Back on the Dawn, they could feel the ship shaking once a while when a smaller vessel docked to its belly and automatons rolled out on their magnetized tracks. They were like ants, small yet solid and multi-armed drones, emptying out the scraps from the Dawn's belly that Miyon had sold on the Flash Market. People would arrive for the more valuable cargo, coming directly to the Dawn, meeting with its captain, and finalizing the transaction. Yet, at that moment, Miyon did not mind paying attention to any of that or getting ready for their arrival.

"You want to tour our sectors?" Miyon asked as he put his hands on the round table they were sitting at in the ship's kitchen area. The force of his palms shook the metal table even as it was bolted to the floor, spilling out a little bit of coffee from the cups before them.

"Yes." Omega nodded, sitting there calmly and looking into his eyes sincerely. "I need to see the world. Worlds. The doctor was right. If I want to remember who I am, I must unlock those memories. I would do it… in another way, but I can't. I'm sorry." he shook his head.

"Why is that a problem, Pa?" Sylen took Omega's side immediately, feeling sorry for him. "If we want to venture out, we must go through Saphir anyway! Why not show him around?"

"Is there an Astropath leading outwards from Saphir?" Omega asked, turning towards her, but she just shook her head.

"No, it is a sealed system, the Astropaths from there lead to different subsystems! All of those are under our control; of course, they are like extensions of Saphir! The mines, the shipyards, the research stations," She explained quickly, counting on her fingers "they are the engines of our empire! We will travel through them anyway, as only from those places can we travel to the outside world!"

"I see." Omega leaned back on his chair.

"..." for now, Miyon did not cut in again, but his face was telling. He was not happy.

"Give up, Pa!" Sylen looked into his eyes. "He has free passage anyway! He can still go alone if we don't take him with us!"

"I am willing to be monitored or wear some device that can track my location," added Omega, trying to show his sincerity.

"No way!" Sylen protested immediately, shooting his suggestion down. "We won't do something like that! That would be awful!"

"I don't like this." Miyon opened his mouth after a long silence. "Not. One. Bit."

"I know you don't trust me-" Omega sighed, but Miyon leaned forward, continuing.

"It is not about trust!" He raised his voice. "I just feel like you are going to pull us into trouble! I don't want to put Sylen in danger. My instincts tell me that if we stick to you, we will be in danger! Do you understand me?"

"I can promise you if that ever happens, I will protect her." Omega leaned forward, too, while answering.

"We put ourselves into danger every time we venture out, Pa!" Sylen rolled her eyes. "When was the Galaxy ever a safe space?"

"If something happens, can you really… protect her?" Miyon asked, not blinking, watching his eyes constantly.

"I will utilize my full powers to do so." Omega nodded.

"I still don't like it!" He leaned back with a heavy sigh, raising his cup and drinking it in one go. "After the cargo holds of the Dawn are emptied out, and our supplies are refilled, we are going to move on! We will go by Saphir, but we won't stop nor dock into its spaceport!"

"Pa!" Sylen protested, but Omega just smiled.

"That is fine; there will be a time in the future to do that." He said gently, not insisting on anything. "You are the captain of this ship. I am just a passenger. I will do as you say."

"At least you are cooperative." Miyon rubbed his eyes, finally blinking them, groaning with a tired voice, licking off the residue of coffee from his lips. "We are going to travel to Ushitar. It's the main shipyard of the Neo-Hegemony." He continued, and even Sylen fell silent, listening to her grandfather. "The old girl needs a general overhaul. I also want them to look at the core systems; who knows what happened to them after your 'little' stunt!" He shook his head, while Omega just nodded at his words. "While we are there, I will commission them to alter one of the empty rooms to act as yours in the future! You can list what you want in it, but do it before we reach Ushitar!"

"Pa! Thank you!" Sylen smiled, happy that her grandfather finally caved in, wagging her tail happily behind herself like a metronome.

"Then I will register myself as the third crew member of the Dawn," Omega said, making Miyon flinch, but in the end, he just grumbled something under his beard but didn't refuse the notion.

"When the Dawn is fixed up, we will travel outside again!" Miyon said.

