Collectors

As I dug through the core, the temperature had already raised to extreme degrees. It was as hot as the core of a neutron star. But this was irrelevant to me. All I found was worthless material. Not a single piece or fragment of ERM.

Minutes later, SHARP speaks to me through a wireless device.

[Madam, we got a problem. I have found 0 traces of any ore within the surface and the mantle. However, I found something else that you might wanna see. I have sent you the coordinates. Meet me here above]

Not a single one? And I also didn't find anything even after hours of searching. There is something abnormal going on.

I left the core and dug back to the surface, and proceeded to follow the coordinates SHARP sent.

When I got into the place, I found something unusual. Something that wasn't supposed to be here.

A spaceship.

[It does not seem to be a Hex ship at least]

"It indeed isn't. Let us investigate."

I approached the unidentified object. Its size wasn't big. Probably around 30 meters.

When I entered, I couldn't find anything significant. Mostly worn-out junk, rusty devices, non-functioning systems...and a dead body.

"SHARP, analyze this species."

[Begin scanning...]

[...]

[This is a kurian that has been dead for quite a while. I'd say the time of death was around one week ago. The cause of death was a stab in the heart]

Kurians were natives of the planet KUR. In this universe, they are known for scavenging dead and inhabitable celestial bodies.

[However, there is something anomalous here]

"What is?"

[It looks like he was stabbed in the heart but without an external injury]

"So he was stabbed without being stabbed."

[Affirmative. This might have been a special ability or a technology we don't yet understand]

[Additionally, I recently found this on our investigation of the ship's insides]

SHARP gives me a small fragment of what seems to be a green crystal.

"This is..."

[ERM-33. I suspect these kurians lifeforms scavenged this whole planet around some weeks ago, for whatever purpose they had for the ore]

Hearing this, I slowly close my hand containing the mini-crystal and look at SHARP.

"We shall pay them a happy visit."