krrch(Radio): "Hello, does anyone copy?" krrch
(Radio): "I repeat—does anyone copy—" bzzt
"Hmm?"
"Wha—?"
"…Wait. Yes. Hello?"
bzzt(Radio): "Hello. Is this Outpost 1265V?" krrch
"Yes. Outpost 1265V. Where is Dr. K?"
bzzt(Radio): "Where is Dr. K? Also… where's the officer?" krrch
"They were wiped out by the Phasers... sorry."
skrrch
(Radio): "Damn. Sorry, kid. We can't send help unless an officer gives clearance. It's protocol—we'll check back."
bzztk
(Brock): "…Only if Officer James didn't go back for the survivors… the ten of us could've made it."
(Hero): "Come on, Brock. You can't blame the man for trying to be a hero." (He fidgets with a cracked compass, eyes flicking toward the sky.)
(Brock): "Heroism doesn't matter when we're bleeding out on a rusted oil rig with no way off."
(Hero): "Hey—Adam. You there, buddy?"
"Y-Yea… sorry. Just spacing out."
(Hero): "You gotta stop that habit, man. Every time something goes wrong, you act like it's the
end of—"
We all saw it at once.
A cartridge whistled down from a dark Phaser ship circling above the rig—sleek, black, like it was carved from shadow. It hissed the moment it hit the metal platform.
(Unknown Soldier): "Cartridge!"
(Unknown Soldier): "MOVE!"
They ran. Everyone. Jumped straight into the cold black ocean.
And I… froze.
Just like James told me not to.
"You're a soldier. Don't freeze when it gets ugly."
"Adam! Jump—there's still time!"
He knew there wasn't.
It was just something to yell while the world burned.