The bar was old and derelict, utterly abandoned to the point that even the bones of its old patrons had turned to dust. Nothing could have survived here, not without some sort of high tech gear, gear capable of creating and sustaining a breathable atmosphere and keeping the vast radioactive winds at bay. Yet somehow, as the sun faded, there was something alive at the bar, silently drinking to itself.
This something is what drew Hec to this horrible, desolate location.
Some might have asked how Hec was capable of surviving in these strange lands, but Hec wasn’t a normal being in any way. He was barely alive as most would understand it, the majority of his body being augmented with technological enhancements or being completely robotic. All parts and components that no longer really existed for use by others. Really, the only remaining organic parts were his brain stem and spinal column, as well as an organic heart and lungs with a multitude of augments attached to them all. Hec was a Toanex, a member of the Deiton collection of species that included far more… numerous races like Kronospasts and… Anexartitai… This moon and everything on it had once been a Toanex stronghold, the place where Hec had grown up, until a war with the Anexartitai had essentially wiped it out of existence, alongside all those who lived there.
Shifting his attention back to the derelict bar, Hec made sure he had a weapon at hand, but kept it hidden and secure. Why? Because no one ever came here, to a former Toanex moon, just to sit at derelict bars. Only beings that wanted to die did that, and most of them would die in minutes from the vast radioactive wastes before they could reach the city centres, let alone make it to abandoned drink spots to drown themselves in alcohol. Only Hec did that, and he was immune to the toxic winds. Then again, Hec was not sure what he was dealing with here. It was either a very strange mortal or one of those things, the beings the Toanex never mentioned.
As soon as Hec reached the entrance though, the door swung open, as if it knew he was there. The power had long since left this place and there was certainly no electricity here, so Hec assumed the being in the bar did it.
“Come in. I won’t bite.”
Hec did as he was told and approached the bar, where a yellow and black being was leaning on the counter, swirling a vaguely blue, glowing drink in one of the few unbroken glasses in the building. Hec couldn’t place the exact species, but he was pretty sure it was some sort of Threanic Panvok, due to the organic plating, long tail and no obvious gender traits.
“What are you doing here?” Hec asked, sitting down next to the being.
“I could ask the same of you…” the being tutted. Now that Hec was nice and close, he realised this wasn’t a Panvok at all. It was… the thing he feared. The thing all Toanex, all Deitons feared.
“I was intrigued by your presence. No normal mortal being can survive in this place.”
“Yet here you are.”
Hec shrugged. “I am no normal mortal.”
The being sighed, then turned to Hec, looking him up and down, an exhausted tone in his voice. “Oh, I hadn’t noticed.” This being held out a hand, expecting Hec to shake it. “My name’s Arkadin. Who might you be, little Deiton?”
Hec shook Arkadin’s hand and bowed his head. “I am…”
Before he could answer, Arkadin abruptly let go and pulled away. “Oh. I am sorry. I just… I just realised. I’m very sorry…”
“Why?”
“You’re the last one, aren’t you?” Arkadin sighed, then turned to one side and planted his head firmly on the hard surface of the bar. “You’re the last one. Desperately trying to keep yourself and thus your species alive. While trying to get revenge for what they did to you.”
Hec nodded. “You are correct. And you are the Thantophor, are you not? It is… considered almost immoral to call you by your name and a sin to even be in your presence, yet here you are. Are you here to finally end the Toanex forever, to assault and curse me one last time?”
Arkadin frowned. “No. I’m here because I have a lot of horrible thoughts in my head and wanted to get them out of my mind. The sort of thoughts that exist underneath your normal brain functions and tell you to do awful, awful things. And then I was going to get to work clearing up this planet and making it suitable for life again.”
“What?” Hec wasn’t sure what he had just heard. “What did… what did you say?”
“I’m not going to kill you and I want to make this planet habitable again.”
“Really?”
Arkadin nodded. “Yeah. I guess it’s the least I can do. I mean, what happened between you and the Anexartitai isn’t really my fault, but it’s a shame to have this moon go to waste when you can set up a new home here and rebuild.”
Hec wasn’t sure how to react. “Rebuild? But I am the last of my kind. When I die, there will be no more Toanex!”
“Well, not 100% pure Toanex. Nothing is stopping you from settling down with a nice being from another species…” Arkadin smiled, then went back to frowning. “Sorry, that is inappropriate.”
“No… you’re right…” Hec was still flabbergasted. Before him was a deity, one who had essentially taken everything from him, offering to… try and make things better. “I… I don’t know what to say…”
Arkadin shrugged. “You don’t have to say anything, but your help in fixing this moon would be appreciated.”
Hec got up and bowed. “Thank you, Arkadin. Thank you…”