The moment we stepped out of the relay portal, something felt wrong.
There was no delay. No window to adjust.
A shrill alarm tore through the dead planet's thin atmosphere the instant our feet touched ground. It wasn't sound alone, it carried intent, a sharp command embedded inside it, as if the base itself was screaming that intruders had arrived.
Red light washed over everything.
I looked up.
The planet beneath us was lifeless, its surface cracked and gray, scarred by impacts. But hovering far above the ground were three massive spheres, each the size of a mountain. They floated in perfect stillness, suspended by nothing I could see, their surfaces constantly releasing thick streams of deathmist that poured downward like inverted waterfalls.
The mist didn't spread randomly.
It moved with purpose.
Steve's expression tightened. "Those things aren't generators, are they?"
