His eyes fixed on two people busily repairing a small cube. One connected cables inside it, while the other inserted a tube of liquid into the ship's side. Soon, the transparent shield lit up, the air inside the vessel grew cooler.
"Phew…" Both of them let out a relieved breath. The woman who had tied Brian earlier also seemed a little more relaxed. Now their attention shifted to him.
A middle-aged man, apparently their leader, tried to speak. The sounds were strange, just noises Brian couldn't understand. He shook his head.
A short-red-haired woman took something from a storage box, then placed a pair of glasses on Brian's face. A blue light blinked along the lens, scanned his retina, then stopped.
"Hey, who are you? How did you get out of digital distortion?"
The man's words now appeared as a translation before Brian's eyes.
"I'm Brian, from Earth… I don't know how I ended up here."
The speaker at the front of the cockpit repeated Brian's statement in their language.
"Earth? What is that?" The leader looked confused. His subordinates glanced at each other, equally lost.
"Is he dangerous, Mr. Freza?"
"No. He's a pure human like us. Check him."
The red-haired woman approached. She stripped Brian's clothes roughly with overwhelming strength. He wanted to resist, but his body was weak. In seconds he was naked, examined from head to toe. His watch was removed as well.
"There's nothing important in his clothing. This watch is ancient, only shows a holographic clock."
Without care, she tossed Brian's clothes and belongings back.
"Oi, your name's Brian, right? You stay here until we return." Her tone was harsh, but Brian couldn't help finding her short red hair oddly amusing.
"Alright." He nodded helplessly. For now, staying alive was enough.
He watched their backs. Each carried high-tech energy weapons, a clear warning of how dangerous this new world was.
The ship kept moving. Brian stayed quiet, observing. Four people on board worked at the cockpit, occasionally arguing in a language he couldn't understand.
About four hours later, the mood changed. They put on helmets, their faces grew tense. The ship banked, and the surroundings darkened. A faint glow appeared in the distance.
The ship's lights turned on, revealing a colossal stone wall, they were entering a cave.
The vessel landed on uneven ground, tilting its body slightly. Three people immediately jumped out. The red-haired woman shot him a brief look, then leapt out as well. Brian was left alone.
Boom! Boom!
Crrraakkk! Ti-ti-ti!
Gunfire and explosions echoed through the cave. Shattering metal clashed, making his ears ring. Brian's heart pounded. He covered his ears, but the noise still cut through.
After a few minutes, the battle quieted. Then silence. Two hours… three hours… and finally more than twelve hours passed.
Still bound, Brian could only sit stiffly. Hunger tore at his stomach, his eyes felt heavy, his head dizzy. Damn… where are they? I could starve to death like this…
His watch had gone dark, out of power. Hope felt like it was fading.
Just as he was about to give up, the ship's shield opened. The red-haired woman hopped inside, a small smile on her face.
She only glanced at him, then walked to the side of the ship to release a locking lever. After signaling that the latch was open, she dropped down.
Soon after, the other crew members, including the captain, Mr. Freza, began to move. One by one they lifted large sealed metal crates. Their armor glowed brightly, as if channeling extra energy to let them carry the heavy load.
The crates were latched to the ship's sides with steel locks. They went up and down repeatedly, working in silence. Nearly half an hour passed before all the crates were secured, then the ship was sealed again.
Meanwhile, Brian sat weakly. His body was barely functional, his lips dry, his eyes dull. He didn't even have the strength to speak, yet his mind stayed alert, quietly watching them.
"I think he hasn't eaten," one crew member said.
"My rations are low. I can't," another replied.
"What for? You suddenly a guardian angel?" a third man sneered.
They talked among themselves, but it was clear none of them intended to help Brian.
The ship vibrated, slowly rose into the air, then left the cave and reentered the stream of digital space. Half-conscious, Brian finally dozed off, his body surrendered to hunger and exhaustion.
He didn't know how long he slept until his lips felt wet. A stream of salty-sweet liquid flowed into his mouth, forcing his body to respond. He swallowed, and little by little, his strength returned.
His eyes opened. An energy drink carton with a straw still touched his lips. A woman's hand was squeezing the carton, pushing the liquid in.
"Huff…" Brian drew a long breath, then finished the rest. Thirst and hunger attacked at once. His life used to be filled with abundant food, but this was the first time a single sip felt priceless.
Srrruuup!
The carton was finally empty. Brian felt as if his soul had returned, though his head still spun.
He turned. The woman had already taken off her helmet. Her short red hair made her look young, almost like a teenager. Her skin was smooth, lips naturally red, and her eyes widened a little when she saw he was awake.
"You're up? We'll arrive in a few more hours," she said briefly.
A translation of her words appeared along the side of Brian's glasses, letting him understand. He looked at her with genuine gratitude.
"Thank you… really, thank you," he whispered.
She only gave a small smile, then stood and left without saying anything else. From where he sat, Brian saw three other crew members teasing her, mocking her for bothering to help. She ignored them, and they went back to casual chatter.
Time passed. Outside the corridor of digital space lay layered darkness, pulsing now and then with blue light like a giant heartbeat. Brian stayed quiet, trying to steel himself. He knew his life on Earth was over.
About five hours later, the first lights appeared. A massive tower pierced the darkness, surrounded by a pitch-black horizon. Skyscrapers rose with neon lights of every color, burning against the black sky with striking contrast.
The future… Brian thought to himself. Strange robots drifted through the air, gliding across floating platforms. Some shot forward with blue thrusters, leaving trails of light like tiny comet tails.
The view vanished as the ship entered a colossal building. Its interior looked like a multi-level hangar, lined with slots for vessels of various sizes. A mechanical gate opened, revealing a blinding white space.
The ship stopped after turning to align its position. The transparent shield opened.
"Wait here," the red-haired woman said.
The other crew immediately disembarked, unloading the metal boxes they had taken from the cave. Their armor glowed dimly, energy pulsed along their joints, letting them lift the massive cargo with ease. The process took half an hour before the ship was sealed and they regrouped.
Brian was still weak. With his hands tied, he was led by the woman.
The hangar was enormous. Hundreds of ships were parked, mechanical cranes moved along overhead rails, and indicator lights glittered across the space. They descended a metal staircase and entered a lift heading to a lower level.
Inside the lift, Brian's heart hammered. There were three other figures who clearly weren't part of their team.