Outcasts of Gideon

Kishan Saanvi : Part 1

Kishan shook his head again. He was trying to dismiss the itch on his nose. It was not likely to go away. His nose was itchy every time he donned a helmet. He had no idea why. Shaking his head wouldn't do much, but he tried anyway. It was getting unbearable. In the end, he would have to expose his face to the vacuum. That would be the only solution. It always was.

To distract himself, he focused again on the oblong mechanism before him. The device gleaned silver and white in the fading light of the planet's nearby star. A light brown dust had begun to collect in its crevices. It was a dust that completely covered the featureless planet surface.

The device was known as an Apeiria Projector. It was the stuff of legend. No one he knew had actually seen one. His first time was only a few hours prior. Despite this, he knew the device well. That was thanks to two weeks of virtual training. Of course, anything can be simulated. That didn't make it real.

He ran his gloved hands along its sides. His left hand found the gauges. At the opposite end he felt the empty port where he would insert the energy cartridge. That's what he was waiting for. He was also waiting to find out what he was here to replicate. That's what the device was designed to do. If it could actually do that, its value was beyond measure.

He walked over to his hover and poked his head inside. The vehicle's geolocator still indicated he was in the right place. As he'd operated the vehicle from the transit station, readings fluctuated several times. They settled as he approached, but he had no idea if they were accurate. Maybe that was why his contact was late. Whatever the reason, it was not a good sign.

Here he stood in the middle of nowhere waiting for someone he'd never met to operate a device he'd never believed in. It seemed absurd when he put it all together like that.

A small glint of light in the distance caught his notice. He watched the light grow into the faint shape of a hover. As it continued its approach, he reached for his visor, raised it, and finally relieved the itch on his nose. The cold vacuum swept across his face, biting at it.

He lowered his visor and watched. The hover was about a kilometer away by then. The vehicle appeared to float above the ground, growing larger as it neared. Its approach was slightly off. After a short time, it corrected, aiming toward him. When it finally arrived, it settled on the flat, dusty surface. He waited at that distance.

A figure emerged, waving for him to come over. He lifted the Apeiria Projector and took it with him. As he approached, the other person tapped their finger on their helmet. Kishan realized his comm was turned off. He chastised himself before switching it on.

"I was talking to you the whole way. I guess you didn't hear any of that. I'm Mihrbandak Chinweike. Feel free to call me Mihr." The man's voice was a deep baritone that boomed through his comm.

While he worked for Runar, Kishan grew accustomed to knowing only what was necessary. He rarely knew anything about the people he worked with. Having someone introduce themselves was a concern. In his experience, talkers took risks. He stared at the man for several uncomfortable moments. As he did, he lowered the projector to his side, allowing him to move one hand toward his sidearm. "Did Robinia send you?" he asked.

"Who the hell is Robinia?"

"Robinia didn't send you?"

"Look, I don't know Robinia. This is a Runar mission, isn't it?"

Kishan paused. He wasn't able to see Mihr's face behind his visor. "Runar?"

"What are you playing at? Why would we be on the ass end of this marble if Dagrun Runar hadn't sent us? Doesn't he run things in this system?"

Kishan softened. "Just checking. It seemed suspicious you introducing yourself like that."

"Yeah." Mihr turned back to the hover. "Runar says I talk too much."

That last statement didn't make Kishan feel any better. He worked with sharp, experienced operatives. They usually knew how to keep things to themselves. Someone paired him with a talker. That made him wonder if he had done something wrong. Had he become expendable?