I don't remember the crash.
Just the sound. Like the world ripping open.
Then cold.
Not the kind that makes you shiver.
The kind that makes your bones scream.
Everything was flashing red. The cockpit was smoke and sparks and chaos. And silence. Too much silence.
Crew status: Terminated.Oxygen: 63%.Hull breach detected.Evac now recommended.
I reached for the emergency latch. Didn't even realize my hand was bleeding. Pulled it. Hard.
Then I was outside.
Not in space. Not in orbit.
I'd hit ground. Somewhere. Snow and ice stretched forever. A frozen hellscape. Pale blue sky. Dark spires in the distance.
No sound. Just wind. And my own breathing.
Initiating survival protocol…Welcome, Ethan Vale.Cryo System v1.00 online.
A HUD blinked to life in front of my eyes. Semi-transparent. Pale blue text. No instruction manual. No helpful AI voice like the ones in training.
Just cold numbers.
Body Temp: 34.9°C
Core Stability: Unstable
Suit Integrity: 51%
Calories Remaining: 320
Objective: SURVIVE
"Great," I muttered. "Not even coffee."
I looked back at the wreck. Half the ship was gone. Just… gone. Burned out or buried beneath snow and steel.
No one else got out.
I didn't need a scan to tell me that.
I walked. No plan. No destination. Just… forward.
My boots crunched over the ice. Every step screamed at my muscles. My legs weren't working right. Oxygen thinning.
And I was already hungry.
I found a cave after about an hour. Small. Just enough for shelter. I dragged a bit of hull debris over the entrance. Blocked the wind.
Sat down. Back against the rock. Shaking.
Checked the system again.
Hypothermia Risk: HIGH
Food: 0.3 days remaining
Nearby Lifeforms: UNIDENTIFIED – 400m
Wait—what?
I blinked. Tapped the HUD.
Recalibrating sensors… complete.Warning: Movement detected. Bipedal signature. Not human.
I froze. Literally and figuratively.
The cave was dark. No light but the glow from the HUD.
I listened.
Nothing.
Then—something. A scraping sound. Metal on rock.
My breath hitched.
Was I hallucinating already?
No. It was real.
Threat Level: UNKNOWN.Recommendation: Stay still. Observe.
Thanks, system. Real helpful.
The sound moved past. Slow. Deliberate. Whatever it was… it didn't see me.
I waited. Minutes. Maybe more. Then it was gone.
I didn't sleep that night.
Day 2.
Level 1 Complete: Survived 24 Hours.New Objective: Find food source.New Objective: Identify hostile species.
I laughed. Bitter. Cold air burned my throat.
"Sure. Let me just ask them for their dietary preferences."
I scavenged the wreck the next day.
Found a ration pack. Half-frozen. Ate it anyway. Didn't taste like anything. Didn't matter.
Also found a cracked datapad.
No signal. No logs. No hope.
Only thing that worked was the power cell. Slotted it into my suit.
+6% Integrity.
Every little bit counts.
Day 5. Still alive.
Frostbite on my left thumb. Can't move it.
The HUD says I'm stable. Barely.
Something stalked the cave again last night.
Didn't see it. But I heard it breathing.
It breathes. That means lungs. That means blood.
That means it can bleed.
Maybe I can use that later.
If I live that long.
I started talking to the system. Out loud.
Don't know why. Maybe the silence was starting to win.
"Hey Cryo. What's the weather today?"
Current conditions: -47°C. Wind chill: -61°C.
"Delightful. Beach day, huh?"
It doesn't answer with humor. But I pretend it does.
Gotta keep the brain busy somehow.
Day 9.
Found tracks in the snow. Four-legged. Big.
Followed them like an idiot.
Led to a frozen lake. Cracked, black ice.
Something was under the ice. Moving.
Didn't stay to say hello.
New Data Acquired: Aquatic Predator Species – Class: Unknown.Note: Ice not safe. Return only with caution.
"Yeah. I figured that out on my own."
Day 13.
Still alive.
No one's coming.
I know that now.
The black box was torn in half. Signal was never sent.
Earth doesn't know I'm here.
Maybe they never will.
So that's where I am.
A cave. An alien world. A dead crew.
And a system that keeps blinking at me like it gives a damn.
Next Objective: Build shelter. Survive long-term.Level 2 Initiated.Seven years of winter ahead.
Lucky me.