The Ashen Gate appeared beyond the window. It was a silver disk in the shape of a sun, which was split in half, forming a triangular gap right under the ceiling at the edge of the desert. Avi headed into this opening, entering a narrow tunnel, beyond which was a vast void filled with clouds of dust. Many arches of green lightning illuminated the darkness, revealing a few levitating, rusty steel structures.

“Are we at the fallen lands?” Avi asked.

“No. This place is called the Throne of the Empty King.” - Luna answered, then pointed at the scans of Goliath's interior. - “It's one of many non-industrialized supervoids of this spaceship.”

“It looks... quite dangerous.” - Avi added. - “I wonder, why was it named like this?”

“Names that are not worth remembering.” - A voice spoke from Avi's wrist guard. She jumped, a bit startled by it.

“It's the void hermit, I allowed him to share our channel.” - Luna calmed Avi down.

“Uhm, it's good to have you with us again...” - Avi mentioned. - “...but well, if you don't mind, can you elaborate on the history of this place?”

“Ages ago, this group of subsectors was ruled by a young administrator, until they succumbed to madness. We presumed it was Anaari's plague. The administrator cut off all communication and allowed the disease to spread like cancer. This place had to be quarantined, then incinerated along with all its inhabitants. Otherwise, it was estimated that we would lose access to one-seventeenth of Goliath, and it was even possible that the plague would reach our sacred core.” - The hermit explained. - “May its light forever watch over their souls.”

Avi lowered her eyes. - “They decided to do something so horrible... to save themselves.”

“...and they saved many more lives. Those hard decisions had to be made.” - Luna pointed out.

Avi sat in the chair, clearly depressed. - “Only the survival matters. Is there even a place for mercy anymore?”

“Mercy?” - The void hermit asked. - “Is the wellness of a few worth anything when it puts lives of many at risk?”

“Yes.” - Avi stated.

“Do tell, what is its worth in such case.” - The hermit replied.

“Life is an invaluable gift.” - Avi said. - “You can't rationalize it, or categorize it.”

“Huh. Then, do you think that the sacrifice of merely a single person for saving the entire universe is too big of a cost?” - The hermit wondered.

“I don't know what or who caused all this suffering, but I know that when we all face death together, we should be carrying the torch of love.” - Avi replied with conviction.

“Love...” - The hermit spelled letter by letter. - “...dead people don't love.”

Avi shook her head. - “If you don't love, you're dead anyway.”

The hermit fell silent.

“She won't let you win.” - Luna interjected. - “I know her too well.” - She hopped off the platform with a map and stretched her arms. - “...we need to fly through the Gravedigger's Burial, then traverse the Two hundred fourteenth Serpentine Labyrinth. Am I correct?”

“Yes, you are. The never-ending storm known as the Gravedigger's Burial is the safest path. We won't meet the Salvagers there. Their spaceships aren't durable enough to pursue us.” - The hermit explained.

“The Salvagers?” - Avi was curious about that name. - “Who are they?”

“Pirates.” - The hermit spoke. - “They attack smugglers and lost ships to steal parts and supplies necessary for survival.”

“We can't let them continue this!” - Avi shouted. - “Luna, we need to stop them!”

“Eh, you're nothing but trouble...” - Luna sighed. - “...Avi, we don't have time for this. I promised the hermit that I'll help cure Anaari's plague for showing us the way.”

“...but...” - Avi uttered.

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“Those are precisely the hard decisions that I mentioned earlier. We will save more lives if we don't stop and reach the fallen lands.” - Luna explained. - “Let Goliath solve its smaller problems on its own.”

“Even if you were to stop the pirates, new ones will replace them.” - The hermit added. - “The Golaith is too big for a crew as small as yours to influence anything. This place would require deterring patrols, but due to the plague, the supply chains were cut off, and it's impossible to build enough armed ships.”

“See? If I help with the plague, this problem will also be solved.” - Luna summarized.

Avi gave in. - “Fine, fine... I trust you, Luna.”

Their spaceship soon entered the storm, where the whirling ash completely obstructed the vision. Only sporadically, it was possible to notice flashes of lightning, which indicated that they were still inside the hurricane. When the gray and black flakes of dust seemed to gather in one spot, as if it was sucked in by something, Luna knew they finally arrived at their destination. The Serpentine Labyrinth, as the name suggested, was a network of narrow tunnels and pathways, inside which the spaceship was forced to maneuver at a snail's pace. The flight took two long nights and one day, after which the light entered the bridge, and Luna immediately knew that they were going to land.

