May 27th, 3030
Itus sat nervously in the passenger area of a small, weathered transport ship as it docked at a run-down space station in the Outer Rim. Clutching his backpack tightly, he glanced around at the other passengers, trying not to draw attention to himself.
Next to him sat a confident-looking Ustur woman with a vibrant blue cyber tech exterior. Itus couldn't help but admire her self-assured demeanor, wishing he could muster even a fraction of that confidence.
As they waited for the signal to disembark, the Ustur turned to him. "What's your name, kid?" she asked, her voice friendly but direct.
Itus hesitated for a moment before responding, "Lucas. You?"
"Connie.tchr," she replied, extending her hand.
Itus stared at it for a second, his mind racing. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and shook her hand, hoping his palm wasn't as sweaty as it felt.
"First time in the Outer Rim, kid?" Connie.tchr asked with a knowing grin.
Itus nodded, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "That obvious, huh?" he said, trying to laugh it off but wincing internally at how nervous he sounded.
Great, I might as well have a sign on my back saying 'clueless newcomer'. So much for blending in.
Connie.tchr's grin widened. "Don't worry. Stick with me, and you'll be fine."
As they disembarked, Itus was overwhelmed by the cacophony of sounds and sights in the docking bay. The diversity of species and the questionable-looking cargo made his head spin. He stuck close to Connie.tchr, grateful for her steady presence in this sea of unfamiliarity.
"Remember, we're here to fix the station's long-range communications array," Connie.tchr explained as they walked. "Should be simple enough, but keep your eyes open. Things can get... interesting out here."
Itus swallowed hard. "Interesting, how?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. But before Connie.tchr could answer, a gruff-looking Station Manager approached them.
"You the techs?" the manager barked.
Connie.tchr stepped forward confidently. "That's us. Connie.tchr and Lucas reporting for duty."
The Station Manager grunted. "Follow me. And watch yourselves. Gravity's been acting up in some sections."
As they followed the manager, Itus couldn't help but notice the state of disrepair around them. Missing wall panels exposed circuitry, and in some areas, objects floated freely, indicating gravity failures. His heart raced. What had he gotten himself into?
"This place is falling apart," he whispered to Connie.tchr, unable to keep the fear from his voice. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Connie.tchr winked at him. "That's why we're getting paid the big bucks, kid."
Her casual response did little to calm Itus's nerves, but he appreciated her attempt to lighten the mood. As they entered the communications room, Itus was confronted with a mess of tangled wires and blinking consoles. The Station Manager pointed to a large, malfunctioning array.
"There's your problem," he said gruffly. "Fix it, and you'll get your Atlas. I'll be back in two hours."
As the manager left without further instructions, Itus felt a wave of panic wash over him. He watched the retreating figure, his mind racing. How were they supposed to fix this with so little information?
"That's it," Itus muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he imitated the Station Manager. "'This is the problem. Fix it.' A little more information would be nice."
Connie.tchr laughed, catching Itus off guard. "He's not here to hold our hands and tell us exactly what to do," she explained. "And if he knew what the problem was, he would fix it himself, don't you think?"
Itus paused, considering her words. She had a point. He let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah, you got me there."
"Yeah, I guess I do," Connie.tchr replied with a smirk. "So how about we focus on getting this done? Start by running a diagnostic on the primary circuits."
Itus stood there, frozen. His mind went blank as he realized he had no idea how to do what she was asking. The panic must have shown on his face because Connie.tchr spoke again.
"You do know how to do that, right?"
Itus felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Um... not really," he admitted, his voice small. But then, determined not to let this opportunity slip away, he added quickly, "But I'm a fast learner, I swear."
Please give me a chance. I can do this.
Connie.tchr let out a loud snort, but to Itus's relief, she didn't seem annoyed. Instead, she motioned for him to move beside her. "Alright, kid. Let's start with the basics."
As Connie.tchr began to explain the process, Itus felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could do this after all. He focused intently on her instructions, determined to prove himself and to learn everything he could about this new world he had entered.