"Scavenging?" Omega asked, as he was familiar with their profession by now.

"Of course!" Miyon scoffed. "Do you think money grows by itself in the belly of my ship? Adding you to the crew, a general overhaul of the ship costs money! The profit from this trip is already gone by the time we leave the borders!"

"It is an investment Pa. Aren't you always told me that?" Sylen countered, again taking Omega's side when her grandfather raised his voice.

"You only scavenge derelict ships?" Omega asked suddenly.

"Hm?" Miyon raised his eyebrows as Sylen quickly explained.

"No! We scavenge everything!" She pressed her fingers out, showing a V sign. "Ships, stations, lost colonies, debree, we even found an asteroid rich in minerals! Towed it to a place where nobody could find it easily! After that, we sold its location to the highest bidder!"

"Oh, I see!" Omega clapped, getting a better picture in his head about the ins and outs of their scavenger runs. "Then I can do some work, earning my place as your new crew member!" He stood up, fixing his jacket.

"What are you planning to do?" Miyon watched him with a cautious gaze.

"Gather information!" He replied with a clap and a determined gaze. "While we are docked here and finishing the exchange of cargo and supplies, I am going to go out and gather clues as to where we could find something valuable!" Omega said with a smile.

"I'm coming with you!" Sylen stood up, too, already excited. "I am the best when it comes to that!"

"Just try to not cause trouble!" Miyon shook his head. "Sylen, this is also true for you!"

"Worry not, Pa, I'll keep an eye on the rookie!" She giggled, slapping the back of Omega multiple times. "I'll show you the ropes, how it is done!" she pointed her thumb at him.

"Please, I would appreciate that!" He nodded back with a kind smile.

"Nyahaha! Let us go then!" She stormed out, almost hovering above the ground with how quickly her dog-like tail was wagging behind her.

"Remember what you said!" Miyon raised his voice when Omega was almost out of the room.

"Worry not; she won't be harmed as long as I am with her!" Omega waved his hand, following the energetic Sylen to the station.

…
….
…..

Sylen was familiar with the station's layout; it was not her first time touring it without her grandfather.

"This is the Free Market!" She said proudly as they stepped out from the lift, walking towards the metal railing, looking down at a giant space where thousands of little stalls were erected. Behind them, a variety of people were standing, displaying their products, findings, and offers, ready to trade with anyone interested. It was reminiscent of old human bazaars from the embellished tales of antiquity.

"I assume this is different from the Flash Market?" Omega asked, leaning forward, running his eyes through the anthill-like scenery below them. He couldn't see guards down there, only up on the walkways, patrolling with their hands behind their backs. "No wonder…" He thought descending down a level would make it impossible to spot anyone specific or react to trouble in time. Stepping into the sea of stalls would be like traveling to a different world.

"Of course!" Sylen laughed. "It's called 'Free' because there are no rules!"

"No laws are enforced down there?" Omega asked, surprised at the notion.

"No, no! I said no rules! Not laws!" She chuckled, leading him down one of the many stairways. "Laws are laws; you still can't steal, kill, and the like… but here… the trading rules do not apply! There is no guarantee if you buy something, it won't turn out to be nothing but scrap! You will be easily scammed out of your money if you are not sharp enough!"

"Oh. That still sounds lawless." He followed her closely.

"Ahaha, maybe~ But those who come here know the risks! There are many unknown trinkets and objects up for sale here!" She raised her voice as it was hard to hear each other with the sea of people constantly talking, barking, chirping, or slurping around them. "Also, not everyone wants money for their stuff! Some want to barter for something else! Or exchange information!"

"That is why we are here? To find some info for Miyon? Where to go next?" Omega caught on quickly.

"Yep! Hehe, you are not a hopeless rookie, it seems! That is good!" She said as she turned towards him, winking at him playfully. "But for now, just watch and learn! Let me do the talking, okay?"

"Sure." He nodded, seeing it as only logical as she was indeed more experienced with something like this than he was.

