Chapter 03: The Heart of the Field
The Scavenger’s Edge groaned under the strain of maneuvering through the dense asteroid field. Kira’s hands flew across the controls as she guided the ship with precision, her eyes locked on the glowing console in front of her. The ship’s engines hummed steadily, their power pushing through the violent chaos of floating rocks, but the deeper they ventured, the more unpredictable the field became.
“Just keep her steady,” Jaxon’s voice called from across the cabin, calm but laced with an underlying tension. “The hard part’s coming up.”
Kira shot him a glance, her brow furrowed. “You said it was hidden. How the hell are we supposed to find it in this mess?”
Jaxon didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he stared out of the viewing port, his eyes scanning the swirling sea of asteroids. He had that far-off look again, like he was seeing something no one else could. Kira had already learned that look meant he was deep in thought—calculating, planning. It made her uneasy.
“You’re not telling me something,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended.
Jaxon’s gaze snapped back to her, his expression unreadable. “It’s not that simple. There’s a mechanism—some kind of dormant trigger—that needs to be activated. If you don’t know how to navigate the exact sequence of paths in this field, you’ll miss it. And once it’s missed, it’s gone. The field reconfigures itself.”
“Great.” Kira’s fingers drummed on the console in frustration. “So, we’re not just looking for treasure—we’re trying to outsmart a bunch of space rocks that move on their own?”
“Something like that,” he said, his lips twitching into the smallest of smiles. “It’s not just about the rocks. It’s about the gravity currents and electromagnetic pulses that keep the field shifting.”
Kira felt her jaw tighten. She’d spent years in asteroid fields, making a living scavenging wrecks, but this? This was something entirely different. “So how do we find the damn thing, then?”
Jaxon’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second, as if considering her question seriously for the first time. “We follow the pattern.”
He slid a data pad across the table to her. On it was a map, though unlike any map Kira had ever seen. The lines were erratic, constantly shifting, and the coordinates didn’t make any sense at first glance. The entire asteroid belt seemed to pulse, almost alive, as though it was continuously changing, adapting to the movements of ships and travelers. But buried somewhere inside that chaotic web of data were hidden paths, subtle shifts in the asteroid field’s gravitational pull, guiding them to their destination.
“I’ve studied it,” Jaxon continued, leaning forward as he tapped on the screen. “The Ruins are here, buried in the heart of the field. But no one’s been able to get close enough. Every time someone tries to follow the map, the field shifts, throws them off course. That’s why no one’s found it—not for centuries.”
Kira’s eyes flicked back to the view outside. The swirling asteroids appeared calm at first, but the longer she stared, the more she saw the subtle shifts in their movements—almost imperceptible, but enough to make her nervous. If Jaxon was right, navigating this mess wasn’t going to be a simple task. It was a puzzle, a test of skill and precision.
“And what happens if we fail?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Jaxon didn’t flinch. “We don’t fail.”
Her heart skipped a beat. His confidence was unwavering, but there was something in his eyes—something that made her wonder just how much he truly believed that.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, without warning, the ship lurched forward, a violent shudder rattling the cabin. Kira’s hands tightened on the controls as the asteroids ahead shifted violently, colliding with each other in a deadly dance. The sudden change in direction sent a shockwave through the ship, rattling the hull, but Kira held fast.
“Hang on!” she called out, her voice steadier than she felt. The ship bucked again, sending her heart racing, but her instincts kicked in. She expertly navigated through the chaos, steering them away from the debris and toward the opening she now recognized—an almost imperceptible rift in the asteroid field, a path that had been hidden from view just seconds ago.
“Left,” Jaxon barked, pointing at the screen. “Now.”
Kira responded without hesitation, slamming the ship into a hard left turn. The entire ship shuddered as it scraped past an asteroid that was far too close for comfort. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus, to trust in the patterns Jaxon had shown her.
The ship shot forward, weaving through tight spaces, moving faster now. Kira felt the pull of gravity tugging at her, making it harder to keep her bearings, but she pushed through. The path ahead was narrow, but there—just at the edge of her vision—was a faint glow.
“Do you see that?” she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Jaxon leaned forward, his eyes scanning the area. “That’s it,” he said, his voice low, almost reverent. “That’s the entrance.”
Kira could hardly believe it. After all the years of searching, of hearing the legends, the myths, she was finally about to see the Ruins of Xanara with her own eyes.
But as the ship moved closer, something shifted—a deep hum in the air, an almost electric pulse that vibrated through the very core of the ship. Kira’s fingers froze on the controls as the entire asteroid field seemed to tremble. The glow grew brighter, the light now blinding, and she had to shield her eyes from its intensity.
“What the hell?” she muttered under her breath. “Is this… is this part of the plan?”
Jaxon’s face grew tense. “No. Something’s wrong.”
Before Kira could react, the hum intensified, a deep thrumming sound filling the cabin. The ship suddenly lurched to a halt, the controls locking up. Kira tried desperately to override the systems, but the ship refused to budge.
“What’s happening?” she demanded, her voice rising in panic.
“The field’s reacting to us,” Jaxon said, his voice strained. “It knows we’re here.”
And then, before they could make sense of it, the world outside the ship seemed to fold in on itself. The asteroid field blurred, and the ship’s systems went dark.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, through the chaos, a voice—familiar, but from somewhere far beyond—cut through the darkness.
“Welcome to Xanara.”
Kira’s breath caught in her throat. She was no longer sure if she was in the asteroid field anymore. It felt like they had crossed a threshold, not just physically, but somehow… mentally. Something had shifted.
Jaxon looked at her, his expression unreadable, his lips tight. “It’s not just treasure we’re after. It’s something much more dangerous.”
The screen flickered back to life, showing them the entrance to the Ruins—an ancient, almost alien structure carved into the heart of an enormous asteroid. But the closer they got, the more Kira realized that their mission was far more complicated than simply finding treasure.
And now, they were not just searching for Xanara. They were becoming a part of its secrets, its mysteries, and its dangers.
