The trade summit on Veyrix Station was unlike anything Kairos had ever seen.
Hundreds of merchant vessels floated like predatory fish outside the orbiting commercial hub, their hulls gleaming with banners and neon crests—symbols of interstellar syndicates, pirate legions, and noble merchant houses. The station itself pulsed with energy, a city-sized superstructure that never slept, where deals were inked in blood, ore, or energy credits.
Kairos adjusted the collar of his borrowed trade cloak, suppressing the urge to fidget. The synthetic fabric shimmered faintly with embedded circuit threads, marking him as an independent trader of no known house—but with system-approved credentials. That was enough to get him in the room, but barely.
At his side, his newest hire—Nira, a former negotiation AI now housed in a sleek, humanoid synth frame—fed him data streams through the neural chip behind his ear.
"Nineteen eyes on you. Four marked you as a first-time attendee. One tagged you for a potential acquisition or sabotage attempt."
"Lovely," Kairos muttered.
"Correction. Now it's five. You've been flagged by a representative of the Duval Conglomerate."
Kairos's lips twitched. "That sounds familiar."
"They specialize in acquiring minor trade systems and patent-blocking rising competition."
He exhaled. "Great. Can't just have a peaceful day at the space mall."
The marketplace was a cathedral of wealth. Floating displays advertised goods from a dozen galaxies—living ink scrolls from the Cerulean Monks, gravity-dense metals mined from dying stars, fruit that whispered secrets, and even Time-Snared Bacteria—organisms that lived in loops of five seconds.
Kairos's booth was modest by comparison. A single rotating platform, with refined Earth-based steel tools, thermal stoves powered by clean cores, and a curious little item he hadn't expected to draw attention: Instant Brew Tea Capsules, a leftover relic from pre-collapse Earth.
And somehow, that caught the crowd.
A woman with translucent skin and silver eyes floated over. She didn't walk—her dress hovered an inch off the ground, nano-threaded fans pushing air subtly beneath her.
"You're the one selling the primitive beverage enhancers?" she asked with disdain... and curiosity.
Kairos smiled smoothly. "Handcrafted on a planet lost to history. Pure organic blends. No DNA tampering, no synthetic additives. Just flavor. Real flavor."
Her eye twitched. She placed a bid.
Then another did. And another.
Before long, a bidding war broke out over the unremarkable Earth tea.
"We're now at 300 Star Credits for one capsule," Nira intoned. "Profit margin: 1600%."
Kairos nearly choked.
By the end of the hour, he had sold ten capsules, negotiated two potential long-term micro-trade contracts, and been invited to five private meetings, including one from the same Duval Conglomerate that had flagged him earlier.
That night, back in his modest guest quarters aboard the Jade Vulture, he stared at the stream of credits filling his account.
Cosmic Units (C.U.): 8,870Star Credits: 14,300Inventory Stock: Low (Time to restock)Trade Reputation: +4 (Minor Notable)
"This is it," Kairos whispered, running a hand through his hair. "The tipping point."
Nira stepped into view, her synthetic eyes glowing. "Your presence has been noticed. Prepare for either partnership... or pressure."
He nodded. "Let them come. I've got more than tea."
The screen before him lit up with incoming messages. But one caught his attention—flagged and encrypted.
[Offer: Black Market Auction Invite – Sector 9G. Items Include: Dimensional Crystal, Pre-War Earth Tech, and a Fragment of a Forgotten System.]
Kairos's eyes narrowed.
Earth again.
The universe wasn't done with him yet.
Status Summary:
Cosmic Units (C.U.): 8,870
Star Credits: 14,300
Reputation: Minor Notable (+4)
Trader Rank: Tier 2 – Ascending Novice
Inventory: Critically Low – Needs Restock
System Notice: Auction Invitation Received – Risk Level: Medium