Chapter 10: Aboard the Arcanum

March 28, 2024

The soft hum of the ship's engines vibrated through the walls as I stepped out of the medical bay. The cold, sterile environment from before gave way to sleek, polished corridors illuminated by soft blue lights running along the edges. The air inside the ship felt fresh, and the technology embedded in every corner was far beyond anything I had ever seen, more advanced than even the bits of tech I'd encountered in the underworld on that planet.

Naari walked beside me, her lab coat fluttering slightly as we moved, her eyes focused ahead, though I could tell she was keeping an eye on me.

"You're handling the recovery well, considering.." she said, glancing at me with an amused smile. "..Most people don't get back on their feet this fast."

I shrugged, still feeling the phantom pain in my ribs, but nothing unbearable. "I've been through worse," I lied. Nothing in my life on Earth could compare to the beating I'd taken.

We moved deeper into the ship, and I couldn't help but marvel at the design. Everything here was seamless, smooth walls, integrated consoles, and displays hovering midair that responded with a flick of Naari's wrist. It wasn't overwhelming, though. The technology felt… natural here. Efficient.

As we walked, something nagged at the back of my mind,my identity back on the planet. The forged one. Now that I was aboard their ship, in a highly advanced environment, I wondered if it would hold up. I glanced at Naari.

"I need to get back to the planet," I said, my voice steady but probing. "I have things to take care of."

Naari stopped and turned to face me, a small smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Let me guess, worried about your little forged identity?"

I narrowed my eyes, immediately suspicious but also not entirely surprised. Of course, they'd have the means to figure that out. "I'm not surprised."

She smiled and nodded. "A backward planet like that can't hide its tracks well enough for someone like us. My colleagues found plenty of inconsistencies when we ran a quick check on your records."

I nodded slowly, already piecing it together in my head. "Just as I thought," I muttered. I had suspected that something like this might happen once I'd fallen under the radar of a more technologically advanced organization.

Naari folded her arms, studying my expression. "No need to worry, though. You won't need that fake identity anymore."

Before I could question her further, she handed me a new holo bracelet. It was sleek, silver with glowing blue accents, far more advanced than the clunky model I'd been using. She waved a hand dismissively. "Your old bracelet? Gone. Destroyed during your little brawl with Zane and the leader."

I took the bracelet, examining it. The design was flawless, the surface cool to the touch. "What's this for?"

Naari gave me a casual smile, "Consider it a gift. It's the latest model, and, more importantly, it contains your new legal identity. No more hiding in the shadows or relying on third-rate forgers. You're now officially part of the system."

I blinked in surprise. "Legal identity?"

"Yup." She tapped the bracelet, and a holographic display popped up, showing my new credentials. "All clean, all legitimate, and ready to use. Oh, and there's more," she added with a sly grin. "Your cut of the hunt for the Ascendants is in there, too."

My brow furrowed. "My cut?" This is differet from the greedy organizations.

Naari shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, we did the cleanup, but you did the work. You took them down, not us. So you get the lion's share, eighty percent, to be exact."

I blinked again, momentarily stunned. Eighty percent? I opened the display, and the numbers made me grin. The amount of credits in the account was astronomical. I had never seen so much money in one place, let alone attached to my name.

"But.." I started to say, still processing, "What about the tech? What happened to everything in the warehouse?"

Naari's expression hardened slightly. "That tech? Stolen. Most of it belonged to companies or organizations that were robbed by the Ascendants. We returned it to the rightful owners. But don't worry, you've already been compensated for your part."

I nodded, already adapting to how quickly things had shifted. It was a strange feeling, going from being hunted in the underbelly of a planet to standing here, legally recognized and with enough credits to do whatever I wanted.

We continued down the corridor, and soon the sound of voices reached us. Naari smiled and motioned toward a wide set of doors at the end of the hall.

"Time for you to meet the crew," she said, pushing open the doors.

We stepped into the ship's central hall, a wide, open space with a high ceiling and a long metallic table in the center. Screens lined the walls, displaying maps, information, and feeds from various parts of the ship. The atmosphere was casual but efficient, and it was clear that this wasn't just a random group of people, they were a well-oiled team.

The first to notice us was a man tinkering with some device at the far end of the room. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with short-cropped blonde hair and a face that looked like it had seen its fair share of battles. His hands were quick and precise as he worked on what looked like a small drone. He glanced up and smirked at me before wiping his hands on his cargo pants.

"So, this is the guy who caused all the trouble at the docks," he said, his voice carrying a faint accent I couldn't quite place.

Naari nodded. "This is Kane. He's part of the reason we were able to take down the Ascendants."

The man stood up, extending a hand. "Luke. I handle close combat around here. Good to see you're still in one piece."

I shook his hand, feeling the strength behind his grip, and offered a small nod. He seemed direct but not unfriendly.

From across the table, a woman looked up from cleaning her rifle. She had sharp, dark eyes and short black hair, her movements deliberate as she reassembled her weapon with practiced ease.

"Rina," she said simply, her voice low and steady. "Sniper and sharpshooter."

Her tone was cool, almost indifferent, but I could sense the precision in her gaze as she studied me. She didn't say anything else, just gave me a small nod before returning to her rifle.

Next to her, a younger man with glasses sat typing furiously at a holographic interface, lines of code scrolling rapidly across the screen. He barely glanced at me before returning to his work, but Naari spoke up for him.

"That's Ty. Our hacker and programmer," she said with a smile. "He's the one who makes sure we stay ahead of the game when it comes to tech."

"Nice to meet you," I said, though Ty didn't seem to hear me, his attention fully absorbed in whatever he was coding.

Finally, a man in his late forties or early fifties stepped forward. He was lean, with salt-and-pepper hair and a calculating look in his eyes. His presence commanded the room without him having to say a word.

Naari nodded toward him. "This is Kraven, our leader."

Kraven extended a hand, his grip firm but measured. "Welcome aboard, Kane. I've heard a lot about you."

"I appreciate the hospitality," I replied. "What are we gonna do here?"

Kraven smirked. "We'll get to that in time. For now, we're just glad you survived. That's no small feat, considering what happened back there."

Naari gestured toward the table. "Why don't we all sit down? It's almost lunchtime, and it'll give you a chance to get to know the team better."

I took a seat at the table, feeling the weight of everything settling in. The crew around me seemed competent, skilled, each with their own role in this intricate system. And now I was part of it, at least for the time being.

As plates were brought out, the conversations started flowing more naturally. Luke told a few stories about previous missions, while Rina mostly kept quiet, occasionally chiming in with a dry remark that made Ty laugh. Ty, meanwhile, was animated when he wasn't working, talking about the latest advancements in programming and tech with a passion that was hard not to admire.

Kraven watched everything with a quiet intensity, occasionally interjecting but mostly observing, his gaze sharp as he studied me.

I knew one thing for certain.

I'm rich!