Griz’s cryptic warning hung in the air like a bad smell, but it was the coordinates he scribbled on a napkin – a bustling spaceport on Kepler-186f – that truly propelled the Obsolete forward. Kepler-186f, according to Zee, boasted a spaceport that was less "orderly facility" and more "organized chaos." And she wasn’t wrong.
The Obsolete, looking more like a rusty can than a starship, limped into the Kepler-186f spaceport. It was a cacophony of sights and sounds: alien creatures haggled over exotic fruits, droids zipped through the crowds carrying precarious stacks of crates, and the air hummed with a million different conversations in a dozen different languages.
"Remind me again why we're not parking this bucket of bolts somewhere less… noticeable?" Drake, the Obsolete's AI, quipped, his voice a dry crackle through the speakers.
"Because Griz said the Zenith Corporation operates from here” Captain Zero replied, his usual swagger slightly dampened by the overwhelming sensory input. "And they're somehow tied to Xylos's disappearance."
The Zenith Corporation. The name itself sounded sinister, like something whispered in a dark alleyway. Their headquarters, according to Griz's hastily drawn map, was a sleek skyscraper that seemed to pierce the very clouds of Kepler-186f's sky.
"First steps in uncovering the conspiracy” Zero muttered, his voice echoing the gravity of the situation. "Let's blend in… somewhat."
Blending in was easier said than done. Zero, clad in his captain’s uniform, which looked suspiciously like a repurposed spacesuit, and sporting a rather unfortunate toupee, certainly didn’t help.
Their initial inquiries yielded little. The Zenith Corporation’s public face was that of a seemingly respectable interstellar trading company, their dealings shrouded in a veil of corporate secrecy. But a pattern emerged: several of their recently vanished employees shared surprising similarities to Xylos’s profile.
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"We need an informant” Vee declared, her usual cheery tone tinged with seriousness.
Their search for an informant led them to "The Rusty Sprocket” a bar known more for its questionable clientele than its stellar drinks. The air inside was thick with smoke, the smells ranging from questionable alien spices to something vaguely resembling burnt rubber.
Zero, ever the social butterfly (or so he believed), decided to charm their way to information. His attempt at casual conversation, however, devolved rapidly into a humorous – if slightly embarrassing – bar fight.
It began innocently enough. Zero, attempting to buy a drink with what turned out to be a counterfeit credit chip, found himself embroiled in a shouting match with the barkeep, a hulking alien with six arms and an even shorter temper. What started as a verbal altercation escalated into a full-blown brawl when Zero, in a valiant (if clumsy) attempt to defuse the situation, accidentally knocked over a table piled high with drinks. The ensuing chaos involved flying glasses, hurled barstools, and several surprisingly agile aliens.
The fight ended when the barkeep, frustrated beyond reason, tossed Zero out into the street. Vee, Flint, and Luna followed, dragging the semi-conscious Captain along with them.
"Perhaps a more subtle approach would have been beneficial, Captain” Drake’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Mira, ever practical, checked Zero for injuries. "He's more bruised than broken” she sighed, examining a sizeable lump on his head. "But at least the fighting made us popular."
Indeed, a surprisingly helpful informant, a shadowy figure named Jax, approached them. Jax, it turned out, had been a low-level employee of Zenith Corporation, and his recent dismissal had given him a reason for talking—and quite a bit of valuable information. He detailed the company's secret dealings, hinting at illegal experiments and a clandestine operation involving a mysterious energy source directly connected to the anomaly where Xylos vanished.
"They're not just traders, Captain” Jax whispered, his eyes darting nervously. "They're something… more. They're harvesting something from that energy source, something Xylos may have stumbled upon." He produced a data chip. "This is everything I could get my hands on. Be careful… they're watching." With that, he disappeared into the crowd.
Back on the Obsolete, Zee downloaded the data chip, her fingers flying over the controls.
"The data confirms Jax's story” she announced, her face grim. "Xylos wasn’t just abducted, he was trying to expose them." The Zenith Corporation, it seemed, were more dangerous than any pirate gang. Their conspiracy was far-reaching, and the Obsolete, and its unlikely crew, had just stumbled into the heart of it. The adventure had only just begun.
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