The black storm

Buzz.

The three simultaneously received a notice from the main about a void. Gavril and the two were the nearest to the identified location, so they were chosen for the special trip.

Mika's face was filled with dread, feeling hopeless. "We're going to die."

The main chamber promised to send men for assistance, but Gavril particularly asked for Lanov's aid. The guardian was the only one who could save them from the void's dust.

Sadly, the response they received was, "We're not entirely sure when it could come."

The three were outraged by the absurd explanation and had no choice but to proceed. All understood the severity of the situation and instantly abandoned their thoughts of lingering in Pane's luminous house.

They quickly set out unprepared with only a few things and foods amassed from their friend. 

The three were painfully aware they were being used as pawns, but they could not disregard the lives of the masses.

Along their journey, the first half of their expedition was smooth sailing until a thunderous stomp resounded in front of them. "Damn it." 

Gavril, "To the tree!"

Their swift reflexes saved the three, or they would be stepped to death by a hoard of giant mammoths.

All climbed on top of an ancient tree and each of them rested on one of its branches.

After settling down, their gaze swept below them, where a loud sound of hurrying stomps from a group of animals echoed throughout the forest.

"Looks like we're about to face something--." Rafiel followed the direction of where they came from. "--Big."

On the outskirts of Camati, the animals, insects, and even the plants were visibly in a state of hysteria and kept getting in their way. Their actions seemed a forewarning about the impending doom.

Mika's exposed face started to redden from the irritation. When it was partnered with her ruby eyes, it looked comical.

The two men unconsciously burst into laughter, especially Gavril, who will not miss the chance to taunt her.

She grabbed a container of bug repellent from her storage and viciously threw it to the two, who smoothly caught it. "You're welcome."

"But--" She effortlessly jumped over an animal carcass. "It would be better if we start using a space car by now. I don't think we can reach the location in this—" A part of her cloak stuck to the grips of a moving plant, and a rip was heard. She yanked it away from it. "—kind of situation."

A smile was visible on her face, but her eyes told otherwise.

"...I'm not sure if it's going to work." Gavril unleashed a cube from his core and threw it in the air. The box morphed into a small ship. Nevertheless, without even minutes past, it reverted to its original state.

Gavril gave Mika ridiculing look. "See."

The silent Rafiel commented, "We are near a void. Its field interferes with our technology. You already know this, Mika." Gavril quietly shrugged his shoulders and picked up the cube on the ground.

The laboratory mouse, Mika, sighed in frustration multiple times, but the men played deaf.

"Isn't this great? We will be able to enjoy the fresh wind--." Gavril's mouth was shut by a slime thrown by the furious red-headed girl.

"Fresh wind, my ass!" Mika removed her cloak. "How can I enjoy the scenery when I see nothing." If she's unaware of Gavril's military accomplishments, she will question the guy's intellectual quotient.

Gavril expressionlessly pulled the sticky matter from his face and attached it to his neck. "Thanks."

The slime was one of the woman's peculiar pets. It was made to absorb excessive coldness and uses a portable heater.

His gaze scanned through their dark surroundings. Fortunately, they have a flashlight powered by an energy capsule to help them see their way properly.

A long time ago, Darkness fell in Camati.

A large meteorite suddenly smashed on the surface of the 204D and disturbed the peace of mankind. It landed on the boundaries of Base C and killed various species.

The main chamber immediately responded and sent people to transport the meteorite to the city. Unfortunately, they only sent a few to rescue victims of the destruction.

Their greedy selves focused on the rock. They were curious about its content and the extraordinary things they could create out of it.

And a disaster ensued.

A group of excavators were dispatched to the outskirts of Camati. They all witnessed a nightmare.

There were carcasses of every living thing they knew, scattered around.

No one was spared.

They shivered in fright, but they couldn't back out. The main entrusted them with a mission. If something goes wrong, their families' lives will be at stake.

They scouted the area using a radar and scanning within their perimeter. "No beasts within the area, sir."

They immediately gathered their equipment and headed towards the meteorite. Nothing was on their way, but no one felt okay.

Everyone was tensed and felt they were sending themselves to the clutches of death.

They were forced to halt when they reached the borders of the affected area. Their trucks suddenly stopped functioning causing them to walk barefoot towards the site.

When they stepped into beyond the borders, the men felt they were sent to a different world--A world of madness.

They saw the death itself. Everything was rotting, decaying, dying on the ground.

The head of the excavators hurriedly asked someone to check the area using the radar, but it had also stopped working. 

A scream garnered their attention and saw someone slowly disintegrating into ashes. Everyone panicked and ran for their life.

-------

"No one came out."

Mika broke the silence while staring at the light coming from the device. "The meteorite sprouted massive dark clouds and obscured the sun, away from our eyes."

With the last data transmitted by the excavators, the main learned that dust deterred the radar scanner. The meteorite was like a magnet, attracting voids into their area. They, unfortunately, couldn't obtain a clear vision of the abomination until the void stabilized.

However, it would be too late if they waited for it to enter the dormant state. It was urgent to determine the diameter of the infection and the spreading rate of the dark gas.

The trio was entrusted to scout the edges of a newly appeared void using specialized equipment. It was distributed to every personnel working under the main on their first day, especially for this situation.

"Now, we're in the same situation as them."

Unfortunately, the tool from the main wouldn't work if the user was farther than 15 kilometers from the infected area of the void. Therefore, someone has to come.

"I thought I could rest in Pane's house," Mika added. But her hands never left the equipment. She was busy pinpointing the exact coordinates of the void, so they could avoid areas that were already infected.

"..."

"..."

She irritatingly glanced at the two men, "What?"

Gavril commented, "Devon won't like you as a mother."

Rafiel: "..."

Mika: "....?"

"The epicenter is in the east, but I could not determine how far the void was from us," Rafiel reported, after looking at her device and breaking the awkward atmosphere.

Gavriel's visage gradually turned serious, as he looked towards the announced direction. "Copy that."

"How about the spreading rate?" They cautiously ran towards the path, until they reached a dead end. "Mika, can you calculate it--?"

"Woah--Hold onto me." Mika almost fell under the cliff. Fortunately, the two men gripped her collar and grabbed her away."

"Thanks." Mika fixed her crumpled shirt. "But you could have held me differently and no, I can't."

Rafiel replied, "You're welcome."

Gavril anxiously whispered, "How long would it take for the infection to reach our location?"

Rafiel looked at the bottom of the cliff. "It would be risky for us to go down, especially with you, Mika." Her face soured in response.

They could not go to the other side without a space car and Mika feared heights, so they settled to stay in the spot and wait for the storm to come.

Gavril took his things from the core and found a gigantic tree beside the cliff. He sat on its roots and invited the two. However, he didn't hear any movements from the two.

Rafiel commented behind him, "We're not in a good situation."

"Of course, we're not."

In their circumstance, the three were the same as blind. They were not in the city where large artificial light could lessen the darkness. They were in the dark and could not identify if the black storm had come.

Their bodies screamed for rest, but their minds concentrated on the tool. Once they hear a sound from the device, they will hurry away from the location because it means they are 15 kilometers away from the storm.

If the spreading rate was rapid, it could reach them within minutes and take their puny lives.