21st Day of the 1st Month of 4224th YE

  I sailed towards a dreadnaught.

  At first I thought it was an island but to my surprise it wasn't, it was a dreadnaught, a first class dreadnaught.

  Dreadnaughts are known for their large size and the technology within their hulls. Judging by the look of the wreck I think it is a first class dreadnaught filled with first class technology. I feel both lucky and unlucky at the same time. If only I had first class scavenger tools then I could scrap this humongous ship. But alas I don't have any.

  Still first class dreadnaughts are known for their treasures, hopefully no one has looted this one yet.

  Though I know I am risking my life for a bunch of first class scraps, it is still a worthy endeavor.

  -Lucie 'Red' Khaine

  My little torpedo boat went towards a huge hulking floating debris, filled with to the brim with first class alloys and plastisteel. It was a floating dreadnaught wreck. A very rare sight for a small scavenger like me.

  Stars above, I'm so lucky.

  Maneuvering my small boat in the stormy sea is the easy part.

  The huge waves, and the storm winds tosses my little vessel up and down over the radiated fresh water. If he sinks then I can only expect my doom. But thankfully he is sturdy despite his size.

  My vessel, little Tide Ripper, Slices the waves as he went closer and closer to the floating hulk. I try my best to ignore the dark skies, the huge tornadoes on the background and the blinding flash of lightning followed by the roar of thunder. But the waves, the titanic waves, I can't ignore. These huge waves have pushed my vessel threatening to damage him.

  In all honesty though, I'm glad that I am not encountering a leviathan.

  After a lot of effort, watching the waves and occasional water sprout I finally reach it. The huge hulk of first class alloys and plastisteel, it is a dreadnaught. A crashed starship that was common at the age of stars.

  Usually these massive hulks of first class treasure can only be found under the sea, resting on the sea bed. It is also a home for leviathans and katans but today is my lucky day. The giant hulk is floating. I just need to get closer.

  After a few minutes I managed to attached my vessel towards the hulk. Made possible by using powerful magnets. I look at my vessel that was currently being swayed by the waves. Though I have great confidence that my little vessel can take it, he is a tough boat after all, made by the best shipwright I knew.

  I watch as my little vessel gets capsize by the waves only to emerge again as if it was unscathed. He is after all a cigar shaped vessel. He only has one turret and a crane but his entire hull is enclosed. I'm actually glad I wasn't inside Tide Ripper when he rolled over, brings back memories when I was sleeping only for him to roll over waking me from my slumber.

  Any way... I have a dreadnaught to explore.

  I wore a red cloak and a hood. My entire face is covered by my gas mask. Underneath my red robe are my belt and bandoliers that are full to the brim with tools and explosives. I wore my full body swimsuit that protects my skin from the irradiated water. I was lucky to have a second class swimsuit since it is so sturdy and it even has the function to make me float, that is not all, it is also a false muscle. This swimsuit allows me to lift things that are ten times heavier than me. On my back is a huge bag pack, it contains my third arm. A mechanical arm that I made, it has five fingers and a laser on its palm. On top of my bag pack is a cylinder that can fit on my head, it is a processor that controls the mechanical arm. This processor has a camera lens on it and a flashlight attached on it. As for my bag pack it contains a battery attached to my third arm. And that is it, I need more space for the goods that I hope that I would collect.

  As for my armament. Well it is a weapon that we scavengers like to call a "laser musket".

  Using the crank attached on my weapon I crank it again and again. My weapon lights up and it gets brighter with a red hue with each crank. Now with my weapon loaded I braved the darkness of the dreadnaught.

  PROCESSOR OBSERVING

  DATE: 1/21/4224

  MASTER LUCIE RED KHAINE HAS ENTERED THE DARKNESS.

  OBSERVING

  OBSERVING

  OBSERVING

  THIS UNIT HAS DETECTED AN UNIDENTIFIED LIFE FORM.

