The frantic drumbeat of his own heartbeat echoed in Gan’s ears, resonating with the ominous cadence of footfalls that reverberated through the steel veins of the alien craft. The chill of his laser pistol’s grip, nestled against his hip, served as a cold, metallic reminder of the potential danger lurking in the shadows. He had never fired it since recovering it from the Corvian ship and hoped that he wouldn’t have to use it.

  Drawing a steadying breath into his lungs, he willed his nerves to quiet, straining his gaze to penetrate the murk beyond his makeshift sanctuary. Every shadow held the potential of an unseen adversary, every muted echo a harbinger of danger.

  An alien voice tore through the hush that had blanketed the ship, booming and indecipherable, bouncing off the ship’s metallic innards. Gan’s fingers danced across the controls of his suit, activating the universal translator, a ray of hope threading through the discordant veil of language.

  But before the device parsed the unknown tongue, a second roar erupted, the rumble of an explosion overhead. He was bathed in a storm of twisted metal and fragmented glass, a biting rainfall from the ruptured ceiling.

  Through the settling dust and debris, a guttural roar of alien syllables that held no meaning to Gan slashed across the air once more. As the fragments of debris tinkled to the surrounding floor, he squinted into the murk, fingers poised and restless on the cold trigger of his weapon.

  The synthetic voice of the translator pierced the volatile silence, slicing through the thick smog of apprehension with an unexpected declaration, “Leave now and you won’t get hurt!” The proclamation rang out like a bell, an unexpected proposal for peace in the heart of conflict. Whoever was behind the weapon seemed invested in evading harm.

  Embracing risk as a companion, Gan allowed his gaze to dart out from the safety of his hiding place, steeling himself to assess the potential threat. His heart stuttered in his chest as his eyes beheld a figure whose form mirrored the familiar contours of his own Elluroid species.

  “Alright. Alright,” Gan ventured, his words launching into the tense silence following the explosion. He pinned his hopes on the universal translator, conveying the intention behind his words.

  “I’ll leave if you let me but...” He hesitated, granting the universal translator a brief pause to translate his proposition. “Maybe we can help each other out.”

  The air seemed to constrict as a tangible blanket of uncertainty descended, the unseen figure weighing his proposition. After a lengthy silence that felt like an eon to Gan, the weapon receded from view and a figure stepped into the flickering light. Bathed in the sparse illumination, the alien female revealed a skin tone awash in hues of pink and orange, a vibrant spectrum alien to the usual Ellurian color palette.

  Navigating the tense intricacies of their newfound alliance, Gan ventured a question into the dim, wavering gloom. The sound echoed within the hushed camaraderie coalescing between them. “Might I inquire your name?”

  A ripple of unfamiliar sounds came in response, a complex symphony of foreign phonetics, spinning in the air until his translator decoded and reshaped them into a form he could comprehend. “My name is Poppy.”

  Poppy’s voice breathed life into the silence, her words forming the only melody rebounding off the scarred metal skeleton of the ship. Her slender hands moved as she spoke, painting ephemeral images in the air, weaving narratives Gan found himself drawn into. The alien patterns of her speech continued to pirouette around him, piquing Gan’s curiosity and concern until his translator unfurled their meaning.

  “She speaks of an unidentified, hostile entity that tore her ship apart. Since then, she’s been a spectral presence onboard, haunted by uncertainty and apprehension, unsure if your arrival would usher in a much-needed respite or add to her growing despair.”

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  Her appearance struck Gan. So alien, yet so fascinating. Her eyes were a remarkable hue, reminiscent of the rich caramel gems one might find on a mineral laden Ellurian asteroid. They were full of intelligence and an intense curiosity, their energy undiminished by her circumstances.

  Her hair was an intriguing color, golden like the precious Ellurian Heliodor crystals, falling in a cascade of waves around her shoulders and down her back. It framed a face which was a fascinating blend of youthful energy and hardened resolve. Poppy’s skin held a radiant glow unlike anything Gan had seen, a healthy sheen perhaps characteristic of her kind, contrasting his own luminescent pallor.

  Her body, wrapped in a form-fitting suit, was slender and toned, speaking of an inherent strength and the robust nature of her species. Her hands, though small, were marked with the scars of mechanical labor-oil smudges and fine scratches, a testament to her resourcefulness and tenacity.

