Here, in the vast expanse of space, a blue-green planet drifted alone in the endless darkness. Suddenly, a pale blue spaceship appeared above the planet's orbit, shattering the stillness.
The ship emerged from the space bubble, its warp drive's safety components beginning to smooth out the spatial turbulence caused by faster-than-light travel. Its radiator grilles radiated a fiery white light, evidently requiring some cooling before setting sail again. Kevin and the others had already taken a nap in their respective rooms when the announcement of the ship's arrival woke them all up. "Is this our destination?" Kevin rubbed his sleepy eyes as he emerged from his room. He saw a data terminal floating in the air above the living room, displaying a holographic image of a blue-green Earth-like planet. "...and its ecosystem is so developed?!"
"It's highly Earth-like, with complex life forms. Its carbon-based ecosystem has evolved to a stage where mammals flourish, but intelligent species haven't yet emerged. The temperature, atmospheric structure, and gravity are all suitable for short-term human survival. However, the atmospheric oxygen content is higher than Earth's and is slightly toxic. Long-term survival would cause a variety of physiological illnesses in Earthlings," the data terminal reported, downloading a planetary briefing from the spacecraft's mainframe. "Of course, it won't be a problem for the three of you. Your constitutions can negate this."
Kevin stepped forward to put away the data terminal. At the same moment, he heard a crew member's voice from the hatch: "Your Excellency, Inquisitor, we've arrived."
Kevin went over and opened the door, only to find the same thin, dark-skinned young man who had led the way. He still wore that slightly reserved smile. "The captain was supposed to take you ashore personally, but he's in the detention room copying traffic regulations, so I'll take you to the planet's surface."
Kevin: "..."
Of course, such a massive ship couldn't land directly on the planet's surface. Even if it could, it would consume too much energy to launch again. So, Kevin and the other two had to transfer to a small landing craft. This landing craft, resembling a triangular plate, only required one person to pilot it, making it ideal for transporting small numbers of passengers or cargo between a planet and an orbiting mothership. After checking their carry-on luggage, Kevin and the other three followed the young crew member onto the "small plane." As they left the hangar on the small landing craft, Kevin finally experienced the feeling of weightlessness he had longed for: small aircraft lack artificial gravity. Once outside the comfortable environment of the mothership, the crew felt the sensation of true space. "Our technology is still primitive, and we can't install an artificial gravity generator on a small craft like this," the young man tasked with transporting Kevin and the other two to the surface said with a smile. "It's said that the degraded fighters and small transport planes retired by the Imperial vassal army are equipped with ultra-compact gravity generators. Our captain is trying to procure a few, but that won't be easy."
"What do you need that for?" the data terminal asked casually, floating in the landing craft's cramped cabin. "Those things, stripped of their weapons, are just ordinary shuttles. They can only carry a few people and don't even have a cargo hold. Besides being faster, their shields are at best a bit stronger than yours, and they're ridiculously expensive. The small gravity generators are useless except for a bit of fanfare. The cost-effectiveness is practically zero."
"Oh, just for the fanfare," the young man shrugged. "Our captain believes in buying them first, regardless of whether they're useful or not. Look, this ship doesn't even have a passenger license, yet he's prepared twenty sightseeing shuttles."
Kevin's expression was quizzical: "...That guy's quite interesting."
The shuttle flew in zero gravity for a while before encountering the planet's dense atmosphere. After a thrilling deceleration, it finally landed smoothly at the location indicated by the data terminal: a rocky plateau near the coastline. "So you're leaving now, right?" Kevin, carrying his small suitcase, stepped onto the alien planet for the first time in his life. Before he could even breathe a few breaths of fresh air, he thought, "How am I going to get back?"
"I don't know about that," said the young crew member standing on the shuttle's ramp. "Our orders were to get you here. The Empire must have other arrangements for your return trip." He shrugged. "We're just a civilian company. The Inquisitor's actions are confidential to us."
With that, he turned and climbed into the shuttle. The craft silently lifted off in front of Kevin, transforming into a streak of light and rapidly disappearing into the horizon. "I have a bad feeling..." Kevin felt a cold sweat slowly seeping down his neck. "Do you think that psychopathic woman hasn't even arranged our return trip... Has she completely forgotten?!"
Just as he finished his words, there was a loud "crack!" A thunderclap from the clear sky nearly startled Kevin. "Oh my god, this divine punishment is everywhere and never late!"
"Tsk!" The data terminal saw that the thunder had only frightened Kevin, not actually struck. The voice sounded a little disappointed. "After completing the mission, just send a message to Raven Commander. She'll arrange the next trip."
Kevin sighed, finally feeling relieved and able to observe his surroundings. The three of them were currently at the seaside. To Kevin's right lay the vast ocean, its rolling white waves surging endlessly, crashing against the pristine coastline with a clattering sound. Beyond the horizon lay the gradually sinking sun. The stars here were smaller than the sun seen on Earth, but their brightness seemed even more intense, creating a twilight scene distinct from that seen on Earth, yet with a unique charm. To Kevin's left lay a gravel beach about a kilometer wide, its surface covered in coarse brown stones. Among the rubble were traces of dried, fibrous material resembling plant debris.
At the end of the gravel beach lay a lush, primeval jungle. The faint roars of wild animals could be heard emanating from the depths of the forest. Nangong Wuyue stared at everything in front of her with wide eyes, her eyes wide open, curious. The cool sea breeze on her face seemed to bring her great comfort. The mermaid squinted her eyes and savored it for a moment before speaking. "I can't tell it's an alien planet... I thought it was just like in the movies, a barren wasteland with a bunch of craters."
"Most planets like that are, but honestly, they're not that interesting." The data terminal activated its holographic projection, displaying an ever-expanding 3D scan. "The universe is so vast, and its number is so vast, that you can find almost any wonder you can imagine, or even imagine. When this machine was still on the production line, it dreamed of becoming a starship host, of following the glorious Imperial generals into battle, of hacking people's brains on all sorts of fantastical planets. Damn, it wasn't until the serial number was issued that this machine realized it was a PDA... Sigh, let's not dwell on the sad past. You should prepare a camp first."
Kevin was busy admiring the pristine scenery of this alien planet while waiting for the data terminal to tell him the tenant's coordinates. He was startled by the words: "Camp? Shouldn't we go find someone first?" "Nonsense! Look, the sun's almost gone!" The data terminal shut off the holographic projection and slid into Kevin's pocket. "The container hold we're looking for seems to have a problem. It's no longer transmitting positioning signals. We'll have to gradually expand our scanning range. We won't know its approximate location until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Until then, you'd better find a place to stay for the night. This terminal is warning you that this primitive planet might be dangerous. It might not pose a big threat to you, but being chased by primitive creatures all night is definitely not fun."
The data terminal irresponsibly abandoned the task, leaving Kevin and his two "assistants" looking at each other in bewilderment. "Who of you knows how to build a camp... No, we don't even have a tent!"
"I'll just soak in the sea," Nangong Wuyue waved her hand nonchalantly, but she turned back after taking two steps. "Never mind. I wonder if the fish on this planet are any tougher than those on Earth. As a sea monster, it would be humiliating to get eaten by fish from an alien planet." Y'zaks surveyed the surrounding terrain. "It's not that difficult, actually. You guys step aside. I'll dig a hole, then surround it with a circle of demonic flames. Ordinary animals won't dare approach..."
Kevin quickly dissuaded him, "No, no, just use your flames to build a bonfire. There's no need to use a meteorite to blast a hole through such a beautiful natural landscape just to block out the sea breeze..."