Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1061: Logbook

The vast expanse of the universe stretched endlessly past the ship’s canopy, claiming Khan’s gaze. His glowing eyes ignored the many screens and holograms in his vision to stare at the distant stars, filling his mind with profound thoughts.

An empty bottle rested in the pilot’s seat’s cup holder, and Khan heaved a helpless sigh when his eyes finally fell on it. That didn’t bode well, but Khan was powerless about it.

"Ship’s logbook," Khan announced, pressing a command on the interactive armchair. "Seventh entry, or was it still sixth?"

Khan pondered the issue before dismissing it. He checked other details on the menus in his vision as calculations happened in his mind. Once they were complete, he spoke again. Enjoy exclusive content from novelbuddy

"The trip has crossed its six-month mark," Khan recorded. "I had stuffed enough booze to last me longer than a year, but the canteen is now officially devoid of it."

Khan didn’t know whether to feel proud or troubled but eventually decided not to care. He had expected that crisis to arrive sooner or later. After all, he was aware of his bad drinking habits and tolerance.

Khan almost ended the recording there before heaving another sigh. Making a new entry to announce his endless thirst didn’t feel right, but nothing relevant had happened, so he opted for a summary.

"The locations cross-referenced with all the available data have been bogus," Khan recalled. "Lord Vegner’s informants and connections have been … accommodating but only held old relics and outdated information."

The initial part of the trip was to gather better and more precise information. Khan also needed to rule out unfounded but interesting rumors and data to advance more confidently in what he believed was the right direction. The past six months had mainly focused on that.

"The ship is now headed to Chuwei," Khan continued, "A planet at the edge of the regulated side of the universe. It fits with the gathered information, and one of Lord Vegner’s connections had also mentioned it. I’m not expecting Cegnore, but maybe it has something valuable."

Truthfully, even finding a Tainted species similar to what Khan had met on Cegnore wouldn’t be of much help. Khan had already seized anything he needed from those types of interactions. If anything, it would confirm Khan was on the right path.

"Right," Khan said, recalling another detail. "I became twenty-five a few weeks ago. Happy birthday to me."

Khan had lost track of the passage of time while traveling through the universe. He would have forgotten about his birthday without the countless notifications that had reached his new phone. He had ignored everything out of habit, but they had still worked as a reminder.

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Khan couldn’t find anything else to say, so he interrupted the recording and sat deeper into the comfortable chair, his eyes returning to the marvelous sight past the canopy. The ship didn’t have much when it came to recreational activities, so he spent most of his days staring at the universe.

Traces of sadness occasionally flashed on Khan’s face whenever his thoughts touched certain topics. Still, everything quickly disappeared, restoring his calm focus. He was doing better those days when it came to grieving, but memories were a formidable opponent, especially inside the solitude of the ship.

Khan eventually stood up, leaving the bridge. He crossed his living quarters, spotting the Thilku cape hanging from a wall and the simple bed he had yet to try. His glowing eyes lingered on the perfectly kept sheets for a few seconds, flashing with sadness again, before he continued walking toward his destination.

The ship’s cargo area was a work of art. Alexander had truly spared no expense with that gift, and the crews that had loaded it had made full use of its many space-saving compartments. Khan still had plenty of supplies available, but nothing even remotely alcoholic.

’Come on,’ Khan thought, crossing his arms while scouring the tidy cargo area. ’I know you secretly stashed booze somewhere. You just have to remember about it.’

Nothing could escape Khan’s heightened senses, so he immediately realized the sad truth. Not a single drop of booze had survived his thirst. Even that mighty and neatly arranged cargo area couldn’t do anything against him.

’Dammit,’ Khan cursed in his mind before a sudden thought made his eyes widen. ’Wait!’

Khan hurried past the cargo area, reaching the mostly unused reinforced room. His family had initially intended for Khan to keep training while traveling, but he had become too strong even to attempt to. It was simply too dangerous while he was in the depths of space.

Nevertheless, the reinforced room had other uses, and Khan looked for them as soon as he stepped inside. The black surfaces were seamless, without a single spot or cavity in sight, but Khan knew they existed.

’Maybe here?’ Khan wondered, crouching in a corner and pressing on the wall. A clicking noise resounded, and the metal surface opened, revealing a hidden drawer.

Of course, Khan only cared about the drawer’s contents, which put a smile on his face. Eight bottles were neatly stored inside, and he didn’t hesitate to retrieve one.

’I knew it,’ Khan mentally exclaimed, smirking and closing the drawer before hurrying back to the bridge. He only retrieved some dried meat along the way before returning to the pilot’s seat.

The scenery past the canopy didn’t change, but the holograms around it told a different story. The ship was quickly approaching its destination. It would only take half a day to reach the distant planet, and Khan couldn’t wait to land on it.

’Wait,’ Khan thought while bringing the bottle to his mouth. ’Should I update the entry now?’

During normal times, Khan wouldn’t have bothered with such details. He wouldn’t even keep a logbook, but his Aunt had insisted. Those short, one-sided conversations could provide some respite from the trip’s loneliness, so Khan tried his best to remember. He was beyond saving but still tried to appease his Aunt.

Eventually, Khan decided against updating the entry and waited for a change. Hours, food, and booze went by as the ship crossed the dark expanse until the scanners finally locked on a yellow planet.

Khan set all the directives for a safe landing before hurrying to his quarters. He donned the Thilku cape and crown, returning to the bridge to check on the most recent updates. The ship met no resistance when entering Chuwei’s atmosphere, but Khan had to activate the shields after a while.

No disturbances reached the ship’s insides, but Khan kept the shields up when opening its side doors. A yellow, violent spectacle unfolded in his vision, preventing him from seeing anything past a few centimeters from his position. He had landed in the middle of a sandstorm, and his legs brought him toward it without hesitation.