"What about the fist?"
"The what?" Marcus asked.
"Fist of the first citizen," Lucas explained. "They are the emperors elite soldiers. Bred only for warfare and surviving in messed up situations like this. I thought the mission briefing said he was heading for the moon base, so maybe he's still here."
"Not likely," Rylee said.
"But possible," Lucas said. "And better than nothing."
"What do you suggest?" Rylee asked.
Lucas gestured up toward the main station. "We get his help. And, barring that, we take his ship."
Lucas's suggestion hung in the air like a thin thread of hope. Finding the Fist of the First Citizen – an elite, highly trained operative – could be their best chance at survival and escape from this nightmare.
"It's a long shot," Rylee mused, her brow furrowed. "But you might be onto something, Lucas. If anyone could have made it through this intact, it would be a Fist."
Marcus nodded slowly, his mind already working through the logistics. "The problem is, we don't even know if the base's computer systems are still operational. And even if they are, we'd need to get the power back on to access them."
"Well, we won't know until we try," Lucas said, his eyes alight with determination. "I'll go check it out, see if I can get the systems back online."
Rylee shook her head firmly. "No one goes anywhere alone, not after what we've seen here. If you're going, someone has to go with you."
A heavy silence fell over the group as they all exchanged glances, no one eager to volunteer for such a perilous mission.
Finally, Marcus spoke up. "I'll go with him."
Chelsea's eyes widened with concern. "Marcus, are you sure? We don't know what's out there..."
"Which is exactly why I need to go," he replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Lucas and I have the best chance of getting to the computer core and back safely."
Rylee studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. But you two be careful out there, you hear me? No heroics, just get in, get the power on, and get out."
Lucas clapped Marcus on the shoulder, his expression a mix of gratitude and grim determination. "Don't worry, we've got this. Just keep the home fires burning for when we get back."
"How do we turn the power back on?" Marcus asked.
Nigel tapped his wrist computer. "Based on the schematics, there is an auxiliary building just outside the hangar. That's the good news. The bad news is that it is only connected here through pipes."
"So we will be crawling through pipes to get there?"
Nigel shrugged. "Could be worse."
Lucas nodded. "Days a wasting. Let's get moving."
Marcus and Lucas set off through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps echoing ominously in the eerie silence. The air was thick with tension, every shadow seeming to conceal some unseen threat.
As they made their way towards the auxiliary building, the sense of dread only intensified. Strange sounds – screeches, skittering, and dull thuds – reverberated through the metal walls, sending chills down their spines.
"You hear that?" Lucas whispered, his grip tightening on his rifle.
Marcus nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "I hear it. Stay sharp."
They pressed on, hyper-aware of every sound, every movement in the darkness. Finally, they reached a heavy metal door leading to the auxiliary building's access tunnels.
Lucas paused, studying the schematics on his wrist computer. "Looks like we'll have to crawl through a series of maintenance pipes to get to the power core."
Marcus grimaced, eyeing the narrow opening. "Those pipes look awfully tight."
"No kidding," Lucas agreed. "We'll have to leave most of our gear behind."
With a reluctant sigh, they began stripping off their bulky equipment, keeping only their weapons and essential supplies. Marcus couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability as he shed layer after layer of protective gear.
Finally, they were as streamlined as possible. Lucas took the lead, squeezing into the narrow pipe with a grunt of effort.
Marcus followed close behind, the tight confines pressing in on him from all sides. The darkness was suffocating, and the only sounds were their labored breathing and the occasional scrape of metal against metal.
They inched forward, the tunnel seeming to constrict even further with every meter they crawled. Marcus could feel sweat beading on his brow, his heart hammering in his chest.
Suddenly, a distant screech echoed through the pipes, causing them both to freeze in their tracks.
"Did you hear that?" Lucas whispered, his voice strained.
Marcus swallowed hard, his mouth dry. "I heard it."
They remained motionless, straining their senses for any sign of movement, any indication of what horrors might be lurking in the darkness around them.
