Galactic Vendetta

Episode 4: The Exploration Plan

“Time to get up,” David Wood called out, knowing full well that his shout wouldn't have any real effect. Before his voice had even faded, he swung his arm, and a multifunctional metal water tank hanging on the wall fell into his hand. He pressed the switch, and a stream of icy water poured down on Liam Strong's head.

“Ah!” Liam shrieked, sitting up abruptly. With a tearful expression, he complained, “Why can't you find another way to wake me up, David? Water's expensive, you know!”

“This is the most efficient method. No alternatives,” David replied calmly. “You have five minutes.”

“Five minutes…” Liam reacted as if pricked by a needle, leaping out of bed. He grabbed a washbag hanging on the wall and clutched the small water tank on his bed, dashing out of the room.

Five minutes later, a freshly washed Liam returned.

“David, next time, don't waste water. Water is a precious resource here on Zor Planet. As educated and cultured Zorites, we should lead by example and cherish every drop of water…”

Ignoring Liam's chatter, they gulped down some nutrition packs and took a shortcut by the perimeter wall. Climbing a tree and scaling the wall, they entered the school grounds with ease. They passed at least five groups of armed security guards, who recognized them and simply waved them through, used to their early arrivals.

After fingerprint-checking into the school's main control system, they received their day's work assignments and clean uniforms. Zor Mech University enforced strict security protocols, issuing and collecting uniforms daily. Obtaining a uniform required not just entering a passcode but also undergoing retinal and fingerprint scans. Rumor had it that the university's security measures were on par with those of Zor Planet's government buildings.

In essence, the uniform served as a pass, each one embedded with daily information. The omnipresent holographic scanning system could instantly identify anyone wearing a uniform. Due to the nature of their jobs, Liam and David had special permission to enter the lab early.

Upon entering the lab, Liam immediately powered up the main control computer and started a game of *Interstellar War*. The game was a popular intergalactic combat simulation, blending entertainment with education. Students could learn modern space warfare tactics through gameplay, though most played it purely for fun rather than to gain tactical insights.

Unlike Liam, who was engrossed in his game, David headed straight to a miniature auxiliary engine, using various devices to test its functionality...

This routine continued until 8 a.m. With an hour left before classes started, Liam and David simultaneously stopped their activities and made their way to the school’s storage warehouse. There, they collected the equipment and consumables required for the day’s lab work, based on the list provided by the main control computer.

David’s next task was to set up the equipment for the mech lab on Liam’s behalf—an arrangement they had between them. In truth, without David’s help, with his clumsy movements, Liam would have long since been expelled from the school.

David's assistance stemmed from more than just the fact that Liam was his only friend. The primary reason was that helping Liam allowed David to sneak in some time to study mech components he found interesting.

After helping Liam finish his tasks, David rushed to the light brain lab to complete his own work. By this time, only ten minutes remained until classes started. David glanced around the neatly organized lab with satisfaction, stretched his limbs, and headed to his usual spot—a low metal chair in the corner. Beside the chair was a large trash bin, and next to the bin was a wall-mounted multifunctional metal cabinet for storing cleaning tools.

David settled into the chair, taking the opportunity to replenish his energy. Typically, no one noticed a person dressed in a janitor’s uniform curled up in a chair.

David had been living like this for two years now. According to his life plan, he had at least another year before he could handle those expensive pieces of equipment like other students.

Thinking about this, David couldn’t help but glance at the students laughing and playing nearby. He couldn’t understand why these students didn’t cherish their opportunity to learn. To David, time always felt too short.

In David’s world, terms like “spendthrift,” “playboy,” “scion,” and “second-generation rich” didn’t exist. He naturally believed all students should treasure every second of their precious time, absorbing the vast expanse of knowledge available.

David was only pretending to doze. He never truly slept in complex environments like this. This was something Ironhead had taught him: no matter where you are, always keep your mind alert and vigilant.

Life only happens once. Protecting oneself is the same as valuing life.

David strongly agreed with Ironhead’s philosophy. However, he could never understand why Ironhead, who knew such principles, would smoke and drink. After all, cigarette packs clearly stated, “Smoking is harmful to health.” Ironhead himself often said, “Alcohol is poison for the gut; l**t is a blade that cuts to the bone.”

When Ironhead was dying, his lungs were a dark, indistinguishable mass in the scans, and doctors said he needed a lung transplant to survive. Given his financial situation, a transplant was impossible. Ironhead seemed detached from life and unplugged his life-support systems during David's brief absence. He left no final words, his face peaceful and content.

Thinking of Ironhead, David sighed. Ironhead had been gone for six months, but David still frequently recalled his mentor’s image and voice. Sometimes, he felt as if Ironhead hadn’t died at all, but was hiding in some dark corner, silently watching him.

“David, come here,” a gentle voice interrupted David's thoughts.

