The orb pulsed again, now steady—less a machine and more a sentinel.
[—Communication channel stabilized—]
[—You may initiate direct contact with Archive Entity Zeta-9 via this relay—]
[—Use the following neuro-frequency imprint during emergencies or to engage in authorized exchange protocols—]
A sharp pulse lanced through Carl's head, and just as quickly, it was gone. But he knew—somehow—that he could now call them, mentally, by focusing on the imprint. It was embedded into his neural interface like a carved pathway.
"Wait, I can… call you?" he muttered. "You're leaving?"
[—We do not dwell in one place, Carl of TerraCore—]
[—But we listen. And we remember. When you are ready to trade… when you are ready to build—reach out—]
The orb retracted its light, rose vertically, and phased back through the hull. Carl rushed to the window just in time to see it vanish into the crystalline alien vessel. Moments later, the ship itself shimmered—then bent light around itself until it disappeared completely, as if erased from the canvas of space.
Only the stars remained.
And him.
Alone.
Back in the cockpit, the AI had rebooted fully. Carl issued a directive: search for nearby celestial structures—anything resembling mining hubs, industrial zones, or energy signatures.
"Initiating scan…"
The sensors hummed.
Then—something pinged.
Multiple returns. Dozens, actually. Spread out across the system like breadcrumbs. The AI overlaid the results in a three-dimensional grid around the star system. Each signature represented a dormant or abandoned site.
Carl zoomed in. The mining network was ancient, yes, but incredibly advanced. Dozens of orbital tethers still remained, connected to fractured planetoids and hollowed moons. Beneath the surface of some of these celestial bodies were geothermal shafts, partially operational fusion veins—and in two sites, traces of automated core extractors.
But only one site stood out.
"Location: Designation XG-443—Former Extraction Nexus. Artificial satellite in geo-lock orbit over gas giant Norex-II. Oxygen-rich, shielded atmosphere. Unknown remnants detected. Optimal for base deployment."
Carl locked onto the coordinates.
"AI, set course to XG-443. Let's go see what I've inherited."
"Autopilot engaged. ETA: 3.1 hours."
Three hours later, the Valkyrie descended through the high-altitude mists of Norex-II's orbit. Beneath him, the platform came into view—massive, circular, nearly 2 kilometers wide. It floated on a web of magnetic suspension arrays, still functional despite untold centuries of abandonment.
As the ship docked with the outer ring, Carl suited up.
The platform's exterior was covered in thick dust and moss-like biogrowths. But the inner dome, when breached, revealed a marvel: a cavernous control hub layered in overlapping alien glyphs and surrounded by mining rails, elevator shafts, and deep-bore access tubes.
The AI's translation suite began deciphering patterns.
"This facility operated as a command outpost for the Kethris Extraction Grid. Status: dormant. Energy signature: minimal but recoverable. Biomass signature: zero. You are alone."
He walked toward a massive central terminal shaped like a crystal pillar. As he touched it, the system stirred. Faint lights arced across the walls like neurons firing.
A holographic interface projected in the air.
Lines of data scrolled by—material indexes, atmospheric pressures, subterranean maps, mineral classifications, even logistics for orbital lift routes. This place had once supplied an entire interstellar trade network with processed ore.
Carl's heart raced.
This wasn't a salvage op anymore.
This was a foundation.
He stood on the platform, staring out into the void, stars scattered like data nodes across the black sea. Somewhere, ancient civilizations had once built wonders with the minerals he now sat atop.
He was alone.
But he wasn't helpless.
He activated his neuro-link.
["Zeta-9… this is Carl. I've found the hub. I'm staying. First trade coming soon."]
The imprint pulsed in his mind. No response. Just acknowledgment.
* After the facility was activated, like a beacon, it called out into the void. The call was answered. *