A Kiss from Subspace

"On the way back, things were peaceful at first, just like before. The reality anchor kept the currents of subspace at bay and protected the three of us from its corruption."

"But subspace didn't seem to stay peaceful all the time..."

Xiao's voice was low, tinged with lingering fear. "It was like the ocean. Every so often, the sea produced devastating tsunamis and hurricanes. Subspace was the same. On our way back, I saw a subspace storm in the distance, stretching across dozens of star sectors. There was nowhere for us to hide..."

"So I decided to fly the ship straight through the storm. After all, the reality anchor kept everything out, and I thought our ship was sturdy enough to make it through without much trouble..."

"But I was wrong. The subspace storm was far more powerful than I'd imagined. The barrier projected by the reality anchor was as fragile as a soap bubble in the storm. After a few days inside it, the anchor finally shattered under the strain, and subspace energy flooded into the ship..."

"That was when Gordon and Marcy both broke down, unable to withstand subspace's mental corruption. They lost their minds and even tried to get up from their pilot seats. Fortunately, I had the authority to lock them in, so I managed to keep them trapped in their seats."

"So the reality anchor is that important for traveling through subspace?"

X looked thoughtful. "Looks like installing that device back then was a wise decision."

"That wasn't all..."

Xiao nodded with a bitter smile. "After the reality anchor shattered, something unknown even broke into the ship. Those beings had no form or substance. The Black Knight guard and the androids suffered heavy casualties before they managed to drive them out..."

"Enslavers?"

At that, X