  I walk inside the dreadnaught. Attached on my laser musket is a flashlight that is connected on the weapon. As soon as I enter the dreadnaught I immediately began scanning my surroundings. My weapon aimed at where I was looking. My third arm is diligently looking at my blind spots. Its lenses aren't only used to fire lasers after all, it is also used as a a powerful torch light.

  Too bad my gas mask doesn't have night vision it would be very handy, especially in this environment.

  As soon as I went deeper I saw something. I stare at it for a second gulping at the sight. It seems I am not the first person here evidenced by a broken laser rifle with blood on it.

  I ordered my third hand to grab it. The diligent machine of course grabbed it and put it inside my bag.

  It maybe a broken a laser rifle but it is still a laser rifle and its parts can be salvaged... though I need to remove the blood stains.

  I continue my walk. Trying my very best not to make a sound.

  But with each step that I take my footsteps echo on the dreadnaughts dark halls. It was eerie to say the least. When I try to check a room my third arm would scan the each room first. Unfortunately the alloys are all resistant to my scanners. But I kept trying nonetheless.

  To my surprise though, most rooms are actually bedrooms. Each room measures three meters wide and 3 meters long with a four meter ceiling. What is more impressive is that each room only has one bed, a drawer, a chair and table, and lastly a screen. And each room have their own private bathroom. This is a luxury, I'm jealous.

  I check each drawer and bathroom. I let no tile and drawer untouched. Heck I even took their blankets and pillows. Even their futon is filled with high technology, it can reduce and increase its size. Even the pillows and blankets could do it.

  As I walk i then found some more goodies. Wet suits, not just any wetsuits but first class wetsuits. I'm wearing a second class wetsuit and it has a lot of handy features. I wonder what features these first class clothes have. I didn't hesitate. I horde all suits and goodies I could find.

  First class equipment is amazing, all of them can reduce their size making packaging so much easier. If possible I would like to horde the chairs tables even the bed, because by the looks of it, these furniture is made out of the strongest alloys that I have great confidence that my plasma cutters can't even cut those things.

  Too bad they can't reduce their size... So I horded one, because as it turns out these things are foldable and surprisingly weightless.

  As I walk deeper inside the hulk I felt something on my boot. I look down. It was wet and green. It is seaweed, a small one. I walk deeper and deeper until I spotted another one, this time its leaves are wider and longer than my entire body. But the plant itself is not enough to block the wide hallway. However there are a lot of these seaweeds, blocking the light of my flashlight.

  Worried about my situation, I took a deep breath and started to focus.

  I can feel the essence running through my body as activated my own ability. The seaweed of course was green. But on the darkness just hiding just between the gigantic seaweeds are a pair of red eyes watching me.

  I gulp in terror. There is no need for hesitation. That thing is watching me... With a deep breath... I pulled the trigger.

  There is no recoil. Just a flash of red light that hits my target. The moment I hit its face, the creature rushes to me. With its six legs and chitin armor the shrimp charges towards me. It is a worker shrimp, three meters tall and seven meters long, armed with a bladed head and a pair of mantis like claws and another pair of giant pincers. It is scary, nasty and very angry. And that chitin covered sea monster is charging towards me.

  I pulled the trigger again and again. The light of my weapon becomes dimmer and dimmer the more I shoot.

  "HOSTILE LIFE FORM DETECTED." says my processor "ELIMINATING THREAT."

  "WAIT!" I ordered in a panic "Wait until the target came close to five meters"

  "COMPLIANCE"

  My heart is pounding and my hands and legs are starting to shake in fear. But I know where I need to aim.

  I aimed at the shrimp's knife like head. Shooting it with my laser musket.

  It doesn't seem to be stopping. Its chitin armor is just too damn thick. But I kept on shooting anyways.

  If one isn't enough to damage it then perhaps two. If two isn't enough then three if not then ten and more until it falls.

  Though the shrimp kept on charging it finally slows down as it covers its head with its huge pincers. It then started to back away.

  But this time I started aiming for its legs.

  A blast from my laser musket is enough to melt metal but this katan shrimp is just taking the shots as if it was invincible to it.

