Something streaked across the sky, catching Kai's attention. It wasn’t a freighter—the spacecraft was fast and small. He watched as it shattered the sound barrier, the boom reaching his ears seconds later, it flew fast, leaving a white contrail behind.
Kai stared until he was certain nothing else was happening. It wasn’t every day that a ship like that visited a mining planet so far removed from the galaxy’s center of attention. Quantum fuel wasn’t cheap. He imagined the scene inside the cockpit: what a beautiful sight it will be.
He dreamed of owning his own ship someday—the freedom to traverse the stars and witness the wonders of space. Perhaps, if he worked harder, he could just save enough to make that dream a reality.
Lowering his head, Kai resumed his walk. The red dirt, carried by the wind, stung his face like thousands tiny needles. He pulled his gaiter higher and wiped dust off his goggles.
The mine came into view, its gaping holes punctuating the barren landscape. He pressed forward until he reached one of the entrances. Walking down the ramp, he stopped before a heavy metal door.
Kai glanced back at the contrail one last time. It was heading north, toward the city. Probably someone high up in the Federation paying a visit. Either way, it wasn’t his concern.
He knocked on the gate, and a small panel slid open. A gruff voice demanded identification. After verifying his credentials, a smaller door on the side creaked open, allowing him entry.
The air inside was thick with the smell of sweat and dirty boots. Kai swallowed his disgust. Four months underground had taught him to endure.
A guard waved him forward. The man, clad in standard-issue combat armor, had a rifle slung across his chest. Despite the time Kai had spent here, he still didn’t know the guard’s name. All he knew was that the guy was one of the decent ones.
Kai approached and raised his arms in a T-pose. The guard patted him down, nodded, and let him pass. The security check was more for show than substance—a reminder to the miners that they were being watched. Smuggling items in was easy; it was sneaking them out that posed the real challenge, the search will be far more thorough to ensure every stone, every gem belongs to the owner of the mine.
Kai moved through another door into the locker room. A few miners glanced his way, a few offered brief nods of acknowledgment. He found his locker and opened it, pulling off his gaiter and goggles. His medium-length hair, now a mess, reminded him that he was overdue for a haircut. But something always came up when he planned to get one.
Stripping down to his undersuit, Kai began gearing up. The suit clung to his body like a second skin. He stepped into the leg piece first, followed by the chest and arm pieces. Lastly, he secured his helmet. The sealing mechanism clicked into place, and the air instantly felt cleaner.
He gathered his tools: a small cutter, a tester, and a container for storing samples, which he attached to his belt. From his locker, he retrieved a hardened backpack case, designed to carry whatever he harvested. It latched onto his suit with a satisfying click. Fully equipped, Kai was ready.
As he headed toward the lift, he passed a familiar face coming out of the shaft.
“Going into the deep again?” the miner asked, not breaking stride.
Kai nodded silently and stepped into the lift.
The miner turned back, his expression grim. “One day, you’re going to get yourself killed down there.”
Kai nodded at that. He knew the miner was right. The safer, shallow sections of the mine, with their security measures and stable environment, were where most miners stayed. But Kai wasn’t looking for safety—he was chasing a miracle. Something that could make him rich overnight, make him able to afford a spaceship.
Ever since he arrived on this planet, he had yearned to leave this planet and see the stars. To achieve that, he had to venture into the uncharted depths of the mine, where the environment was brutal, and rules were merely suggestions.
Kai smiled faintly at the miner and pressed the button for the lowest level.
The lift shuddered and began its descent, the grinding of powerful gears echoing as the chain pulled it downward. Concrete walls gave way to raw, jagged rock.
Level 1
On the uneven rock face, red paint marked the floor number.
Level 2... Level 3...
The numbers steadily climbed as the lift plunged deeper. Kai could feel the temperature dropping. By the time the display read Level 15, his suit's HVAC system kicked in, pumping warm air to counteract the chill.
At Level 30, the embedded lights disappeared, leaving him enveloped in the oppressive darkness of the uncharted depths. This was where the known world ended, and the land of danger and opportunities began.
The lift stopped at Level 34, roughly 200 meters below the surface. The doors slid open, and Kai stepped out. A man stood waiting by the lift, his posture tense. At the sight of Kai, his hand instinctively moved toward the knife on his belt.
