---

Microtech was shrouded in deep darkness. Only the lights of Dunboro could be seen in the darkness. The settlement, built from scrap metal, lay deep in the wilderness of the planet Microtech. Far away from places and outposts controlled by the megacorporations. Here I wanted to meet someone who could hopefully answer my questions.

Between the makeshift buildings stood a Greycat MTC, whose powerful headlights outshone all other light sources. It illuminated a large part of the settlement. I preferred to stay in the dark and avoided the glaring beam of light. Carefully, I made my way through barely visible piles of scrap metal, bent metal rods, and old vehicle wrecks.

Slowly, I approached a building from behind that had the letters “BAR” written in glowing pink letters. At the back, illuminated by lamps, was a rickety shelf with storage boxes. Next to the building, a fire crackled. In front of the building, the voices of two people could be heard.

“Pyro IV is in orbit around the gas giant Pyro V, right?”

I stepped out of the darkness and said,

“Exactly—Pyro IV orbits Pyro V.”

Kjeld Stormanson and Ragnar Tyrson looked at me in bewilderment.

“Zero, greetings,” said Kjeld.

“Good to see you,” added Ragnar in his deep, gruff voice.

“Greetings…” I replied. “…and thank you for meeting with us.”

“My pleasure. But let’s go aboard our ship. There are fewer ears listening there,” recommended Kjeld.

Although it was only a few dozen meters to the Starlancer TAC, which had landed on the edge of the settlement, we took the Greycat MTC. On board the Starlancer, we sat down at the table in the mess hall. After a brief small talk, I told them about my suspicion that ENOS and the regen crisis might be related.

“Do you think that’s conceivable?” I asked Kjeld directly.

“Conceivable, yes, but highly speculative,” he replied thoughtfully and in a low voice.

“And could the bio-bots developed in the ENOS project alter human genes?” I pressed.

Kjeld raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“I have no idea. We’d have to ask the people in charge of ENOS. But first we have to find them.”

A depressing feeling of helplessness seemed to hang over the conversation. Ragnar stood up, went to a cupboard, took out two bottles of CRUZ Lux, and placed them on the table. After several seconds of silence, Kjeld continued.

“We have a lead to Pyro II, to a place called Arid Reach.”

“The Headhunters control that place,” I said with concern. “When are you leaving for Pyro?”

“Preparations are underway. We have a plan…”

“Forget plans,” I interrupted Kjeld with a laugh. “In Pyro, things don’t go as planned. A trip to Pyro is like a trip to the desert. Take water and food with you. Everything else is ballast and distracts you. You have to be flexible and go with the flow.”

Kjeld started asking questions about the nature of the planets in Pyro and their atmosphere. Ragnar wanted to know how to get to Pyro unnoticed. I shared what I knew and gave tips on how I had traveled between Stanton and Pyro without complications so far.

“In my experience, it’s better to remain unnoticed. Stealth components are more important than powerful weapons. Do it like the Valakaar. Stay hidden, only show up when it’s worth it, and disappear when things get critical.”

“That’s our daily bread,” Ragnar remarked.

I stood up, took the bottle of CRUZ, and said:

“If you need a local guide in Pyro, contact me.”

Then I drank the bottle in one gulp, put it on the table, and said goodbye.

Somewhat frustrated, I walked back through the darkness toward the lights of Dunboro. The wind had swelled into a storm and blew in my face. I raised my hand protectively. The conversation hadn’t gotten me anywhere. But maybe Kjeld was right and my suspicions were highly speculative, just a figment of my imagination.

I wondered if it even made a difference if ENOS and the regen crisis were connected. Both were scandalous events that ultimately only served the powerful. It made no difference whether they were combined or independent of each other. And I wondered if all the effort we were putting in was even worth it. Yes, we were helping the Citizens for Prosperity. But their ultimate goal was for economic powers and the UEE to come to Pyro and bring prosperity. And what would become of the free peoples then? Would they be left behind? I had considerable doubts about everything I was doing.

Thoughtfully, I walked through the skeleton of the old Reclaimer. Like the hollowed-out body of a giant whale, it lay in Dunboro and served as the basic structure of the scrap yard. In the dim light of a few lamps, there were boxes, scrap parts, and discarded components everywhere. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. Suddenly, I stumbled over a yellow metal box.

When my shin guards hit it, the lid opened. I saw the sparkle of minerals. The box was full of crystals. I looked around furtively. Did the residents know what was in their junkyard? Maybe it was stolen goods. After all, the residents were the Dusters. A lawless group that engaged in illegal mining and attacked other miners. It didn’t comply with the desert code of “you can keep what you find,” but stealing stolen goods was not reprehensible. Besides, the minerals could help finance our expedition.

I knelt over the box, closed the lid, and looked over my shoulder once more. Then I stood up, took the box, and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Before the Dusters even noticed me, I had stowed the box in the cargo hold.

*

A few hours later, I dove into the clouds of the gas giant Crusader with the Starlancer Max and headed for the cloud city of Orison. I still had a load of minerals with me that we had mined in Pyro. Although these weren’t needed to deal with the rain crisis, they could provide our expedition with a financial boost. I could have gotten more money for it at a Hurston Dynamics facility, but we didn’t want to directly support the corporation’s weapons production.

The feeling of being back in Orison was a mixture of coming home and feeling completely out of place. It was the place where my imprint had been created, the place where I owed my new start after prison. But my time in Pyro had changed me. It wasn’t just my appearance that no longer fit into this shiny world. Did the people who lived here know what life was like outside their pink bubble? I doubted it. Nevertheless, I took a room at the Green Circle to stay for a few days and do the necessary errands in peace.

I was able to sell the minerals for 85,000 credits at the trading center. Given our losses, that was only a drop in the bucket, but more than enough to buy supplies. I wanted to get these at the Orison shopping center. I stood somewhat lost in front of the refrigerated shelf at the Kel-To shop. It was filled to the brim with fruit, burritos, drinks, and sandwiches. Everything was clean and neatly arranged. But it also seemed sterile and impersonal. The difference between this and the shops in Pyro couldn’t have been greater. While the people here lived like kings, the people in Pyro lacked everything. I started packing the things we needed, as well as Pike and Hermieoth’s special requests.

Then I strolled through the cloud city. Pink petals fell from the trees like a gentle summer rain and were blown across the platform by a light breeze. Everything seemed so peaceful and harmonious. Nothing hinted at the crises that hung over everything like threatening black storm clouds. These were crises that I was committed to overcoming, without knowing exactly why.

Struggling with myself, I wandered aimlessly for hours. When night fell over Orison, I found myself in the Voyager Bar. The leather of the armchair I was sitting in creaked as I shifted back and forth. I stared unfocused into the flames dancing in a coffin-like container.

ENOS and the rain crisis could be the fire in which society threatens to burn. If only the chosen few were to survive in the future, it would also be the end for the free peoples. This crisis was not just about technology, but about freedom. It didn’t matter what the ultimate goal of Citizens for Prosperity was. If I wanted to help the free peoples, I had to help end the rain crisis. It was worth the effort and the risk.

For freedom.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)