- Boss, we've got something weird going on here!

  - Don't scratch it, it'll go away on its own - I said absentmindedly. Nothing's been happy lately...

  - No, boss. It's obvious, but that's not what I mean. Look at this.

  An ex-gangster ex-miner who had become a miner again (history, as we know, moves in a spiral) pulled out of his pants a long, thick, red - crystal.

  Huh. Not at all what one would expect.

  - Where did this come from? - I inquired. - From our quarry?

  - That's right. The analyzer was jammed, so we didn't try to saw it, we decided to show you first.

  Two weeks had passed since the memorable battle with the Destroyer. I'd largely withdrawn from the political fallout (though I'd picked up some personnel among the surrendered Atlas survivors), and Roland, as a former Atlas employee and career officer, had taken over. By the way, we were not left without loot; this time we didn't have to remind AlBa about the rules of game design, and not far from the inactive portal we found... not a cave, but rather an overgrown niche with several containers filled with Eridian artifacts of various kinds. The key to the portal, by the way, I quietly got my hands on, so that no one was interested in it.

  All seemed well - I'd survived, I'd gotten my hands on valuable loot and profitable property, peace and order had returned to Pandora (actually, no - we'd just prevented that by getting rid of Atlas), but...

  Before, I had a Goal. It was more or less clear and understandable, and although I didn't really know the specific steps necessary to achieve it, I could be sure that I would reach it - if I survived. Now there was uncertainty, even from AlBa there were no new messages, and I realized that I wanted to go home. And yet I wasn't sure I could go back.

  I would have left Pandora, except that the only chance I had left to return to good old Earth lay here. So, alas, this madhouse won't let me go.

  At least my situation has improved considerably, thanks in no small part to the most valuable piece of loot I got after taking out the Destroyer.

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  - Let's be clear, Ms. Steele - I rested my chin on my hands on the table. - I'm only formal is employee of the Vladoff, and I'd prefer to minimize contact in the future. However, if you're interested not just in surviving as a defector, but in getting something for yourself, why don't you work for me? And help make my little business big. If you're good enough - head of security, I suppose - you can count on a stake in the enterprise.

  I wanted to rename S&S to D&S, but this very proud woman demanded that her name come first as a condition. And I warned her that people would ask why D instead of M.....

  Oh, and I had a fight with Lily because I didn't want to sell Steele to her.

  Anyway, life is made up of ups, downs, and depression as black as Pandorian coffee for lack of milk.

  And of surprises.

  "Eridium crystal," my ECHO reported, and something in my head clicked...uh, no. Only the name came to mind. - "Do a search for matches on the net?"

  Hmm. Well, why not.

  "Requesting & searching in progress," the device reported and displayed the active symbol.

  - In general, leave it here, if you find more - put it separately - I instructed the employee. - Oh, and thank you.

  - Glad to be help, your maje... I mean, yessir, boss! - the man stretched out, saluted, and then walked out. I have no idea where they get these habits, but on Pandora, it's best not to ask such questions.

  I looked down at my desk, at my coffee, at my to-do list, and with a sigh I got to work.

  It was already evening. Steele had gone on a shooting spree with some suicidal idiots, and I was about to go to bed when the ECHO reminded me of itself.

  It wasn't the result of a search, however.

  ...Well, not exactly.

  "Incoming call, sender: Hyperion Corporation offices."

  Huh. Well, let's see what it is.

  A thin, fairly young man was staring at me.

  Vaguely familiar.

  Who i immediately took a liking to with one simple word.

  - Hello, Mr. Dyatlov. My name is Jack, and I would like to offer you a contract for the extraction and sale of an interesting resource...