Tatehan pulled the communication device from his pocket, examining it with renewed interest. He'd been carrying this thing around for days but hadn't actually explored what it could do beyond knowing it existed.

He pressed the activation button, and the screen lit up with a soft blue glow, displaying a clean, intuitive interface.

The main screen showed a messaging application—simple and straightforward stuff. At the top was a contact list, and Tatehan smiled when he saw there were only two entries: "Commander - Red Crest" and "Riven."

Just two people. A very exclusive contact list.

He also noticed an option at the bottom for creating group chats, which was interesting. Maybe useful later if he needed to coordinate with both of them simultaneously, which was certainly unlikely.

For now, though, he was curious about something simpler.

Tatehan clicked on Riven's name, and a chat window opened. The interface was just a text input field at the bottom and the chat history above, which was currently empty since they'd never messaged before.

He typed out a simple greeting:

{Hi}

He hit send and watched as the message appeared in the chat window with a small timestamp.

Immediately below the chat interface, he noticed a status indicator: "Last online: 5 minutes ago"

"Shit," Tatehan muttered aloud.

Five minutes. He'd just missed her. If he'd pulled out the device five minutes earlier, she might have been actively online.

But then something else occurred to him, and he frowned in confusion. How was he even getting signal out here? The spaceship was crashed in the middle of the wasteland, far from any settlements or infrastructure. There were no cell towers or communication networks in the immediate vicinity.

Seems he was in luck?

"Hey," Tatehan called out to the AI. "How am I getting signal on this device? We're in the middle of nowhere."

[The communication device operates on a planet-wide network maintained by various factions,] the AI explained. [The signal reaches surprisingly far, even into remote areas. However, signal strength can be inconsistent in the deep wastelands. Consider yourself fortunate that today the connection is stable.]

"So basically, it's my lucky day?"

[Essentially, yes.]

Yupp, he was in luck.

"Huh. Good to know."

Tatehan settled back in the pilot's seat, holding the device and waiting to see if Riven would come online. He sipped his coffee, which was now lukewarm but still drinkable, and watched the screen.

One minute passed. Then two. Then three.

He was starting to think she might not be checking her device for a while when suddenly, at the four-minute mark, the status changed to "Online" and a response appeared:

Riven: {Hey! Thought you'd never message me}

Tatehan smiled and quickly typed back:

Tatehan: {Yeah, finally figured out how to use this thing properly}

There was a brief pause, then:

Riven: {How are things over there? You doing okay?}

Tatehan: {Things are alright. I'm doing fine. Just finished some work on my... shelter}

He'd almost typed "spaceship" but caught himself. Best to keep that detail vague.

Riven: {Good to hear. But you know what?}

Tatehan: {What?}

Riven: {You NEVER told me your actual name! (angry emoji) (Sad emoji)}

She'd included two emojis, an angry face and a sad face. Tatehan couldn't help but laugh at the exaggerated emotional display.

Tatehan: {Oh right, sorry about that. My name is Tatehan}

There was a slightly longer pause this time, then:

Riven: {Tatehan... (Smile emoji) That's actually a really nice name. Sounds strong}

Tatehan: {Thanks}

Riven: {So, I wanted to ask, are you still interested in the core hunting thing we talked about? Or was that just casual conversation?}

Tatehan thought about it for a moment. He'd been considering this exact question since their discussion. The core hunting would give him purpose, income, and resources. Plus, it would be significantly safer with a partner, especially one whose ability complemented his own so well.

Tatehan: {I'm in. Definitely interested}

Riven: {Yayyyy! Okay so when can you come to the city? We should plan our first expedition together}

Tatehan: {Probably in a few days. I have some things to wrap up here first}

Riven: {That works! Just message me when you're ready and we'll meet up. I've been researching some good hunting locations}

Tatehan: {Sounds good}

Riven: {Alright, I need to go grab some supplies from the market. Talk later?}

Tatehan: {Yeah, talk later}

Riven: {Stay safe out there! }

And with that, her status changed back to "Offline."