Kai raised one hand slightly, showing he meant no harm, and gave the man plenty of space to pass. The tension eased as the man offered an apologetic wave. They brushed past each other without a word, and Kai continued on.
The cavern was shrouded in darkness, save for the small area illuminated by the spotlight attached to the lift system. Beyond its reach lay pure blackness—a haunting reminder of why these levels were considered uncharted.
The uncharted depths were infamous for their hazards: uneven terrain, lethal gas pockets, and unstable rock formations waiting to collapse at the slightest provocation. These dangers made mining here a perilous gamble.
In more advanced worlds, large ground-penetrating scanners would map the subterranean terrain, providing engineers with crucial data to guide excavation efforts. But on a planet like Drakmoor, the cost of such equipment far outweighed any potential profits, at least that's what the officiald said. Instead, miners relied on outdated tools, instincts, and luck to navigate the treacherous depths.
There were others like Kai who ventured deep into the uncharted levels, searching for undiscovered clusters and veins of precious minerals. These pioneers knew the risks; for them, it was either a gamble they embraced or a desperate choice they had no alternative but to make. Most were criminals or gamblers drawn by the promise of wealth, the allure of potentially striking it rich. The odds of finding a substantial crystal cluster were far greater here than in the safer, surface levels. And if someone hit the jackpot and found a vein, the reward could reach millions.
For experienced miners, environmental dangers like cave-ins and gas leaks were only a minor concern. The real threat came from other pioneers. The lower levels lacked telecommunications, making it impossible to call for help or report crimes. Down here, even murder could go unnoticed and unpunished.
Kai double-checked his supplies one last time. He was sure he had enough food and water to sustain him for this session. Adjusting his headlamp, he stepped further into the darkness of the mine.
The tunnels alternated between wide, open spaces and narrow, claustrophobic passages. The layout was mostly unchanged since his last visit, and Kai navigated the labyrinth with ease, remembering which paths to take. While pioneers were potential enemies, they also had a peculiar, symbiotic relationship. Each miner dig upon the work of others, gradually expanding the tunnel networks in their shared pursuit of riches. Sometimes, miners would team up to speed up the process. But just as often, conflicts would break out, and those conflicts usually ended in death. As a result, the tunnels held their share of corpses.
Kai passed one such body lying against the tunnel wall. The corpse was still encased in its suit, the airtight design turning it into a macabre coffin. He barely glanced at it. The body had been there during his last visit—and the one before that. Over time, Kai had memorized the locations of every corpse. That way, he would know immediately if a new one appeared.
The tunnels branched outward like an upside-down tree, each path twisting into the depths of the planet. After an hour of walking, Kai reached the branch he needed. He set his backpack on the ground and rummaged through it, pulling out a small laser device.
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Carefully, he concealed the device behind a small rock near the tunnel’s entrance. The laser would project an invisible beam across the opening, and if anyone crossed it, the device would send a signal to his suit, alerting him to their presence.
Satisfied with the setup, Kai picked up his backpack and prepared to venture deeper into the tunnel.
Kai reached the end of the tunnel after another half hour. Taking a moment to rest, he attached his water bottle to the port on his helmet and sipped through the internal straw. Once hydrated, he returned the bottle to his bag, which he set aside on the ground, and got to work.
The last time he was here, he’d found something—nothing valuable, but it might be the start of a vein. This trip was to confirm his theory.
He removed a sheet hanging from the wall, revealing a small crack. Peering inside, he spotted the faint color variation he had seen before. It might be nothing, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that today might be his lucky day.
“Let it be something good,” Kai murmured, pulling out his cutting tool. The device, shaped like a pistol, emitted a precise, short-range laser beam. When activated, the tool continuously fired, cutting through rock with ease.
Kai began carefully cutting away small pieces of the wall, the loose debris clattering to the ground and bouncing off his chest and leg armor.
Small-scale mining was a meticulous process. Miners had to remove the surrounding rock bit by bit without damaging the minerals inside. Cutting too much could ruin the yield and cost a fortune in lost profit. Leaving debris behind was also problematic, as it could block the tunnel and make future trips difficult. Kai took his time, knowing patience would pay off.
The heat from the cutter radiated through his face shield, but he didn’t mind. He hummed a tune to himself as anticipation bubbled within. He kicked away a loose piece of rock with childlike excitement.
