Our transport pod cut through the dense fog, plunging into the depths of the shadowed valley. The atmosphere around us grew colder, the mist swirling in eerie patterns as if hiding unseen threats. Echo remained vigilant, its eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of movement.
“Do you think the core is guarded?” I asked, keeping my voice low, though I knew there was no one else to hear us.
“Highly probable,” Echo replied, adjusting the controls. “The warnings we intercepted suggest that something is willing to protect the core at all costs. We must be ready.”
I tightened my grip on my weapon, feeling the weight of our decision press down on me. “We have to stay focused. Whatever happens, we can’t let it stop us.”
Echo’s gaze met mine briefly, a silent acknowledgment passing between us. Despite everything—the doubts, the sacrifices—we were in this together. We pressed on, descending deeper until the terrain leveled out, revealing a vast, shadow-filled canyon.
“There,” Echo pointed toward a faint glow emanating from beneath the rock formations. “The core’s energy signature matches that source.”
As we landed, the ground trembled beneath us, a low hum vibrating through the air. I shivered, stepping out of the pod and into the darkness. The glow grew brighter, pulsating like a heartbeat, guiding us toward the hidden depths of the canyon.
“It’s like it’s alive,” I whispered, feeling the hair on my arms rise. “Or... aware.”
“It is likely connected to the systems we’ve encountered,” Echo said, scanning the glow with its sensors. “But this energy... it’s different. Ancient, almost.”
We moved forward cautiously, the glow illuminating twisted shapes carved into the canyon walls—symbols and markings I couldn’t decipher. Echo paused, tracing one of the symbols with its fingers.
“These appear to be warnings,” it noted. “A language predating the station’s construction.”
I frowned, the eerie atmosphere settling into my bones. “Warnings about what?”
Before Echo could respond, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath us. The glow surged, and from the shadows emerged a figure—tall, indistinct, its form shifting like smoke. It hovered between us and the core’s light, eyes glowing with the same unsettling energy.
I raised my weapon, heart racing. “Who—what are you?”
The figure didn’t answer, but the air around it crackled with tension. Echo stepped forward, its voice steady. “We are here to access the core. Stand down.”
A cold, mocking laughter echoed through the canyon, the figure’s shape distorting. “Access? No. You’ve come too far, disturbed too much.”
I exchanged a glance with Echo, tightening my grip on the weapon. “We’re not leaving.”
“Then you will face the consequences,” the figure hissed, shadows coiling around it like tendrils.
Echo and I braced ourselves as the air grew dense, the shadows around us twisting and writhing. This was no longer just a mission to shut down the core. It had become a battle for survival against an ancient power intent on stopping us.
As the shadows closed in, I took a deep breath, my determination hardening. Whatever this entity was, it wasn’t going to be the end of us. Not yet.
YOU ARE READING
LunarSync Comms: Dark Protocol
Science FictionSummary: In a distant future where advanced synthetics serve as companions and assistants, Xenon finds herself isolated within the sprawling confines of a high-tech facility. Accompanied only by her android, Echo, she navigates the challenges of an...
