Last Light in the Dark

The team burst through the tunnel entrance, slamming the heavy door shut behind them. They leaned against it, gasping for breath as the screeches and flapping of the winged creatures faded into the distance.

The team headed out from the hangar, navigating the dimly lit corridors towards the glass tunnel that connected the outpost to the main city. The silence was eerie, with no signs of life or activity anywhere.

Everything happened quickly after that. When the team reached the armory, they were surrounded by quartermasters who fitted them out with all the tactical equipment they would ever need to wage a small war. Rifles, sidearms, specialty weapons and explosives.

The door slid open, and several officers sauntered into the mess hall. They all walked with an air of overzealous importance as they joined the rest of the enlisted soldiers. It was something Marcus was used to, and he barely noticed.

By the time Marcus made it back onto the Endeavor, everything was in full and frantic motion. Soldiers, mechanics, and officers ran up and down the halls, and there was a life and energy in the air he had never experienced.

“Why do we always get the—” “Don’t even think about finishing that statement,” Rylee warned. Marcus couldn’t see her face behind the mask of her vac suit, but he could imagine the expression of stern disapproval he’d seen a thousand times before.