Burning...

The acrid smell of scorched cloth. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, accompanied by a relentless ringing in my ears that refused to abate.

And this headache.

What happened?

I coughed, struggling against the thick, smoky air that filled my lungs.

It was hard to breathe.

That didn't make sense. My body was built to endure. Why couldn't I breathe?

I gasped sharply and forced my eyes open.

Around me, flames danced hungrily. The ship lay in ruins. What had happened?

Then, the memories flooded back.

Temporal Storm. We pushed the ship to its limits, evading pursuit. But in the chaos, we lost track of our exit point.

Then, I heard a cough nearby. It was Cocun, but his condition was dire. He had been impaled by debris from the wreckage. The ship was nearly split in half, flames engulfing most of the interior. It didn't look good for him. The emergency medkits were located at the rear of the ship, but that was a distant hope.

And I couldn't feel my leg. I glanced down and understood why.

My leg was pinned beneath the wreckage of the wing.

It would heal, but not without time. There weren't enough emergency nanobots for both of us.

"You have to survive," Cocun managed through bloodied lips. "The Great Houses must be informed."

"Don't talk," I urged, trying to staunch his bleeding.

"I'm done for," he gasped, "But it seems we weren't followed."

Of course we weren't followed, I thought grimly. No one in their right mind would chase us through a Temporal Storm. Those things appeared out of nowhere, warping time and space like a black hole, though not strong enough to tear the ship apart. We must have used the last of our shields to make it through.

Frantically searching around, I finally spotted it—the CO2 system.

Summoning all my strength, I struggled to free my foot from the debris and limped my way to the side of the ship.

With a forceful slam, I triggered the CO2 system, filling the ship with a dense fog of gas.

Thankfully, the floor had held up well enough to support the system. If it had been damaged, we would have been in serious trouble.

Once the fog dissipated, the immediate threat of the fire was under control. But staying inside the ship was still dangerous. I needed to check for any lingering residue or flammable materials. That, however, wasn’t my first priority.

"Urgh," Cocun wheezed, his voice weak.

He lay there, life slipping away. "I can't see," he murmured, "It's so cold."

I shook my head, feeling helpless. "I'm sorry, friend."

"Will I die?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Most likely," I replied bluntly. "The debris has pierced your vitals. If I try to remove it, you won't survive. There simply isn't enough time. And the medbay is damaged."

"I see," he sighed, rolling onto his back. A tear escaped his eye. "Please, make sure to bury me. And take care of my family if you can. I promised my wife I wouldn't miss our family reunion, but it seems work has taken its toll. I'm sure my son will understand. He's a good pilot too. Ensure he gets the training he needs."

"I will," I nodded solemnly. "Thank you for your service up until now."

"It's been an honor," he whispered weakly. "You should have been among the Great Houses."

"It was never meant to be," I replied softly. "But bright futures are ahead for both of us. I believe that."

"Yes," he murmured. "Thank..."

His eyes became clouded, and he stopped breathing.

I sighed deeply, emotions tangling within me, though this feeling was familiar. "You were one of the good ones."

I closed Cocun's eyelids gently, then turned my attention to the windows. Most of them were blown out, revealing a dense forest or possibly a jungle below. My injuries were minor compared to Cocun's, but a replenishment of nanobots from the medbay wouldn't have gone amiss.

Heading towards the back of the ship, I found the medbay in shambles. Most equipment was unusable, but thankfully, the nanobots appeared intact. I placed my hand on the scanner, and the medkit screen flickered to life. A green light flashed, followed by a voice.

"Welcome, Zarek. How can I assist you today?"

"Assess the ship's damage and administer nanobots," I instructed.

The machine beeped and displayed several green flashes.

"Ship damage: severe. Medkit bay damage: severe."

"Is there anything salvageable?" I inquired.

"Power cells and nanobot core are intact."

"Good enough," I replied. "What about my Pocket Dimension?"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Pocket Dimension is unresponsive."

"Great," I sighed. "Is the 3D Printer still operational?"

"Negative."

"Alright," I rubbed my temples. "What else is still functional and useful?"

"Emergency Dimensional Storage available. Contains a water purification system, portable shelter, emergency rations, solar-powered generator, first aid kit, communications gear, survival tools, fire-starting kit, navigation equipment, emergency blankets, rescue beacon, environmental suit, backup data storage, hygiene supplies, tool kit, and emergancy cash."

My eyes lit up, "Great. Get the Rescue Beacon."

A beautiful wristwatch appeared from a compartment, secured in a transparent box with black and gold linings. I widened my eyes. This was one of the most expensive Dimensional Storage items in the Imperium. Definitely not a standard model. This watch alone was nearly indestructible and cost a fortune. Moreover, the pocket dimension it held was the largest allowed under the Intravo Accords.

"Who put this here?" I asked, puzzled. "This isn't the normal model."

"There is a message attached. Would you like to play it?"

"Yes."

A holographic screen flickered to life, revealing a familiar face.

She gave me a salute. "Leader," she began. "This is a gift from the Zarek Industries Investor Board. We have trusted you since the beginning of this company's creation, and we still trust you now. We understand that your resignation was due to outside factors, but this gift is a statement from the Board that the future will be bright ahead of us. It contains all you would need in case of 'unforeseen circumstances,' and was quite a pain to sneak on board the ship. This Storage is held in a secret server location and is untraceable by the Imperium. Again, the Board wishes you well and is awaiting your reinstatement as CEO of Zarek Industries."

