Ascendant Frontier

“Fuck me sideways!” Merek roared as the Ranger’s nose dipped, plummeting towards the endless sea of sand below. His massive hands wrestled with the controls, muscles straining against the g-force threatening to rip the ship apart.

Alarms blared, red lights flashing across the cockpit. The cockpit shuddered violently, sparks erupting from the console as systems failed one by one.

“Come on, you piece of shit!” Merek fought the controls for every inch. His hair whipped around his face, steel eyes locked on the rapidly approaching ground. “Not like this, not fucking today!”

Trinity’s voice crackled over the comms, “Merek! We’re losing power to the⁠—”

Her words cut off as another explosion rocked the ship. Merek’s jaw clenched, a vein pulsing in his temple. He’d be damned if he let his crew die in this tin can.

“Hold on to your ass, Trin!” he bellowed, yanking hard on the stick. “We’re coming in hot!”

The Ranger screamed through the atmosphere, a goddamn meteor with the landing gear already tearing loose. Merek’s knuckles went white on the controls, every muscle in his body straining against the inevitable.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

A dark figure materialized behind him, eerie glowing eyes piercing the smoke. Void’s voice cut clean through the racket.

“Your efforts are futile, Merek,” he intoned, his words cold and dismissive. “Embrace the void.”

“Fuck off with that bullshit!” Merek said, not even sparing a glance at the robed asshole. “Either help or get the hell out of my cockpit!”

The ship lurched violently, throwing Void against the bulkhead with a satisfying thud. Merek allowed himself a grim smile. Alarms shrieked funeral bells.

“Merek!” Bishop’s voice crackled over the comms, level as ever. “The port thruster’s gone. We need to...”

His words were swallowed by an ear-splitting explosion as said thruster decided to go out in a blaze of fucking glory.

The Ranger spun like a drunken ballerina, the horizon blurring into a nauseating swirl of sand and sky.

“No shit, Sherlock!” Merek roared back, fighting the controls with every ounce of his considerable strength. “Any other pearls of wisdom?”

Bishop’s reply was drowned out by Trinity’s panicked scream from the engine room. “We’re venting coolant! The core’s gonna blow!”

“Not if I can help it.” Merek’s face set hard. He wrenched the stick hard to port, feeling something pop in his shoulder. Pain lanced through him, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it.

The ground rushed up to meet them, a tidal wave of scorching sand ready to swallow them whole. Void’s eyes flared brighter, his dark energy crackling around him like a sinister aura.

“Brace for impact!” Bishop’s voice boomed through the ship, steady as a fucking rock even in the face of certain death.

Merek let out a primal roar as he gave one final, desperate yank on the controls. The Ranger’s nose lifted at the last possible second, buying them a precious few meters of clearance.

Everything went to shit.

The Ranger screamed like a dying animal, engines giving one last defiant roar before sputtering out. Merek calculated angles, speed, their slim chances of survival.

As the sand rushed up to meet them, Merek’s scarred lips pulled back off his teeth. “Well,” he said, “guess we’re about to find out if I’m as mad as they say.”

The impact hit like a fucking freight train. Merek’s head slammed forward, teeth rattling in his skull as the Ranger plowed into the sand. Metal screeched, twisting and tearing as the ship carved a deep furrow across the wasteland.

“Son of a bitch!” Merek roared, vision blurring as the restraints bit into his chest. The world outside became a whirling sandstorm, smoke and dust engulfing them in a choking haze.

Silence. Deafening, eerie silence.

Merek’s ears rang, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead. He blinked, trying to focus on the cracked viewscreen. “Trinity?” he croaked, throat raw. “You still breathing?”

“Barely,” came her strained reply. “Shit, that was one hell of a landing.”

“Landing?” Bishop’s deep voice rumbled through the crackling comms. “I’d call that a controlled fucking catastrophe. My ass feels like it’s been through a meat grinder.”

“Your mortal forms are so... fragile,” Void’s cold voice cut in. “Perhaps next time you’ll heed my advice and embrace the void.”

“Shut your cryptic piehole,” Merek said, fumbling with his restraints. “Unless you can pull a new ship out of your ass, you ain’t helping.”

Trinity’s laugh turned into a hacking cough. “Think I inhaled half the desert.”

Merek stumbled to his feet, the world tilting sideways beneath him. He squinted through the haze of smoke and sand, trying to assess the damage. The Ranger’s cockpit was a mess of sparking wires and shattered displays.

“Status report, you sorry sons of bitches,” he said, wiping blood from his eyes.

“Engineering’s fucked six ways to Sunday,” Trinity called back, her voice strained. “We’re leaking coolant faster than a drunk pisses beer.”

Bishop came through unhurried, the way he always did. “Med bay’s intact, but we’ve got injuries. Nothing critical, thank the stars.”

“The void cares not for your petty wounds,” Void intoned, materializing beside Merek in a swirl of dark energy.

Merek resisted the urge to punch the robed asshole. “Yeah? Well the void can kiss my ass. Somebody get this bucket of bolts flying again.”

He stumbled towards the exit, kicking aside debris. The ship groaned, metal creaking like it was ready to give up the ghost.

“Trin, up here. I want to know what we lost.”

“On my way, boss,” she replied, her footsteps echoing through the ship’s corridors.

Merek wrenched open the airlock, a blast of scorching air hitting him like a fucking sledgehammer. He squinted against the harsh sunlight, surveying the wasteland stretching out before them.

The Ranger lay broken and smoking in the sand. Her hull had split open, circuits sparking uselessly in the dry air. The mighty engines that had carried them across galaxies sat silent, half-buried in the dunes.

Merek’s fists clenched. The Ranger had carried him through years of close calls and hard-won victories. Now her guts lay scattered across the sand.

“No, no, no.” He kicked at a piece of twisted metal. “This can’t be happening. Not now, not here in this fucking wasteland!”

He ran a hand through his hair, mind racing. Without the Ranger, they were sitting ducks. Stranded in the ass-end of nowhere with who-knows-what gunning for them.

Trinity appeared beside him, her hair matted with blood and engine grease. “Okay,” she said, eyes wide. “How the hell did we survive that?”

Merek grinned, teeth flashing white against his grimy face. “Pure skill and a healthy dose of batshit crazy.”

“Your recklessness nearly doomed us all,” Void’s cold voice drifted from behind them.

“Yeah?” Merek spun around, jabbing a finger at the robed figure. “And what the fuck did you contribute?”

Trinity snorted, wiping sweat and grime from her brow. “At least Merek’s recklessness kept our asses alive. What’ve you got besides fancy light shows and half an answer?”

Void’s eyes flared dangerously. “You’d do well to show more respect, mortal.”

“Respect my ass.” Merek turned back to the wreckage. “Trinity, what’re we looking at?”

She wiped her palms down her thighs, leaving two grease streaks. “Thruster’s shot. Coolant’s pissing out faster than I can patch it. But the core’s what’ll kill us.” She jerked her chin at the Ranger’s split hull. “Give me five minutes.”

He watched her scramble over twisted metal, her fingers moving fast over exposed wires and shattered panels. Despite everything, a grudging respect bubbled up in his chest. The girl had skills, no denying that.

Trinity disappeared into the ship’s innards. Merek paced, his mind a storm of worst-case scenarios. No ship, no backup, surrounded by endless fucking sand. They were proper screwed.

“Found it!” Trinity’s muffled voice called out.

Merek’s heart leapt. Maybe.

Trinity crawled out, her face grim. In her hands lay a charred, mangled husk of metal and circuitry.

“Well?” Merek demanded, though he already knew the answer.

Trinity met his gaze, her usual optimism gone. “It’s dead, Merek. Ranger’s heart’s stopped beating.”

“Fuck!” Merek kicked the sand. “Can’t you work your magic? Rig something up?”

Trinity dropped her hands to her sides and left them there. “This isn’t a quick fix. It’s beyond saving.”

“Shit!” Merek kicked a piece of twisted metal, sending it skittering across the sand. “Any good news?”

Trinity’s eyes lit up. “Well, the emergency cells still have a little juice. Enough for lights and a scanner if I baby them.”

Merek stared at her for a long moment before bursting into laughter. “Fuck me, Trin. You’re something else.”

Trinity leaned forward. “We’ve been through worse, Merek. Remember that time on Zeta-9 when…”

“When the Crimson Cartel had us pinned down in that burning brothel?” Merek finished, a wry grin tugging at his scarred lips.

“Yeah, I remember. We had to fight our way out with nothing but a rusty pipe and your homemade stun grenades.”

“Exactly.” Trinity nodded, her hair bouncing. “And we made it out alive, didn’t we?”

“Barely,” Merek grunted. “My ass still twitches when I smell cheap perfume.”

Void’s dark chuckle came from behind them, his hood turned to the horizon. “Your mortal resilience is... amusing.”