“Yes!” David immediately stood up. It was Professor Yumi calling him. She was an expert in photonic light brains and one of the supervising professors of the lab. Besides her work in developing light brains, she was also responsible for guiding students' research.

“I need a Hurricane-3 model light brain chip.”

“Understood,” David nodded and headed to the lab’s chip storage.

Watching his slightly wooden figure move away, Professor Yumi’s face softened into a kind smile. She liked this seemingly dull but actually very clever boy. No one was more familiar with this lab than he was. Of all the students she had encountered in her decades of teaching, David was arguably the most efficient.

Professor Yumi never lacked assistants, but she preferred to rely on David. In her memory, David was like a precise light brain, never making mistakes. Sometimes, she marveled at his talent, wondering how a student with no interest in light brains could remember every component's name and function.

At times, Professor Yumi regretted that David wasn't interested in photonic light brains. Otherwise, she would have been willing to fund this kid from the slums.

Soon, David returned with the Hurricane-3 light brain chip, handing it to Professor Yumi. Then, he silently went back to his usual spot. In the vast lab, he seemed like an invisible person, unnoticed by anyone.

To the students, David was merely a lowly janitor. They instinctively kept their distance from him, whether consciously or unconsciously.

“Chris, any plans for the summer?” A pretty girl asked absentmindedly while adjusting the gauges on a mech model beside her. She glanced over at a tall, handsome boy standing nearby.

“Planning to go skiing on Cologne Star. I heard the snow is exceptionally thick this year, perfect for skiing,” Chris said, sneaking a quick look at Professor Yumi, who was focused on some testing, then lowered his voice.

“Ugh, skiing? That's so lame!” The girl pouted, looking at him with disdain.

“You got a better idea?” Chris's eyes lit up, and he paused his holographic recording.

“I do!” The girl shot a quick glance at Professor Yumi, then leaned in with a mysterious smile. “Let's go exploring on Earth, the mother planet of the solar system.”

Chris snorted. “Yeah, right! Dream on. Going to Earth for an adventure? Forget the fact that Earth is currently under lockdown; even if it weren't, we don't have a spaceship to get there. It's really far, you know—at least twenty space jumps to reach. Don’t tell me you’re planning to use your family's ‘Mini’ shuttle for this trip...”

“The Mini shuttle isn't suitable for long-distance space jumps,” the girl admitted, blushing slightly. “But Charles has a spaceship. You're good friends with him. If we convince Charles, we can make it happen.”

“Forget it. Earth doesn’t even have anything worth seeing. I’ve watched the holographic documentaries countless times—it's just oceans and mountains. Besides, Earth is rumored to be full of plagues and ferocious beasts. It's too dangerous,” Chris replied, clearly uninterested.

“What’s the danger if we take mechs with us? If things get hairy, we can just stay on the spaceship and observe from there. We don't even have to land... Come on, please? If you go, I promise I’ll bring Susie along,” the girl coaxed, her eyes twinkling.

“Susie...” Chris's face immediately lit up.

“Yep, as long as Charles agrees, I can get Susie to come too.”

“Getting Charles on board isn’t the issue. But with Earth under lockdown, no spaceship is allowed near it. We can't even access the solar system's space window. It’d be a wasted effort, and I don’t want to end up being blasted to bits by a laser cannon. Why don’t we pick another destination? How about Tutu Star to see the dinosaurs? They’re said to be evolving, currently in the Stone Age. Imagine dinosaurs hunting with stone axes... now that would be something to see, haha!”

“No problem. My brother is in the Lynx Fleet, in charge of spaceship and space monitoring in the solar system. We’ll just have a word with him; it’ll be fine,” the girl said confidently.

“Aren’t you worried about your brother being court-martialed?” Chris chuckled.

“Pff, my uncle is the captain of the Lynx Fleet. The entire solar system is under his watch. Who’d dare court-martial my brother?” The girl’s face was full of pride.

“Alright, after class, I’ll have a word with Charles.”

“Great! I’m going to convince Susie right now.” The girl beamed with joy, quickly removing the experimental sensors from the mech’s arm and tossing them onto the workbench before hurrying away.

“Much appreciated,” Chris muttered, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He had been eyeing Susie, the top beauty at Zora Mecha University, for quite some time but had never had a chance to get close to her. This time, he had to seize the opportunity. After all, in the vast and lonely expanse of the galaxy, it was easy for stories to unfold, he thought, grinning to himself.

By noon, classes in the photon computer lab had ended, and students left in small groups. David Wood's usually dull expression vanished as his eyes turned sharp, and he moved with the agility of a cat, quickly organizing the lab into a tidy state.

This lab wasn't dedicated to any single class. Apart from photonic circuit majors, other students only used it once a week. Sometimes, multiple classes would share the lab, but it was spacious enough to avoid overcrowding.

Lab sessions occurred twice daily, in the morning and afternoon. David's duties, aside from cleaning, mainly involved setting up teaching aids and experimental tools based on the list provided by the school’s central computer system.