As he worked, the metallic sheen of a crystal vein began to reveal itself under his headlamp’s glare. It stretched from the top of the rock wall to the bottom, and Kai’s grin widened. This could be it—he was about to strike it rich.
Suddenly, he heard the unmistakable sound of boots on rock behind him. He turned, his heart pounding, to see two men approaching down the tunnel.
How was this possible? He checked his HUD—no alerts. The laser tripwire hadn’t worked.
The two men were moving fast, their heavy mining armor slowing them only slightly. Their intentions were clear—they weren’t here for a friendly chat.
Kai cursed himself for not bringing a real weapon. Improvisation would have to do. He tightened his grip on the cutting tool in his right hand and grabbed a loose rock with his left.
The men closed the distance, stopping just short of him. They blocked the tunnel, their armored forms standing imposingly in the narrow space. Like Kai, they wore mining suits, not combat gear. Their helmet lights shone directly into Kai’s face, causing his visor to dim automatically. He couldn’t make out their faces behind the glare.
“What do you want? How did you get past the tripwire?” Kai asked coldly, he didn't show a slight of fear.
"It doesn’t matter who we are," one of the men replied, his voice distorted by the suit’s speaker. The tone was rough, hardened, and merciless—Kai could tell this man wasn’t a stranger to killing.
The man tossed something at Kai’s feet. It was the tripwire device, its casing cracked and useless. "All that matters is we know you’ve found something valuable, something we’d like to share with you."
"Is that so?" Kai said, gripping the cutter tool tighter. "And what if I'm not in the mood to share?"
“We’re giving you a chance to live—you should feel grateful,” the other man said, his voice carrying an unfamiliar accent. “You found something we’re interested in, and now we’re going to take it. Simple as that.”
Kai didn’t reply. He didn’t have time to waste with these people. If they wanted his findings, they could take them—over his dead body.
In a swift motion, Kai hurled the rock he’d been hiding behind his back. His suit’s assisted mechanics propelled his arm forward in an arc, sending the rock flying through the air like a bullet. It struck the man on the left square in the stomach. Though the mining suit absorbed the impact and the rock shattered into thousands of pieces, the sheer force of the throw knocked the man onto his back.
"Now it's a fair fight." Kai thought.
The other man, to his credit, reacted quickly. He closed the gap between them in two steps, his movements surprisingly nimble for someone in a heavy mining suit. He swung a left hook, but Kai ducked under it, following up with a punch of his own. His fist connected with the attacker’s chest, sending him stumbling backward, but the suit’s armor left him unharmed.
Kai glanced at the first man, still struggling to get up. The weight of his suit, once a shield, now worked against him as he flailed to regain his footing.
Kai knew he had to finish this fast. He charged at the second man, locking him in a grapple. Their suits clashed with a resounding clang of metal on metal. Kai tried to throw his opponent to the ground, but the man’s weight, combined with the bulk of his armor, made it nearly impossible.
Instead, the heavier attacker overpowered him. With a heave, the man tipped them both over, sending them crashing to the ground with Kai pinned underneath.
Kai's body slammed against the ground with a bone-jarring impact. The attacker wasted no time, raining down punches. Each power-assisted blow tested the limits of Kai’s helmet, the force rattling his head within the tight confines. If not for the helmet’s soft padding, he’d likely have suffered a concussion already.
Kai struggled to push the man off, but his attacker had anchored his full weight, pinning him down completely. Another punch connected, and the visor of Kai’s helmet cracked. A sliver of fiberglass broke free, slicing a thin line across his cheek. Tiny droplets of blood seeped out, but that wasn’t the worst of it—Kai held his breath. The mine’s air was likely toxic, and the crack in his visor had compromised his life support. He was literally down to his last breath.
Gritting his teeth, Kai raised the cutter tool in his hand and powered it on. The laser flared to life, cutting through the man’s suit armor slowly. Another punch landed, narrowly missing the same spot on Kai’s visor. He tilted his head to avoid a direct hit, knowing he had little time left.
Through the cracked visor, Kai could see his attacker’s face—grinning, teeth gleaming beneath the helmet. That grin quickly twisted into a grimace of pain. The laser cutter had burned through the armor and into the man’s abdomen. He let out a scream and a stream of blood from his mouth, his suit amplifying the sound into a distorted wail that echoed through the tunnel. The man kicked out in pain and rolled off Kai, clutching his midsection.