“Fuck off, Smokey. Unless you can pull a power core from them fancy robes, you ain’t helping.”

Bishop’s footsteps crunched through the sand, unhurried as he joined them, his weathered face creased with concern. “Save your breath, Merek. We need to focus on survival, not squabbling.”

“Oh, I’m focused all right. Focused on how we’re gonna die in this godforsaken hellhole!”

“We won’t die,” Bishop said calmly, his eyes scanning the endless dunes. “Not if we...” He trailed off, his gaze sharpening as he squinted into the distance.

“What?” Merek demanded. “You see something? A mirage? The fucking pearly gates?”

Bishop shook his head slow, like the motion cost him something. “No... it can’t be.”

“Spit it out, old man!” Trinity urged, her hand instinctively reaching for a wrench that wasn’t there.

“I know this place.” Bishop’s voice had gone almost to nothing. “The rock formations, the twin peaks in the distance... We’re in Black Gulch.”

“Black what now?” Merek frowned.

“Black Gulch,” Bishop repeated, his eyes widening. “It’s an old mining town… I came here once, long before I joined the Templars.”

Merek blinked. “Guess even a priest gotta eat...”

Bishop silenced him with a stare. “Yes, we must eat too. And breathe. And shit. Don’t be so fucking surprised. I was young once too, you know.”

Void’s eyes flared with interest. “How... fortuitous.”

“Hold your horses, Smokey.” Merek didn’t move. “What’re the odds of us crash-landing right next to someplace you just happen to know about?”

Bishop shrugged. “The universe works in mysterious ways, Merek. Sometimes, it throws you a lifeline when you least expect it.”

“Or a noose,” Merek said.

Trinity’s eyes sparked with that familiar mischief. “Black Gulch,” she said, grinning like a damn fool. “We can barter parts there.”

“Or traps,” Merek countered. “Or cannibals. Or flesh-eating sand worms. Take your pick.”

“Your pessimism is tiresome,” Bishop said. He had stopped looking at the dunes. He was looking at Merek. “You’ve been telling us we’re dead since the crash. You only talk like that when you’re scared, and the girl can hear you.” He let that sit. “Don’t let your imagination get the best of you. It’s mostly scavengers and mercenaries now. Lawless shithole.”

Merek barked out a laugh with nothing in it. “Scavengers and mercs. Great place to bring the kid.”

“Got a better idea, genius?” Trinity shot back, her hands already tinkering with some gadget from her pocket.

Merek glared at her, his jaw clenching. “Yeah, how ‘bout we don’t walk into a nest of cutthroats and thieves?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Trinity mocked, “I didn’t realize you wanted to die out here in the ass-end of nowhere.”

“Fuck you,” Merek said without heat.

She was right and he hated her a little for it. Black Gulch or the sand. That was the whole menu. His eyes scanned the horizon, the endless expanse of sand and rock stretching out before them.

“Fine,” he said, hating every word. “But when we’re getting our throats slit in some back alley, I’m gonna say ‘I told you so’ with my dying breath.”

Trinity grinned, slapping him on the back. “That’s the spirit, Captain Sunshine! Now, let’s get moving before this heat cooks what’s left of your brain.”

As they trudged through the scorching sand, Merek kept searching the horizon. The desert could kill them a hundred different ways, but the heat and sand weren’t what had him watching his back.

“Hold up.” He grabbed Trinity’s arm. His eyes narrowed, focusing on a distant point.

“What now?” Trinity huffed, wiping sweat from her brow. “Your pessimism finally solidify into a mirage?”

“Shut your trap for a second,” Merek snapped, squinting against the sun’s glare. There it was again - a glint of metal, barely visible through the heat haze. “You see that?”

Trinity followed his gaze, her cocky attitude evaporating. “Well, shit. That’s not natural.”

Merek’s hand instinctively moved to his blaster. “No, it ain’t. And I got a feeling whoever’s out there ain’t rolling out the welcome wagon.”

Out in the open. Nothing but flat sand in every direction. No cover, no backup.

“What’s the play, boss?” Trinity asked, keeping her voice down.

“Void. Bishop. Scout ahead, we’ll split up in case they ain’t friendly. Meet up at whatever the fuck passes for a bar. First drink’s on Void.”

Bishop’s weathered face twisted into a scowl. “Oh, that’s just fucking perfect. Send the old man on a hike through the Devil’s armpit while Smokey here gets to poof away. Real fair, Merek.”

Void’s eyes flashed with cold amusement. “Perhaps if you embraced the void, you too could travel with such ease.”

“I’ll embrace your void right up your ass if you don’t shut it,” Bishop said, adjusting his robes. “Some of us prefer to keep our souls intact, thank you very much.”

Merek laughed at him. “Aw, don’t be such a grumpy bastard, Bish. Think of it as a nice stroll through nature.”

“Nature can kiss my sweaty balls,” Bishop said, already moving. “You owe me more than a drink for this, Merek. I’m talking top-shelf whiskey and a full body massage.”

“You got it, Princess,” Merek grinned. “Now get your holy ass in gear.”

Dark energy crackled around Void as his outline shimmered. “Try not to die before we return,” he intoned. “It would be... inconvenient.”

“Your concern is touching,” Trinity deadpanned. “Really, I’m all choked up.”

With a final flash of those eerie eyes, Void vanished in a swirl of inky blackness. Bishop trudged off, grumbling curses that would make an Aelvori whore blush.

Merek watched them go, his grin fading as the reality of their situation settled back in. They were still proper fucked, but at least now they had a sliver of a plan.

“Alright, Trin,” he said, turning to his partner. “Let’s see if we can’t salvage something useful from this clusterfuck of a day.”

Trinity nodded, her hair bobbing. “Roger that, boss. I’ve got some ideas that might just keep our asses alive long enough to reach civilization.”

As they made their way back to the wreckage, Merek turned the name over. Black Gulch. A name that promised danger and maybe a chance at survival. But first, they had to make it there in one piece.

“Hey, Trin,” he called over his shoulder. “You still got those homemade flash-bangs?”

Trinity’s grin was downright feral. “You know it, boss. Ready to light up some unfriendly faces if we need to.”

“That’s my girl,” Merek chuckled. “Now let’s gear up and get the fuck out of this hellhole.”

As they picked through the Ranger’s remains, Merek kept catching himself checking the ridgeline. The glint of metal in the distance, the eerie silence of the desert... something was off, and he didn’t like it.

“Got ‘em!” She grinned. “Now what?”

Merek’s lips curled into a grim smile. “Same as always, darlin’. We keep moving, stay alert, and if something tries to fuck with us...”

He cocked his blaster with a satisfying click. “We blow it to high heaven.”

“Trinity.” He kept his voice down. “When we hit town, keep your yap shut and your eyes open.”

She snorted. “Please. I was born ready for this.”

As they approached the outskirts, a group of locals came into view.

Ragtag bunch of sorry-ass motherfuckers if Merek ever saw. Dirty, scarred up sons of bitches with mean eyes and meaner dispositions. They eyed Merek and Trinity like vultures sizing up roadkill.

“Well, well,” drawled a greasy bastard with more tattoos than teeth. “What do we have here?”

“Trouble,” growled another, spitting a glob of chew juice that barely missed Trinity’s boot.

Black Gulch sprawled before them, a festering shithole of ramshackle buildings and lawlessness. The stench of piss, booze, and desperation hung thick in the air.

Neon signs flickered weakly, advertising all manner of vices to numb the pain of existing in this godforsaken hellhole.

“Nice welcoming committee,” Trinity said, barely moving her lips.

“Shut it,” Merek said.

The tattooed asshole swaggered closer, hand resting on the butt of a nasty-looking blaster. “You lost, pretty boy? This ain’t no place for tourists.”

Merek’s fingers twitched, itching to draw. “We’re just passing through. Looking for work.”

“Work?” Tattoo Face barked a laugh. “Ain’t no work here ‘cept dying slow or dying fast. Which you prefer?”

Trinity stepped forward, ignoring Merek’s warning glare. “How about option C? We mind our business, you mind yours, and nobody has to die today.”

The locals exchanged glances. Somebody’s boots scuffed the boardwalk. Merek waited for the moment it all went to shit.

“You got a smart mouth on you, girlie,” Tattoo Face sneered. “Might have to teach you some manners.”

“Try it, fuckface,” Trinity said. “I’ll rearrange your ugly mug so bad even your mother won’t recognize you.”

“Goddammit, Trinity,” Merek groaned. So much for keeping quiet. He squared his shoulders. “Listen, partner. We don’t want no trouble.”

Cold laughter rolled down between the clapboard walls.

“Ah, fuck yer ass.” The brute made himself scarce. “Your funeral, jackbag.”

A deafening explosion rocked the street, sending bodies and debris flying.

Merek’s hand shot to his blaster, but before he could draw, all hell broke loose.

