Within the universe, there are an unfathomable amount of celestial entities- From comets, to stars, to planets, to entire galaxies. The unknown so seemingly endless, it'd be impossible to find every nook and cranny. Yet one sole explorer had an attempt, losing themself in their fascination, logging their discoveries in thousands of notes, then vanishing amongst the lights of the cosmos afterwards. An expansive venture at first, it slowly spiralled into the deadly combination of loneliness and homesickness. It should be considered a miracle, the explorer hadn't literally strayed off the way, for they could've ended up in places worse than their mere insanity.

As the lights and hums of their ship faded, so would the explorer, seemingly lost in an endless cycle of searching for something they no longer remembered. Counting each one faintly visible within the emptiness of space, the explorer would forget and become one with the stars. Their name, their reasons, their ambitions, their dreams, their life; It all vanished slowly, prowling in the dark until it would appear out of the blue once more, in a time and place unknown.

The last time the explorer remembered, was well over a century ago. After eons upon eons of searching, they'd finally done it- A faintly familiar solar system, with a faintly familiar planet they once called home. Though the downfall was soon apparent, for the robots they'd once known were all gone. Within the depths of the scrapyards still standing, the explorer salvaged what they could, to keep remnants where possible. They built upon their own ship and their own tech; A vocoder, for they'd lost their thoughts and opinions, to function as a voice, as well as a companion. Perhaps it'd be a little less lonely from then on out.

What a silly thought to have, for an explorer who'd already been one with the stars for way longer.

— COMPANY TO KEEP —

Hidden within notes long faded, the explorer had usually gone through life solo. Born into a dying world, they were one of the unfortunate ones left to fend for themselves. Yet they had a name and a purpose back then- Ophiuchus, an astronaut robot, their best interest to merely survive. Sticking to no other machine but themself, Ophiuchus was regarded as an outsider. The robot grew up alongside others around campfires, in freezing buildings about to collapse, nearby small towns that caused nothing but envy and not much else.

Almost as frail as a stick, Ophiuchus had nearly been denied the luxury of sustenance and shelter- For they were one of the first to volunteer for their kind, once a war had been announced against the organics. If not for their undying persistence, the robot would've been one of many aimless wanderers, trying to assist regular townsfolk. Ophiuchus proved to adapt and pick up new skills well, which was a benefit for the foreseeable times. The robot got through the initial hurdles, and for the first time in their existence, they were able to experience a peaceful rest.

If anything, it was more difficult to adapt to a whole new life. It wasn't about the skill to shoot properly, nor was it about staying alert all the time- It was about connecting to others in different leagues, as well as the fear of losing this stability as if an ebb and flow. The longer they persisted, the more it'd show how much of an effective ground soldier they were- Even if they lacked in other walks of life. The recruit remained to their own, despite the fact they'd become part of a larger group, a platoon, a whole war.

The first time Ophiuchus seemingly addressed another directly, out of personal peeve rather than duty, was during target practice, serving well over a decade by then. A sniper unit by the name Laszlo, the astronaut told the other off for joking too much- For it distracted them from their training. While Ophiuchus knew this Laszlo from their platoon, the same couldn't be said otherwise- They'd always stuck close to the walls and the shadows, passing everyone in life as if a ghost. Unfortunately from then on, their disguise was blown; Laszlo was aware of their existence, and the two soldiers would go through the joys of the clone wars together. At first somewhat annoyed with Laszlo's inability to ever shut up, Ophiuchus eventually grew to enjoy his company- Their first ally, their first comrade, their first friend. It connected Ophiuchus closer to the experience of life itself, rather than by instincts and skills.

The second soldier who'd bring a connection, was Faldorn; A tank unit who'd put himself as a solid rock in-between a stressed nihilistic astronaut and an increasingly-depressed jokester. The three of them formed a solid group, although would truly shine once a fourth robot joined; Nestor, an aerial unit who'd complete their dynamic. The group got along splendidly despite their differences, both off and in the fields- A decade later, the Quadrivials were formed, becoming one of the most notable special operation teams of the wars. They answered to Nestor's brother, Caesar, who'd also become a staple in their lives. With these allies by their side, Ophiuchus got to see there was more to life than persistent survival; They grew to love these comrades as family, appreciating every single one of them for bringing flavour and colour into their existence.