After what felt like an eternity, Lucas began crawling again, his movements slow and deliberate. Marcus followed suit, his muscles aching with the effort of propelling himself through the claustrophobic tunnel.
As they pressed on, the sounds seemed to grow closer, more frequent – screeches, skittering, and the unmistakable sound of something large and heavy dragging itself through the pipes.
Marcus's heart pounded in his ears, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being hunted, stalked by some unspeakable horror that lurked in the shadows.
But they had no choice but to keep moving, to push forward and pray that they reached the power core before whatever was out there found them first.
Marcus and Lucas finally emerged from the narrow pipes, gasping for fresh air. The metallic taste on their tongues was overpowering, and the air seemed thick and oppressive, like a physical weight pressing down on them.
As they took in their surroundings, their hearts sank. The corridor before them was coated in a thick, viscous slime that oozed down the walls and pooled on the floor. The flickering lights cast an eerie, sickly glow over the scene, revealing deep gouges and claw marks that scored the metal surfaces.
"What the hell is this place?" Lucas breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Marcus shook his head slowly, his grip tightening on his rifle. "I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling about it."
They moved cautiously down the corridor, their boots squelching in the foul-smelling slime. Every step felt like a struggle, as if the very air itself were resisting their progress.
Ahead, they could see the entrance to the power station, its heavy doors standing ajar. A dim, pulsing light emanated from within, casting long, twisted shadows across the walls.
As they drew closer, the sound of something wet and organic filled the air – a sickening squelching, like the movement of some vast, living creature. They both looked at each other and scanned the area, but there was nothing.
"I don't like this."
"Me neither," Marcus said, shaking his head.
"The sooner we are out of this station the better."
Marcus felt his stomach churn, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But they had come too far to abandon their mission now. "Agreed."
With a silent nod to Lucas, they steeled themselves and pressed forward, weapons raised and senses on high alert.
They reached the end of the corridor and saw a panel on the wall.
"This is it," Lucas said, stepping up and opening the panel. He put his flashlight between his teeth and started looking at the wires. "Couple of minutes and I'll have this puppy singing. Keep an eye out."
"Okay," Marcus said, turning and scanning the corridor in both directions. It was quiet.Lucas worked quickly on the panel, his fingers deftly manipulating wires and switches. Marcus kept watch, his eyes darting nervously between the two ends of the corridor.
"Almost done," Lucas muttered around the flashlight in his mouth. "Just a few more connections..."
Marcus shifted uneasily. "Good. The sooner we're out of here, the better. This place gives me the creeps."
Lucas chuckled darkly. "No kidding. I've seen horror vids less disturbing than this."
Suddenly, Marcus noticed something strange about the ooze coating the floor. "Uh, Lucas? You might want to hurry it up."
"What's wrong?"
"The slime... it's moving."
Lucas glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening as he saw the viscous substance congealing, forming into a larger mass that began sliding towards them, leaving a glistening trail in its wake.
"Shit," Lucas hissed, turning back to the panel. "Just need another minute..."
Marcus raised his weapon, aiming at the approaching ooze. "We might not have a minute. What do we do?"
Lucas finished the last connection and slammed the panel shut. "Power's back on. Let's get out of here!"
But the ooze was blocking their escape route, continuing its inexorable advance.
"We can't go back through those pipes with that thing chasing us," Marcus said, his voice tight with fear.
Lucas raised his weapon. "Then we fight."
Before Marcus could object, Lucas opened fire on the approaching mass. The laser bolts sizzled as they struck the ooze, causing it to bubble and hiss.
Suddenly, a glob of the substance splashed onto Lucas's leg. He cried out in agony, stumbling backwards.
"Lucas!" Marcus shouted, rushing to his friend's side.
Lucas gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain. "It burns! We need to get out of here, now!"
Marcus helped Lucas to his feet, both of them backing away from the advancing ooze. They needed to find another way out, and fast – before the strange substance consumed them both.