Through the smoke, Merek saw Trinity ducking behind an overturned hover-cart, her eyes wild with excitement.

“What the fuck did you do?” He dove for cover as plasma bolts sizzled past his head.

“Wasn’t me!” she shouted back, grinning like a maniac. “But I ain’t complaining!”

Another explosion lit up the night, and the air grew thick with laser fire. Screaming went up and down the whole street. Locals scattered. Some ran for cover, but the cockroaches came out in force, joining the fray with whoops of bloodthirsty glee.

Merek risked a glance over his makeshift barricade, spotting a group of heavily armed figures emerging from the smoke. A mountain of muscle and cybernetics bellowed orders as he unleashed a barrage from a massive rotary cannon.

“Some welcome wagon,” Trinity panted, still grinning despite the blood trickling from a cut on her forehead. “Think they like us?”

Merek skidded to a stop, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him. “What part of ‘keep your yap shut’ did you miss?”

“Fuck you, old man!” Trinity shouted, yanking her arm free. “I didn’t start this shit!”

A plasma bolt seared the air inches from Merek’s face, singing his beard. “Argue later!” He shoved Trinity behind a rusted-out hovercar. “Shoot now!”

“Who the fuck are these assholes?” Trinity yelled over the din, picking off a sniper on a nearby rooftop.

Before Merek could answer, a deep, menacing laugh rolled over the gunfire. The cybernetic mountain of a man strode forward, plasma bolts bouncing harmlessly off his armored hide.

“Well, well,” the behemoth rumbled, his voice like gravel in a blender. “If it ain’t the infamous Merek the Mad and his little pet.”

Merek quit breathing. He knew that voice. Had known it twenty years. “Farrell,” he said.

Trinity’s eyes widened. “Wait, THE Farrell? The guy who...”

“Shut it!” Merek said, but it was too late.

Farrell’s cybernetic eye glowed hot red as he scanned them. “Who is the new one?” He eyed Trinity up and down. “You a mighty pretty thing. Reckon you could make me and my boys proud. Could use some fresh meat on the ship.”

“On account of all the dead, rancid shit you keep locked up in cold storage? Tell me. Y’all still fucking them corpses from Remor Eight?”

Farrell’s laugh was like steel grinding on bone. “Boy, seems you still got that mouth of yours. Lemmie fix that for ya.”

With a flick of his wrist, Farrell’s cybernetic arm transformed into a vicious-looking cannon. The air crackled with energy as it powered up.

“Shit!” Merek grabbed Trinity and dove behind a nearby building just as Farrell unleashed hell. The blast vaporized their cover, leaving a smoking crater where they’d been seconds before.

“Friends of yours?” Trinity gasped, her face pale beneath the grime and blood.

Merek grimaced. “Long story. Short version: he wants me dead.”

“Yeah, I noticed!” Trinity snapped. “Got any bright ideas?”

“Run. Hide. Don’t fucking die.”

Merek and Trinity tore ass down the street, plasma bolts sizzling past their heads. They ducked and weaved, dodging screaming locals and burning debris.

“You cannot run forever, Merek.” Farrell’s voice boomed behind them. “I will hunt you to the edge of this galaxy if I have to.”

“Fuck you!” Merek shouted back, yanking Trinity into a narrow alley.

They sprinted through a maze of back streets, the sounds of pursuit never far behind. Trinity vaulted over a pile of smoldering trash.

“Left!” Merek spotted a rickety fire escape.

They scrambled up the rusty metal, Trinity’s wrench making quick work of any bolts too stubborn to give way. As they reached the roof, Farrell’s laughter echoed off the buildings.

“Remember Novus Prime, Merek?” Farrell taunted. “Remember how I left you bleeding in that pit? Should’ve finished the job then!”

Merek’s face twisted with rage. “You backstabbing son of a bitch!” he roared, emptying his blaster at Farrell’s position. “We were partners!”

Trinity’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? You two were...”

“Not now!” Merek said, dragging her across the rooftop.

They leapt from building to building, the gap between them and Farrell’s goons slowly widening.

A stray shot clipped Trinity’s leg, sending her sprawling. “Fuck!” she cried out, clutching her thigh.

Merek scooped her up without breaking stride. “I got you, kid,” he grunted, muscles straining as he carried her.

“How very touching.” Farrell’s voice dripped with mock sincerity. “Merek has gone soft. What happened to the ruthless bastard I used to know?”

They reached the edge of the roof, a yawning chasm between them and the next building. Merek’s eyes darted around, desperate for an escape route.

“End of the line, old friend,” Farrell called out, his heavy footsteps growing closer. “No way out this time.”

Merek locked eyes with Trinity. She nodded, gritting her teeth against the pain.

“That’s where you’re wrong, asshole,” Merek said.

Merek spun and hurled Trinity across the gap. She sailed through the air, arms windmilling. She crashed onto the opposite roof with a pained grunt.

“Merek!” she screamed, struggling to her feet.

Merek was already moving, sprinting full-tilt towards the edge.

Merek jumped.

“You crazy son of a bitch!” Trinity laughed, pulling him to safety.

Farrell’s enraged roar echoed behind them. “I’ll skin you alive, Merek!”

An earth shattering rumble tore through the town. The scrap metal roof shuddered under their boots.

Beyond the town rose a massive shape from the desert wastes, blotting out the moons.

The vibration deepened into a rumble. A stage-five detonation cracked across the wastes.

Foundations shook.

Buildings turned to twiggy ruins in a span of seconds.

Merek and Trinity stumbled. Fell on their knees.

“What the fuck?” Trinity gasped, her eyes wide with fear.

Like a mountain come to life, a writhing mass of segmented flesh and chitinous armor rose against the horizon.

Massive, crystalline spines jutted from its back, catching the starlight and refracting it in dazzling patterns across the night sky.

“Fucking no.” Merek stared, eyeing the writhing creature as it sloshed through the sand, turning dunes to tidal waves.

“Uh…Merek?” Trinity said, her voice no more than a hushed whisper. “You wanna fill me in here?”

“I…no. It can’t be.”

“Merek.” Trinity’s voice had gone flat. “What is it?”

“It’s a Kekhai Worm. The fucking dragons reborn.”

Its maw opened wide. It screamed the death rattle of a dying star, shattering windows and sending locals scrambling for cover.

Farrell’s laughter got over the top of all of it, pure manic glee. “Well, I’ll be damned! Jackpot!”

The outlaw’s massive frame appeared at the edge of the opposite rooftop, his cybernetic eye glowing with an eerie red light as he scanned the titanic creature.

“You seeing this, Merek?” Farrell called out, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. “And here I thought I would settle for the pleasure of gutting you like a fish. But this? This is worth a thousand of your sorry hides.”

The Kekhai Worm heaved forward, its segmented body carving a path through the desert. Shockwaves rolled through the earth, toppling rickety structures and throwing dust high into the air.

“It’s heading west,” Trinity murmured, her earlier bravado replaced by awe. “Into the deep wastes.”

Farrell’s cybernetic arm reconfigured, transforming into some kind of scanning device. “Oh, you beautiful bastard,” he crowed. “The stories do not do you justice. You are a goldmine on legs.”

Merek’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever you’re planning, Farrell, it ain’t gonna end well.”

The outlaw’s laugh was cold and mirthless. “For you, maybe. But me? I’m about to be the richest son of a bitch this side of the galactic core.” He fixed Merek with a predatory grin. “Don’t worry, though. I haven’t forgotten about our little score. But right now? You ain’t even a footnote.”

“Always a pleasure, Farrell.” Merek tipped his hat to the fading outlaw. “Fuck off and die in the wastes before I see you again. Promise?”

Farrell flipped him the bird and vanished over the rooftops, disappearing into the wastes.

“Well. That was fun,” Trinity said. “I’m thirsty. Fancy a drink? Think you owe me one on account of I just saved your ass.”

“But you didn’t even boom anything.”

“Reckon the night’s still young.”

They climbed off the rooftop and wandered back into the neutered ruins of Black Gulch.

Merek limped towards the Dusty Spur. “I need a drink stronger than Void’s breath after a three-day bender.”

Trinity snorted, favoring her injured leg. “Bet he and Bishop are pissed they missed all this fun.”

“Fun? You call that fun?” Merek gave her a long look. “You’re as batshit crazy as I am, kid.”

Trinity grinned. “Bet Bishop’s off praying to his invisible sky daddy while Void’s balls-deep in some ancient tome.”

The tavern was still standing, which was more than the rest of the street could say.

The Dusty Spur Tavern was a dilapidated shithole if he’d ever seen one. The stench of stale booze met them at the door. Under it, something older that had been mopped at for years and never once cleaned.

Trinity gagged. “You sure this is the place?”

Merek grunted, shoving open the creaking door. “Beggars can’t be choosers, sweetheart.”