Tatehan set the device down on the armrest, feeling oddly satisfied by that brief conversation. It was nice having someone to check in with, even if the interaction was just text on a screen.

He had a phone back on Earth though, a computer and a Laptop too. He also had a video game set and headphones, earbuds and all that stuff. Even the normal ear piece.

It was surprising he had remained without those things after he reincarnated on Mars. Back on Earth, he was a video game fanatic and after reading he was mostly on the internet, chatting with friends and watching videos.

He was slowly getting back to that life though. The communicator device was a start though it was only for chats and calls.

He leaned back in the pilot's seat and thought about the core hunting arrangement more seriously.

A few days…

He'd told Riven he'd be ready in a few days. That meant he needed to make some decisions about the spaceship situation, whether to transfer it to his inventory now or wait longer. Whether to establish a base in Waython Hollow or maintain this location.

And he'd need to prepare properly. Stock up on supplies, make sure his weapons were in good condition (which they were, thanks to the recent enhancements), maybe do some additional training to make sure his combat skills stayed sharp.

Speaking of which...

Tatehan suddenly realized something that had been bothering him in a vague, background way. How had he been keeping track of time so accurately? He'd known it was "a few days" since various events. He'd known when morning was versus evening. He'd been able to talk about "hours" and "days" with reasonable certainty.

But there were no clocks visible anywhere in the spaceship's main cabin. No obvious time displays. No day-night cycle visible outside since the Martian day length was different from Earth anyway.

"Hey," he said aloud to the AI. "How have I been keeping track of time? Like, how do I know it's morning right now versus afternoon or evening?"

[I have been subtly maintaining your circadian rhythm,] the AI explained. [The lighting in the cabin adjusts gradually throughout the day to simulate a standard day-night cycle. Additionally, I occasionally mention time references in our conversations. Your enhanced cognitive abilities have been unconsciously processing these cues to maintain temporal awareness.]

"So you've basically been my clock without me realizing it?"

[Essentially, yes. It helps maintain psychological stability during extended periods of isolation.]

"Huh. Thanks for that, I guess."

[You're welcome.]

Tatehan sat there for a while longer, finishing the last of his coffee and thinking about the upcoming core hunting expedition with Riven. It would be good to have a clear purpose again, a specific goal beyond just "survive another day."

But the more he sat, the more restless he felt.

The coffee had energized him. The push-ups had woken up his muscles. The brief chat with Riven had engaged his mind. And now he was just... sitting here. Again. Doing nothing.

After several more minutes of increasingly uncomfortable restlessness, Tatehan suddenly stood up from the pilot's seat. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the pleasant crack of joints settling, then cracked his neck from side to side.

"You know what?" he announced to the AI. "I think it's time I did some actual exercise. Real exercise. Not just sitting around in here getting soft."

[Where are you planning to go?] the AI asked, and there might have been curiosity in its tone.

Tatehan walked toward the place that led outside the Spaceship.

"I'm off to slay some Brutenecks," he said casually. "Been a while since I've hunted those things. Might as well keep my skills sharp and maybe collect some cores while I'm at it."

[Are you certain that's wise? You were just discussing the importance of rest.]

"I've rested enough," Tatehan replied, already summoning his armor. The plating materialized across his body in familiar patterns. "Besides, Brutenecks aren't that dangerous. I've fought way worse recently. This'll just be light exercise."

Truly, Brutenecks felt like flicking an ant to death at this point. They would he wayyy easier than before.

He summoned his Shadow-Forged Blade, feeling its comfortable weight in his hand, then checked his inventory to confirm his other weapons were accessible if needed.

Everything was ready.

"I'll be back in a few hours," Tatehan said, walking toward the exit.

[I will monitor for any emergency signals,] the AI replied. [Try not to get yourself killed during your 'light exercise.']

Tatehan laughed as he placed his hands on the panel and the door slid open.

"I guess I forgot to tell you about my weapon upgrade?"

[You did] the AI replied.

"Then I'm like Hercules at the moment."

The outer door opened, revealing the harsh Martian landscape beyond.

And Tatehan stepped out.

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