  Fortunately for me, It isn't invincible. One of its front legs has melted and the shrimp falls out of balance. I can smell the burning shrimp... it would have made me hungry if I wasn't so damn scared. I started shooting the legs and soon another leg melted followed by another. And the katan shrimp fell of balance. It then uses its mantis like claws to crawl away but I will not let it escape.

  Katan shrimps in general are known for carrying grudges. So I shoot the giant shrimp again and again until there was a giant hole on its head.

  Finally the shrimp fell.

  My hands and legs started to shake and my heart is still pounding like crazy.

  I crank my laser musket with my shaky hands. The light from its flashlight has started to dim.

  "HOSTILE LIFE FORMS DETECTED."

  Oh come on.

  With panicking hands I crank my weapon as fast as I can. I can feel the sweat on my brows through my gas mask. Then I heard a howl. Its like thunder that echoes on these halls, its enough to make me flinch.

  After hastily cranking my weapon I aimed it. Just hidden on the tall seaweeds are red lights that are approaching me. I can't hesitate no longer. Forcing myself to calm down, I took a deep breath. Then I aim my weapon at their legs, adjust the power of my laser musket, then I pull the trigger.

  Despite the laser musket being more powerful there is no recoil. However I can feel the heat from the laser blast. That is not all, my flashlight also gets more and more dimmer with each shot prompting me to crank it again and again after each shot.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  But with each shot hit a katan shrimp stumbles because one hit is enough to scorch their legs. With one hit a katan shrimp falls because one hit is enough to incinerate their heads. It is just a shame that the shrimps suddenly started to cover their heads with their massive pincers as they charge at me. But that is okay since I can still aim at their legs.

  However, there is just too many of them. I have cranked and shot five shrimps already and they are still coming.

  Six have fallen, then seven, then eight but there are still no end to these creatures. And these things are getting closer and closer. Until my third arm then releases its laser on its palm. Scorching every shrimp that gets close.

  I quickly crank my weapon as I step back shooting every shrimp I can aim at.

  The corridors were light with red as me and my third arm shot at the giant shrimps. It was frightening but the horde itself keeps reminding me that I have to focus. With each shot I have to crank my weapon, each shot miss might equal my death. If I crank to slow that would also equal my death. If I didn't have my third arm then there is no doubt that I would be dead by now.

  I shot and shot until finally twenty seven giant worker shrimps lay dead in front of me. Their yellow blood litter the halls.

  "LIFE FORMS ELIMINATED. 71% POWER REMAINING." says my third arm. Its mechanical voice weirdly sounds soothing at this moment.

  I walk towards the corpses, shooting the heads of the shrimps as I pass.

  Then I pick up the corpses, one by one. These things sell great at the market if I can't sell them then I can always eat them. I mean who on their right mind would say no to shrimp, I won't, these things are a delicacy and they are delicious.

  Thanks to my second class swimsuits I managed to pick these giant shrimps up. Though I admit it took me a day to haul these shrimps to my boat. Little Tide Ripper has a crane that serves as his arm so it was easy for me to put them all into storage. No the right term is probably its easier, because the damn waves is making things much more difficult so much so that two shrimps got lost to the sea.

  Its a good thing that my little vessel has a processor of its own or else this task would be impossible.

  After that scuffle I went inside my boat, chopping each shrimp then freezing them with a frost gun. Sadly I can only fit five shrimps inside my vessel, but that is okay. These pieces of meat is enough for me to catch a fair price in the market.

  But the real treasure however, is the first class clothing I found and the blanket and futons.

  I excitedly pick the futon, it looked so cute when it was so small. With a touch the futon suddenly grew bigger, big enough for one person to lie on it. I have already removed my equipment and I simply lay at the futon... and I immediately melted. This thing is just so comfortable... This... This is a good haul. I'll return to that floating wreck again after I sold my haul.