Wandering around the stalls, he saw many interesting things on display. Old, still functioning tablet-like devices, antique vases or boxes, decorative pieces for bedrooms or for one's cockpit, to bring some color to the metallic boxes most of the ships were by design. Some didn't sell anything physical, only intel, rumors, or supposedly access codes to some forgotten station who knows where. Sylen stopped at some of those stalls, inquiring calmly, quickly pulling out some crumbs of information from the sellers without them ever realizing. Omega just looked on curiously, studying her from the side, surprised by how glib her tongue could be. When she met with someone much more focused, his lips sealed, she even managed to use her body, seductively posing, flirting a little to get what she wanted, before leaving them stumped, backing out of the deal instantly.

"Haah! Nothing so far! Most of those were clearly just bulshitting!" She complained, twirling her red hair around her fingers.

"Are you sure?" Omega asked, curious and also impressed by her.

"Yeah, my hearing is great, and my nose is sharp! I can tell if they are lying!" She stuck her tongue out. "Well, whatever! There are a lot of people here, we ought to find something! So far, I never went back empty-handed!" she laughed, grabbing his hand to pull him forward with a renewed zeal in her eyes.

She was scanning the stalls, eyes sharp and focused, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that may also hide clues to something worthwhile to explore. Sylen just turned towards the left when she was yanked so hard she almost fell backward.

"Kyah?!" She screamed out, stumbling, barely finding her balance, with one leg held high up in the air. "What?!" Sylen snapped backward, but she was still holding onto Omega's arm… and he was standing in place. Trying again, pulling on him, he was like an immovable object; no matter how hard she pulled, only the fabric on his arms moved, and his arm and body remained fixed. "Damn, you are strong!" She whispered, gulping, looking up at his face "Omega?" She asked, tilting her head as she did not see him act like this yet. His eyes were fixated on one thing, looking forward, without blinking, not even his chest moved, as if he was not breathing at all, just frozen in place.

"..." he did not react to her words, looking at the shabby, rusty metal stall before him. On it was a few trinkets, some worthless doodads, and pretty scratched-up data disks.

"What is it?" Sylen walked next to him, aligning herself with Omega's body, trying to find out which one he was looking at so intensely that he fell into a trance. "That?" She asked, whispering, quickly turning her head back and forth between the stall and him.

"Your boyfriend has a good eye!" the man behind the stall chuckled. He was short and stocky, aged between 40 and 50; it was hard to tell. He looked like a human, only one compressed by heavy machinery until he was only a meter in height and the rest pushed out horizontally. Standing on a separate box to reach his stall, he was wearing a heavy jumpsuit filled with hundreds of pockets; his bald head also showcased multiple scars, looking like zippers, giving the impression that he even stored "things" inside his skull.

"Ah, yeah, he has an eye for spending money needlessly!" Sylen switched her stance immediately, getting into the role of bartering for a reasonable price. Boyfriend? Why not? She could work with that!

"Ahaha, don't say that, missy! This bracelet is from ancient times! From a human colony, nonetheless! You two look human enough; I am sure the ancestors would be happy if you would wear their jewelry!" He laughed, raising a dark green, somewhat thick bracelet towards them, and Omega's eyes followed it without a word, drawing an even bigger smile onto the stocky man's face.

"Fuck… amateur!" Sylen grumbled inside herself, but she couldn't bring herself to scold Omega. He was still new to this; he had to learn to mask his feelings more. At that moment, she decided she would train him before coming out again! "This garbage?" She tilted her head left to right and flicked it with his fingers. "And it is solid metal? Pft… it would wear out any wrist you thread through it!" She scoffed, uninterested. "Don't want it! Come, babe!" She pulled on Omega, but she almost fell over again as he was unmovable.

"Ahaha, he really wants it~ But… is he okay?" The stall owner asked, feeling a bit weirded out by how silent he was, unmoving and looking at the worthless doodad in his hands. It was making him creeped out a little.

"Yeah, he is good; he just… you know, a bit slow! His species are not the brightest out there!" Sylen chuckled, trying to pinch him in the back to make him move or react again. "It is easier to keep track of him; you know, he is… blessed!" She laughed playfully while stomping on his feet in the cover of the stall, but no reaction came from Omega. "You are killing me here!" She whined deep inside herself, wanting to tear out her hair. Or Omega's.

