novelraw Chapter 298 298: A Violation of the Escort Code
Chapter 298 298: A Violation of the Escort Code
"Don't relax too soon," Hong reminded them calmly. "We've only covered half the journey."
As he spoke, Rowan suddenly sensed a familiar presence. He lifted his head and looked across the crowded food district of the port. Not far away, Shadow stood in a quiet corner, speaking with someone.
"That's…" Rowan narrowed his eyes.
Standing opposite Shadow was a mysterious figure dressed in a black robe. The two spoke in hushed tones, their conversation clearly meant to remain secret. From time to time they glanced around cautiously, as if making sure no one was watching.
"Something's wrong," Hong murmured. He had noticed it too.
"Should we follow them?" Thor asked eagerly, already half rising from his chair.
"No." Rowan shook his head firmly. "Our mission is to escort the cargo. It's best not to get involved in anything else."
A short while later, Shadow finished his conversation and walked toward them.
"How's the food?" he asked casually, as if nothing unusual had happened.
"It's excellent," Rowan replied with a polite smile. "The cuisine here is quite unique."
"Good." Shadow nodded. "We depart in two hours. Don't stay out too late."
After he left, Thor lowered his voice.
"What was he doing just now?"
"No idea," Hong said, shaking his head. "But it's definitely related to this mission."
Rowan waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it. Let's focus on our job."
Their rest period passed quickly, and before long the spacecraft was preparing to depart again. After refueling and replenishing supplies at Freeport, the ship was in much better condition.
"The next part of the route should be relatively safe," Shadow announced from the control room. "But stay alert. We can't afford to relax completely."
Rowan stood by the observation window, watching Freeport gradually fade into the distance. A thoughtful expression crossed his face. This mission was far more complicated than they had expected. Still, they had accepted the task, and they would see it through.
"Three more days until we reach our destination," Hong said.
"Let's hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly," Rowan replied with a nod.
That night.
Rowan felt as though he were drifting through endless darkness. His consciousness floated somewhere between dream and reality. From the depths of the void, he heard a voice. Low, mysterious, and distant, it echoed through the darkness like a call from the far reaches of space.
"Rowan… Rowan…"
The voice was faint, yet unmistakable inside his mind.
In his sleep, Rowan frowned and shifted slightly. The spacecraft's specialized sleep pod hummed softly as it adjusted the environment around him.
"Rowan… come here…"
This time the voice was clearer.
Rowan's brow tightened, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. In his dream, a vague glimmer of light flickered repeatedly, as if guiding him toward some unknown destination.
"Come… find me…"
Rowan's eyes flew open.
He gasped for air as if he had just emerged from deep water. Instinctively he looked around, only to freeze in confusion.
He was no longer inside his sleep pod.
Instead, he was standing inside the cargo hold on the lowest level of the spacecraft.
Rows upon rows of cargo crates filled the massive chamber. Under the dim glow of emergency lights, they cast long, eerie shadows across the metallic floor.
"How did I end up here?" Rowan muttered in disbelief.
The last thing he remembered was finishing his daily training and returning to his sleep pod to rest. According to the schedule, he should still have been asleep with four hours remaining before his next shift.
The temperature in the cargo hold was noticeably lower than the living quarters. A cold chill ran through the air, causing Rowan to shiver. He was wearing only thin sleepwear and stood barefoot on the icy metal floor.
The silence was unsettling.
The only sounds came from the low vibrations of the spacecraft's engines and the occasional mechanical beep of the ship's automated systems.
Then Rowan noticed something.
Deep within the cargo hold, a faint light flickered.
The glow appeared and disappeared, subtle yet persistent, as if deliberately drawing his attention. Rowan hesitated for a moment. In the end, curiosity overcame caution, and he slowly walked toward the light.
Passing between towering stacks of cargo crates and equipment containers, he eventually reached the deepest section of the hold.
This area was clearly different from the rest.
Security devices surrounded it, along with emitters projecting protective force fields. It was obviously a high-security isolation zone.
At the center of that zone stood a massive stone chest.