  24th Day of the 1st Month of 4224th YE

  After a few days of sailing, I finally found it. It was a collection of tall structures. Buildings that stood tall despite being constantly smashed by huge waves. These tall structures are so high they reach the skies and each one is connected by man made bridges, whose structure is less than stellar than the buildings they stood upon. Not only that but there are also other less than stellar buildings protruding on the sides of these tall buildings.

  If I'm going to accurately describe these buildings well they are like.... like parasites attached to these magnificent structures like fleas or ticks.

  Perhaps I was being cruel when I describe it like that, for on those parasitic buildings are the homes of many families, in fact I can see them walking towards those bridges and going inside those buildings. Heck I can even see people who put their stalls... and homes on those bridges.

  This by the way, this city of tall grey buildings and parasitic structures, is the hive city of Grey Spire.

  As I sail towards the city, my little vessel was assaulted by the waves. No surprise there, the waves have always been this brutal no matter where I go.... unless I went near the freezing north or south. Navigating to the waves have always been difficult, luckily for me, My boat is made by one of the best shipwrights I have known.

  Thus my little vessel cut through the waves like a champ.

  I approach the city wrestling against the waves. As I did so the radio on my boat then make its call.

  "Torpedo boat, Identify yourself."

  "I'm not a torpedo boat" I immediately replied "I am a scavenger, I came for trade."

  ".... You look like a torpedo boat thou-"

  "OUT OF THE WAY ROOKIE!"

  "..."

  "Sorry about that scavenger he is a new guy, just state your business and prepare for a scan."

  "Understood" I immediately replied.

  "Were sending a titan to carry your vessel. We don't want your vessel to sink now won't we?"

  "I appreciate your help gate guardian."

  "Stand by scavenger. Titan Atlas is on the way."

  As I sail on the huge waves. I started to think. "Is the Titan coming?' its been fifteen minutes and the Titan hasn't come to pick me up.

  "Gate Guardian, are you there?" I ask on the radio

  "We're here scavenger." The radio nonchalantly replies.

  "Where is the titan?" I ask

  "Titan Atlas is coming at your position."

  "Where?"

  ".... Beside you."

  "Pardon"

  I felt as if my souls was left at the bottom of my vessel as my boat was suddenly pulled up.

  Then a blinding light smashes through Tide Ripper's windows, making me flinch for the light itself has made me blind... for a few seconds.

  When I regain my vision I look at the source of light.

  Two huge circles of light are staring at me. It took me a moment to realize what it was. Those things... were actually eyes. I go up to the deck to get a glimpse of the titan that is lifting my vessel.

  I am not disappointed. It was a Titan, A mech one hundred and twenty meters tall. Base from the alloys that serves as its armor I can say that it was a third class titan. But hight technology or not, the titan is still a sight to behold. It doesn't stand straight, in fact it was a hunchback, its entire back is a thick armor of carapace, On its shoulders are gigantic cannons that should only be mounted on a battleship, those shoulder mounted cannons are eighteen inch railguns. I guess it was made to kill Leviathans.

  On the sides of my ship I saw its huge fingers.... but judging by the spires protruding, it is much accurate to say that they were actually claws. On its right arm is a gigantic chainsaw that is attached on its arm. Such a fearsome machine.

  The massive waves smashes through the titan's frame but the giant machine didn't seem fazed. It outright ignored it.

  I can feel every shake and bounce with each step the Titan takes. Looking around I can see other titans too.

  Some folded into crab like creatures swimming at the waters, others nonchalantly walks to the raging waves as if it those waves didn't exist in the first place.

  It seems that the guardians are using the same mech model. A humanoid mech with a hunch back and large pauldrons. It's hunchback was actually a huge armor shell and on top of those armored shells is either a huge turret or a huge rocket launcher. Their pauldrons are either laid bare or armed with guns or cannons, Now that I have a good look at them they actually have rotary cannons attached on their torsos. And their main weapon is a power claw that also serves as their hand. As for their right arm, it is either composed of a a gigantic chainsaw or a plasma cannon. This guys are not joking around.