— LAST GOODBYE —

Once the last stretches of the war were in sight, the Quadrivials had gone through it all, until the turning point came that Faldorn was discharged. While the three left were affected, Ophiuchus tried to keep their two remaining allies afloat. The astronaut recognised the faltering of their wills; One that was all too familiar within themself, which they refused to see happening to their friends. It was their persistence that dragged the trio through the final moments needed, even if it was still a heavy ordeal all around.

With the deserved victory on their side, Ophiuchus was one of the few unsure what would happen next. After all, they were one of the few that had barely anything, if any, to return to. Nestor and Caesar had one another. Faldorn had returned to his family some years prior. Laszlo, sort of luckily, had a similar lonely life as theirs- Perhaps they could stick together. The uncertainty of what awaited felt akin to impending doom- Even more so than holding out on the fields for the enemy.

Would the astronaut return to their nomadic and lonely life after this?

Would they never see their friends again?

Would they be able to find a home?

Though answers soon came to their questions- Offered a home, with any of their friends, it was as if they could have a slumber party with each of them anytime they wanted. Ophiuchus felt relieved, but similar to their friends, it all disappeared once it was apparent Faldorn had forgotten them all; Their old leader suffering from amnesia, the four were forced out of his house after their first ever visit. Where their other friends attempted to rebuild, both in the friendship and dying planet departments, it was too much for Ophiuchus.

Their previous worries shattered, the astronaut decided they had to leave. They needed to be alone. They'd spent too long in the company of others, and the thought of losing even a bit of that was daunting. So much so, in fact, it was utterly terrifying, in a way they wanted to drop it all and prevent further unlikely, but possible hurt. It didn't take long for Ophiuchus to find an old ship with plenty of fuel. After renovating where needed, they'd walk alongside the shadows once more; Not wanting to question that miniscule speck of doubt for even a single second.

With a last salute, the robot disappeared in their ship, which in turn disappeared amongst the stars. No longer a stray, a sidekick or a soldier- Becoming one with their fear, eventually fascination, the robot turned into a seeker of the stars.

— ONE WITH THE COSMOS —

Known by many aliases since their journey started, Ophiuchus was mostly referred to as an astronaut, traveller, wanderer, explorer or starseeker. After years of roaming around space, the robot had become a tale to the occasional place they'd visited; The myth of an explorer who attempted to map out the entire universe by themself. At times, they wondered if these myths had made it back home. Even if impossible, as most planets with sentient life were rather primitive- Though they could always dream.

It was a decade into their venture, when the astronaut started noting their adventures and discoveries. Badly written humble words on scattered notes, they found a better use through proper journals later on. Ophiuchus would go through these in no time, as if each one was written in the span of a day. The longer they kept noting their findings, the more they grew curious of the nooks and crannies unfound. It turned into a desire to figure out the unknown, as its reveals proved to be therapeutic to them; It was a way to process the war put behind.

Going from planet to planet, system to system, slowly Ophiuchus would discover other worlds within the expanse of space. Their notes would grow and grow and grow, to the point their whole ship was covered, allowing only thought of their explorations, rather than reminiscing of the past. Wondering how to word their latest discovery, what this new type of flora was, who these primitive warriors operated, where to go next- Endless wonder upon wonder, it left no space for anything else. Slowly but surely, whatever once was, was shut out. The explorer took a deep dive, surrounding themself with nothing but their own thoughts, within the shadows of the stars.

Never to be seen again, some say they literally vanished.

Throughout their travels, the astronaut eventually had to adapt to a new alias- For they'd only faintly remember their origins, which were further away the longer they explored. They settled on one simple to remember, as it essentially was just astronaut; 4STR0N4UT, though alternatively, Fourstrun, if they had a day they preferred a simpler spelling more. This was especially important to rely on, if by chance they found themself on a planet uninhabited, let alone stranded.

It was roughly 25 years into their journey, when they were lost for the first time. Somewhere on a lush planet, in the middle of nowhere, the astronaut had to adapt to a world unknown. To persevere and to survive, which for some reason left quite the bad feeling looming over them- As if they'd done this before. Though they didn't want to dwell on it, for staying alive was the priority. The robot had the luxury of plenty fuel and supplies for over two decades.. Now the time was up, and it was an opportunity to do it differently.