They stepped into a sea of hard faces and harder fists. The tavern fell silent, dozens of eyes locked onto the newcomers.

Merek shouldered his way to the bar, Trinity close behind. The bartender, a grizzled old bastard with a face like a closed door, fixed them with a glare that could’ve curdled milk.

“What’ll it be?” he said, wiping a glass with a rag that looked dirtier than the floor.

“Information,” Merek replied, leaning in. “We’re looking for rare parts. Starship grade. Know where we might find ‘em?”

The bartender’s scowl deepened. “Do I look like a fucking parts dealer to you?”

Trinity piped up, her voice syrupy sweet. “Come on, sugar. A fine establishment like this? Bet you hear all sorts of juicy gossip.”

“Ain’t heard shit,” the bartender spat. “Now order a drink or get the fuck out.”

“Two of your strongest,” Merek said, slapping a handful of credits on the bar. “And keep ‘em coming.”

As they settled into a rickety booth, Trinity leaned forward, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “So, Merek the Mad, huh? Spill it, old man. What’s the deal with you and Farrell?”

Merek took a long pull from his drink, wincing as the rotgut burned its way down. “Ancient history, kid. Let’s just say we used to run together, and it ended badly.”

“No shit,” Trinity snorted. “I gathered that much when he tried to vaporize your ass. Come on, give me the juicy details!”

Merek’s eyes grew distant, lost in memories. “We were the best of the worst, back in the day. Pulled off jobs that made the Galactic Council shit their collective pants. But Farrell... he always wanted more. More money, more power, more everything.”

“And you didn’t?”

“I wanted enough to live free, maybe settle down someday.” Merek’s laugh was bitter. “Stupid dream for a stupid kid.”

Trinity’s voice softened. “What happened?”

“Job went south. Real bad. Farrell left me for dead in a pit full of Novian Acid Slugs. By the time I clawed my way out, half my skin was gone, and so was he... along with every credit we’d ever scored.”

“Shit,” Trinity whispered. “No wonder you’re always such a grumpy asshole.”

Merek snorted. “Thanks, kid. You’re a real comfort.”

They lapsed into silence, nursing their drinks. Outside, the town was slowly coming back to life, locals emerging to assess the damage and swap stories about the night’s events.

“So,” Trinity said eventually, “that big-ass worm thing. What’s its deal?”

Merek’s eyes darkened. “Kekhai Worm. Thought they were just legends, but apparently the universe loves to prove me wrong.”

“Y’all want another? You look like hell warmed over.”

Merek eyed him. “You listen awful close for a man who ain’t heard shit.”

“Folk don’t come here for drinkin’ most nights. They pay me to keep my damned mouth shut. But if’n you keep me pouring, my lips just might get loose.”

“Fine,” he said. “Two more of that cheap ass piss-water, make ‘em double.”

As the bartender turned to pour, Merek muttered to Trinity, “Start working the room. Someone’s gotta know something.”

Trinity nodded, her usual grin replaced by a look of steely determination. “On it, boss.”

The locals clammed up as she approached, conversations dying mid-sentence.

Trinity sauntered up to a table of grizzled miners, flashing her most disarming smile. “Evening, boys. Mind if I join you?”

“Fuck off, girlie. We don’t need no trouble.”

“Aw, come on,” Trinity pouted. “I’m just looking for a friendly chat.”

A wiry old-timer with a face like cracked leather snorted. “Friendly, my ass. What you want, missy? Spit it out ‘fore I spit you out.”

Trinity leaned in, lowering her voice. “Word is, there’s some valuable salvage out in the wastes. Thought you fellas might know something about that.”

The miners exchanged glances and none of them answered.

“Salvage, eh?” wheezed a scrawny bastard. “Only thing out there’s sand, death, and more fuckin’ sand.”

“And giant worms, apparently.”

A one-eyed brute slammed his fist on the table. “Listen here, you nosy little shit. We don’t know nothin’ about no salvage or worms or whatever the fuck you’re after. So take your pretty ass back to your boyfriend and leave us the hell alone.”

Trinity’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not my boyfriend, dickwad. And I’m not leaving till I get what I came for.”

“Oh yeah? And what you gonna do if we decide to teach you some manners?”

Before Trinity could respond, a gravelly voice came from the corner. “I reckon I might know somethin’ about that salvage you’re looking for.”

All eyes turned to an ancient miner hunched in the corner, his rheumy eyes glinting with a spark of mischief.

“Shut your trap, Zeke!” hissed the wiry old-timer. “You senile old fuck!”

Zeke cackled, revealing a mouth with more gaps than teeth. “Aw, go piss up a rope, Jeb. I’m too old to give a fuck about your little schemes.”

Trinity sidled up to Zeke’s table, ignoring the murderous glares from the other miners. “Well, hello there, handsome. Care to share with a lady?”

Zeke’s laugh turned into a hacking cough. “Lady? Sweetheart, I’ve seen pleasure bots with more lady-like qualities than you.”

Trinity grinned. “Flattery will get you everywhere, old man. Now spill.”

Zeke leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s a ship out there, buried in the deep wastes. Crashed during the last Galactic War.”

Merek’s head snapped towards the corner.

“How far?” Merek demanded.

“’Bout a day’s ride,” the miner replied. “Northwest, past the old mining rigs.”

Merek’s fingers drummed against his holster. This smelled like bullshit, but what choice did he have? Stranded in this shithole, desperate for parts...

“Fuck,” he said. “Alright, old timer. You better not be yanking my chain, or I’ll be back to shove that drink so far up your ass you’ll be pissing whiskey for a month.”

The miner’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing his weathered face.

Merek turned, catching Trinity’s eye across the room. He jerked his head towards the door. Time to roll the dice.

Trinity bounced over, her hair a neon halo in the dim tavern light. “So? We going treasure hunting or what, boss?”

Merek grunted, his jaw clenched tight. “It’s a long shot, Trin. Could be walking into a goddamn death trap.”

Trinity’s eyes lit up like a fucking supernova. “Or! We could be walking into the motherlode of all salvage ops!” She grabbed Merek’s arm and shook it. “Think about it, Merek. We need those parts, like, yesterday. And who knows what other goodies we might find? Weapons, tech, maybe even some of that Void-damned moonshine you love so much.”

Merek snorted before he could stop it. “You’re a fucking optimist, you know that?”

“Someone’s gotta be,” Trinity grinned. “Otherwise, we’d all be as grumpy as you.”

Merek dragged a hand back through his hair and came away with sand in it. The kid had him and she knew she had him. Without those parts the Ranger sat in the dirt until the sun bleached her white, and he’d sooner chew glass than say so out loud.

“Alright,” he said. “But we go in armed to the teeth. First sign of trouble, we bail. Got it?”

Trinity’s whoop of joy nearly deafened him. “Hot damn! Let’s go raid us a shipwreck!”

As they gathered their gear, Merek’s gut churned.

The rusty hinges of the Dusty Spur’s door screeched like a dying banshee as Merek shoved it open. Fucking hell, even the doors in this shithole were out to get them.

“Eyes sharp, Trin.” Merek kept a hand near his blaster. “This town’s about as friendly as a Void-sucking black hole.”

Trinity nodded, her usual grin replaced by a tight-lipped frown. “Roger that, boss. I’ve got your six.”

As they stepped out into the dark, a hundred pairs of eyes crawled over them. Fuck, it was like walking into a nest of pissed-off hornets.

“Well, isn’t this just peachy,” Trinity whispered, her fingers twitching near her utility belt. “Feels like we’re about to star in our own execution vid.”

Merek’s eyes moved from face to face. Nobody looked happy to see them. His hand stayed close to the blaster. One wrong move, and this whole goddamn powder keg was gonna blow.

“Keep it cool,” he said, more to himself than Trinity. “We just need to make it to the ship without starting a fucking war.”

As they inched their way down the dusty street, Merek caught sight of the old miner lurking in the shadows. The crusty bastard’s lips curled into a smile that sent chills down Merek’s spine.

“Shit,” he said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Trin. That old fuck’s up to something.”

Trinity said it without any of her usual music. “Yeah, no kidding. Think he sold us out?”

“Fuck if I know. But we’re getting the hell out of here. Now.”

The heat of the night pressed down, dusty air thick with the scent of desperation and rust. Merek’s boots crunched against the sand-crusted street, every step a warning to the vultures circling too close. Trinity fell into step beside him.

“You buying that old geezer’s story?” she asked, voice low, eyes scanning the shadows.

“Not for a second,” Merek said. “But we ain’t got the luxury of being picky.”

“Luxury? Hell, we don’t even have lunch money,” Trinity said. “Still think we should’ve taken that guy’s teeth back there. They looked valuable.”

Merek shot her a sideways glare. “Focus, kid. This place smells wrong. Like a setup.”

