The gel sold in less than an hour.
A single pod of Reclaimed Bio-Tissue Gel, traded to a freelance medic named Jorren. He didn't ask where I got it, and I didn't ask who he was healing.
He dropped 6 Earth Credits into my account like it was pocket change.
That was a profit of over 3 credits—on one item.
I messaged Rhys-N7 again.
"Move more gel. I'll move more cash."– KAI
He replied within seconds.
"Ten units max per cycle. First claim's yours."– RHYS-N7
I didn't hesitate.
[Purchased: 10 Bio-Tissue Gels – 25 C.U.]
It was nearly all I had in reserve.
But worth it.
I started listing the gels on my updated KaiFix panel. Nothing flashy—just word-of-mouth to five buyers. I listed each unit for 5.5 credits. Low enough to sell fast, high enough to build profit.
Within three hours, all ten were gone.
55 credits.
One buyer even offered to trade a portable fusion spark in exchange for two future units. I marked him as a high-priority lead.
That night, the system pinged me with a passive alert:
[Trade Efficiency Threshold Met – 60%+ Profit Margin Across 10 Trades]EEP Update: +1 Merchant Reputation (Hidden Rank Influence) UnlockedPotential Tradepost License: 1% progress earned
Tradepost license.
The term made my heart skip.
It wasn't just symbolic. With a tradepost, I could finally have a secure site—an actual location—to store, move, and manage goods.
Not just scraps stuffed in stolen lockers or fake-back crates.
But to unlock a license?
I'd need three things:
A safe zone with low surveillance
Stable three-seller supply chain
100 credits or equivalent asset collateral
Right now, I had one and a half of those.
I walked the district that night.
Past scorched alleys and neon gutters, until I reached an old data relay station, long-dead from solar flare interference. It had no surveillance. No patrols.
Just a collapsed roof and a floor full of trash.
But its underground chamber?
Still intact.
I spent two hours clearing the entry. Just enough to stash my inventory.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was mine.
[Trade Node Marked: Proto-Post Kai-001]Status: Inactive – Storage OnlyUpgrade Potential: MediumHostile Risk: Low
The system recognized it. That was enough.
I had a home base now.
Small. Hidden.
But a start.
The next morning, I received another encrypted message.
Not from Rhys.
Not from Kerys.
Sender: UNKNOWN (Filtered through Black-Line Protocol)Subject: "You're Moving Too Fast"Body:"Tradeposts draw heat.Traders don't like noise.Tier-4s watch everything.If you build, do it quietly.If you expand, do it in the dark.You're still alone in 10,000 light years.But not for long."
It ended with a single sigil:
A black sun with three rings.
I didn't recognize it.
Yet something about it made my skin crawl.
I locked the chamber, updated my inventory logs, and took one long breath.
No more hand-to-mouth survival.
No more fearing every message.
I wasn't rich yet.
But I wasn't poor anymore either.
I was in motion.
Current Status:
Kai's trade network is gaining strength. After selling 10 bio-gel units to street medics, he now holds 13.2 Cosmic Units and 43.5 Earth Credits. His EEP Rank remains at 3, but hidden influence is growing. He's opened trade lines with Rhys-N7, gained access to mid-tier medical supplies, and marked his first hidden tradepost in an abandoned relay station. External observers—including an unknown faction with a black sun insignia—have taken notice. Total trades completed: 27. Kai is now 3 steps closer to establishing a full Tradepost License.
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— S.A.