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The ship was a late model pioneer, a brand of spaceships known in Eddie’s part of the galaxy for science and exploration.
He could tell this much by looking at the wing. A homing beacon glowed purple on the underside of the wing. It was a miracle it still worked.
He slid down the mound of trash and climbed out of the hatch. With two joysticks outside the door, he commanded two metal arms that dug into the trash around the wing and separated it. The slot filled with humming and buzzing.
He grabbed the wing with the metal arms and pulled, fully expecting to see nothing else.
But the entire ship, silver and busted and broken, rose from the junk. Its right side was crushed. Its windows were broken. And its wings dangled from the body as if on a string.
What was a pioneer ship doing in
