Lost

Chapter 3

The hum of the hydrogen engines faded away as we entered orbit around the mysterious planet. Dark blue clouds blanketed the surface, with occasional bursts of purple light flickering beneath them like the flash of an elusive, subterranean fire.

"That's not a good sign," Rita muttered, her eyes fixed on the ominous vista. Kevin shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Our sensors have detected radioactive isotopes, including Helium-3. We have to go down there." I approached the pilot controls, my fingers moving with purpose as I activated the planetary descent and maneuvering engines. The Trailblazer wasn't designed to land on this planet, but its sturdy construction could handle the challenge.

"Rita, bring the debris shield online and make sure the heat exchanger is ready," I instructed, never once taking my eyes off the controls. Rita acknowledged the order with a nod, readying the systems for our treacherous descent into the unknown.

"Atmospheric analysis just came back, and the air down there isn't exactly what I'd call hospitable," Kevin warned. "It's mostly composed of carbon dioxide with a few unsettling trace elements scattered throughout." I cast a quick glance over to Rita, whose knuckles had turned white as she gripped the armrests. "What's the temperature like?" I asked, trying to inject a measure of calm into my voice.

"Good news on that front," Kevin replied. "I've found a sizable area about forty kilometers across where the temperature beneath the clouds appears to be a relatively warm 20-25 degrees Celsius. Our suits won't have to work hard to keep us from freezing or overheating."

With a deep breath, I secured my helmet in place and rested my hand on the manual throttle. "Alright, guys. The atmosphere is thinner than Earth's but this isn't going to be a leisurely flight, so buckle up for a bumpy ride. Ready?"

Kevin shot me a thumbs-up, his helmet already in place. "I tried to find a good landing zone, but it's almost impossible to see through those clouds. Be ready to improvise."

Rita didn't say anything, but the nervous nod she gave me was answer enough. I nodded back, took a deep breath, and turned to the controls. Gradually bringing the throttle up to full power, I set a course that would take us down into the foreign atmosphere.

As we began our descent, the shuttle started to shake and groan. I fought against the violent forces of the upper atmosphere, grappling with the manual throttle and directional controls. It was a fierce battle, but one I was determined to win. The computer registered a spike in the static electricity surrounding us as a bolt of lightning struck nearby.

Finally, we broke through the cloud layer and the dark grey surface came into view. Silver droplets rained down from the sky, forming small pools as I guided the Trailblazer in for a landing. Despite the wind, I was able to set the shuttle down with a *thunk* in a somewhat flat area near one of the pools. I released my seat straps and turned to face Kevin and Rita.

"Is everyone okay? That landing was a little rough," I asked, my gaze darting between Kevin and Rita as I assessed their well-being. Kevin gave me a confident thumbs up and leaned in to get a better look out the window. Rita looked pale but managed to nod stiffly.

"Nothing got damaged, right?" Rita asked, her eyes flickering around the shuttle's interior with a hint of nervousness.

"All systems are good, Rita. I just want to run a full diagnostic before we head out," I replied, giving her a reassuring smile as I checked the status of the ship's systems.

"I agree, we need to make sure everything's in working order before we venture out there," Kevin added, pressing his nose up against the window to get a better look at the strange, silver droplets falling from the sky.

"What's that raining out there?" I wondered aloud, peering out the window at the otherworldly surface.

"It looks like metal... our suits will be able to handle that, right?" asked Kevin, turning to Rita for clarification.