The chest was about three meters long, two meters wide, and two meters tall. Its surface was an ancient gray-brown color and covered with strange patterns. In the darkness, those patterns glowed faintly with blue light. They were the source that had drawn Rowan here.
More than a dozen thick metal chains bound the chest tightly. Each chain was engraved with intricate runes. They looked less like simple restraints and more like a powerful energy seal.
"What is this thing?" Rowan murmured.
"It wasn't listed in the mission manifest…"
Almost without thinking, he reached out his hand toward the mysterious chest.
Just as his fingers were about to touch its surface, a cold voice rang out behind him.
"Rowan! What are you doing here?"
Rowan spun around instantly.
A tall figure stood at the entrance of the cargo hold. The bright light behind him cast his face in shadow, but Rowan recognized the silhouette immediately.
Shadow.
The captain of this escort mission.
Shadow walked forward slowly. His powerful presence alone forced Rowan to take an unconscious step back.
As he drew closer, Rowan could see his features clearly. Shadow had short, rigid black hair and deep eyes that seemed as vast as the night sky. A scar ran across the right side of his face, from his brow to his jaw, giving him a cold and intimidating appearance.
He wore a black tactical suit bearing the emblem of a special operations unit. The energy pistol at his waist reflected the dim cargo hold lights.
"I… I don't know," Rowan stammered, still confused. "The last thing I remember is resting in my sleep pod. Then suddenly I woke up here."
Shadow's gaze sharpened as if trying to pierce through Rowan's very soul.
"You expect me to believe that?" he said coldly. "Without authorization, no one can enter this isolation zone. How did you bypass the security system?"
"I really don't know!" Rowan raised his voice in frustration. "I was asleep. I have no idea how I got here!"
Shadow ignored the explanation. He lifted his wrist and activated his communicator.
"Security team, report to Cargo Bay D immediately. We have an intruder."
"Wait!" Rowan protested quickly. "There's been a misunderstanding. I'm part of the escort team!"
Shadow's eyes were as cold as blades.
"You were found inside a restricted high-security zone and attempting to touch prohibited cargo. According to the Interstellar Escort Guild regulations, that constitutes a serious violation. Enough to place you under detention and investigation."
Rowan felt a surge of anger.
"This is ridiculous! I don't even know how I got here. How can you accuse me?"
"I don't need accusations," Shadow replied calmly. "The evidence speaks for itself."
He gestured toward the surveillance devices around them.
"Everything you've done has been recorded."
At that moment, the cargo bay doors opened again.
Two figures rushed in.
"Rowan! What are you doing here?"
The familiar voice made Rowan turn around instantly.
Thor and Hong were hurrying toward them.
Thor was tall and powerfully built, his golden hair swept back like blazing flames. His arms looked as strong as forged steel. He wore a fitted gray uniform, and the energy core embedded in his chest glowed with a soft blue light.
Hong stood beside him, leaner but equally formidable. His black hair and dark eyes gave him a calm, unreadable expression.
"Thor, Hong," Rowan said with relief. "I have no idea how I got here. I woke up and found myself standing in the cargo hold."
Thor frowned deeply.
"What do you mean? You sleepwalked all the way here?"
Hong's gaze moved slowly between Rowan and the mysterious stone chest, a thoughtful light appearing in his eyes.
Shadow cut in coldly.
"That's enough conversation. Rowan has violated the rules. He will be detained and investigated."
"Hold on," Thor said, stepping forward and placing himself between Rowan and Shadow.
"You can't just take Rowan away like that. He's part of our team. If there's a problem, we deserve to know what's going on."
Shadow's expression hardened.
"Are you questioning my authority? Thor, remember that on this ship, I am the one in command."
Hong cleared his throat softly.
"Captain Shadow," he said calmly but firmly, "we are all escorts who passed the Alliance's strict verification. Rowan's record is spotless. If he truly violated the rules, we respect the investigation process. But he deserves the chance to explain himself."
The atmosphere in the cargo hold instantly became tense.
Thor's muscles tightened, ready for conflict. Hong appeared relaxed, but his stance had subtly shifted into a combat-ready position. Shadow's right hand rested on the grip of his energy pistol.
Rowan took a deep breath.