  In the cold, metallic surroundings of the spacecraft, Poppy stood out, a beacon of vitality and spirit, projecting an aura of warmth and determination in the face of adversity.

  A nod of understanding crowned Gan’s reply, his stern features softening in a tangible wave of empathy. “I mean you no harm, Poppy. I am but an explorer, journeying through the cosmos. You may address me as Gan.”

  A veil of suspicion clouded Poppy’s bright eyes as she studied Gan, her guarded demeanor ebbing. “Why choose to explore this vessel, out of all options?” she asked, her voice laced with a thread of curiosity.

  Caught in a crossfire of thoughts, Gan deliberated over his reply. His instinct to maintain transparency warred with the potential backlash of unfiltered honesty. He wrestled with this internal conflict for a moment before choosing forthrightness. “I’m more than just an explorer, Poppy. I’m also a Scavenger. My journey here is spurred by the quest for resources to safeguard the survival of my race... and, if the stars align, secure my passage home.”

  Poppy absorbed his words. Her gaze locked onto his, her expression inscrutable beneath the ship’s low lighting. She gave a small nod. “I reckon we can help each other out. There’s a chance more of those hostiles might be lurking in these parts, and two heads are better than one for a fight.”

  Gan expelled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A tide of uncertainty receded to make way for a budding sense of camaraderie. Words, each imbued with bits of his story, wove intricate patterns in the air between them, painting vibrant portraits of his life on Elluria, his craft as a cosmic Scavenger, the unfortunate demise of his vessel, and the fortuitous discovery of Poppy’s marooned ship.

  As he unraveled his narrative, Gan’s gaze remained tethered to Poppy, scrutinizing this newfound ally with a mix of scientific curiosity and human interest. The underlying similarity in their humanoid forms was intriguing, yet the minute variations between them held him captivated. He was navigating uncharted territories and encountering a member of a species he hadn’t known existed until that moment. Amidst the hum of potential danger, an adrenaline-fueled thrill sparked and flickered within him.

  Poppy absorbed Gan’s narrative with an earnest attentiveness, her lively eyes reflecting an understanding and empathy that resonated deeply with Gan’s recounting. As the last echoes of Gan’s tale faded into silence, Poppy offered a subtle nod, her earlier skepticism ebbing away, replaced by a newfound regard for him.

  “I’ve never met an Ellurian before,” Poppy confessed, a twang of wonder laced with bemusement playing in her voice. “I’d never have guessed that my first encounter with one would be on this banged-up old ship, stuck somewhere in the cosmic wilderness.”

  A soft chuckle bubbled up from Gan, its sound a warm counterpoint to the dissipated tension. “Likewise, I never envisioned meeting a...” He paused, his gaze questioning Poppy for the missing piece of the puzzle.

  “Human,” Poppy completed for him, her lips curling into an amused smile. “I’m a human female.”

  “Hoo-mahn,” Gan echoed, the term unfamiliar but intriguing. “I didn’t foresee meeting a human while scavenging a wrecked ship.”

  Gan thought back to his original mission briefing. He remembered what the female scavenger had said about diplomacy and misinterpreted gestures on Sylara Prime. He certainly didn’t want to cause an intergalactic incident on his first mission. He also noted her resemblance to the female in the videos that Pelve had cached for him. Perhaps they were humans as well.

  A silence stretched between them, elastic and delicate, as they each took in the other’s essence. The remnants of their conversation reverberated through the stark, metallic shell of the ship. Two cosmic drifters, sailing the starlit expanse, their paths intertwined by the capricious hand of fate.

  With their initial strain smoothened out and the foundation of their partnership cementing, Gan felt the warmth of hope seep into his bones. He wasn’t drifting alone in the vacuum of space anymore; he had a companion, a comrade in this bewildering predicament.

  Gan meets Poppy, a human survivor with a gun, trust issues, and a whole lot of questions. After a tense standoff (and a near explosion), they’ve formed an uneasy alliance. But who—or what—ripped her ship apart? And are they still out there?

  Ellurians have never encountered humans before… so what does this mean for both of them? ??

  Can they trust each other, or is this alliance doomed to fail? And what happened to the rest of Poppy’s crew? Drop your theories in the comments! ??

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