Trinity snorted, but her fingers drifted closer to the holster at her hip. “When doesn’t it? I swear, everywhere we go, someone’s looking to screw us.”

They turned a corner, stepping into the ruins of an old salvage lot. Rusted-out frames leaned like drunken skeletons under the twin moons, their jagged edges perfect for cover. Or an ambush. Merek’s gut tightened. His hand rested on the butt of his blaster, every nerve screaming at him to turn back. Too late for that now.

They came around into the lot’s far end, where the frames thinned out and the ground opened up. Farrell had gone west after the worm, but that didn’t mean his people had.

They kept to the shadows and worked their way toward the edge of town. Somewhere behind them, Black Gulch groaned and settled around its fresh wounds.

An eerie silence settled across Black Gulch. The shadows thickened unnaturally, pooling together like ink. Void emerged like a fucking specter, his dark robes billowing in the hot-as-balls desert wind. His eyes glowed with an eerie light, locking onto Merek’s face and sending a chill down his spine despite the sweltering heat.

“Holy shit!” Merek said, hand instinctively going for his blaster. “Where the fuck did you come from?”

Void’s face remained impassive. “I have my ways, Merek. Ways you couldn’t begin to comprehend.”

Merek caught the mage’s hand moving under the robes. Down low, by his hip. It stopped when he noticed him noticing.

That bothered him more than he let on.

Something about Void’s calm sat wrong with Merek. It was like staring into the eye of a fucking hurricane, knowing the storm was about to hit.

“What game are you playing?”

Void glided closer, his voice dropping to a silky whisper that dripped with menace. “There is a crashed ship, Merek. It holds more than mere salvage.”

“The fuck you talking about?” Possibilities and paranoia collided.

“A powerful artifact,” Void said, “buried in these wastelands. One capable of reshaping reality.”

Merek didn’t trust the mage as far as he could throw him, and right now, he was seriously considering testing that distance.

“And let me guess,” Merek said, “you want us to help you get it?”

Void’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Oh, Merek. You have no idea what’s coming.”

The sound hit before the sight of him: a heavy, uneven clatter, boots hammering through the street. Merek and Trinity spun with weapons drawn as a sand-blasted figure tore out of the dark. Trinity fired on reflex. Her shot went wide and sparked off a rusted streetlamp.

“Holy fuck!” Bishop bellowed, skidding to a stop, a wild look on his grime-covered face. A blinking, battered datapad was clutched to his chest. Damn thing looked like it just barely survived the apocalypse. “Don’t shoot, you gods-damned lunatics! It’s me!”

“Bishop?” Merek lowered his blaster. “What the fuck are you doing out here? Thought you were holed up somewhere cold, waiting out the shitstorm.”

“I was,” Bishop panted, his words tumbling out in rapid-fire bursts as he struggled to catch his breath. “Then I got bored. Started digging through some old records in the library. You know, where they keep the useless crap no one gives a shit about?”

Merek’s patience snapped. “Get to the point, old man.”

Bishop thrust the datapad toward him, the screen flickering erratically with fragmented maps and glowing coordinates. “This. This is the fucking point.”

Trinity leaned in, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell is that?”

“Locator beacon,” Bishop said, grinning like a maniac. “Ship-grade. Tied to a deep-waste wreck.”

Trinity’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait. Are you telling me that’s a⁠—”

“Treasure map,” Bishop interrupted, his grin spreading wider. “Or the next best thing.”

The fractured lines on the screen led straight into the deadliest stretch of desert he could imagine. “And you’re sure about this?” Merek said, the words heavy with doubt.

“As sure as I am ugly,” Bishop shot back, jabbing a finger at the blinking coordinates. “And that’s damn sure. But if you’d rather sit here scratching your balls while Farrell beats us to it, be my guest.”

Merek’s jaw tightened, the decision settling on him like a fucking lead blanket. “Goddammit,” he said, glancing at Trinity.

“This sounds like the break we need, boss,” she said, her grin sharp and full of trouble. “Bishop’s an asshole, but he’s usually right.”

“Usually,” Merek said, glaring at the older man. “If this turns out to be bullshit, you’ll be paying for it in more than credits, Bishop.”

Bishop just laughed, the sound raw and unapologetic. “Whatever you say, Merek. Now, are we going, or would you rather wait for Farrell to send an engraved invite?”

Merek swore under his breath, holstering his blaster. “Alright. Let’s move. But if this goes sideways, I’m feeding you to the worms.”

“Fair enough,” Bishop said. He looked at the horizon a while before he moved. “Know what you’re spending, Merek. Two days of water, a girl with a bad leg, and a mage none of us trusts. That’s the whole purse. Spend it once.” Then he started walking. “Try to keep up, kids.”

The night pressed in like a vice, the town’s shadows crawling with threats that could spring to life at any second. Merek’s nerves buzzed. He motioned for Trinity and Bishop to follow, his voice low and sharp. “We’re done here. Back to the ship. Move.”

Trinity made a noise but fell into step without argument. “About damn time. I need a nap.”

“That’s my line,” Bishop said, clutching the datapad.

“Keep talking, old man,” Trinity shot back, her hand resting on the butt of her blaster. “I’ll give Farrell a running start.”

“Shut it, both of you,” Merek said, scanning the dark alleys as they wound their way through the gutted remains of Black Gulch. Farrell’s crew was out there, somewhere, and Merek wasn’t about to let the bastard get the drop on them.

The streets thinned as they approached the edge of town, the skeletal remains of long-abandoned buildings giving way to the open desert.

Trinity jogged ahead, her boots kicking up dust as she scanned the ship’s exterior. “Still in pieces. Guess Farrell’s goons don’t have the balls to hit us head-on.”

“Or they’re waiting for us to get comfortable.” Merek approached the ramp, any humor gone. His eyes swept the surrounding dunes, watching for the telltale gleam of headlights or the glint of a sniper’s scope. “Bishop, get your ass inside. Trin, check the perimeter. I want to know if someone so much as farted near this ship.”

“On it.” Trinity pulled a compact scanner from her belt, the device humming softly as she circled the ship.

Bishop lumbered up the ramp, muttering under his breath about sand and joints that didn’t move the way they used to. “You know, I didn’t sign up for this constant running-for-our-lives bullshit. Thought we’d be sipping cocktails on a beach by now.”

“You didn’t sign up for shit,” Merek shot back, following him up the ramp. “You’re here because you owe me, and don’t you forget it.”

The ship’s interior greeted them with burnt wiring, trapped heat, and the tick of cooling metal. It wasn’t flying anywhere, but the hull still gave them walls. Merek headed for the cracked control console. Trinity had rigged a local battery into the board before they left; it was enough to wake a few passive systems, nothing more.

“Trinity!” he said, his voice carrying through the metal corridors. “Perimeter clear?”

Her voice crackled over the comms. “So far, yeah. No signs of Farrell’s boys, but I don’t trust it. Feels too quiet.”

“It always does,” Merek said. He keyed the proximity scanner into Trinity’s jury-rigged battery. A faint pulse crawled out into the night. If the patch held, anyone getting within spitting distance of the wreck would light the board.

Bishop slumped into one of the bolted-down chairs, the datapad still clutched in his hands. “We’re sitting ducks here, you know that, right?”

“Better than being street meat,” Merek shot back, leaning against the console. His gaze flicked to the blinking coordinates on the datapad. “And unless you’ve got a better plan, this is what we’ve got.”

Trinity appeared in the doorway, her scanner dangling from her hand. “Perimeter’s clean. For now. You want me on watch?”

Merek jerked his chin at the bunk. “Get some rest. I’ll take first shift.”

Trinity’s mouth went crooked. “Don’t have to tell me twice.” She flopped into a chair, boots propped on the edge of the console. “Wake me if Farrell shows up with snacks.”

Void was already aboard. Merek never heard him come up the ramp. The mage sat hunched over the map, fingers tracing symbols that glowed an eerie blue. Dark energy crackled around him. Merek took a step back before he knew he’d done it.

“The hell you up to?” Merek said, reaching for his blaster.

Void’s head snapped up, eyes burning like twin suns. “Preparing, Merek. You’d sleep better if you didn’t know what for.”

Merek’s hand settled on his blaster. “Cut the cryptic bullshit. What’s your game?”

A low chuckle escaped Void’s lips. “My game? Oh, you simple, violent man. You would not know where to start.”

“Try me, asshole.”

Trinity stirred, her voice thick with sleep. “Boys, boys... measuring dicks can wait ’til morning.”

Merek grunted, watching Trinity’s patched scanner sweep the desert in rhythmic waves. The pulse went out and came back with nothing, over and over. Didn’t mean a damn thing. Farrell was out there. The bastard always was.

And sooner or later, he’d come knocking.

The sun wasn’t even up when Merek’s eyes snapped open, his hand already on his blaster. He groaned, every muscle screaming as he dragged himself upright. The room reeked like a distillery had a one-night stand with a locker room.

