The wasteland wind, grit-laden, lashed Chen Ye's cheeks, carrying the acrid tang of corroded metal.
He huddled in a shelter heaped with rusted iron scraps, a half piece of compressed biscuit clutched to his chest. His fingertips traced the dull silver nameplate strapped to his wrist—etched onto it was a blurry character: Zero. It was the only thing he'd had when he'd woken up, the only token that had earned him shelter in the scavenger camp.
"Zero! Quit daydreaming!" A gruff voice cut through the wind. It was Scarface, the camp's leader, who tossed him an energy flask. "There's commotion at the Machine Graveyard to the west. Go check if you can scavenge some usable parts—we can trade 'em for fuel to get through the winter."
Chen Ye nodded, clipped the energy flask to his belt, and grabbed his nicked iron blade.
The Machine Graveyard was a graveyard of a bygone civilization. Towering metal skeletons jutted into the ashen yellow sky, and glowing fluorescent liquid dripped occasionally from cracked pipes—deadly radiation that could kill a man in hours. The scavengers both loved and feared this place: loved for the high-value parts they might dig up, feared for the rogue mechanical sentinels—war machines long out of control, still faithfully executing their ancient orders to destroy.
He'd barely stepped into the Graveyard's perimeter when he heard something amiss.
It wasn't the mournful whistle of wind through metal gaps, but a low, rhythmic hum—like an engine stirring to life.
Chen Ye slowed his steps, hunched over, and ducked behind a broken support pillar. Peering out, his breath caught in his throat.
In the center of the Graveyard's clearing, a faint blue light curtain was unfurling slowly. Within the curtain loomed the sleek silhouette of a small spaceship, its hull as smooth as polished mirror, a stark contrast to the surrounding rust and decay. At the base of the ship's boarding ramp stood a figure.
Silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, and a tailored black combat suit clung to her slender yet sinewy frame. In her hand was a particle blade shimmering with cold light, its tip slicing through the ground, reducing several approaching mechanical sentinels to sparking heaps of scrap metal.
"An Alliance agent?" Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat.
The Star Alliance—they were beings from beyond the wasteland. Legend had it they commanded interstellar navigation technology, dwelling in floating cities adrift in the cosmos, regarding the wasteland's humans as uncivilized ants.
In that instant, the woman seemed to sense something. She whipped her head around, her gaze locking onto Chen Ye's hiding spot with pinpoint accuracy.
Her eyes were pure gold, like molten starfire, piercing and cold.
Chen Ye froze, his hand tightening around his iron blade.
The next second, the woman vanished.
By the time Chen Ye registered movement, the cold edge of the particle blade was pressed against his throat. Those golden eyes were inches from his face, and he could see his own ragged reflection in their depths.
"Who are you?" Her voice was as clear and cold as chimes of jade striking. "What are you doing here?"
Chen Ye swallowed, his Adam's apple brushing the blade's sharp edge, sending a sharp sting up his neck. He forced himself to stay calm. "A scavenger. Looking for parts."
The woman's gaze fell to the nameplate on his wrist. Her golden pupils constricted sharply.
"Zero?" For the first time, a flicker of shock rippled through her voice. "You're alive?"
Chen Ye blinked in confusion. "You know this nameplate?"
The woman didn't answer. Instead, she sheathed the particle blade. She studied him from head to toe, her brows furrowing slightly. "99.9% genetic match. It's you."
She raised her hand, and her fingertips brushed his forehead lightly.
A warm current surged into Chen Ye's mind in an instant. Countless fragmented images, obscure texts, and complex formulas flooded in—coordinates for interstellar travel, blueprints for energy cores, sequences to unlock genetic locks, and one name, echoing repeatedly in his head.
[Executor: Zero]
[Mission: Escort the Star Core to Alpha Star System]
[Bonded Partner: Ling Shuang]
"Argh—!" Chen Ye clutched his head, doubling over in agony. The influx of information was so overwhelming it felt like his skull would split open.
Ling Shuang steadied him, her tone laced with a hint of urgency she could barely suppress. "Calm down, Zero. Your memories were sealed. This is just the initial unlock."
"Zero… Executor…" Chen Ye gasped for breath, lifting his head to meet her eyes. "Who are you? Who am I?"
Ling Shuang's golden eyes softened for a fleeting moment. She whispered, "I'm Ling Shuang, Captain of the Star Alliance Special Operations Unit. And I'm your bonded partner. Three years ago, our ship was ambushed and crashed in this wasteland. I thought you were…"
Her words trailed off, cut short by a shrill alarm blaring from the spaceship.
Red warning lights flashed frantically across the light curtain, and a cold electronic voice blared out:
Warning! High-energy reaction detected. Enemy fleet approaching. ETA: ten minutes!
Ling Shuang's face paled. She looked at Chen Ye, her eyes blazing with resolve. "Zero, there's no time for explanations. Come with me—or stay here, and be blown to ashes by the enemy fleet."
Chen Ye stared at her, then glanced down at the nameplate on his wrist. The fragments of information flooding his mind were slowly piecing themselves together, and a sense of duty, etched into his very genes, stirred awake.
He clenched his fists, raised his head, and met her gaze with unwavering resolve.
"Let's go."
The wind howled through the Machine Graveyard once more. This time, it carried not just sand and rust—but the spark of an ember, destined to ignite the stars.
The forgotten executor had awakened. Zero's interstellar journey had only just begun.
Chapter 2: The Genetic Lock and the Pursuit (To Be Continued)