As he rounded the bend of the canyon wall, the silhouette of the relay station appeared—Checkpoint 1. It sat perched on the edge of the abyss like a waiting gargoyle. If he could reach the terminal there, he could upload the drive and reset the system.
His HUD flickered, a dying amber light casting shadows against his face. Then, a sharp ping resonated in his ear—the first signal in three hours. Continue to Checkpoint 1 [file]
The hum of the environmental recyclers was the only thing keeping Kael from sliding into total panic. Through the cracked visor of his EVA suit, the Martian horizon was a blur of rust-red dust and jagged basalt. As he rounded the bend of the canyon
Should Kael at the airlock, or should he discover he’s not alone at the checkpoint? His HUD flickered, a dying amber light casting
Kael took a breath, tasted the metallic tang of thinning air, and broke into a heavy, lung-burning run.