His head pounded hard enough to blur his vision, each throb sending waves of nausea through his gut. Merek fumbled for the canteen by his bunk, cursing as lukewarm water sloshed over his chin. The metallic taste did little to wash away the sandpaper coating his tongue.

“Rise and shine, you magnificent bastards!” he bellowed, kicking the nearest bunk. The whole room groaned in protest, creaking metal and muffled cursing. Already, the oppressive heat was seeping in, promising another day of sweat-soaked misery.

Merek stumbled to the grimy porthole, squinting at the hellscape beyond. The air outside shimmered, carrying the acrid stench of burnt circuits and God-knows-what from the junkyard beyond. A distant rumble - engine or thunder, who the fuck knew anymore - had him reaching for the blaster.

“Time to earn our keep, ladies,” he said, strapping on his gear. Each movement sent fresh waves of pain through his battered body. But pain meant you were alive, and alive meant you still had a job to do.

Bishop shuffled in, looking like he’d been dragged through ten miles of desert, ass-backwards. His eyes were bloodshot, darting between Merek and Trinity before settling on the silent figure by the window.

Merek bit his lip, chewing it like a tobacco leaf. The robed bastard hadn’t moved an inch, still cross-legged and staring out at the dunes like some creepy-ass statue. It wasn’t natural. No one stayed that calm unless they knew something no one else did.

Bishop cleared his throat. “Morning, folks. I see our... friend... is as talkative as ever.”

“Yeah, he’s a real chatterbox.” Merek tightened his grip on the blaster. Every instinct screamed to put a bolt right between those eyes, but he knew better. They needed the robed asshole, at least until they found that wreck.

“Let’s just get this shit over with,” Merek grumbled, hefting his pack. “The sooner we find that wreck, the sooner we can ditch our silent partner here.”

As they started packing up, Void finally stirred. He rose in one fluid motion, those otherworldly eyes gleaming with an intensity Merek had to look away from. Not a word passed the mage’s lips, but the air thickened with unspoken threats.

As Merek checked his weapons, he caught a whiff of himself and winced. “Fuck,” he said. He stunk like he’d been marinating in Kaot piss all night. Out here, being clean just meant you died prettier.

Merek allowed himself a grim smile. They were a sorry bunch of misfits, but they were his sorry bunch of misfits. And with any luck, they’d all live long enough to regret whatever came next.

“Good morning, Captain Sunshine,” Trinity chirped, way too goddamn chipper for this ungodly hour. She was hunched over some contraption, sparks flying as she cursed under her breath.

“What in the nine hells are you working on now, Trin?” Merek grumbled, squinting at the mess of wires and metal spread across her workbench. The thing looked like a drunken octopus had fucked a toaster.

“Oh, you know, just your run-of-the-mill quantum flux capacitor,” Trinity grinned, her hair a wild halo of static electricity. “Or maybe it’s a really fancy can opener. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

Merek snorted, leaning in for a closer look. “Looks more like a fucking pipe bomb to me. You sure you know what you’re...”

CRACK! A bolt of blue lightning arced from the device, singing Merek’s eyebrows and sending him stumbling back with a string of curses that would make a Kaotian dock worker blush.

“Shit! Sorry, boss!” Trinity yelped, frantically twisting wires. “Just a minor hiccup in the quantum... uh... thingy.”

“Minor my ass,” Merek said, patting out the smoldering remains of his facial hair. “You trying to kill us all before breakfast?”

Trinity’s face scrunched up in concentration, her tongue poking out as she made minute adjustments. “If I wanted to kill you, I’d poison your coffee like a normal person. This baby’s gonna save our asses, mark my words.”

The contraption gurgled, a faint smell of ozone filling the air. Merek eyed it warily, half-expecting the damn thing to sprout legs and scuttle away.

“And how exactly is this abomination gonna save us?” he asked, genuinely curious despite himself.

Trinity’s eyes lit up with manic glee. “Well, if my calculations are correct - and they usually are, give or take a small explosion or two - this little beauty will amplify our shield generator by at least 300%. We’ll be practically invincible!”

“Uh-huh,” Merek grunted, unconvinced. “And if your calculations are wrong?”

“Then we’ll make one hell of a pretty fireball,” Trinity shrugged, giving the device an affectionate pat. It sparked in response, sending up a small plume of acrid smoke.

Merek pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache building behind his eyes. “Great. As long as it doesn’t explode in my face like that last piece of shit you cobbled together.”

Trinity flipped him off without looking up. “One time, Merek. Let it go.”

“One time my ass,” Merek said. He’d lost count of how many times Trinity’s crazy inventions had nearly killed them. Eyebrows grew back. Asses didn’t, unless you spent a couple nights on a pleasure planet’s all you can eat buffet.

The ship’s comm crackled to life, Void on the other end. “Merek. There is something topside. You will want to see it.”

The playful atmosphere evaporated like piss on a hot engine. Merek’s hand instinctively went to his blaster, catching the look on Trinity’s face, which had gone serious.

“What kind of situation?” he barked into the comm, already moving towards the ladder.

“The kind that will make you wish you had never come,” Void replied, his usual stoic tone carrying what might have passed for worry on anyone else.

“Fuck,” Merek said, gesturing for Trinity to follow. “Grab that death trap of yours. We might need it after all.”

They clambered up to the ship’s exterior, the oppressive heat hitting them like a physical wall. Merek squinted against the glare, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before them.

The desert stretched out in every direction, a junkyard forty klicks wide. Something was different. The air shimmered with more than heat, strange patterns dancing at the edge of vision. In the distance, a wall of dust was rapidly approaching, shot through with flashes of unnatural light.

“What the fuck is that?” Merek tightened his grip on the weapon.

Void stood at the edge of the ship, his normally impassive face creased with concern. “I have never seen its like. Whatever it is, it is coming straight for us.”

Trinity fumbled with her device, cursing as she made frantic adjustments. “Um, guys? I don’t think my shield booster is gonna cut it against... whatever the hell that is.”

The ground trembled beneath their feet. A low rumble climbed through Merek’s boots.

“Alright, you sorry sons of bitches,” he said, decision made. “Looks like we’re in for one hell of a shitstorm. Trinity, get that contraption of yours online.”

Trinity’s fingers flew over her contraption, a manic gleam in her eyes. “C’mon, you beautiful bastard,” she said, twisting wires and jamming components together with reckless abandon. The device wheezed and sputtered, belching out puffs of acrid smoke.

The approaching wall of dust loomed ever closer, a roiling mass of dust and grit punctuated by flashes of sickly green light. The air crackled with electricity, setting everyone’s hair on end. Merek’s grip on his blaster tightened, knuckles white.

“Any fucking day now, Trin!” he said, eyes never leaving the horizon.

“Keep your pants on, Captain Grumpy,” Trinity shot back, tongue poking out in concentration. She jammed a final wire into place, the contraption humming to life with a whine that kept climbing. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Quantum Shield Booster 3000!”

The device pulsed with energy, arcs of blue lightning dancing across its surface. Trinity grinned triumphantly, slamming her hand down on a comically large red button. “Activating in three... two... one...”

A deafening whine filled the air, the shield generator thrumming with power. For a brief, glorious moment, it looked like it might actually work. The contraption gave a pathetic wheeze, sputtered, coughed, and died. A single spark popped from its casing before it went completely dark.

Trinity stared at the useless hunk of metal, jaw hanging open. “Well, shit,” she said eloquently. “Looks like I forgot to carry the two.”

Merek stared at her, then at the dead booster. His face went hot. “You forgot to carry the fucking two?!”

“Hey, quantum mechanics is hard!” Trinity protested, kicking the dead contraption. It let out a pitiful squeak. “Besides, I’d like to see you do better with a bunch of scrap metal and half a bottle of engine lube!”

With a frustrated growl, Trinity hefted the failed device and hurled it into the sand. It landed with a dull thud, immediately swallowed by the encroaching storm. “So much for Plan A,” she quipped, dusting off her hands. “Anyone got a Plan B? Or maybe a really big gun?”

The words had barely left Trinity’s mouth when the world exploded.

A blinding flash seared Merek’s retinas, turning the hellscape into a sea of white. The shockwave hit a split-second later, slamming into his chest hard enough to throw him. His ears rang with a high-pitched whine, drowning out everything else.

Time slowed to a crawl. Merek watched in surreal slow-motion as Trinity’s hair whipped around her face, her mouth open in a silent scream. Void’s robes billowed outward, rippling like dark water. Sand particles hung suspended in the air, glittering like tiny diamonds.

The ground beneath their feet rippled and groaned, buckling under some immense pressure. Merek’s gut lurched as the ship tilted wildly, threatening to spill them into the churning sand below. Sand flew everywhere, stinging exposed skin and filling the air with a choking haze.

