Kael pondered for a moment. Remote scanning had yielded no further information, only deepening the mystery. The only way was to venture into the lion's den.
"Prepare for landing and reconnaissance," he finally ordered. "Lia, Rex, you're with me. Doctor, you remain aboard the *Nightingale*. Monitor all sensor data, especially any changes in that energy signature. Maintain communication at all times."
"Understood. I shall be your eyes," the Doctor's carrier floated towards the main sensor console, multiple tentacles plugging into interfaces.
"Tch, 'bout time we got down there!" Rex exclaimed excitedly, slapping his rotary blaster. "This spooky quiet is making my joints rust."
"Landing pod is ready," Lia reported. "Recommend carrying heavy scanning equipment and environmental isolation gear."
Ten minutes later, the three stood before the landing pod. It was a small, sturdy assault pod, capable of holding five fully armed soldiers, its exterior covered in heavy armor, equipped with shock-absorbing struts and various exploration and breaching tools mounted on its sides.
They were suited up in sealed environmental suits—even for a cyborg and a synthoid, physical isolation was the first line of defense against an unknown pathogen. Kael's and Rex's armor was inherently sealed; Lia had an additional protective shell fitted. Data streams constantly refreshed on their helmet displays, maintaining encrypted comms links with the *Nightingale* and each other.
"Pressure normal, life support normal, weapons systems online," Kael performed the final checks. "Board the pod."
The hatch hissed shut, sealing them inside. The interior was cramped, illuminated only by the multicolored lights flashing on the instrument panel, casting light on their serious faces (or sensors).
"*Nightingale*, this is Landing Pod Alpha, ready for separation," Kael said through the comm.
"Copy, Alpha. Airspace is clear. Good luck," the Doctor's voice came through.
A slight vibration shook the pod as it was ejected from the *Nightingale*'s belly, falling like a seed towards the gray-red planet below.
Passing through the void of orbital space, the pod soon reached the planet's negligible outer boundary, beginning to shake violently. Unlike the fiery glow of atmospheric reentry, there was only the slight noise and vibration of the metal hull against the near-vacuum.
"Descent trajectory stable. Estimated arrival at target LZ in six minutes," Lia, responsible for piloting, moved her fingers rapidly across the control panel, making precise adjustments.
Kael looked out the viewport. The planet's surface enlarged at an alarming rate—a lifeless, desolate expanse of endless gray rock and deep black shadows. Craters, rift valleys, steep cliffs; the topography was monotonous and oppressive. The dim red light made everything seem unreal, like a stale, blood-tinged dream.
"LZ coordinates: 500 meters in front of the outpost's main entrance platform," Lia announced.
The pod's retro-thrusters fired, spewing blue flame to counteract the impact of the fall. With a dull thud and the hiss of hydraulics, the pod settled firmly onto a relatively flat area of rocky ground.
Dust slowly settled.
The interior lights switched to a dim red. Kael unbuckled his harness and picked up his pulse rifle leaning against the wall.
"Check your gear. Activate helmet recorders. All sensors to full active. Lia, scan the immediate environment."
"External pressure: Near vacuum. Temperature: Minus 101 Celsius. Radiation levels: Within normal range. No detection of anomalous microbial or chemical contaminants," Lia reported swiftly. "No moving objects or energy signatures detected in the vicinity."
"Rex, point. Secure the perimeter."
"On it!" The barrel of Rex's rotary blaster was already swiveling slightly. His heavy form blocked the hatchway first, his scanning eye sweeping like a searchlight across the dead world outside.
The airlock door slid open, and the absolute silence of the outside rushed into the pod. It was a silence deeper than space, for there wasn't the faintest trace of air to carry sound. Only their own breathing (simulated or real), the faint hum of life support, and the static hiss in the comm channel remained.
Kael stepped out of the pod second, his metal boots making almost no sound on the fine regolith. He looked around. It was like a tomb where time had stopped, everything frozen. Above, the black sky held unnaturally clear, yet distant stars. The dim red star hung low on the horizon, casting a cold light.
Five hundred meters away, the main entrance of Outpost "Lonely Endpoint" resembled a giant, silent metallic wound embedded in the crater's rock wall. The reinforced alloy door was shut, its surface coated with a thin layer of cosmic dust.
"Let's move," Kael's voice came through the internal comm, breaking the suffocating silence.
The three moved in a tactical formation: Rex on point, Kael in the center, Lia covering the rear while simultaneously operating a handheld high-precision scanner, advancing towards the massive door.
The dust underfoot was soft, their steps nearly silent. Apart from the sound of their own footsteps and equipment, there was only the eternal, cold silence of the cosmos itself. This quiet was so profound it began to induce a form of auditory hallucination, a faint, very low-frequency hum seeming to resonate from the depths of the soul.
"Energy signature readings are slowly increasing," Lia reported suddenly, her voice crisp in the channel. "The source is inside the outpost. Still chaotic, but the intensity is rising."
"Feels like a welcome party," Rex muttered.
They drew closer to the door. The indicator lights on the control panel beside it were completely dark, as if dead for a long time.
"Attempt to access the door control system," Kael ordered.
Lia stepped forward, extending a data interface from her arm and plugging it into a physical port next to the panel—a security protocol to avoid potentially jammed wireless connections.
"System is completely unpowered. Backup batteries depleted. Requires manual activation of the emergency valve," Lia concluded quickly.