  Wait a minute... I'm spotting seven of these giant things... why didn't I saw them?. Wait a minute! it is actually twelve!

  The paint scheme of these titans. They are made from many hues of blue black and white, made out of a pattern that really breaks their outline. They simply blend with the waves, if not then they are just really hard to see because their pattern breaks the outline, so much so it makes me dizzy if I look at it for too long. Its genius! I'm really impressed by the pattern, it is both meant to conceal and to dazzle.

  With heavy steps the Titan ignores the waves. Carrying my little vessel on its claws. It is quite a view. Then I saw them, these behemoths are cruising the waves, their bows slices the waves as if they are blades. Huge guns, larger than the guns mounted on the titan. A huge frame as if an island was moving on its own. Huge plumes of smoke comes out of their exhaust as if it was an active volcano. That is right, the battleships are here.

  Just like the titans the battleships seems to be painted on the same color scheme. They also used the same ship model, probably to save cost. Based on the designs of these battleships, they are designed to face and eliminate enemy Titans. Four main turrets, Two at is bow and two at its stern, each turret have three giant gauss cannons attached to it, by this distance I estimate those are thirty one inches in caliber. That is more than enough to leave a hole on both titan, leviathan and other battleships. Around its superstructure are a bunch of smaller turrets, secondary weapons, If I take a guess on their armament those are eight inch gauss cannons, which by the way, is enough firepower to cripple the titan that was carrying me. And scattered around the superstructure are manned weapon stations, those laser cannons are strong enough to destroy both aircraft and torpedo boats but basing from those laser cannons, I guess their main prey are actually katans.... or mechs. There are also rocket launchers scattered around its hull, I don't know what is inside those launchers but my gut is telling me that those things are nasty. If that wasn't enough, the thing even has casemate gauss guns, as if the battleship itself wanted to erase the direction of its broadsides. These battleships are so armed to the teeth I wouldn't be surprised of these things have underwater torpedo tubes.

  And there are three battleships of the same class patrolling the waters. To my surprise one of the titans then climbs on top of a battleship, surprisingly the battleship did not sink nor did it even react to the sudden weight on its stern. The battleship just nonchalantly picks up the titan, I can even see the crew locking its legs and knees on the ship's deck.

  I watch the scenery above. The view is great. Then we went near one of the battleships. The titan's massive claws gently lands my boat on the stern deck. Men in power armor then hop over the giant claw to assist my little vessel. It didn't take long for my little vessel to be placed on stern deck with other vessels, many are larger than my little boat.

  It would be a nice ride, But the three cannons pointing at my direction isn't exactly comforting. I know they did that because battleships needed proper balance but I'm not really comfortable with the end of a barrel. Especially when that cannon is thirty one inches in caliber. My vessel would cease to exist if it took a direct hit from that thing.

  "Quite a ride huh" says one of the men wearing a gas mask. I looked at him, he was on top of his boat with his crew.

  "Yeah" I answered "The view from the Titan is really something."

  "I was talking about your ride." he simply replies "That is a unique boat you got there scavenger... Did you made it yourself?"

  "No" I answered "An artificer friend of mine made it for me."

  He whistles "Mind introducing me to this craftsman."

  "They call him Runner."

  "You got to be more specific man, That is a common name."

  "Just go to a company called Iron Hand Ships. Then ask for an apprentice shipwright named Runner."

  "The IHS huh... you got lucky. Their products are either crap or treasure."

  "Heh" I can't help but chuckle "That depends on the Artificer in charge of the product."

  "Ain't that the truth... is your mechanical arm made from that company?"

  "You mean this thing?" I pointed at my third arm "No, I made it myself. I don't trust the artificers of IHS... I only trust those I know."

  "Heh" the man answers.

  A huge waves then washes over us. The clamps made sure for us not to get carried away, The men in power armor resisted the waves, non were thrown overboard, thanks to their armored boots. Those armored boots are magnetized to the ship's deck preventing them being carried away by the waves. Then the ship moved, there was a bot hovering around us carrying trays of food and water.

