Storm in space?

[Ding!]

A crisp notification sound echoed through the lucid dream, shattering the peaceful ambiance of Kai's tropical paradise.

"Oh, for the love of...!" Kai grumbled, muffled by the fluffy, sun-warmed pillow he'd materialized. "Can't a guy even get some R&R in a dream after so many encounters to my death?" He lifted his head, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

Hovering before him, a notification window flickered, the words "New Mission!" emblazoned in bright blue. He grumbled under his breath but couldn't resist his curiosity. With a flick of his finger, he opened the notification.

[Mission: Anyone Can Be a Mechanic]

[Description: Your ship's damaged thrusters are critical for navigation. Repair them before the space energy storm hits this area.]

[Time Limit: 8 Months]

[Goal: Repair all four primary ion thrusters.]

[Rewards: 2000 Evo Points, A Bronze Chest]

"F*ck," Kai swore, burying his face back into the pillow. "A freaking time limit? And a storm? Great, just what I needed when I don't even know ." He kicked his legs in frustration, causing the luxurious beach lounger to wobble precariously.

He lay there for a moment, the silence of the room a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within him.

Then, He bolted upright, tossing the digital cushion aside with a frustrated sigh. "Alright, alright," he relented, looking skyward in his dream. "Fine, System, you win."

Glaring at the virtual sky. "Turn off the lucid dream state," he ordered, his voice steely. "I want to go out."

As he spoke, the tropical beach scene began to disintegrate, breaking down into neat geometric blocks that vanished one after another. A moment later, his optical sensors opened inside the pod.

The slanted pod straightened with a mechanical whir of hydraulics.

[Lucid dream sequence aborted. Recharge needles retracting. Energy levels at 67%.]

With a hiss of steam, the pod's glass canopy slid open. Kai stepped out, his limbs still buzzing with a residual charge.

"No rest for the wicked, or in this case, the cybernetically enhanced," he muttered under his breath, tracing his steps back to the command deck his footsteps echoing, his mind racing through the mission parameters.

[Master, you came out quickly. I thought you would be in there for some time. There's still time for the scanning to be completed.] Seraphina's voice filled the room.

Kai ignored her words, urgency propelling him forward. He sat down in the commander's chair, gripping the armrests tightly.

"Seraphina, can you check for energy storms in space? Any heading our way?" His voice was strained, barely containing his rising panic.

[Yes, Master. But what happened? Why the urgency?] with confusion in tone.

Kai's voice was strained with frustration. "Just... just do a scan. See if any storm's heading this way." he insisted, his tone sharp with barely contained panic.

[Okay, Master. Initiating scan.]

Seraphina's voice was calm and collected, even as her systems whirred into action.

[However, Master, It's unlikely we'll encounter any storms within the dark matter cloud. They tend to form in regions with higher energy...]

She paused abruptly. Kai's fingers tightened on the chair's armrests. "What happened? Did you find something?"

[Master...]

Seraphina's voice crackled with static, the tension palpable even through the comm link.

[...I am detecting a massive energy buildup... It's coming from... outside the dark matter cloud. It's... it's a storm, Master. A very large Omega-class one and seeing its trajectory...]

"Its trajectory what?" Kai's voice rose in alarm.

[...indicates it will reach our current location in approximately Ten months six days, if it keeps going on with the current speed.]

The command room fell silent, the only sound the quiet hum of the ship's systems. Then, with a shaky voice, Kai finally asked, "And... what happens if we're caught in that storm?"

[Well... the Omega-class space energy storms are categorized as Level 4 on the Xerion scale. If it were to hit when our ship was undamaged, we could withstand it by deploying the shield pillars in orbit around the ship and enclosing it in a high-density energy bubble, but...]

Kai slumped back in the chair. "But the ship's already severely damaged. Can you tell me hypothetically what will happen if we get caught in it?"

[First, for a few hours, nothing will happen. Then, because of the energy storm, our ship's systems will start fluctuating and shut down one by one, like being hit by an intense EMP. Simultaneously, the ship will start melting from the outside. When all systems are down, the dwarf star inside will break free from its containment fields, and we will be crushed by dense energy and gravity.]

Hearing Seraphina's explanation, a surge of shivers went down Kai's metal platings on his body, but he quickly calmed himself, his mental fortitude kicking in, as she spoke again.

[Given the current probability and damage, it will be too late for us if we start repairing the lower floors for engaging shields, but I think...]

Before Seraphina could continue, Kai interrupted, "But if we focus our efforts on the damaged thrusters and make it up and running, we have a chance of escape."

[Correct, Master, but the chances will still be very slim. According to my estimates, the repairs on the thrusters would be completed just a few days before the estimated time of impact and the storm speed could change by then.]

Kai leaned forward, elbows propped on the table, his chin resting on clasped hands, his optic sensors shut. He furrowed his brow in concentration.

"The system clearly anticipated problems with the lower levels," he mused in his mind. "That's why it gave me this mission. But how am I supposed to fix a giant spaceship? I don't even know the R of repair for this giant ship, if it was a normal car I could have at least tried."

Dwindling his thumbs for a few seconds, he calmed down, thinking, "I have to see if the system store has something useful for this situation."

He then looked up, determination in his voice. "Can you devise a plan to make the repairs faster?"

[I have formulated a plan. You need to play a crucial role. If you can repair the droids in storage, we can increase our chances.]

A series of schematics and diagrams flashed across the screen as Seraphina detailed her plan. Kai listened intently, his mind already calculating the odds.

[First, we need to remove the asteroid. Then, we need to increase our manpower by repairing the droids, as I suggested, to make the thruster repairs faster. Finally, we need to establish a direct energy line from the energy vault to the thrusters and drive systems to provide enough power, since we can't be sure the backup lines weren't fried in the EMP blast. That's all.]

Kai's spirits lifted upon hearing the plan, a flicker of hope replacing his initial despair. He sprang to his feet. "That's great!" he exclaimed, then paused, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"It's a long shot," he admitted, a determined glint in his eyes. "But it's our only shot."He turned towards the exit, purpose radiating from his every move. "I'll check out the droid storage and see what I can salvage. Keep me posted when the floor scans are done and the storm's progress."

[Yes, Master.]

With that, Kai rushed toward the droid storage on Floor I, Section 63, guided by his holo wrist map.