The Landing

Alarms and flashing lights filled the once serene room as a meteoric collision shook the team's spacecraft. The impact sent the crew across the cabin, limbs impacted in a chaotic disorientation and pain. Unconsciousness ruled as a second crash reverberated through the vessel, announcing their abrupt arrival on the surface of Phobos.

The spacecraft, now a twisted amalgamation of metal and technology, lay inoperable on the abandoned moon. The AI blared warnings about damaged components and critical failures. The captain, his vision blurred and head throbbing, struggled to make sense of the disarray.

Dizzy and disoriented, Thorn found himself on the cold metal floor. The AI's incessant alerts fused into a dissonant symphony, echoing in the rooms of the damaged spacecraft. Through the haze, he glimpsed a teammate standing on their feet, and started walking in his direction as the captain fell unconscious before him.

***

Phobos

Captain Thorn, consciousness returning like a distant echo, found himself amidst the desolation of Phobos. Tatsuki, enigmatic and stoic, tended to a small high tech campfire. Blankets covered some team members dispersed on the lunar surface, still unconscious from the tumultuous crash.

Attempting to rise, the captain's left arm protested vehemently, a painful reminder of the collision. Determined, he uses his right arm for support and manages to sit upright. His eyes, traversing the melancholic view of his team lying unconscious on the lunar soil, beheld the remnants of their spacecraft, now an abstract sculpture against the moon's deserted canvas.

His attention shifted as Dr. Simmons emerged from the metallic wreckage, a first aid backpack slung over her shoulder. Despite a noticeable stagger in her step, determination fueled her movements. Captain Thorn, recognizing her tenacity, rushed to her side, offering a supportive arm.

"Thanks," Simmons uttered, a word weighed with gratitude. 

The captain nodded, guiding her towards the warmth of the campfire. As they settled on the lunar ground, questions flowed from the captain's lips, seeking clarity amidst the incident.

Captain Thorn: “So what happened? How long have you been conscious?”Started the captain.

Dr. Simmons: “I was never unconscious.” responded Simmons, continuing after seeing the captain's confusion, “After we reached Phobos, Tatsuki managed to come out unscathed from the incident, he probably thought everyone was unconscious but well, it takes more than a crash to take me down.” joked the doctor.

Captain Thorn: “I can see that now.”responded the captain going with the flow of the joke.

Dr. Simmons: “Jokes aside, Tatsuki was gonna get you out first but I asked him to help me first. Once he took me out of the ship I set the high tech space fire, and Hot was bringing each member of the team, one by one, as I provided aid.” she said while sadly staring at the members laying on the floor, “I went back to the ship for a backup aid kit just in case i needed more later. Everyone is ok at least, some broken bones, but nothing that cannot be healed in some hours with the high tech equipment I found in the ship. They were not lying when they said that thing was prepared for everything.”

Captain Thorn: “I’m glad it was true. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if we would’ve used a different spaceship.” 

A silence took over the lunar landscape, broken only by the crackle of the campfire and the distant hum of the damaged spacecraft. The captain, sensing a disturbance in the relative calm, stood abruptly, prompting a concerned glance from Dr. Simmons.

"Stay here," he urged, his voice a subdued command. As he hastened towards the source of the disturbance as he realized their suit’s radios were not working.

In the pilot room, a crackling voice shattered the radio silence. Commander Mori's words emerged through the static, a lifeline connecting the stranded team to the command center. The captain, with a mix of relief and weariness, reached for the radio, engaging in a concise exchange.

Thorn: “Commander Mori, this is Captain Thorn. Do you read me?”

Static crackles before a discernible voice emerges.

Mori: “Captain Thorn, what's your status? Report. Over.”

Thorn: (Audible relief) “We've had an incident. The spacecraft is in ruins, and some of the team is still unconscious. We've got injuries, but nothing fatal. Also, our radios are shot.”

Mori: “Understood, Captain. Help will be on the way. We're tracking a sandstorm in our vicinity. Once it clears, we'll send a rescue team. How's the ship's condition?”

Thorn: “The ship's a wreck like I said. No chance of getting it operational anytime soon but the equipment it had has helped us plenty. And about the sandstorm?”

Mori: “It's a Martian gust front, common but intense. Visibility will be practically zero.”

Thorn: (Pause) “What about the mission?”

Mori: (Serious) “Captain, I would like you, once the rest of the team regain consciousness, to continue this mission as you can. A failure at this point is almost certain, but at least investigate and retrieve any data you can find on the facility and please, if possible, make sure Tanaka is with you in case you encounter the particle. ”

Thorn: (Resolute) “I'll do what I can. But I might leave whoever is not in shape to go on, with Dr. Simmons at the crash landing point.”

Mori: “Captain Thorn, do what you can. Stay safe. Over.”

The transmission fades, leaving Captain Thorn alone with the echoes of uncertainty in the lunar silence.

***

As Captain Thorn emerged from the remnants of the spacecraft, his gaze fell upon the team, now conscious but still bearing the visible scars of the unexpected ordeal.

Reuniting with his comrades, the captain undertook a thorough check, 

Thorn: “Everyone okay?” asked the captain firmly but worried. 

Various nods and murmurs of affirmation follow while Dr. Simmons attends to the injured. His concern etched on his face. In the aftermath, it became evident that only Tatsuki and Lieutenant Anya Marlow were fit to press on with the mission. Conversations rippled through the team as they processed the weight of the calamity.

Relaying the orders from Commander Mori, the captain suggested that everyone stay except for Tatsuki and Marlow. 

Kuznetsov: “Captain, I can still go! I'm not staying behind!” said the blond male protesting with a futile attempt to rise as he fell back to the lunar soil.

Captain Thorn: “Kuznetsov, you're in no shape to continue. Stay put, is an order.” ordered the captain firmly.

Kuznetsov grumbles in frustration while Tatsuki remains silent, his gaze lost in the lunar flames. Dr. Simmons, assessing the situation, proposed allowing him his solitude, 

Simmons: “Let him be, Captain. He might still be in shock.” said the doctor in a soft tone.

Thorn: (Nods)“Alright. Tanaka, what about the device?” ask the captain, shifting his attention to Tanaka. 

As the teenager takes a bracelet out of his pocket resembling his own, he proceeds to explain, 

Tanaka: “This is a copy I made not too long ago. It'll act the same way as mine, we can also communicate with it and it has what you need to capture the solar particle if that's what you aim for.”

Thorn: “Good work, Tanaka” said the Captain while ensuring its seamless integration.  

Afterwards Thorn armed himself with a plasma firearm and handed a plasma pistol to Marlow.

Thorn: “You're in charge, Doc. Keep things under control.” 

Simmons: (Assuring) “Yes, Captain. We'll manage here.”

The captain discusses the mission plan with Marlow, emphasizing caution and minimal contact with the life signals. 

Thorn: “Let's just investigate the facility and retrieve any data, let’s stay away from the life signals as possible, without a full team we are no match. Facility's not far, let's move.” orders the captain as he leads the way.

Taking the lead, Captain Thorn forged a path towards the facility, Marlow following in silence, her gaze fixed on the horizon, as their footprints marked a narrative of resilience against the celestial tapestry.

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