Bloody Snow

2 - The Landing

In the cafeteria, the little crew gathered at the small tables. Blue stood at the head of the room, hands on his hips.

"All right, everyone - we'll be landing in about thirty minutes, if all goes well. Do we all know the plan?"

The crew nodded, and Red spoke up; her smooth voice repeating the instructions Blue had drilled into all of their minds.

"Stick together, don't get lost, and don't go anywhere without a buddy. Keep an eye out for trouble, and if you find anything, tell the others."

"See something, say something," Yellow quipped.

Blue nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. We don't really know what to expect, here, so be prepared for anything and everything. Hopefully, we'll meet someone who can explain the situation to us."

"Hopefully?" Pink asked skeptically. "What do you mean, Cap? Did we not let them know we were coming?"

Blue shrugged. "Headquarters tried repeatedly. There was no response. It could be that they didn't get the message. It could be that..." he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. Shaking his head, he straightened. "The point is, stick together. Keep calm and be prepared."

"Yes, sir!" nine voices said in unison.

XXXXX

Half an hour later, the Skeld came to rest on Polus's small landing pad. As the ship doors slid open, a frigid wind blew in, accompanied by a dusting of snow. Black shivered.

Guess we're going to have to get used to the cold around here... this is nothing like Earth.

"Everyone - let's move," Blue commanded, leading the way out of the dropship and out onto the frozen ground.

Purple grabbed Black's arm. He glanced at her in surprise.

"Buddy system?" she suggested quietly. He nodded.

She didn't smile, but kept hold of his arm. "Great."

Blue turned to the others. "All right - split up. We all have our radios, so if anything comes up, let us know."

Black and Purple nodded and headed down the icy path that veered left. Soon they came to a low-built metal building, with the door slightly ajar.

Glancing at Purple, he nodded and the two pushed it open, stepping inside.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.