"I'll say this one more time. I don't know how I got here. I remember lying in my sleep pod. Then suddenly I woke up standing here."
"Absurd," Shadow scoffed. "Are you telling me some mysterious force teleported you here? I think you sneaked into the cargo hold to investigate the secret of this shipment."
Thor raised an eyebrow.
"Secret shipment? According to the mission manifest, we're transporting ordinary trade goods and some research equipment."
For a brief moment, Shadow's expression flickered. Then it returned to normal.
"Exactly," he said coolly. "Which makes Rowan's interest in this crate even more suspicious."
Hong narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Captain Shadow, you seem to know quite a bit about that stone chest. According to standard procedure, escort members only ensure the cargo's safety. We aren't required to know the contents. Why are you so concerned about it?"
Shadow's face darkened.
"That is not your concern. My responsibility is to deliver the cargo safely. Anyone who interferes will be punished."
Rowan noticed the unusual reaction.
Suspicion rose in his mind.
Carefully, he stepped back, edging closer to the mysterious stone chest to examine it more clearly.
"Stop right there!"
Shadow suddenly pulled out his energy pistol and aimed it directly at Rowan.
"Take one more step and I'll arrest you for obstructing the mission."
Thor instantly moved in front of Rowan, crossing his arms. Energy surged through his body, faint arcs of lightning appearing on his skin.
"Shadow, you've gone too far," Thor said coldly. "Pointing a weapon at your own teammate violates the Escort Code."
"As captain, I have the authority to take any necessary action to ensure mission security," Shadow replied icily.
His pistol remained perfectly steady.
"Now, Rowan. You have two choices. Submit to detention quietly, or I will use force."
The tension was suffocating.
The air in the cargo hold felt frozen.
At that exact moment, the spacecraft's broadcast system suddenly activated.
"Attention. All personnel please note. The ship is approaching the outer edge of the Chaotic Star System. Prepare for possible spatial turbulence. Repeat, prepare for spatial turbulence."
Shadow's attention shifted briefly toward the announcement.
Rowan used that moment to glance again at the stone chest.
In the dim light, the patterns on its surface seemed to form ancient symbols or script. The strange markings felt oddly familiar, as if Rowan had seen them somewhere before, though he could not remember where.
"Go to the bridge immediately," Shadow ordered.
His pistol was still pointed at Rowan.
"You two," he said, looking at Thor and Hong, "make sure Rowan does not approach this crate again. If he does anything suspicious, report to me immediately."
Thor snorted.
"We're an escort team, not your subordinates. If Rowan has a problem, we'll handle it ourselves."
Shadow laughed coldly.
"Don't forget who is paying for this mission. If you cannot follow the rules, I have the authority to terminate your contract."
"Threats don't work on me," Thor replied without backing down, lightning flickering across his body. "If you want to bully Rowan, you'll have to get through me first."
Hong sighed and stepped forward.
"Gentlemen, calm down. The ship is about to enter the Chaotic Star System. This is hardly the time for internal conflict."
He turned toward Shadow.
"Captain Shadow, I assure you we will keep an eye on Rowan and make sure he stays away from this cargo hold. But we need your word that you will not take any extreme actions against him before we reach our destination."
Shadow considered this for a moment.
Finally, he gave a slight nod.
"Fine. For now. But I will place additional surveillance on this cargo hold. If Rowan shows any suspicious behavior again, I will not hesitate."
With that, Shadow holstered his energy pistol and walked toward the exit.
Before leaving, he turned back and gave Rowan a cold look.
"Remember this, Rowan. You are being watched."
After Shadow disappeared through the cargo bay door, Rowan finally exhaled heavily. His legs felt weak, and he nearly collapsed.
Thor quickly caught him.
"You alright, man?"
Rowan shook his head.
"I really don't know how I got here, Thor. The last thing I remember is lying in my sleep pod. Then… it was like something summoned me."
Hong's eyes moved toward the mysterious stone chest again.
"Summoned?" he repeated thoughtfully. "You mean you heard a voice?"
Rowan looked at him in surprise.
"How did you know?"
He swallowed slowly.
"Yes. In my dream… I heard a voice calling my name."