The radar kept spinning slowly.
I was leaning over the console, staring at the screen like my life depended on it.
Maybe it did. Who knows… space Zetas could show up at any moment.
But whatever. I stayed focused on the radar, because I had promised a depressed Pearl that I'd find what was probably a shattered gem.
Though, thinking about it, I had wondered earlier why I couldn't detect fragments from that previous planet… and yeah, it was simple.
My radar was kinda trash.
"Damn… technology really moves fast when you're not the one building it," I muttered.
I shook my head and looked back at the screen.
…
…
…
"Come on… show up again, little one," I whispered.
Awkward silence.
Just the low hum of the ship's systems… which, now that I thought about it, shouldn't even sound like that.
Mental note: fix that when I land somewhere.
The debris field still floated in front of me: metal, crystals, cables, imperial plates… everything slowly drifting in the void.
And then—
Beep. Beep.
Signal detected.
My eyes snapped open instantly.
My expression shifted into full serious mode.
Work mode.
"Alright… analysis mode. Max precision… energy filter… crystalline signature… whatever works," I murmured while adjusting settings.
…
…
…
"There you are!"
The signal appeared for barely a second.
I activated my precision overlay—basically a HUD—to track minimal fluctuations. Kind of like Subnautica.
Then it vanished again.
…
…
…
"Goddamn it," I muttered, frowning.
But this time…
I had data.
My fingers moved quickly across the console as the system reconstructed the trajectory.
"Okay… okay… focus. Precision, not speed… actually both if possible."
The predictive model drew a faint line across the screen.
The signal was drifting.
Slowly rotating.
That explained why it kept appearing and disappearing.
"Definitely a gem… and it looks intact. Lucky bastard," I murmured.
Nothing else had that energy pattern.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms.
"Nice… though it's probably inside some kind of containment unit."
Made sense.
If the gem sensed the attack, the smartest move would've been to hide inside something durable.
Now came the tricky part.
I adjusted the ship's position slightly.
No emissions.
No noise.
Just another rock in space.
The radar kept spinning.
Waiting.
…
…
…
Beep.
The signal appeared again.
Closer.
I smiled.
"Got you."
I activated the mechanical claw.
The telescopic arm extended slowly from the lower compartment of the ship.
"If this thing explodes… I'm gonna be really pissed."
…
…
…
"Wait… wasn't there a nuke on that ship?"
I froze for a second.
…
"…eh. I'm not opening it here anyway."
With that brilliant decision, I continued.
The claw moved through the debris.
Past imperial plating.
Destroyed engines.
Burnt cables.
And then I saw it.
Slowly spinning in the void.
A capsule.
Damaged.
"Well… that was easier than expected."
I grabbed it carefully and brought it into the cargo bay.
Then I walked toward it.
"Pearl's gonna have a breakdown when she sees this…"
I sighed.
"Well… we're already in trouble anyway."
I looked at the capsule.
It was completely wrecked.
Cracks everywhere.
Some weird liquid leaking out.
But inside…
Something was glowing.
Faint.
But there.
"You're still alive…"
I frowned.
"Let's see if you can hold on."
And I headed to the lab.
Because if there was one thing I wasn't going to do…
It was mess with that thing recklessly.
The capsule sat on the table.
Completely messed up.
I circled it without touching it.
"Okay… don't explode, don't explode, don't explode…"
I leaned in.
Looked through a crack.
There it was.
A faint light.
I grabbed my tools.
Tweezers.
Fine cutter.
Support frame.
"If you explode… at least give me a warning."
I started.
Slowly.
Removing fragments one by one.
No rushing.
No force.
The metal creaked.
The liquid dripped.
But I kept going.
Until only one plate remained.
"This one's the dangerous one…"
I grabbed it.
Moved it slightly.
A little more.
Crack.
It came loose.
I pulled it away.
And there—
The gem.
Damaged… or so it seemed.
I stared at it.
"…damn."
I picked it up carefully.
Brought it closer to the light.
Silence.
…
…
"…huh?"
I ran my thumb across the surface.
The "damage" moved.
Came off.
Dust.
Not cracks.
Just dirt.
I froze.
"…oh."
I looked at it again.
Intact.
I let out a small sigh.
"Okay… so you're whole."
Still, I didn't trust it.
I held it more carefully.
"Let's take it slow…"
I stood up with the gem in my hand.
Because the last thing I wanted…
Was another traumatized Pearl because I broke her "friend."
And then—
The gem started glowing.
"SHIT!"
I stepped back fast, raising my weapon.
The light intensified.
First the silhouette.
Then the body.
An elegant dress—
And—
Thud.
She fell face-first onto the floor.
…
…
…
"…did that hurt?"
End of Chapter 15