For approximately another 15 years, Fourstrun was stuck on this lush but lonely planet. In that time, the astronaut had slowly but surely figured out several things; One of them, was to reutilise basic resources into the most primitive version of fuel. It meant their travels after this trip would take longer, albeit adaptable and renewable. Two, they learned the insides and outsides of their ship; The ability to reform and repair it where needed with proper care, as well as customise it more to their taste. Finally, three, they found they didn't like being lonely. Something in the light called out to them within the shadows, and the explorer wanted to find it to sate their sanity.

Scouring the stars for one specific spot proved harder than merely seeking them. The explorer would find themself on planets they'd possibly already visited, they didn't remember- Or on planets they'd not, which meant they wanted to note their findings, further delaying their destination. What was thought would take a few months possibly, would take years up to decades. There was no way Fourstrun could've backtracked, as by then, all their notes were more than scattered and an endless mess of incomprehensible insanity.

As time turned into an endless loop, so did they, stuck in their lonely ways of discovery; Until they'd by chance stumble upon their old home, a lucky find after they left it one and a half century ago. Though found empty, the dying planet was truly desolate. Faint memories of old friends, with a dream to renew it- Vague visions of a lengthy conflict they'd gotten through with these same friends- Fourstrun left as quickly as they'd arrived, seeing no purpose in staying. The only discovery they'd made, were recycled scraps to renew their means, such as a vocoder and fuel.

By then, it meant to keep venturing amongst the vastness of space, to keep making new discoveries.

How long had it been since they remembered anything but the shadows?

How long had they been seeking the stars within the universe?

How long had they been this empty?

By then, the explorer had forgotten everything.

— END OF DAWN —

A planet the size of a gaia world was an odd sight, sure, but not one they hadn't ever seen before. Though, this particular one on the radar, would soon turn out to be far more than they could've possibly imagined. Whether by chance or specially picked was unknown, yet Fourstrun landed on a planet that'd soon see the first consequences of the End Of Dawn. Thought alone initially, it was as if their entire system exploded, the second upon seeing someone rather familiar- An enemy who unlocked all their memories without even raising a finger- Rather, this enemy, apparently called Raptor, was scurrying away in pure fright, as the explorer instinctively reacted to shoot the clone- Then missed, then somehow finding themself within a camp filled with others.

The amount of reminisced regrets all popped into existence simultaneously, when Raptor wasn't the only familiar one around. There they were, as if it hadn't been three centuries whatsoever- Their old pals, Faldorn, Laszlo and Nestor. The explorer could weep tears of joy and hatred at the same time- For they were beyond happy to have finally found what they were seeking for so long. Yet they were beyond frustrated it was by sheer chance, not knowing what was going on much like everyone else.

Banding together with their comrades and former enemies-turned-allies, Fourstrun fought alongside them, against the hellspawn brought forth to destroy the universe. Their past remembered, it mattered no more- They'd become a starseeker, Ophiuchus was long gone. Yet they'd stick with their first friends made, and would do so until the very end. The astronaut swore they'd never leave their friends behind ever again, nor be possessed by their feelings of fear, anguish and everything else. Known for their perseverance no matter what, Fourstrun had to persist themself for the first time in their existence.

Once the mortals had finally won against the forces of the End Of Dawn, Fourstrun followed their comrades and the enemies-turned-allies to their home. Situated on a not-so-primitive planet, the explorer found themself in a medieval world. Their friends introduced Fourstrun to where they'd been, with the Quadrivials soon reformed into the Quantum Quartet- They'd aid this world wherever was needed, for the time they had left on it. With a ship and fuels available as well, Fourstrun could aid their friends further- A goal in mind, the next destination for them and their friends, would be the home of their kind, wherever they'd gone after the war. The explorer didn't know how long it'd take, though likely years.

One last thought remained, however, that the explorer would mull over by themself- If they'd been travelling for well about three centuries, where had their friends been for all that time? According to them, they'd been here for only a mere 7 years, having left the warzone behind right before then. One oddity that stuck out, and the explorer wasn't entirely sure if that was a mystery worth solving- Instead the explorer preferred to be in the here and now, with their friends. As long as they were together, it wouldn't matter too much if the journey home was longer than anticipated. Fourstrun had found their home once more- Wherever their friends would go, they'd follow, persisting any obstacle on the way, no matter what.