Chapter 1 part 6
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxiepCnQov
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIRvdZYOC6
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYWszpZ9vW
Pests Extermination
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9cwXlMjAa
The journey had been mercifully uneventful—no pirates lurking in the shadows of trade routes, no space vermin gnawing on hull plating, and no solar storms to send us spiraling into Havoc.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3tFN86Yrc
Mr. Healer, who had started the journey looking like a ghost haunting his own suit, recovered steadily with each cycle. By the time we reached the station, he was back to his peculiar self. Yet, his way of consuming nutrient paste was unsettling—sipping thin protein slurry through trembling gloves, flashing a crooked smile through his visor like an unhinged automaton. Energetic or not, watching him eat made me want to turn off my external cameras.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NfFZKMNAH
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtT2RkiXHy
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmF60LfCH2
"Harvest cycles always bring such liveliness to these places..."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1krfXTeapT
Our destination, Freyja Station, sat far from the familiar or the convenient—a lonely agricultural outpost orbiting in the silent void. Isolated from major hubs and light-years from my home station of Baldr, Freyja was the kind of place where you could scream into the stars and not even the background radiation would answer.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9zUWNCE2h
During harvest cycles, agricultural stations closer to hubs often saw guild members returning to assist. Familiar faces filled the halls, lending a sense of community. But Freyja was so remote that even migrant guild members didn’t bother. It was just us—a patrol team of strangers, completely foreign to the station’s routine.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkILNZZKGN
In most places, outsiders like us were met with suspicion, if not outright hostility. Remote stations had a tendency to treat newcomers like planetary debris—something to be swept out the airlocks. Surprisingly, Freyja Station had an open-minded spirit. No one called me a "space-mutt" or muttered slurs under their breath. Instead, they offered us tea—synthesized, of course—and let us watch the resource collection in peace. A rare blessing.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiqZjJF0Fp
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SICmx3vli
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYR5qz4MpKz
"Will you be assisting in the med bay here as well, Mr. Healer?" I asked as we sat on the observation deck, the faint hum of station machinery filling the silence.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5O0pUtlRY
"Yes," he replied, his voice as calm as the void beyond the viewport. "Light treatment during the afternoon shift. Harvests always bring injuries. Suit breaches, mostly."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HhUbuLw3b
"Ah, the old busted seals. I’ve had my fair share of air leaks. Lost a lot of oxygen in a station once."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP2Mo1ZzF1
"Vacuum exposure on wounds can be dangerous. Please be cautious, Galaxia Narwhal..."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18STHpBipR
He wasn’t wrong. Out here, the dangers of malfunctioning equipment were as common as space dust. But it wasn’t just faulty suits or broken tools we had to worry about. The asteroid fields surrounding the station were teeming with life—not the friendly kind.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGgiLZbu7o
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoxSWFIBTP
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnXHUiWvlf
In this universe, asteroid fields were more than just rocky graveyards of forgotten worlds. They were havens for void serpents, Skreeks, and other nasties. Creatures that thrived in the vacuum, hunting anything foolish enough to wander too close. That’s why long-range harvester ships were favored—better to avoid close encounters altogether.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wyTE1iHNl
Back at my home station, we used plasma cutters for the job, tools with enhanced particle beams that could slice through mineral-rich rock—or hull plating, depending on how creative you were. Now, though, I carried my beloved Half-Spec Blaster. A more... personal touch.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuE4LMOhRYg
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzTJdn8Lmz
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuTwa1kns1
"Yo, guild member! Over here!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfdOW3NtAc
"Galaxia Narwhal, I think they mean you," Healer said, tilting his head slightly.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ9dVBrTVB
I sighed. "Alright, alright. What is it?"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBMLO3JS9Z
"There are Skreeks in the field. Clear them out before they contaminate the collection zone!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbChQo7I0FY
Ah, Skreeks. Time to earn my keep.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIqpVj7KDk
The old men of Squadron 3 are resting after done patrolling the station, and I have the most suit power. I wanted to slack off a bit more, but it can't be helped. Time to work.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPtcS9IUjN
"I have to go to the med bay later too. Galaxia Narwhal, please be careful..."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnl0KjTlr4
"Okie-dokie. Don't overexert yourself either, Mr. Healer."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13LgAqxYGw
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1m5HUEIe7
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNwWO32Ob2
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCHPqaxGDs
Skreeks were the bane of asteroid fields. Small, fast, and endlessly resource-hungry, these pests reproduced like wildfire and hid their nests in the narrowest crevices imaginable. They could infest cargo holds, devour minerals, and spread through stations before anyone noticed. In dense asteroid fields, where sensors struggled to cut through the interference, they thrived.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrX3PZ9dfE
Yet, dealing with them wasn’t as simple as firing up the starship’s weaponry and blasting the asteroids apart. The reason was painfully clear: these asteroid fields weren’t just floating debris—they were lifelines. Rich in valuable minerals, rare metals, and sometimes even exotic gases, the asteroids served as essential resources for spacers and industries alike. Destroying them would mean annihilating the very materials everyone was out there to extract.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsnDdcxUEK
That’s why the job of exterminating Skreeks fell to spacers themselves. Spacewalking through the cold void, they had to locate the nests by hand, using heat scanners and magnetic probes to pinpoint the little horrors before deploying specialized tools. Plasma cutters, sonic disrupters, or even small controlled incendiary charges were the weapons of choice—designed to neutralize the pests without compromising the structural integrity of the asteroids.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6NQlPd8K8