Itus and Connie.tchr worked on the communications array, and they fell into an easy rhythm. Connie.tchr patiently guided Itus through each step, and he found himself relaxing as he absorbed the new information. The initial panic he had felt was slowly being replaced by a growing sense of curiosity and excitement.
"So, what brought you out to this part of the galaxy?" Connie.tchr asked as they worked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp with interest.
Itus hesitated, his hands pausing over the circuit he was examining. He had been dreading this question, knowing that his true purpose might sound ridiculous to someone like Connie.tchr. But something about her made him want to be honest.
"I'm... looking for something," he began cautiously. "A group called the Heralds of Vignus. Have you heard of them?"
To his surprise, Connie.tchr let out a laugh. "Heralds of Vignus? You know that's a bunch of nonsense."
Itus felt his heart sink. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.
Connie.tchr shook her head, her expression filled with amusement and something that looked almost like pity. "I mean that they don't really exist anymore. Maybe before the Convergence War, but now they are washed-up drunks who can't even form a coherent sentence. I don't even think they congregate together anymore."
Itus opened his mouth to respond, to defend his quest or perhaps to ask for more information, but before he could form the words, an alarm blared through the station. Red lights began flashing, and a mechanical voice filled the air.
"Warning. Gravity systems failing. All personnel brace for zero-G conditions."
Suddenly, Itus felt his feet leave the floor. His stomach lurched as he began to float, tools and components drifting around him in a surreal dance. Panic threatened to overwhelm him once again.
"Shit!" Connie.tchr exclaimed, grabbing onto a nearby console. "Kid, grab onto something!"
Itus frantically reached out, his fingers just managing to grasp a handlebar. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to steady himself. "What do we do?" he called out, his voice cracking with fear.
Connie.tchr's face was set with determination. "We finish the job," she replied firmly. "These stations rely on long-range comms. Without them, they're sitting ducks for pirates."
Itus looked at her in disbelief. "But how? Everything's floating!"
A grin spread across Connie.tchr's face, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Time for some zero-G engineering. You up for it?"
For a moment, Itus wanted to say no. He wanted to curl up into a ball and wait for someone else to fix this mess. But as he looked at Connie.tchr's confident expression, he felt something shift inside him. This was why he had come out here, wasn't it? To face new challenges, to learn, to grow?
Taking a deep breath, Itus nodded, feeling a surge of determination. "Let's do it," he said, surprised by the steadiness in his voice.
With Connie.tchr's guidance, Itus learned to navigate in zero gravity. They pushed off walls and consoles, using tools tethered to their belts to work on the floating components. At first, Itus felt clumsy and disoriented, but as time passed, he began to get the hang of it. There was an odd grace to moving in zero-G, almost like swimming through air.
As they worked, Itus found himself forgetting his fear. Instead, he felt a rush of exhilaration. Here he was, floating in space, fixing advanced technology he barely understood. It was terrifying, yes, but also thrilling in a way he had never experienced before.
Just as they were finishing up the repairs, gravity suddenly returned. Itus and Connie.tchr fell to the floor along with all the floating equipment. Itus winced as he hit the ground, but the pain was quickly overshadowed by a sense of accomplishment.
Connie.tchr laughed, rubbing her arm. "Ow. Well, that's one way to end a job."
The main console lit up, indicating that the communications array was back online. Itus couldn't contain his excitement. "We did it!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
Connie.tchr smiled back at him, a hint of pride in her eyes. "Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."
As the Station Manager entered, looking impressed, Itus felt a warmth spread through his chest. He had done it. He had faced his fears, learned new skills, and completed the job.
The manager handed Connie.tchr their payment, and to Itus's surprise, she split it evenly with him. As he held the Atlas in his hand, Itus realized that this was more than just payment for a job. It was tangible proof that he belonged here, that he could contribute and succeed in this world.
When the Station Manager asked if they were looking for more work, Connie.tchr looked at Itus, raising an eyebrow in question. Without hesitation, Itus grinned and nodded.
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