As the initial shock faded, Merek’s senses slowly returned. The ringing in his ears gave way to creaking metal and panicked shouting. He blinked furiously, trying to clear the spots from his vision.

“What the fuck was that?!” he roared, or tried to. His voice sounded muffled and distant, like he was shouting underwater.

Trinity sprawled on the deck, dazed but alive. Void remained on his feet, his hood tracking the horizon.

“There!” Void said, and the word arrived unnaturally clear. He pointed towards the writhing wall of dust and energy.

Merek squinted, following Void’s outstretched arm. The anomaly was banking hard to the left, its chaotic patterns shifting and reforming. As it turned, Merek caught a glimpse of something that made his blood run cold.

A segmented body, easily a hundred meters long, undulated through the storm. Armored plates glinted dully, each segment larger than their entire ship. At the front, a circular maw lined with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth gaped hungrily.

“Fuck me sideways,” Merek said, recognition dawning. “That’s a goddamn Kekhai Worm.”

The Kekhai Worm’s shriek split the air like a thousand nails on a cosmic chalkboard. Merek’s teeth rattled in his skull as the sound wave hit, threatening to liquefy his brain. He staggered, nearly losing his footing on the tilting deck.

“We’re fucked!” Trinity yelled, scrambling to her feet. “That thing’ll swallow us whole and shit out our bones!”

Adrenaline flooded his system. The Kekhai Worm banked again, its massive body carving a trench through the desert. Each undulation sent tremors through the ground, kicking up clouds of sand and debris.

“Not if I can help it,” he said, an idea forming. It was stupid, reckless, and probably suicidal. In other words, just his style. “Void! How many of those arcane grenades you got left?”

The mage’s eyes flashed, understanding dawning. “Three,” he replied, already reaching into the folds of his robe. “But they are unstable. One wrong move and we will be ash.”

“Perfect,” Merek grinned, a manic light in his eyes. “Trin, I need the biggest, brightest flashbang you can cobble together. And I need it five minutes ago.”

Trinity’s face lit up with unholy glee. “One Supernova Special, coming right up!” She dove for her toolbox, hands flying as she assembled components with lightning speed.

The Kekhai Worm circled closer, its massive body blotting out the sun. Eldritch energy snapped across its armor, raising the hair on Merek’s arms. Alien circuitry flashed beneath the plates, pulsing with an otherworldly glow.

“Whatever you are planning, make it quick!” Void shouted, his voice finally losing its calm. “That creature means to devour us!”

Trinity popped up, holding what looked like a rugby ball made of duct tape and blinking lights. “Done! But we’ve only got one shot. This baby’s got enough kick to light up half the planet!”

Merek snatched the makeshift flashbang, nearly dropping it as it hummed in his hand. “Alright, you crazy bastards,” he said, eyes locked on the approaching monstrosity. “Time to make some noise.”

The Kekhai Worm reared up, its circular maw gaping wide enough to swallow a small moon. Rows of serrated teeth gnashed hungrily, dripping with a viscous fluid that hissed and bubbled as it hit the sand.

Merek wound up. With a roar that came from the depths of his soul, he hurled the flashbang straight into the creature’s maw.

It sailed through the air in a perfect arc, a tiny speck against the Kekhai Worm’s gargantuan form. It hung a half-second too long, then dropped into the creature’s gaping maw, swallowed by the abyss of gnashing teeth and writhing flesh.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Merek’s breath caught in his throat, a string of curses dancing on the tip of his tongue. Then it let go.

The flashbang detonated with the force of a miniature sun, unleashing a blinding supernova of light and sound. The Kekhai Worm’s massive body convulsed, its segmented form twisting in agony as the blast rippled through its innards. A shriek of pain and rage tore through the air, drowning out even the howling wind of the storm.

Merek threw his arm across his eyes, spots dancing in his vision even through his closed lids. The shockwave hit a split second later, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The Kekhai Worm thrashed hard enough to buckle the ground beneath them. Sand jumped. Cracks raced away from its coils while sickly green bolts snapped between the armored segments.

“Holy shit!” Trinity screamed, her voice barely audible over the roar. “It’s working!”

The worm’s circular maw gaped wide, vomiting forth a torrent of molten metal and half-digested scrap. The deluge of superheated slag rained down, hissing and bubbling as it hit the sand. Merek dove for cover, feeling the heat sear his back even through his armor.

“Void, now!” he bellowed, rolling to his feet.

The mage was already in motion, his robes billowing as he hurled the arcane grenades in rapid succession. Each one streaked through the air, trailing ribbons of otherworldly energy.

The arcane grenades slammed into the Kekhai Worm’s thrashing body, erupting in a kaleidoscope of eldritch fire. Reality warped and twisted around the impact points. The worm’s armored plates buckled and cracked, revealing pulsing circuitry and writhing alien flesh beneath.

A deafening screech tore through the air as the creature convulsed in agony. Its segmented body whipped back and forth, each movement unleashing shockwaves that sent tremors rippling through the desert floor. Sand geysers erupted all around, temporary mountains of silica rising and falling in chaotic patterns.

Chunks of the worm’s hide sloughed off, revealing a glowing, crystalline skeleton beneath. The creature’s innards pulsed with an otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield. Arcs of energy danced between exposed segments, wild and uncontrolled.

“Holy fucking shit!” Trinity whooped, pumping her fist in the air. “We actually hurt the bastard!”

The Kekhai Worm’s movements became more erratic, its once graceful undulations now jerky and uncoordinated. Sparks showered from its damaged segments, igniting small fires in the debris-strewn sand. The air filled with an acrid stench of burnt metal and ozone, making Merek’s eyes water.

The worm retreated, its massive body coiling through the sand and shoving waves of grit and hot air ahead of it.

As it slithered away, the Kekhai Worm left a trail of destruction in its wake. Twisted metal and half-digested scrap rained down, pock-marking the desert with smoldering craters.

Merek watched as the creature disappeared into the swirling maelstrom of sand and energy. The storm front receded with it, leaving behind an eerie calm punctuated only by the hiss and pop of cooling metal.

Trinity collapsed to her knees, laughing hysterically. “Take that, you overgrown sand worm!” she crowed, flipping off the retreating dust cloud. “Next time, pick on someone your own size!”

“In all my years,” Void said, “I have never seen one of them run.”

The silence after the Kekhai Worm was almost worse than the fight. A thick, heavy quiet settled over the wreck, broken only by the pop of cooling metal and the distant rumble of collapsing dunes. Merek leaned on his knees, catching his breath, sand caked into every line of his face. His ribs screamed, his lungs burned, but he was still standing.

Barely.

Trinity sat sprawled on a crate, chest heaving as she pulled her goggles off, leaving cleaner streaks in the grime on her face. “Well,” she said, her voice shredded, “that was a great way to start the day. Real team-building shit.”

Merek shot her a glare, but it lacked heat. “You want team-building? Next time, join a fucking book club.”

Void hadn’t moved. The robed bastard stood staring out at the horizon where the storm had finally faded, his expression inscrutable as ever.

Merek wanted to yell at him, to demand what came next, but the exhaustion kept him rooted in place.

Trinity coughed, dry and painful, but managed a crooked grin. “So... pancakes, anyone? Or are we skipping straight to the part where we almost die again?”

Merek let the joke die out. “You really think this is worth it?” he said, not sure if he was talking to Trinity or himself.

She paused, meeting his eyes. “You getting cold feet on me, Mad Man?”

Merek snorted. “Just wondering if we’re walking into a fucking death trap.”

“When aren’t we?” Trinity shot back, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Fair point,” Merek conceded, holstering his weapon. He took one last look around the grimy room, his gut churning. “Let’s go find out what kind of shit we’re in for today.”

Trinity’s hands flew over the Ranger’s charred circuits, her face smeared with grease. “I’ll know what we can salvage before you’re back,” she promised, her attention locked on the work. “I can patch half this shit, maybe bully the other half into cooperating. Doesn’t matter without a core.” She tapped the scanner beside her with one greasy knuckle. “Been catching a dirty power signature toward town. Could be something compatible. Could be somebody’s refrigerator. I’ll chase it if it holds.”

Merek snorted, checking his blaster for the hundredth time. “Good. We’re gonna need every usable piece.” The words hung in the air and stayed there.

“Just don’t get your ass blown to bits out there,” Trinity shot back, her voice tight. “I’m not dragging your sorry corpse back here.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Merek said, but his gut churned. This wasn’t just another scavenger run. This was walking into the mouth of hell with a robed psychopath as their tour guide.

The desert sun hit hard as they stepped out. Merek squinted, his hand already on his blaster. Bishop fell in beside him, looking about as comfortable as a man at his own funeral.

“Ready for this shitshow?” Merek said.

Bishop grunted. “As I’ll ever be. Let’s hope the Almighty’s got our backs today.”