Although it's not really that dangerous, It was grueling work. Skreeks were quick, unpredictable, and fiercely territorial. If provoked, they’d gnaw through environmental suits or sabotaging tools with alarming speed. But spacers had no choice. Personal intervention was the only way to eliminate the infestation while preserving the asteroid’s precious bounty.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6SJA6xIhI
The asteroid fields stretched before me—a treacherous maze of jagged rock and frozen void. Human intervention rarely extended beyond what was absolutely necessary. Maintenance crews didn’t bother with the deeper parts of the field, leaving them to the Skreeks and, occasionally, amorous young station couples looking for thrills.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsNa6qJfXi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHNnWD4itN
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M7MSEqNX0
"There, see? They’re contaminating the minerals."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmySHBIleTA
"Ah, I see them," I said, squinting at the faint signatures on my scanner. "Can’t spill radioactive blood in the collection zone, huh?"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrlyU607Ij
"Exactly. If you could take care of them over there, away from the miners, we’d appreciate it."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVKZWu4k9R
"Got it. I’ll make it quick. Keep working just in case."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4N5gTaXEer
"Yeah."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIeh8cH9JM
Guided to the outskirts of the active harvesting zone, I picked up two distinct radiation signatures. Skreeks. Locals could’ve handled it, but since we were here, I figured I’d show them how a professional does it.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HsUOgpbSO
"Now then, let’s get started."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6z6oDNVyo
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWzQKEpmwq
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbskGEl1OM5
Skreeks were aggressive, but not entirely stupid. They wouldn’t charge headlong into a fight unless provoked. But they were greedy little things, and easy to bait if you knew how to push their buttons.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdAPVqaRwl
I pulled out a synthetic protein cube—a faulty batch with a strange radiation signature. Perfect for luring pests. I waved it in the air, my voice dripping with mock enthusiasm.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQodGFS7LAR
"Oh hoho, Mr. Skreek! Look at this delicious, juicy protein cube! Doesn’t it smell amazing?"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHeCiLWyLP
"Skreee!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJc7vqzTK3
"Skree skree!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnMmt5lLHP
The Skreeks screeched from their hiding spots, their guttural cries echoing across the comms. They weren’t coming out yet, but I could feel their anger building.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pDPPDoH44
"You want it that bad? Here, have a taste!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4J2ramXIv
"Skreeee skree!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0N0l2hZTF
I dangled the protein cube like a star sailor tempting a void shark, my expression overly theatrical as I pretended to savor it.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntCyy8QnmA
"Mmm, exquisite! Premium nutrient ration—straight from the synth farms!" A shrill, warbling screech echoed through the comms.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMB2WLUcU1
"Skreeeee!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDW0IEQZBw
Bingo. Hooked. They're absolutely livid.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvJTyACXI7
Time to lure them out of the asteroid belt.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQXBtDJvFn
"Look at this luscious protein cube... practically dripping with cosmic-grade nutrients!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9oTOTBIr5
"Skree!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR54eGhU8hv
"Skree skree!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtAMTAc9bP
"Attention, galactic viewers! We're giving this away to one lucky winner—oh wait, just kidding! Om nom nom!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZm7XEt400
Humans in powered suits are far superior, especially when maneuverability outclasses these primitive Skreeks. I carefully nudged my thrusters, weaving through the asteroid field’s dense maze. The Skreeks flailed behind, struggling to keep up as I drew them into open space.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqj0NmbCaE
Their shrieks were filled with bloodlust, but honestly, what did I ever do to them? It’s not like I stole *all* their food reserves. Their relentless ferocity didn’t falter, not even when one of them got vaporized. Admirable, in a way.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCF61XUEuez
Their claws were their only weapons—deadly in close quarters but laughably short compared to the reach of my trusty Half-Spec Blaster.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfTrLwDluW
"Alright then," I muttered, gripping the blaster, its sleek barrel humming to life, "let’s finish this in three ticks."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLKgo1QUkB
"Skreee-!"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGgZLsjq5R
I aimed and fired, the blaster's blue-white bolt tearing through the first Skreek’s armored carapace with a hiss and sizzle. It collapsed in a heap, sparks dancing off its fried sensory organs.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtH99sIKPz
"First shot—clean disintegration."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvE0LiLUFc
"Skree—!?"
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxcxEQO732
"Too late. Vaporization incoming."
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5ytfq48aQ
I lined up the next shot and unleashed another bolt. The Skreek froze mid-lunge, its thorax splitting apart as the energy blast bisected it. The pieces drifted lifelessly, leaking a faintly glowing ichor into the void.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmV5H5ei9g
And that’s how you handle Skreeks.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGn1gE9pSrm
"Skreek infestation cleared!" I called through the comms.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxPJmFlLr4
"Appreciate it!" someone replied, already resuming the harvest operations.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiltCtdPsO
With the immediate threat neutralized, I glanced at my dirty suit, their radioactive fluids glinting like starlight in the dark. Cleaning this up wasn’t going to be fun. Maybe stunning them next time would’ve been smarter. Fewer glowing messes to scrubs.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGwNjdpHu7
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMllFcFarV7
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5mSnHk2ly
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8mTnRk4mx
Author's note : wanna read future chapters earlier? visit :217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGpxWHQD5S
galaxianarwhal.blogspot.com217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCSMx4nRgN
然後按「加至主畫面」