The wanderer - run

The blinding swirling light ended with me seeing spots for a while. I may be dazed but I still recognized a Tishian ship by their distinct triangular ring shaped ship with obsidian plasma guns. These were cunning bounty hunters and they were ruthless. As ruthless as the Mangalers. I put on a fake lens and took off my mask and tied a sash over my hair. I began to recall a language called Morganite. A rare click language spoken in one specific section in the Galaxy by the Mabutte people. A tall, elegant, beautiful with onyx skinned. This is a secluded nation. Advanced in education and technology. They are rich in resources and have very strict rules and fewer friends since most are trying to usurp their resources. My ship now named the Lexicon was allowed to dock on Tetra terrain on the Olivian district on the condition that I cause no problems and that I use my stay here as a means to enhance my knowledge on horticultural lifestyle. I said that I am traveling to broaden my horizons to make friends and understand to be more productive. The vizir was kind enough to escort me to a treehouse and I got to see the history of this planet. The place was beautiful till greed over took its citizens. Now they are long dead after war over one another. Those who had remained decide to turn this desert planet once again to the oasis it was once before. The planet was one fourth finished. I was asked if I could help with the reforestation of the cave systems. This came as a surprise but regardless I chose to help. My ship was sent for refueling and repairs. I was taken by hover craft to the mountain regions. I saw huge caves that made me speechless. People were taking bags of treated earth deep into the cave. My job was to carry the bags from the conveyor belt to the transport. A scanning Borg was sent to search for hospitable areas. After ground penetration and other scientific tests were conducted. The geologist went in to test the surrounding area for ground stability. Once they were pleased that they would not be facing the moscovite rock formations they started drilling strategic holes and began blasting the ceiling. Then they dumped the earth and started organizing the place like it was a farm but the only thing was they planted sapling trees from the forest and other grasses.

The rest of the month was spent with me going from one side of the planet to the next doing reforestation while keeping an eye out for the library. This place is a political loophole it is usually kept a secret to ensure it is protected from criminals. The trip to desert was intriguing as there were raised domes and all sorts of underground dwellings. Derinku was one of the cities. It had many ventilating holes ensure airflow. There were spots that open to the surface but was below the sands. These were spots where the elderly would congregate to gossip or reminisce. There were rooms designed for daily life, storage, for shops, religious halls, even a few medical centers. The place was fascinating but the problem was these guys were opposing the reforestation program. They said that they like it the way it is. So after a few hours of negotiations the sections where people were inhabited or worked in were off limits but elsewhere was permitted to restore the greenery. The sand storms were unusual. The winds would go from 30 miles an hour to 900 miles an hour in the blink of an eye. The crew gave up on reforestation and moved out after they fixed the water recycling system. The locals were appreciative and gave directions to a place better suited for restoring the planet.

I had enough so I asked them to escort me back to the space port so I can go back to my exploration. These people gave me a bag of seeds as appreciation. I got a few snacks for the road. A few dried nuts and some cured meats. My bag was all with me at all times so no one had time to find any worth stealing. I arrived to see my ship was still pristine and travel ready. I hopped on and waited till the quarter master gave me permission to leave. A few had requested that I stay here as a permanent resident. Normally I would accept but given the number of bounty hunters that makes a stop at this planet so my choice was made for me. So I made an excuse that I received a message from my mother that grandma wasn't feeling well. This way there will be no suspicion. Thankfully everyone prayed for her health and some gave me a few spray bottles filled with all sorts of medicines both for me and her. I got a few changes of clothes as some of my old clothes were in bad shape. The quarter master gave me the permission and I left the planet to look for a spot to open the space bridge. As I reached the nearest moon the communications unit started crackling. I heard static and then I heard someone speak in Karula. A small starfaced creature appeared on the dash. He asked me nicely to turn around and board his vessel. I ignored him as I opened the space bridge and sped in. I switched the frequency on my comms so no one can track me.

This time I ended up on a planet that was pitch black. I had to use high beams and yet I barely saw the terrain. It feels like the planet sucks the light and spares very little. I almost hit a mountain as I lowered my ship. The readout of the landscape worked perfectly as it showed me a safe landing zone. There were trees, a lake and a passage that leads underground. The sun rose but had a very dim light. Things were barely visible. Like it was a dying star. It took me a moment to realize it was a black sun. To get a better understanding of my current location I activated the star map. As each passing moment my heart seems to rise to my throat and I feel my ears thumping and thudding with each. For some unknown reason my inner self was begging to get off this planet. I almost didn't noticed the sutble beep as it discovered my location. I discovered that I was in the dreadful planet of Anhedonia in the Alysium system. This is the very place my Granny would threaten to send me if I behaved badly. This place lived in my nightmares so instincts took over as I flipped the switch to get out of here. I used the star bridge and landed in a planet in the Freya system. A matriarchal society where equal rights has blurred the lines between basic civil liberties and capitalism. I got a chance to refuel and find directions to the medical freighter Dula that was leaving for Bjorn in the deadly Fjords system. It houses a wartorn planet with trigger itchy warriors as residents. I showed them my abilities to assist in combat treatment so I was allowed to come as a junior medic. War hardened people who were denied medical treatment were being summoned for their monthly check up. Some were reluctant and others were suspicious but regardless free meds were better than nothing. Men and women lined up in an orderly fashion as they walked into changing rooms to change into glossy white full body suits with blue strips for men and green strips indicating women. They got a basic assessment before they were diverted to their designated doctor. Some got scanned, others had refills of their meds, some even had operation done. Others just wanted someone who listens. I volunteered as a listener.

A week later my ship was stolen and was taken for a joyride. But fortunately it was recovered without permanent damage and was sent to the shipping yard. I had to pay eight hundred Valuta to get it back and another seven hundred Valuta for repairs. This is extortion but I live in the world of capitalism so I paid and went back to my apartment. On the way I met one of the young warriors I was assisting as a listener. He was lying on the floor and he was bleeding profusely. I instinctively used mud to heal him. He looked at me and asked me why I didn't let him die. He saw that he was completely healed. As he was trying to make sense of what was going on I quietly walked back to my apartment to collect my stuff as I have just exposed myself. Soon bounty hunters and other enthusiastic people will show up to arrest me. I walked out of my apartment and hailed a zoomer to take me to the space port. The cyborg only charged me half price since I resembled a young adult. The walk to my space ship was met with people pointing at me and whispering weirdly. I snuck to a quiet corner and made myself invisible before boarding my ship. Normally I would have to get the harbour master's permission but today was not one of them. I took off and immediately I was tailed by gunships that didn't even think twice about shooting at me. A warning was blared over the speaker hovering the port and my comms ordering me to stand down and lower my ship they will blow it out of the sky. So I did what anyone in my shoe would have done. I went to the city center and took a few rounds before making a hairpin turn skywards. I managed to push this machine to the limit as I made it past the moon and opened a space bridge. I pressed the only button on the dashboard. It is electric blue and looks fluid too. I pressed the button and there was a surge of electricity all over the surface of my ship that disabled any tracking device. I hit the red switch and grabbed the steering as I was pulled into the starry and mesmerizing portal to another part of the Galaxy. Hopefully I will have less trouble there than I did here.