I smiled. It looked like friends didn't abandon other friends that easily after all.

The box featured a fingerprint and eye scanner on one side. After some tinkering, I managed to open it without any hassle.

I slipped on the wristwatch and rotated the outer ring.

Click, click, click.

Then, a holographic screen popped up.

The Dimensional Storage Watch seemed to be in perfect working order, indicating that the Dimensional Storage itself was stable. Everything was neatly organized by category. Food, weapons, items, and more were displayed in a grid-like pattern, with a search bar at the top. It was packed to the brim with raw materials.

Which could only mean one thing: there was a 3D printer.

After clearing most of the debris, I gulped down some water to soothe my parched throat. The water was laced with nanobots, which would begin their healing work shortly. With a few bandages applied, I felt slightly more stable.

I gathered everything salvageable from the wreckage and stored it inside my watch. Then, I double-checked for any flammable material that could blow up the ship while I was away. Even this wreckage could play a part in the future. Some of the materials could be broken down with a disassembler—which I didn't have. But if I could find someone who did, then it would be fine.

I lifted Cocun's body and carried him out of the ship. Despite the damage, getting off the ship wasn't too difficult. I made my way down the side, laying him gently on a patch of grass. Then, I began scanning the area for any signs of life.

Where even was I?

Was this Secara Prime? It definitely didn't seem like it. The air here was too rich, too clean. Secara Prime struggled with air quality, its forests mostly cut down and the remaining heavily sanctioned. This place felt... untouched. Or rather, natural? There were no signs of the Emperor’s usual meddling. Typically, they loved to leave their mark on everything.

I opened the Dimensional Storage and got out the Rescue Beacon.

But if I used it, wouldn’t the Emperor also know?

I could attract more enemies instead of allies. The risk was high.

Maybe I should lay low, try to find a way off this planet discreetly?

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to scan for nearby receivers. Rescue beacons were used all the time. As long as I provided a fake alias, I should be safe for now.

I also need to consider who might respond. Not everyone out there will be friendly. Some could be bounty hunters or rogue agents.

But it’s worth a shot, as long as I stay vigilant.

After activating the beacon, I waited anxiously. Moments passed, but they stretched into minutes.

"No nearby signals found," a notification popped up.

I frowned. What?

I tried again. Was this thing broken?

Several more minutes elapsed, yet the message remained unchanged.

"Diagnose," I instructed.

"Beacon is in pristine condition. No other signals detected in close vicinity. Planet location could not be pinpointed. This planet is not registered in the Imperium Planetary Database."

"Not registered in the Imperium Database?"

That didn't add up. The Imperium meticulously cataloged every known planet across the Known Universe. Concealing an entire planet seemed implausible. Could there be interference? But that would disrupt signals both entering and leaving the planet. This beacon's signal was crucial for pilots navigating and traders conducting interplanetary commerce. What about messages from neighboring planets?

I examined the beacon again, tapping it thoughtfully. "Could be a fault in the equipment, but it appears to be functioning perfectly."

With a sigh, I shook my head.

Secara Prime was part of a four-planet system, meaning we had veered drastically off course. The Temporal Storm must have warped space, depositing me in a distant location. Yet my Dimensional Storage still operated, suggesting this place was loosely connected to our Known Universe. The Dimensional Storage existed in a parallel plane, closely adjacent to our Universe—sort of a vertical proximity, if that makes sense.

Then I thought, could it be Time Travel?

...Nah. That wasn't possible.

No matter how far into the future I'd been displaced, time dilation couldn't explain it.

Not to this degree, at least.

I accessed the Dimensional Storage once more.

A drone materialized from my watch nearby in the air.

"Drone, scout the area. Perform a thorough scan for any signs of life or movement. Report back on oxygen levels and anything else of interest you discover."

The drone hummed to life, hovering momentarily before shooting off into the unfamiliar surroundings.

Going back to the matter at hand, I pulled out a shovel.

I spent the next twenty minutes digging a grave for Cocun. The memories of doing this long ago came flooding back, each shovelful of earth a reminder of past losses. I made sure the hole was deep enough, and then turned to my Dimensional Storage.

The new model had a convenient 3D-safe-printing option, allowing me to create items within the storage itself. No need to summon the entire printer outside the dimensional space anymore. I quickly printed a large tombstone, inscribing it with words that felt painfully inadequate for someone who had given so much.

"Rest in peace, my friend," I replied.

With the tombstone ready, I gently placed Cocun’s body into the grave, covering him with the earth as carefully as I could.

Standing up, I knew it was time to move on to the next step. Dwelling on such things wouldn't help.

But what was the next step?

Most likely, I needed to find the nearest city. There had to be one nearby. Foreign planet or not, most planets in the Imperium were inhabited by some form of humans. I needed to know what sector of space we were in. If this planet was outside the Imperium, then I'd have to prepare for a long trip back. The main agenda was finding a ship and getting off this rock.

"Notification: Life forms detected," my watch beeped.

Nice. It seemed my drone had found some people.

"How many?" I asked.

"Around thirty, scattered about," the voice replied. "One of the life forms shows signs of injury. Environment scan indicates blood. Diagnosis: one person is trying their best to hide."

Hide?

"I see," I replied, "Oxygen levels?"

"Nominal," the voice responded. "Oxygen levels mimic those of Super Earth, with a 20% increase in richness. General landscape consists of a dense forest with trees upwards of 100 feet. Diagnosis: this area has not been farmed for industry."

"Alright, then," I said, "Let's ask some questions and see where we're at. Lead the way."