At the end of the tunnel, there was a jagged sign with weathered, white paint stating. - “Day after tomorrow.”

The hermit explained that it was a town bordering the fallen lands, where there was no law. Once, it was a shelter for refugees who escaped the Anaari's plague but had no means to leave.

When Avi and her companions exited their ship, all they could see was an empty main street, and the buildings were bolted shut and secured with every possible lock.

“We won't stay here for long, we only have to open the main airlock.” - The hemir instructed.

Avi looked at the houses and noticed that they were stealthily observed from behind steel blinds by many cybernetic eyes.

“They stare at us.” - Avi whispered.

“Don't pay attention to it.” - Luna replied. - “Let's do what we came here for and leave.”

Avi overheard the creaking of the door and turned. Behind her, there was a small robot with a pale-gray torso covered in stripe-like red eyes.

“Parts...” - The stranger spoke quietly, in the voice of a child.

“Luna...” - Avi whispered.

Luna rolled her eyes. - “It's a trap. Ignore it.”

Avi kept walking, even though she lost her confidence. Then, she heard. - “Mom, Dad... they don't move. Parts... please.”

“Luna, wait please.” - Avi asked, then hurried to approach the robot. - “What kind of parts do you need?” - She asked.

Luna ran up to Avi, grabbing her and whispering. - “Don't you see?”

“See what?” - Avi asked.

“This robot would have long ago fallen victim to others...” - Luna stated. - “...but they're not afraid of going outside. They must be the most dangerous model of them all.”

“You're exaggerating.” - Avi replied, then turned to the robot, smiling kindly. - “Please, tell me, how can we help you?”

“Batteries, generators... fuel. Please...” - The robot answered.

“Luna, can you synthesize them on our ship?” - Avi asked.

“It's a bad idea.” - Luna said. - “I scanned them, they're packed with inactive weaponry of a type unknown to me.”

“Don't give anything to it!” - A trembling droid walked out of one of the houses, holding a shotgun. - “It will kill us all.”

“Please... I'm scared.” - The small robot sobbed.

“Don't be afraid, I'll talk to them and try to explain.” - Avi said.

“Parts... please.” - The small robot repeated.

It didn't take long before the droid shot at the kid. Luna didn't even bother to stop him. Five bullets dented the robot's metal shell, and it fell over, sparking.

“Luna!” - Avi shouted.

“Turn around.” - Luna requested, calm and collected.

Avi did so and noticed a drill with a nozzle, connected to a long tentacle that was concealed beneath the sand. It was dangerously close to her skull.

“That robot never mentioned that the 'parts' can be biological ones.” - Luna clarified. - “You were just saved by that droid, although I was ready to intervene too.” - She knelt next to the damaged robot and began to tinker with its body, pulling out modules and incinerating them. - “They don't need this... and this...”

“Stop...” - The robot begged. - “Stop...”

Luna stood up, declaring to everyone. - “I disarmed it, you don't have to be scared anymore. Nobody will get hurt.”

“He'll find replacements.” - The droid shouted. - “You have to finish him off!”

“I installed a safeguard, they can't install any new equipment.” - Luna assured.

“Kill it!” - Another machine shouted and walked out of their house.

“Eh, so it begins.” - Luna sighed. - “See, Avi? We shouldn't have intervened.”

“...but we can't leave it to die.” - Avi said.

“I'll transfer its brain to the local data repository and block the access.” - Luna whispered to Avi. - “Just pretend that you agree to whatever they want to do, this robot's body will already be an empty shell.”

Avi hesitated, but nodded in agreement and said nothing.

Next door opened, then next and next. The robots held primitive melee weapons and steel pipes, and surrounded the Avi's group.

“Leave.” - The biggest machine requested threateningly.

Luna stepped aside, but Avi wasn't sure, at least until Luna forcefully pulled her. The massive robot grabbed the body of to-be Avi's killer, then carried it behind one of the buildings, to the metal compactor.

“Die, murderer.” - The robot said with disgust, then pulled the safety lever.

The entire town was soon celebrating and cheering loudly.

“They are like wild animals.” - Avi uttered.

“We are on the outskirts of civilization.” - Luna commented. - “From now on, don't expect anything different.” - Then she left the place with her friends, still hearing the joy of the lynching.