Adventurers In Fable - Chapter 14: The Astro Miner’s Bargain
The WizardWith Captain Interstellar now aboard, the adventurers had taken their first step toward unmasking The Imposter. But to do so, they needed a way to expose its deception—an element so rare, so potent, that it could unravel even the most cunning disguise.
“There is one place,” Interstellar said as they gathered in the Celestial Voyager’s command room. “The asteroid fields of the Obsidian Rift. Within them lies a substance known as Etherium Quartz. It vibrates at a frequency that disrupts shapeshifters, revealing their true forms.”
The Wizard stroked his beard thoughtfully. “And who, pray tell, can help us obtain this Etherium Quartz?”
Interstellar smirked. “Only the best miner in the galaxy—Astro Miner.”
The name rang through the chamber like a legend. A master of excavation, a rogue prospector who carved his own destiny among the drifting ruins of forgotten planets. Some called him a genius; others, a madman who worked only for his own profit.
“We’ll need to convince him to help,” The Hero noted. “And I doubt he gives out favors for free.”
With their course set, the Celestial Voyager veered toward the Obsidian Rift, a vast expanse of asteroids teeming with raw minerals, floating debris, and hidden dangers. As they neared their destination, they picked up a distress signal—a transmission pulsing from within the belt of shattered rocks.
“Bingo,” Interstellar said. “That’s our man.”
Navigating through the shifting labyrinth of celestial debris, they located a massive mining rig clinging to the side of a jagged asteroid. The ship was old but sturdy, its hull plated with reinforced metal and adorned with mining drills the size of small buildings.
The moment they hailed him, a gruff voice crackled through the comms. “Who in the void is bothering me during my work?”
“This is Captain Interstellar,” Interstellar replied. “We need Etherium Quartz.”
A pause. Then laughter. “Oh, you think you can just waltz in here and take the rarest mineral in the Rift? You’re outta your damn minds.”
“We’re willing to deal,” The Wizard interjected.
Astro Miner scoffed. “You got anything worth my time?”
The Vixen leaned against the console, smirking. “We have an Imposter on board. And I have a feeling you don’t like parasites messing with your operations.”
Silence.
Then, the comms crackled again. “Dock at bay three. But if you waste my time, you’ll regret it.”
Inside the mining rig, Astro Miner met them with an assessing glare. He was a towering figure, clad in a thick, dust-covered suit reinforced with plasma shielding. His face was lined with years of hardship, his arms crossed as he sized up the group.
“So, you need Etherium Quartz,” he mused, chewing on a cigar-like plant stem. “That’s no easy task. That stuff’s buried deep in the Rift, past some of the most unstable rock formations in the galaxy.”
“We can help,” The Hero said. “We just need to extract enough to expose The Imposter.”
Astro Miner snorted. “Brave words. But mining’s not just about digging—it's about surviving what you unearth.”
With that, he led them to the depths of the rig, where enormous drills and heavy-duty plasma excavators waited. A shimmering map of the asteroid field hovered before them, glowing with pulsating veins of Etherium Quartz deep within the most treacherous regions.
“We’ll take my mining rig,” Astro Miner said. “But I call the shots down there.”
“Fair enough,” The Wizard replied. “But let’s not waste time. The Imposter is waiting for us to make a mistake.”
As the crew geared up, the air in the mining facility seemed to thrum with anticipation. Somewhere in the shadows, unseen, The Imposter listened, preparing its next move.
The hunt for the truth had begun.
