Mutus was looking at the drones passing by at high speeds while he hid himself behind verdant ruins, remains of ambitious projects that never had the chance of being finished, in his hands he was holding the most precious resource he had ever managed to steal - an antimatter battery.

  He didn’t even breathe, as if doing so would get the thief noticed. Mutus was shaking, but it wasn’t because of fear. The thief was shaking from excitement, for he knew what could be done with this battery.

  This battery was a core piece of any city worth of anything in this filthy world that a lot of people lived in but didn’t call home.

  After some time the drones, soulless things made of metal capable of floating as if gravity was little more than a suggestion, started making strange sounds. It was then that Mutus moved because he knew that they had bitten the bait.

  Without looking back Mutus ran like his life depended on it, and it did. While running he passed by some close calls almost going too close to a drone or another, making too much noise or tripping, but no such thing happened so the thief continued to his hideout, plans already forming in his mind.

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  After more than two hours running, Mutus reached Callidus workshop, being welcomed by the smell of grease and cleaning products. A combination of smells, all too common here since Callidus hated the filth on this planet.

  In his friend's workshop were books scattered everywhere but the floor, something that if asked about the owner of the workshop would know the place and content of every single book. The electronics were inside black metal boxes lined in shelfs and on the floor, that Mutus had no idea what they were made of, electronics that were composed of things that Callidus himself made with junk from various places and things Mutus had stolen for him.

  Callidus, seeing his friend and knowing that he had been successful, was already with a big smile on his face.

  “This right here is a ginormous step forward in our plans to leave this planet” said Callidus with a bit of flair moving his hands everywhere as if gesturing to everything and nothing specific at the same time.

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  “You are a bit too excited, you know what had to happen for us to get this battery.” Mutus said without an ounce of actual accusation.

  “That’s purely because I know that there were no casualties in that city fall” His friend defended himself.

  “And what of the people that lost their houses?”

  “It only happened because of the greed of the governor of that city, and everyone escaped, now he probably will have to reinstitute everyone out of his own pockets and will lose his position.” Explained Callidus.

  “Do you really think he will lose his position? With how corrupt he was he must have paid everyone he can to continue being a governor.”

  “Look at what you are bringing with you Mutus. It would be a different matter altogether if he hadn’t lost one of the core pieces that literally kept his city afloat, now his stance politically is broken beyond repair.”

  Mutus stopped looking at his friend and for the first time since he actually got his hands on the battery saw it for what it was and its worth.

  “Now you’re starting to get it” Callidus said seeing the realization dawning on his friend ”Remember, the city of Nubes had six such batteries, if the governor lost even one battery his city would not be allowed back in the skies, he needs to have three to stay up, but for security reasons he needs to have double the amount of batteries needed to make it float, even in times of emergency”

  “So his city can’t float anymore even if they still have four” Mutus uttered, completing his friend's reasoning.

  “Yes, a shame to the ones that lost their houses while the city fell, but they were already in a floating city, they will be reallocated to another one and they have no one else to blame except the governor.”

  Mutus, still mulling over his friend’s words, quietly went to Callidus and gave the battery to him.

  Callidus took it with care, and seeing that Mutus still had a pensive look to him, went on to store the battery in one of the only black boxes still empty in his workshop.

  In the silence of the workshop both friends sat down on nearby boxes.

  “So what is left for us to get?” Mutus, looking to have finally stopped thinking about it, asked.

  “Well not much, we have all the metal to make the carcass of the ship and have most of its inner components, we lack an engine that can use the battery for one, since we got our hands on it better to make use of it.”

  “Can’t you make it like the rest?” Mutus asked.

  “With what I have here? No.” Callidus said matter of factly.

  The thief seeing how this was progressing already knew what would have to be done. So he asked away.

  “What do you need?”

  “Coincidentally I know of a guy that has come in possession of a fallen ship that has one such engine.”

  “Who?” Mutus asked, looking at the grey eyes of his friend.