CHAPTER 59: DEPARTURE

The Spaceship’s AI didn’t physically walk to the kitchen and turn on the coffee maker, it wasn’t human, after all. It simply activated the automated systems remotely, triggering the brewing sequence through its control of the ship’s functions.

The coffee was dark and strong, exactly how he preferred it.

He pulled out a loaf of bread from the food storage compartment. It emerged fresh, preserved perfectly by the shelf’s temporal stasis field, one of the few luxuries the ship still maintained.

As he ate, standing by the counter, Tatehan’s mind wandered to what lay ahead. Four days of walking through hostile territory. Maybe less if he got lucky with a motorcycle. He’d be heading into completely unknown territory, toward a clan he knew nothing about, to save a girl he’d never met.

It sounded insane when he thought about it that way.

But the alternative, using the core for the ship and letting Kael’s daughter die, felt infinitely worse.

He decided firmly that he wouldn’t spend four whole days trekking to Kael’s home. Instead, he would find the motorcycle and do it faster. He was exhausted at just the thought of another long walk like the one he’d done to reach the mauler, and that had been much nearer.

Four days of walking was completely insane.

[You should prepare supplies,] the AI interrupted his thoughts.

"Right." Tatehan finished the last of his coffee and bread, then moved to the storage compartment near the sleeping quarters.

He found a backpack, black, sturdy material with multiple compartments and reinforced straps. Military-grade equipment, probably salvaged from Earth’s final days before everything collapsed. He started filling it methodically, thinking through what he’d actually need.

Water containers first. He filled six of them to the brim with purified water from the ship’s reserves. Enough for several days if he rationed carefully, maybe a week if he stretched it.

Food items next. He kept it light, snacks, really, but practical. A loaf of bread, a jar of butter, and a bar of chocolate candy. He also packed the dried meat he’d taken from Kael’s cave, the strips still in decent condition despite their age.

He secured the backpack, testing its weight on his shoulders. Light enough to move freely, heavy enough to sustain him.

[Before you depart,] the AI said, and its tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious, [I must provide you with tactical advisement.]

Tatehan looked up toward the ceiling, where he usually directed his attention when speaking to the AI. "I’m listening."

[First: Trust no one completely. Martian humans have adapted to survival in ways that are often brutal. Some clans are known to be hospitable to travelers. Others are actively hostile. Approach all encounters with extreme caution until you can verify intent.]

"Noted."

[Second: The Shadow Goblins mentioned by the radio are documented as pack hunters with basic tactical intelligence. If you encounter them, expect coordinated attacks from multiple hostiles. Do not engage unless you are absolutely certain of victory, or unless escape is impossible.]

"They’re actually goblins?" Tatehan asked, slightly skeptical.

[No. The designation is a colloquial nickname given by early Martian settlers. The creatures are approximately one meter tall with dark, reflective skin, hence ’shadow.’ Their actual species classification is unknown.]

"Got it."

[Third:] The AI paused for a longer moment, and Tatehan thought it might have finished. Then it continued, and its voice was softer somehow, less mechanical. [Return safely. The ship... I would prefer if you did not die out there.]

Tatehan felt a small smile tug at his lips. "Getting sentimental on me?"

[Merely stating that your death would significantly impair repair progress and leave me stranded indefinitely.]

"Sure. That’s the only reason you care."

[...Perhaps not the only reason,] the AI admitted quietly.

Tatehan felt something warm bloom in his chest. This AI, this supposedly cold and logical system, was developing something remarkably close to genuine attachment. Or maybe it had always been capable of it, just buried under layers of programming and protocol.

"I’ll come back," Tatehan said firmly, meaning it. "I promise you that."

[Promises are statistically difficult to keep on Mars. Survival rates for solo travelers through unknown territories are—]

"Then I’ll just have to beat the statistics."

[...I hope you do.]

Tatehan shouldered the backpack properly, adjusting the straps so the weight distributed evenly. Everything was ready. The map was integrated into his visual interface, supplies were packed and secured, his abilities were recharged as much as they could be.

It was time to go.

Tatehan walked to the exit panel, the same one he’d used countless times now. He placed his hand on the biometric scanner. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and harsh Martian sunlight streamed in, making him squint against the brightness.

The landscape beyond was exactly as it had been since he last saw it the previous day, barren, red, hostile, beautiful in its own desolate way. But somewhere out there, past the places he was to travel through, was a girl who needed help desperately.

A girl whose father had died trying to save her.

A girl who had no idea that a stranger was about to cross half of Mars to honor a dead man’s wish.

[Good luck, Tatehan,] the AI said quietly.

"Thanks." Tatehan stepped forward, and as he crossed the threshold, he summoned his armor. The knight armor materialized around him in familiar swirls of cosmic-like smoke, the plates forming and locking into place, the helmet forming last to seal him completely.

Then he stepped fully out into the Martian wasteland. Behind him, the spaceship door sealed shut with a soft click, leaving him alone in the vast red desert.

He pulled up the map in his vision, checking the route one more time. The glowing path stretched out before him, overlaid on the real landscape.

The journey to save Kael’s daughter had officially begun.

But he wouldn’t waste four days walking. His real aim for now was to find a Shadow Goblin, kill it, take the core, find a motorcycle, power it up, and zoom straight to Kael’s daughter.

Time to get moving.