Tatehan woke up feeling actually well-rested for the first time in what felt like weeks.

The sleeping area's bed had done its job perfectly. The advanced material had conformed to his body throughout the night, providing support exactly where he needed it and adjusting automatically as he shifted positions.

Crazy how high tech the future got.

He'd slept deeply, dreamlessly, and for a solid ten hours straight.

When he finally opened his eyes, there was no groaning, no stiffness and no reluctance to move. Instead he was calm, rested feeling that made him realize how exhausted he'd actually been.

He lay there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, just appreciating the simple luxury of waking up safely, comfortably, without any immediate threats.

Mars was starting to feel less like a hostile wasteland and more like... well, home wasn't quite the right word yet. But maybe something close to it.

It was still dangerous though. But in the spaceship it felt safe.

Eventually, he pushed himself up and got out of bed. His muscles felt good, the partial regeneration ability had continued its work while he slept, healing the minor strains and bruises from the shadow goblin fight. His ribs no longer ached from where Mub had struck him. His arms didn't hurt from blocking those axe strikes.

He was in better physical condition than he'd been in months.

Tatehan dressed in clean clothes from the wardrobe, then placed his hand on the wall panel. The door slid open, and he stepped out into the main cabin area.

The lights automatically adjusted to full brightness as his presence was detected, illuminating the familiar space—the pilot's seat, the various control panels, the viewport showing the red-brown Martian landscape outside.

This was the first time it was doing this though. Tatehan realized that maybe it was because he had been away for too long from the Spaceship,

the lighting had gotten more stable.

[Good morning, Host,] the spaceship's AI greeted him. [You slept for ten hours and seventeen minutes. Biological indicators suggest full recovery from previous exertion.]

"Morning," Tatehan replied, stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah, I feel pretty good actually. Best sleep I've had in a while."

He walked over to the kitchen area access panel and opened it, stepping inside the compact space.

He wasn't in the mood for anything elaborate this morning. Something quick and simple would be perfect.

He opened the storage compartment and found a sealed package of preserved cereal, some kind of grain-based breakfast food that looked similar to what he remembered from Earth.

There was also a container of preserved milk.

Good enough.

He poured a generous portion of cereal into a bowl, added the milk, and grabbed a spoon.

Carrying his bowl carefully, he walked back out to the main cabin and settled into the pilot's seat, making himself comfortable.

The cereal was... fine. Not amazing, not terrible either. It had a slightly bland taste with a hint of something vaguely sweet, and the milk was thicker.

He ate slowly, looking out through the viewport at the wasteland beyond. From this position, he could see the rocky outcroppings that helped conceal the spaceship, and beyond that, the endless expanse of Mars stretching to the horizon.

It was quiet and peaceful, in its own desolate way.

"So," Tatehan said between bites of cereal, "what's on the agenda for today? I'm assuming you didn't let me sleep for ten hours just to chill again."

[Actually, I calculated that you required approximately eight to nine hours of rest for optimal physical and mental recovery,] the AI replied. [The additional hour was simply because you continued sleeping. I saw no reason to wake you prematurely.]

"Fair enough," Tatehan said. "But I'm guessing there's work to do?"

"Indeed. Now that you have returned safely with additional resources and are in good physical condition, it's time to resume repair operations on the Red Dragon."

Tatehan nodded, finishing the last spoonful of cereal. He'd known this was coming. The ship had been sitting here in critical condition for two months, operating on minimal power, with most systems completely offline. Every journey he took away from it was a risk because the vessel couldn't defend itself or even move.

Getting it functional again, or at least functional enough to store in his system space, was the top priority.

"Alright," he said, setting the empty bowl aside. "Show me what we're working with."

Immediately, text and diagrams began appearing in the air in front of him, projected by the ship's holographic interface system. The display was clear and detailed, showing a comprehensive breakdown of the vessel's current condition.

[RED DRAGON VESSEL - DAMAGE ASSESSMENT]

[Overall Condition: CRITICALLY DAMAGED]

[BROKEN SYSTEMS]

• Hyperdrive Core: OFFLINE - Cannot achieve light-speed travel

• Quantum Jump Engine: DESTROYED - No inter-galaxy capability

• Navigation Matrix: CORRUPTED - Limited directional control

• Weapon Systems: DISABLED - All offensive capabilities down

• Shield Generators: FAILED - No defensive barriers

• Communication Array: DAMAGED - Cannot contact other vessels

• Power Coupling: FRACTURED - Operating at 15% capacity

• Hull Integrity: COMPROMISED - Multiple breach points detected

[FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS]

• Life Support: STABLE

• Emergency Power: ACTIVE

• Basic Sensors: OPERATIONAL

• Holographic Interface: WORKING

[RESTORATION STATUS]

Current Progress: 28/100 Repair Points

Required Materials: Advanced Alloys, Energy Cores, Quantum Components

Tatehan read through the list carefully, his expression growing more serious with each line.

'Shit!'

He had been shown this when he first arrived in the Spaceship.

Then, he didn't fully understand how severe it was. In fact, he didn't think anything of it. He was still very surprised that he was on Mars.

Then, his brain was still trying process how it was possible he was a still alive, how is it possible he is on Mars and his mind trying to mourn the death of his girlfriend and his dog- all at once.

But now, he saw that it was bad. Really bad. Almost everything that made the Red Dragon an actual spaceship rather than just a fancy shelter was either completely destroyed or barely functioning.

The hyperdrive was offline, meaning no faster-than-light travel. The quantum jump engine was completely destroyed, meaning no traveling between galaxies or star systems. Navigation was corrupted. Weapons were dead. Shields were down. Communication was damaged.

The ship was essentially a very advanced bunker at this point, capable of keeping him alive but not much else. If a real threat was to come at this point, he and the spaceship would be in danger.

"This is... a lot of damage," Tatehan said quietly. His mind going through it all again.

[Yes] the AI confirmed. "The crash landing was catastrophic. The fact that any systems survived at all is remarkable. The Red Dragon's construction quality and redundancy protocols are the only reason I'm still operational and life support is stable."

"So where do we even start?" Tatehan asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work the repairs needed. "Some of this stuff, like the quantum jump engine, I wouldn't even know where to begin."

[We start strategically,] the AI replied. [Not all repairs are equally important right now, and some repairs will make other repairs easier or more effective.]

The holographic display shifted, highlighting one specific system: Power Coupling.

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