Lyra's offer hung in the workshop's heavy air, mixed with the smell of burnt metal and solvents. Kael stared at her, pondering. Working with Lyra was never boring, but it was also rarely safe. She was brilliant, unpredictable, and had a tendency to attract the wrong kind of attention. On the other hand, her skills were undeniable, and if the Nebula of Whispers was as dangerous as it seemed, having a top-tier hacker by his side could be the difference between discovery and disappearance.
"This isn't a vacation trip, Lyra," Kael warned, his voice low. "It's dangerous. More than Cygnus X-1."
Lyra gave a crooked smile. "Danger is my middle name, Kael. Or it would be, if I had one. Besides, I smell something big here. Something that might be worth more than a few quick credits hacking corporate terminals. What did you find? A lost ship? Ancient tech?"
Before Kael could answer, a subtle movement at the workshop entrance caught his attention. Two figures, dressed in dark, discreet overcoats that couldn't completely hide the rigid posture of trained professionals, watched them furtively from behind a pile of scrap. They didn't look like the usual Port Shadow types – they were too organized, too focused.
Kael felt a chill. Was it a coincidence? Or was the "Threat" mentioned by the Guardian already on his trail? He couldn't risk it.
"We've got company," Kael murmured to Lyra, tilting his head discreetly towards the figures. "They don't look friendly."
Lyra's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second as she cast a casual glance over her shoulder. Her smile vanished, replaced by an expression of rapid calculation. "I see. Looks like your 'new route' has already attracted some unwanted fans. They have the look of corporate agents or... something worse."
"I think it's the second option," Kael said. "We need to get out of here. Now."
"Agreed. But not through the main entrance," Lyra replied quickly. She took out her datapad. "The owner of this dump owes me a favor. And conveniently, his security network is a joke." Her fingers flew across the holographic screen. "Okay, created a little distraction. A simulated 'toxic coolant leak' in three... two... one..."
Strident alarms blared through the workshop and adjacent corridors. Flashing red lights began to spin, and a computerized voice announced an emergency evacuation. Chaos erupted instantly. Workers dropped their tools, customers ran for the exits, and the two figures watching them were momentarily swallowed by the confusion.
"This way!" Lyra grabbed Kael's arm and pulled him towards the back of the workshop, where a rusty maintenance door was set into the wall.
"Are you sure?" Kael asked, as Lyra quickly worked on the electronic lock with her datapad.
"Leads to an abandoned service tunnel. It's not pretty, but it gets us out of here without going through the crowd or our new friends," Lyra answered, the door clicking open.
They plunged into the dark, damp tunnel, closing the door behind them just in time to hear hurried footsteps outside. The tunnel reeked of mold and stagnant water, lit only by the glow of Lyra's datapad and the small flashlight Kael activated.
"So," Lyra panted as they ran through the uneven tunnel. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now? Who are those guys and why are they after you? Does it have to do with the Nebula?"
Kael took a deep breath. There was no avoiding it anymore. He needed Lyra now, not just for her skills, but for her help in escaping. He quickly summarized the discovery of the alien ship, the fragmented AI, the message about the Artifact and the Threat, and his decision to go to the Nebula of Whispers.
Lyra listened in silence, her eyes wide with astonishment and excitement. "An alien ship... millennia old? An ancient AI? A mysterious Artifact? Kael, you don't find trouble, you stumble into legends! And this 'Threat'... it must be them. Those agents. They know about the ship."
"Looks like it," Kael agreed. "Someone must have detected my approach or the AI's reactivation. Or maybe they were already looking for it."
"Which means Port Shadow isn't safe for you anymore. And probably not your ship either," Lyra said, stopping at a fork in the tunnel. "We need to get back to the Wanderer discreetly and get out of here as fast as possible."
"Did you say 'we'?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lyra smiled, the adventurous glint back in her eyes. "Of course 'we'. You think I'm going to let you have all the fun with ancient alien tech and sinister secret agents? Besides, you owe me for saving your skin just now. Consider my passage paid. I'm going with you to this Nebula."
Kael hesitated for only a second. Logic still screamed it was risky, but his gut told him Lyra was his best chance. "Okay, Lyra. Welcome aboard. But be prepared, it's not going to be easy."
"Easy is for other people," she winked. "Now, let's retrieve your ship before our pursuers decide to inspect the docks."
Using the service tunnels and Lyra's knowledge of the station's security blind spots, they managed to return to the Stellar Wanderer's dock undetected. A quick scan by Lyra confirmed no one had tampered with the ship yet, but it was only a matter of time.
While Kael initiated the pre-launch sequence, Lyra was already plugged into the ship's systems, installing the new parts Kael had managed to buy and simultaneously scouring Port Shadow's communication logs for any information about their pursuers. Their identity remained a mystery, but Lyra found encrypted transmissions mentioning a "recovered asset" and the need to "contain the source."
"They call themselves 'The Consortium' internally, it seems," Lyra reported, frowning. "Very generic, very corporate. But the tactics and gear on those agents... they weren't from just any company. That's military-grade, or shadow intelligence."
"Great," Kael grumbled, undocking the Stellar Wanderer. "Just what I needed."
With engines rumbling, the old freighter pulled away from Port Shadow, leaving the station's chaos and danger behind. But Kael knew the real danger was just beginning. They had an uncertain destination, a ship in need of more repairs than he cared to admit, and a shadowy, powerful organization now hot on their trail. The adventure had truly begun.