Kai didn’t hesitate. He rolled in the opposite direction, and sit up. His attacker writhed on the ground, hands pressed to his abdomen, his suit’s speaker broadcasting his agony in chilling, metallic tones that echoed in the tunnel.
Turning his attention to the second man, Kai saw him still struggling to sit up. The rock had done its job—damaging the suit’s mechanisms and leaving the attacker’s limbs powerless. Kai pushed himself to his feet, his visor missing a chunk of glass in the middle. He couldn’t afford to breathe, not yet.
The man watched in horror as Kai approached, desperately trying to push himself away, but his suit wouldn’t power on. Kai could see the panic in his breathing, the visor fogging up with every gasp.
Standing over him, Kai holstered the cutter tool and bent down. For a brief moment, the man’s panic shifted to hope, as though Kai might actually help him. That hope shattered when Kai twisted his own cracked helmet off and tossed it aside.
Realizing what was about to happen, the man screamed, the sound muffled by his helmet’s visor. Kai didn’t want to do this, but he had no choice.
"Just trying to live. Sorry,” Kai said coldly as he removed the man’s helmet.
The man’s screams turned to frantic pleas for mercy, but they didn’t last. His face contorted in agony as the toxic air flooded his lungs. Kai noticed a tattoo on the man’s neck—three tiny circles arranged in a triangle. It was a design he’d never seen before. The man’s cries dissolved into choking gasps, and Kai quickly put the helmet on himself.
The visor cleared of fog, and fresh air flowed into his lungs. He took a few deep breaths, feeling his strength return. Glancing down one last time, he saw the man struggling, his breaths shallow and labored, his terror written across his face. Without another word, Kai turned away.
The other attacker lay still on the ground, blood pooling around him from the wound the cutter had inflicted.
Kai stood still for a moment, grappling with the weight of his actions. In just five minutes, he had killed two people. Even though it was self-defense, the realization settled heavily on him. He felt terrible. But then he thought about their intentions—they had come to kill him for his discovery. Whatever they were after, it was worth dying for, at least in their eyes.
Kai’s gaze shifted to the vein in the rock wall. The thought of what lay ahead stirred his resolve. He could finally afford his own ship, fulfilling the dream that had driven him this far. His mood lifted slightly.
Taking out the cutter tool once more, Kai returned to the wall. He carefully chipped away at the rock, determined to extract a sample. All he needed was proof to present to the mining company and the information alone is going to get him off this rock.
Kai worked in silence, his usual hum replaced by the steady rhythm of his cutter against the rock. His nerves were on edge, anticipation building as he chipped away at the surrounding stone. He was so close now—he could see the metal glinting behind the crack.
With a few precise cuts, he exposed the mineral beneath. It was unnaturally smooth, almost polished. Kai pulled out his container and began to cut a sample. The metal gave way far too easily, almost like it wasn’t solid. After only a few seconds, he had carved out a small circular piece.
When he reached to remove it, the sample fell inward, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
A cold realization gripped him. The rock was hollow.
Kai adjusted his helmet light, angling the beam into the opening. Sure enough, there was a void on the other side. Confused but intrigued, he chipped away more rock, revealing more of the strange metal behind it. The smooth, flat surface was unlike anything he’d ever seen—too perfect to be natural.
Curiosity consumed him. He continued cutting, piece by piece, and the truth slowly began to take shape. This wasn’t just an unusual mineral deposit. Whatever it was, it didn’t belong to this planet.
“No,” Kai muttered to himself. “It’s manmade.”
He uncovered more of the structure, exposing a seam in the metal. It was lined with rubber, running up and down in a precise, straight line. Following the seam, Kai found it extended all the way to the ground. The cutter in his hand grew hot from prolonged use, but he ignored the discomfort. His heart pounded with each new discovery.
Then, another piece of rock fell away, and a metal bar came into view. It was painted red, standing out sharply against the pristine white of the surrounding metal.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. This wasn’t just any metal wall. It was something he’d seen before—back in the picture books of his childhood, when he still had a place to call home.
He stared at the red paint, his breath catching. It was the same color used for handrails on the exteriors of spaceships, designed to guide crews to an entrance.
Kai stepped back, his mind racing. He wasn’t just mining anymore. He had uncovered something ancient, something hidden—a buried structure, a spaceship.