The ash wind whispered over Basalt-9.
Somewhere beyond the blood-slicked sands of the arena, and past the craggy volcanic ridges that lined the western quarter, Kaito Hoshizora stood awkwardly beside the two armored patrolmen who had just escorted him out of the blast crater where he landed.
He was still brushing cinders from his sleeves.
"So… uh. You guys do this kind of thing often?" he asked.
The taller patrolman, a lean, stern-faced human with silver-gray stubble and a matte-black visor, grunted. "Crash landings? Weekly."
The shorter one, by contrast, looked less like a soldier and more like a bipedal beetle. His carapace smooth and tinted bronze, with glowing green eyes and a crest of twitching antennae. His voice came out slightly metallic, filtered through a translator node embedded in his collar. "Although not many survive a Spinecrasher. Let alone punch it to death."
"I've had practice," Kaito said with a grin, though he immediately winced and clutched his ribs. "Oof. Okay, that last elbow maybe dislocated something."
The three walked through a narrow obsidian pass carved by centuries of wind and lava, the patrolmen leading the way toward a distant outpost tower half-buried in dust. Steam hissed from fissures in the stone. Winged creatures circled high above, silhouetted against the double sunset.
"So where am I exactly?" Kaito asked.
The human patrolman didn't slow his pace. "Planet BASALT-9. One of the frontier spheres in the Dravien Sector. Dangerous wildlife, crumbling infrastructure, and arena tournaments every other week. Not exactly a tourist spot."
"Dravien Sector?" Kaito repeated, squinting. "Never heard of it."
He reached into his hoodie pocket, pulling out a rectangular device with cracked edges and a faint humming core, his personal nav unit. He tapped it, and a jittery holographic starmap flickered to life, hovering in the air above his palm. Most of it was blank, only a few regions rendered in glowing blue lines.
He spun the map, zooming out, then out again. "This thing's barely tracking. Still synced to the Sol Belt." He frowned, adjusting a dial. "Okay, that's the Kuiper Drift… and that's Saturn's ring gate. So if Basalt-9 is here…"
The shorter patrolman leaned in, curious. "That's an old navcore. Late-gen human tech."
"I fixed it myself," Kaito muttered.
The taller patrolman gave a sidelong look. "You're just barely in range of the First Planet System. That's the first network you hit after leaving the Sol System. Your map didn't mark it properly, probably because you're running outdated software."
"Here," the beetleman chirped, reaching into a pouch at his side. "Use mine. I have an extra."
He handed Kaito a sleek, circular disc, no bigger than his palm. When Kaito pressed the center, it unfolded midair into a high-resolution 3D star map, projecting cleanly in rotating tiers of color-coded systems and blinking gateways.
"Whoa," Kaito murmured, eyes wide. "This is so much better than mine."
He zoomed in and out with simple gestures, watching entire sectors shift and spiral across the air. "So this is the Dravien Sector…" He flicked a finger. "And there's the Inner Spiral… the Crux Verge… and—wait, there's Mizumori!"
"You're from there?" the beetleman asked, antennae twitching.
"Yep. Planet Mizumori. It's got lakes that glow, storms that sing, and gravity just light enough to make you feel like a dream. It's in the Sol System, one of the hidden ones."
The human patrolman raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it."
"Not surprised," Kaito shrugged. "Most people haven't. But I came from there. I left in the Starglider… well, what's left of it."
The human folded his arms. "Why'd you leave your planet?"
Kaito didn't hesitate.
"I'm going to be the greatest explorer in the universe."
Silence.
Steam hissed again from a nearby vent. The wings of a sky serpent flapped far above.
The beetleman tilted his head. "That's… ambitious."
"More like reckless," the human muttered.
"I mean it!" Kaito grinned. "There's a million stars out there and only one me. I've got stories to write and things to see. Sooner or later, people are gonna know the name Kaito Hoshizora."
The patrolmen exchanged a glance.
Then the beetleman pulled out a tablet-like panel and held it up to Kaito.
"Then let's make sure your name exists in the system."
He tapped a few commands. A faint scan swept across Kaito's face and body. After a few seconds, a chirp confirmed the data sync.
NAME: Kaito Hoshizora
SPECIES: Human
ORIGIN: Planet Mizumori - Sol System
RANK: Unregistered Drifter
CIVILIAN STATUS: Cleared (Provisional)
OCCUPATION: Explorer
CREDITS: 17.82 Unicoins
GALACTIC ID: ACTIVATED
A silver tag with a shifting hologram blinked into the air and dropped gently into Kaito's hand.
"There," said the beetleman. "That tag will keep you recognized in any planetary network. Don't lose it."
Kaito turned it over in his fingers, watching the light bend along its surface. "Cool."
"You're free to roam Basalt-9," the human said. "Just try not to crash into anything else."
"No promises," Kaito said, slipping the tag into his hoodie pocket.
Fifteen minutes later, Kaito wandered the outer district of the city, hypnotized by flickering neon signs and the hiss of alien food carts.
Every corner of Basalt-9's trade quarter pulsed with heat and color. A lizard-like vendor was roasting some kind of tentacled eel over blue flame. Another cart sold glowing dumplings that floated two inches above their plate.
Kaito's stomach roared like a wounded beast.
He pressed a hand over it. "Alright, alright, I get it."
He passed a stand that smelled suspiciously like grilled marshmallows, but when he checked the prices.
30 unicoins per bite.
"Okay, never mind."
Then a voice slithered in from the shadows. "You there, traveler."
Kaito turned. A long-limbed, sharp-faced alien in a crimson scarf and spiked shoes stepped into view. He had two too many joints and a mechanical eye that clicked softly as it zoomed in.
"You look hungry. Am I wrong?"
Kaito blinked. "Not even a little."
"Then you're in luck," the conman grinned, fangs peeking out. "Arena's holding a feast tournament today. 15 unicoins gets you entry, plus access to the Champion's Buffet. All you can eat. Grilled starbird, noodles, sugarfruit, real food, not synth slabs."
Kaito's eyes lit up. "Wait, seriously?"
"Seriously," the alien nodded solemnly. "You even get to fight a little if you want. Or just cheer. Totally optional. People even make money betting on themselves."
"That's incredible," Kaito said. "Where do I sign?"
"Right this way."
The conman led him down a side alley and into a black-marbled tunnel. Lights flickered above as a heavy gate groaned open ahead.
Kaito handed over nearly all his remaining unicoins.
The alien handed him a round token with the arena's emblem, a snarling beast with crossed blades.
"This is it," he said. "Show this at the gate. And enjoy the feast."
Kaito stepped inside.
Then paused.
The crowd wasn't eating.
They were screaming.
The scent of blood and metal filled his nose. Combatants stood behind barred doors. Blades glinted. Chains rattled.
A loudspeaker blared:
"NEXT ROUND: NEW ENTRY: HUMAN. NAME: KAITO HOSHIZORA."
"…Wait," Kaito whispered. "This doesn't look like a buffet."
Too late.
A steel gate slammed behind him.
"…I think I've been scammed."