-marker updates and I am now pointed towards the landing pad next to one of the domes. I raise my eyebrows, surprised that this worked. What was G.O.D.'s plan once I had provided the distraction? To tell me in the spur of the moment to jump into a shuttle and to save the prisoner? It surely would have made for a hilarious ride. With our lives on the line.

G.O.D.'s way of thinking aside, I never before managed to extort more information out of it. Whatever I tried or said, it simply stayed silent. Unless it absolutely had to tell me something.

Massaging my temples, I try to think clearly. There must be a reason for this unusual reaction. Sitting there, I allow my mind to drift for several minutes. Only the silent humming of the console in front of me is noticeable. The rest of the cockpit is silent and empty. Yes, empty and alone. That's the important point.

This other person is like me, which probably means that the other party also gets quests. The description says that the other person is aware of the situation. I am not entirely sure what G.O.D. promised, but if the reward for the quest is a ticket off the station...

I grin.

G.O.D. is an asshole, but it never lied. If I simply pack my things and leave, then it's breaking its own rules, depending on what it promised the other party. Can I extort even more information out of it? More skills?

G.O.D.: Don't push your luck. The rules are the rules. If you break them, you are out of the game. There are others to take your place.

I suck in a sharp breath. There are rules? Is it possible to be left alone? G.O.D. surely is chatty today. Contemplating the possibility, I quickly abandon it. The entity's guidance is dangerous, but without it, I wouldn't be alive right now.

“Okay. I'll do it, but I need time to prepare. Do your thing and tell the other party that the distraction will happen in exactly seventy-two hours from now.” I enter a command into the console and start a timer with seventy-two hours. That should be enough to turn one of the shuttles into a rigged up attack-transporter and to arrange for a small meteorite storm.

“Have you heard me?” I wait, but like always, I get no reply.

“Great! I'll simply assume that's a 'Yes', asshole!”