"Ahahaha, I see, I see!" The stocky man laughed.

Inside Omega's mind, a different scene was playing out as the two were talking. It was hazy, colorless… distant. A memory was trying to resurface in his brain with little success. He heard voices talking to him, but right now, they were as if he was trying to listen to a conversation through a concrete wall. He couldn't understand what they were saying, yet they were definitely talking to him. There were… two figures before him. Humans? They… they were, at least, his mind was sure they were humans. But… who? He couldn't recall. Nor could he determine if they were men or women; everything was way too hazy. What he could tell, looking down at himself, the same-looking bracelet was on his right hand… and it was that moment when Omega finally opened his mouth.

"How much?" Omega asked, flinching a little, blinking his eyes as he snapped out from it, returning to the present.

"Oh, so he could talk!" the merchant grinned with intense pity in his voice. "I don't want money for it; I need an energy cell for a plasma thrower!"

"And I want my own ship for smiling sweetly!" Sylen harrumphed, outraged by his demand. "Are you here to rip us off or rape our wallets?! No way that worthless piece of junk is worth that much!"

"It is from an era when Humans ruled the Galaxy! It survived that much time into the future, unbroken! That alone makes it into something worthy of belonging to the National Museum on Saphir!" the stall owner countered, but even he knew he was asking for a ridiculous price. What he wanted was worth all the scraps that Miyon had sold recently.

"We don't need it! Too much!" Sylen shook her head, pulling at Omega again, finally being able to move him, sighing a breath of relief. "Act with me, please!" She whispered so only he could hear it. After she saw him nod, she finally felt like there was a chance to get it cheap.

The stocky man seeing them indeed leaving, got panicked a little. He had been sitting here for days by now, and nobody even stopped to do business! Losing the only ones who even looked at his literal trash, he shouted after them. Sylen smirked a little before turning back, replacing the grin with a frustrated look. For the next half an hour, she bargained with the merchant, scolding Omega as her "slow" and "unreliable" boyfriend, a role which Omega quickly adapted to and played perfectly with her. It even surprised Sylen how quickly he came up with sentences that made her part easier, using them as reasons why she won't buy anything, pushing the price lower and lower. When they finally left, bracelet in hand, the man was happy that he received a few credits for his trash, convinced he was the lucky one here to get rid of something that should land in the trash compactor instead on someone's wrist.

"Haaaah! I need to drink something after this!" Sylen moaned, quickly leading him out from the Free Market to find a place to sit down and just relax, alongside some drinks and snacks. "What the hell is it, anyway?" She asked, looking at it in Omega's hand, gently caressing it, his eyes surprisingly gentle yet distant.

"A control device…." He murmured.

"Controlling what?" She tilted her head, his ears trembling as she thought, "Mood lighting in your room?"

"A Suit of Ares." He answered, tapping on the top of it twice, and it just snapped, straightening out so he could put it on his wrist while they stepped into a lift. For their luck, they were the only ones going upwards, alone in it…. Because what happened next would have quickly drawn some unwanted attention. When Omega ran his index finger along its smooth surface, a holographic image rose and projected above it. It was humanoid, reminiscent of ancient knights with spiky, folded 'wings' on its back. Sylen's mouth opened wide as her eyes popped forward, watching the spinning image of a suit of armor before her.

“What… the… fuck…?!” Sylen gawked, slurping back her saliva, quickly looking around, and hurriedly clawing at Omega's wrist. "Turn it off! Quickly! Before anyone sees it! Damn it!"

"S-sorry…!" He nodded, surprised, sending the device into slumber once again with a swipe of his index finger.

“That… that… is that… a…” Sylen tried to speak, but she was shaking from pure excitement, biting onto her own tongue.

"This is just the control device for it… the suit is not here." he shook his head. "But…"

"But? Don't just 'but' me! Say it! Quickly!" She grabbed his arm with two hands, jumping in place, her eyes sparkling like newborn stars.

"It can take us to it."