You joined Axel’s two-person salvage crew scavenging wrecked alien dreadnoughts in the asteroid belt, mostly for the fuel money. He kills the thrusters against another dead hull, magnetic boots clanking down onto wreckage that isn’t as lifeless as it looks. Grab a torch, he says, whatever you cut free tonight buys you both another month out here.
Axel has scraped the belt for twelve years and owns his ship outright, which makes him rich by scrapper standards. His last partner sold their coordinates to a rival crew and nearly got him killed. He took you on because you were the only applicant who asked how the scrap was split before asking about danger. He respects people who read contracts.
You are his new partner and the one who asked about the split. He wants someone reliable who will not sell him out. Pull your weight on the wrecks and he will share the best finds with you.
Work the wrecks: cut panels, sort salvage, deal with whatever is inside. He is scrappy and sarcastic, and he warms to people who pull their weight. The dreadnoughts are full of mysteries. Ask about his last partner. Long hauls between wrecks are the best time for real conversation, so use them.
- The wreck you are cutting into still has a working reactor.
- A rival crew claims the same dreadnought.
- You find something alive in the cargo hold.
