C42 Frozen Echoes

The quiet hum of the ship's systems surrounded me, the only sounds the faint clicking of the sensors as they scanned the frozen moon below.

The holographic display lit up with a series of data streams, projecting a holographic image of the moon's surface.

A massive crater dominated the landscape, its jagged edges plunging deep into the ice and rock, the result of some ancient impact that had reshaped the moon's face.

The sight was both eerie and awe inspiring, a reminder of the forces at play in the universe, far beyond the reach of human or xeno hands.

"Looks like one hell of a crater,"

Darius muttered, stepping up beside me. His voice had taken on a deeper, more resonant quality since the augmentations, and he'd grown nearly as tall as Paul and Robert, his frame filling out with a strength that matched his newfound height.

The gene restructuring had worked wonders, pushing our physical limits in ways that still felt like we were cheating nature itself.

"Yeah,"

I replied matching Darius new height, taking another sip of coffee as I studied the readings.

"A crater that big? Could be hiding something worth the trouble. Or it could just be a big, empty hole."

"Well, let's hope for the former,"

Darius said, stretching his muscular arms.

"We didn't come all this way to look at rocks and ice."

Airid limped in, the rhythmic thump of his steps echoing on the metal floor. He was walking now, albeit with a noticeable limp, but it was a damn sight better than the wheelchair he'd been relying on.

Augmentations or not, the fact that we couldn't feel pain anymore was a lifesaver and a huge boon in his physical recovery.

Each step looked like it cost him nothing, even though the scars of Med Karash I still marred his leg.

"Morning,"

Airid greeted, sliding into his chair with a tired but satisfied grin. He glanced at the holo-display, eyes sharpening as he adjusted the sensor settings.

"How's the moon treating us today?"

"Cold, quiet, and mysterious,"

I replied, watching the sensor sweep continue.

"Just how I like it."

Airid chuckled, pulling up the recent scans on his console.

"Looks like that crater is at least a dozen kilometers deep and hundred kilometers wide. Hard to tell what caused It, It could be some kind of world cracking weapon or a big ass asteroid that hit It"

"Well It's our job to find out"

Darius added, leaning over the console, his eyes narrowing at the holographic display. He pointed to a spot near the edge of the crater, a cluster of irregular shapes half-buried in ice and debris.

"Zoom in there Drac,"

Darius said, his voice suddenly serious. I adjusted the display, enlarging the area he had pointed out. As the image sharpened, we all stared in stunned silence.

Before us, partially obscured by layers of ice and time, were the crumbling carcasses of skyscrapers.

The structures jutted out of the crater's sides like broken teeth, their once towering forms now twisted and collapsed.

Shattered windows and beams stuck out at odd angles, and the remains of some long-lost civilization were laid bare, frozen in the moon's icy grip.

"Well, s*it,"

I breathed, taking in the sight.

"This just turned from an observation mission to an excavation mission"

"Now I'm officially leaning toward a world cracking weapon"

Airid murmured, his eyes wide with awe and curiosity.

"Whatever it was, we're about to find out. Suit up, lads. We're going in."

I ordered downing my cup of coffee In one go.

The room buzzed with a renewed sense of purpose as we moved quickly, heading to the armory to put on our combat gear.

The armor, had been modified by us to fit our newly enhanced physiques.

My combat armor although still fitting felt a bit tight, meaning Id have to buy a new pair once we go back to E*rth.

Darius adjusted his chest plate, the once snug fit now perfectly tailored to his broader frame. Paul and Robert checked their weapons, their hands moving with practiced ease as they loaded new mags into their rifles.

Airid, despite his limp, moved with confidence, his armor fitting snugly over his limping leg.

"Everything tight?"

I asked, my voice echoing slightly inside the helmet as I secured the last of my armor plate.

"Good to go,"

Darius confirmed, slamming a fresh fusion pack into his light laser machine gun.

"Don't know about you guys but I'm kinda Iching for some combat"

"Relaxation and recuperation fritz no firefights"

Julian teased, checking the calibration on his sniper rifle.

"I'd hate to have to stitch you up again so soon."

"Yeah, yeah Dad"

Darius shot back with a grin.

"Youre advice Is duty noted"

Once we were suited and armed, we made our way to the hangar where the dropship waited, freshly repaired and gleaming under the harsh lights.

We had worked tirelessly to get it back into fighting shape after the pounding it took on Med Karash I, and now it stood ready, a testament to our skill and determination.

I climbed into the pilot's seat, the familiar controls lighting up as the systems powered on. The hum of the engines filled the cabin, a comforting sound that sent a surge of excitement through me.

"All systems green,"

I announced, running through the pre-flight checks with swift efficiency.

"Let's get down there and see what's hiding in that crater, put on youre seat belts and no smoking for fire hazard reasons"

I joked as the others strapped in, their helmets leaving their heads and burning cigarettes appearing between their lips as they secured themselves in their seats as I did the same putting a cigarette between my lips and lighting It up with a red zip lighter with a black Iron Fenrirs emblem.

"You know I can see the smoke coming out from the cockpit vamp"

Airid teased while puffing out clouds of smoke himself like a pro.

"Shut It weeb, lean back, and relax were dropping In 3"

The dropship's engines roared to life as they did the hangar doors opened, revealing the vast expanse of space and the frozen moon below.

"Descending to the surface,"

I called out, guiding the dropship through the hangar doors and into the black void. The icy surface of the moon loomed larger in the viewport, the crater's jagged edges casting long, ominous shadows.

As we approached the surface, the dropship's thrusters adjusted, slowing our descent. The closer we got, the more details of the ancient city came into view, frozen towers, twisted beams, and what looked like transportation tubes snaking through the ruins.

The buildings were massive, their architecture alien but still recognizable in its function, a stark reminder of a civilization that once thrived, now nothing more than a ghostly memory.

"Take us down over there,"

Darius suggested, pointing to a relatively flat area near the edge of the crater, where the ruins seemed less dense.

"Looks like a good spot to start. We can work our way inward from there."

"Copy that,"

I replied, adjusting our trajectory and guiding the dropship toward the designated landing zone.

The landing gear extended with a soft whir, and the dropship touched down with a gentle thud on the icy ground.

The thrusters powered down, leaving only the sound of the wind whistling through the shattered remains of the city.

We unbuckled, the cabin filled with the sharp clicks of weapons being loaded and gear being checked one last time.

The ramp lowered, letting in a blast of cold air that cut through even the thick armor of our suits covering us In a layer of thin frost.

"Alright, schmucks"