“Fuck that,” Merek said. “I’ll take a loaded gun over divine intervention any day.”

They set off, boots sinking ankle-deep into the sand. Merek kept searching the horizon. Heat shimmer erased distance, and every dark break in the dunes gave trouble another place to hide. Void’s stare stayed between his shoulder blades.

The sun climbed higher, turning the desert into a fucking pressure cooker. Waves of heat shimmered off the dunes, warping the horizon into a twisted funhouse mirror. Merek’s boots sank into sand hot enough to fry an egg. The sand shifted with each step.

“Damn,” Bishop panted, wiping rivers of sweat from his face. “It’s hotter than a foundry out here.” He fumbled for his canteen, cursing as lukewarm water dribbled down his chin.

Merek grunted in agreement, his own throat parched as sandpaper. The air felt thick, almost solid, like trying to breathe through a wet blanket. His eyes stung from the constant assault of sand and grit carried on the hot wind.

A flicker of movement caught his attention. Void stopped, crouching to examine... something. The mage’s eyes narrowed as he scooped up a handful of sand, letting it sift through his fingers. The grains clung to his skin, swirling in unnatural patterns before falling away.

“The fuck you doing?” Merek asked.

Void rose in one fluid motion, otherworldly eyes locking onto Merek. “The desert remembers,” he intoned, his voice as dry as the wasteland around them. “It carries echoes of what has passed.”

“Great,” Merek said, fighting the urge to put a bolt right between those creepy eyes. “Real helpful. You got any actual intel, or just riddles?”

The mage’s lips twitched in what might have been a smile on a human face. “We are close,” he said simply, before gliding past Merek with unnatural grace.

Bishop sidled up, watching Void’s retreating form. “I don’t like it, Merek,” he said. “Something is not right about all this.”

“No shit,” Merek said, watching the mage glide on ahead. “But we’re in too deep to back out now. Keep your eyes peeled and your trigger finger ready.”

They pressed on, the relentless sun beating down like the wrath of an angry god. Merek’s skin felt tight, every exposed inch threatening to blister and peel. Sweat trickled down his spine, pooling uncomfortably in places he’d rather not think about.

A distant rumble sent vibrations up through the sand and into his boots. “The fuck was that?” he said, scanning the shimmering horizon.

Bishop’s face paled beneath his sunburn. “Please tell me that was just your stomach, Merek.”

Another tremor, stronger this time. The dunes rippled, like waves on some hellish ocean of sand.

“Move!” Merek roared, breaking into a dead sprint. Sand kicked up behind him as he charged forward, every muscle screaming in protest. Bishop wheezed beside him, struggling to keep pace.

The rumbling grew louder, a bone-shaking roar that drowned out even the pounding of Merek’s heart. The ground beneath their feet bucked and heaved like a living thing. Dunes collapsed in on themselves, creating sinkholes that threatened to swallow them whole.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Merek cursed, dodging a geyser of superheated sand that erupted to his left. The air filled with a sickly hiss as particles flash-fried into glass, raining down in a deadly shower of crystalline shrapnel.

Void glided ahead of them, his robes billowing impossibly in the scouring wind. The mage’s hands wove intricate patterns in the air, leaving trails of sickly green energy. Where his feet touched the ground, the sand briefly solidified, providing precious seconds of stable footing.

A massive shadow fell over them, blotting out the sun. Merek risked a glance over his shoulder. The Kekhai Worm burst from the sand like some nightmarish leviathan, its segmented body twisting in impossible shapes. Its circular maw gaped wide, lined with row upon row of gnashing teeth.

“Oh, you gotta be shitting me!” Merek bellowed, redoubling his pace. His lungs burned, every breath tasting of sand and desperation.

The worm’s shriek split the air, a sound that bypassed the ears and clawed directly into the brain.

Bishop stumbled, clutching his head in agony. Merek grabbed the man’s collar, dragging him forward even as his own vision swam.

“Don’t you fucking dare quit on me now!” he roared, spittle flying from his cracked lips.

Void didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. “There,” he said, pointing towards a shimmering patch of air. “The veil is thin here.”

Merek squinted, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The air rippled and folded in on itself, like looking at the world through a soap bubble. Strange geometries flickered at the edges of his vision, hinting at impossible angles and mind-bending curves.

“What the fuck is that?!” he screamed, even as his feet carried him towards the anomaly.

“Our salvation,” Void replied, his gaze fixed on the shimmering air. “A shortcut.”

The Kekhai Worm’s massive body slammed into the ground behind them, sending out a shockwave that knocked them off their feet. Merek tumbled, sand scouring every exposed inch of skin. He tasted blood, teeth rattling in his skull.

Void had Merek’s collar in one fist and Bishop’s in the other, and he walked them into the shimmer like a man hauling drunks out of a bar.

Cold. No sun. No sand under his boots, no up, no down. A pressure on his teeth and a noise he heard with his ribs instead of his ears.

Then the desert spat them out. Merek hit the sand on his hands and knees, retching. Bishop landed beside him and stayed down. Behind them, a mile back and getting farther, the worm screamed at the hole where they’d been.

It’d already been one hell of a day.

The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating as the heat.

Bishop cleared his throat. “Ever think we’d be out here hunting a relic that might kill us all?”

Merek snorted, nothing behind it. “Every damn day, old man.” He spat to the side, tasting sand and bitterness. “It’s our fucking specialty, ain’t it?”

Bishop chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. “Suppose you’re right. Still, this one feels... different.”

They crested another dune, and Merek stopped dead. His eyes locked onto movement out along the ridgeline – dark figures, watching. Waiting.

His pulse spiked. “We’re being followed.”

Bishop’s hand went to his weapon, but Merek’s gaze was fixed on Void. The mage’s eyes flickered with that eerie glow, a knowing gleam Merek didn’t care for one bit.

“You going to share with the class, you slippery son of a bitch?” Merek said, but Void said nothing. He wanted to grab Void by his fancy robes and shake some answers out of him, but there wasn’t time. Not with those shadows creeping closer.

“Double-time it!” Merek said, signaling the others forward. “Or we’re buzzard shit!”

Bishop struggled to keep pace. Merek looked back at him. The old man was tough as nails, but this hellscape was pushing him to the limit.

“Come on, you crusty bastard,” Merek growled, half-dragging Bishop along. “I ain’t carrying your dead weight back to Trinity.”

“Charming as ever,” Bishop gasped, but he kept moving.

Void glided ahead, unbothered by the punishing pace. Merek’s jaw clenched. How the fuck did that freak make it look so easy?

Sweat poured down Merek’s face, stinging his eyes. What if this was all for nothing? What if they were walking into a trap? What if–

“Good Lord,” Bishop said, barely out loud.

They’d reached the top of a rise.

The dune fell away before them. A massive crater stretched out below, easily a mile across, its edges jagged and crystallized from some ancient impact.

At the center of the crater lay the crashed ship, a behemoth of twisted metal and alien design. Its hull gleamed dully in the harsh sunlight, a patchwork of scorched plating and exposed circuitry. Nothing about the shape of it made sense, all spiraling spires and jagged metal.

Bishop let out a low whistle. “Now that’s a sight.”

Even Void’s cool facade cracked for a second, his otherworldly eyes widening.

Merek’s hand tightened on his blaster. “Yeah,” he said, “and I’ve got a feeling it ain’t gonna be friendly.”

They started down towards the ship.

A guttural howl ripped through the air.

“Company,” he said, yanking his blaster free.

Figures emerged from the dunes, armed to the teeth and looking mean as sin. Merek counted at least a dozen, probably more hidden in the shifting sands.

“This just got interesting,” he said, a savage grin spreading across his face.

Bishop fumbled for his own weapon. “Interesting? You’ve got a warped sense of fun, Merek.”

“What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.” They were outnumbered, outgunned, and caught with their pants down.

“Any bright ideas, oh fearless leader?” Bishop said, his face pale beneath the sunburn.

Merek’s eyes darted between their attackers and the crashed ship. “Yeah. Don’t die.”

He fired off a volley of shots, sending two of the bastards tumbling down the dune. “Keep moving! We make it to that wreck, we might have a chance!”

As they sprinted towards the ship, plasma bolts sizzled past Merek’s ear. He could smell his own singed hair. Void glided ahead, untouched. Merek’s teeth ground together.

“I’m getting too old for this shit!” Bishop yelled, ducking as another blast nearly took his head off.

Merek grabbed the old man’s collar, practically dragging him along. “Save your breath for running, you prehistoric fuck!”

They were almost to the ship. Merek’s lungs burned, his legs screamed, but the familiar rush of adrenaline sang in his veins.

As they reached the hulking wreckage, Merek spun, laying down cover fire. “Get inside!” he roared. “And pray to whatever gods you believe in that this hunk of junk has some defenses left!”