  I simply looked at the bot. Their maintenance crew are getting lazy. They didn't even bother to cover its processor, I can see the brain on the floating bot. It is simply a floating ball with three arms and three eyes. The eyes are actually cameras Each arm has a claw with three fingers and it is very dexterous. Normally the floating ball's processor would be covered but this time it wasn't , The brain, which is also the processor is either stored in a cylinder like mine or a ball, This cylinder or sphere is there to protect the glass that contains the brain and this poor bot has its protection removed. Poor thing.

  The battleship then started to move. It effortlessly cut the waves as it travel through the stormy sea. If that wasn't enough the battleship itself ignores the strong winds, I am one hundred percent sure this battleship can sail through a hurricane and leave as if nothing happened.

  Though the ride isn't exactly pleasant. I can feel the waves smashing on my little vessel, the more the waves smashes on my little boat the more I am impressed by the clamps that is connecting my vessel to the stern deck of the battleship. And also the magnetic boots of the power armored crew.

  I am more worried if my vessel would survive this onslaught.

  Then I watch in horror as I saw the water suddenly rising from the window of my little vessel, then as quickly the water rise it also quickly went down. Then it happened again and again. The damn battleship is sinking and rising again and again. That is not supposed to happen, this is a battleship not a submarine.... is it? I hope so.

  Then I felt it... I really felt it. My body is rising up and down, for once I questioned if the battleship can actually survive the waves. I hold on for dear life, for hours... at least I think it was hours. As I was praying for my dear life the movement, the bouncing and the life threatening fear of death-suddenly stops.

  I can only sigh in relief-that was... until I take a look on the window. It is so dark. I saw the man that talked to me open his hatch, his head pops out, then he removes his gas mask. He looked... average, white hair and heterochronic eyes, one is red the other is blue. Then another head pops out on the same hatch, the man help the same person out of their mask, revealing their face. They both have white hair and heterochronic eyes, also almost the same facial structure. I guess the kid was his child. A smile was found on both of their faces as they went out of their boat, then the entire crew come out. All of them started removing their masks.... how careless. All of them have white hair and heterochronic eyes.

  Out of curiosity, I pop my head out of my hatch. It was dark however there are lights that seems to guide the battleship, their light reflecting the unnaturally calm waters.

  It didn't take long for the battleship to dock on port. Cranes started to remove the boats on the ship, my vessel included. They loaded us carefully to the docks, I have nothing but full respect for their hospitality.

  I then approach a man with white hair and beard, he has heterochronic eyes. He is wearing a tricone hat and a coat made out of sea leather.

  "What's your business?" he then asks me with his rough voice.

  "I'm here to sell my haul."

  He then lights up a cigarette. "What is your haul?"

  "Shrimp meat."

  He smiles "Sounds delicious... Let me see your haul, if you don't mind."

  In the end I exchanged all of the meat for ten kilograms of high quality second class steel. Not a bad haul if you ask me.

  I walked at the port. Lights are everywhere and the merchants are bustling with noise, most of their produce are meat they caught from the sea, some sell sea eggs and live fish. Some sold sea weed cakes and cookies. But the more one goes deeper to the market the more diverse the goods become, Some sell weapons and ammunition, others sold junk and trinkets, But the most bustling market is the drug market for the junkies. Though I stay away from those untrustworthy apothecaries, they're marketing is strangely... aggressive.

  "Hey there Junker, Wanna try my blue shimmer? One gram of steel for a shot." says a drug dealer wearing a gas mask that is shaped like a bird.

  "Here Junkie" says another, this one with a feminine voice "How about some sticks for your pleasure."

  I simply ignored these aggressive vendors, as I navigate the market. Even the stairs are full of vendors trying to sell their wares, in fact that is where the drug booths are located, There are even people lying on the sides, their eyes looked as if they are somewhere else. Some even barf on the side, there are even those openly using the drugs they bought or stole.

  Truth be told I don't even know why these people are using those things, they all look like living dead.