Page 8

Chapter

Eight

Morgan

C old shock seized my body as I plunged into the frigid water, the murky liquid rising up to my waist in an instant. Only Tivek's firm grip on my hand kept me from sinking deeper into the marsh. He pulled steadily, his strength surprising as he guided me toward what passed for solid ground.

I crawled onto the bank, my breathing ragged in the thin atmosphere.

The environmental suit had done its job by keeping me dry despite the full submersion.

Its temperature regulation worked too, as my body returned to a normal temperature while my exposed face burned with cold.

Each exhale created clouds of condensation that evaoporated into the icy air.

“Don’t exert yourself,” Tivek murmured beside me. "The air's thin here. Take short, measured breaths."

I nodded, focusing on controlling my breathing as I scanned our surroundings. The landscape was bleak with mist rising from the marsh and obscuring visibility.

“Where are the others?" I whispered, seeing no sign of our companions.

A disembodied head appeared through the mist, and I shrieked before I could stop myself. Ariana's face, suspended in midair, broke into laughter.

"Sorry. Forgot to warn you about the cloaking."

Understanding dawned as I glanced down at my own body, or where my body should have been. The environmental suit's camouflage function had activated, rendering me nearly invisible against the alien backdrop. Though I could feel Tivek's hand still holding mine, I couldn't see either of our arms.

"Over here," came Vyk's gruff voice from what appeared to be empty space to our left.

As my eyes adjusted, I could make out the subtle distortions that revealed his position and the ripples in the air where the suits' active camouflage didn't quite match the background.

Vyk and Tori’s floating heads weren't looking at us, though.

Their attention was fixed on something behind me.

I turned and watched in horrified fascination as our ship, and only means of escape, sank deeper into the murky water.

The sleek black hull disappeared inch by inch until only the nose remained visible.

I tried not to panic, but we were now stranded on a hostile planet with no transport, limited supplies, potentially surrounded by enemies, and with no guarantee of rescue. It didn’t look good.

I shook my head and forced aside the spiral of doom projections. We were alive. That was step one. Now we needed solutions, not worst-case scenarios.

"Well, that settles it," Vyk muttered, his voice tight with controlled anger. “No one is staying behind with the ship now."

"Are we still going after the prisoners?" Torq asked.

Vyk's expression hardened. "Our mission hasn't changed. It only became more complicated."

"I memorized the terrain of the planet,” I offered, grateful for my obsession with memorization. "And the schematics of the facility."

"Same," Ariana nodded. "Based on our crash trajectory and final coordinates, I'd estimate we're about half a rotation's walk from the prison complex."

"Half a rotation in this miserable swamp," Vyk shook his head. "Better get moving."

With no further discussion, we formed a line behind Vyk, who took point as we began our trek through the marsh. The going was treacherous as what appeared to be solid ground often gave way to hidden sinkholes, and the slick mud sucked our boots as if trying to pry them from our feet.

Tivek and I brought up the rear, walking side by side. I realized belatedly that he was still holding my hand, and more surprisingly, I didn't mind. The terrain was too uncertain to navigate alone, each step a potential disaster.

Just as I was thinking this, my leg plunged deep into what had seemed to be solid ground. Tivek yanked me upward before I could sink further.

“Thank you," I breathed, heart pounding.

He nodded, though the gesture was barely visible with the suit's camouflage. "Be careful. This world wants to devour us whole."

When my foot sank again a few minutes late and deeper this time, Tivek pulled me forcefully into his arms, lifting me completely off the treacherous surface.

"I should go first," he suggested, his voice low and close to my ear. "Step only where I step."

I nodded, suddenly very aware of his proximity and of his arms around me. The realization sent unwelcome heat to my cheeks, and I was grateful for the thin atmosphere that provided a ready excuse for my uneven breathing.

"Ready?" he asked, setting me down carefully on a patch of ground that held his weight.

“Ready,” I replied, focusing on the task at hand rather than the lingering sensation of his arms around me.

We continued forward, Tivek testing each step before I followed.

The mist thickened around us, making visibility increasingly poor as our pace slowed.

The soft squelching of our companions' footsteps grew fainter, and a spike of anxiety shot through me as I realized I could no longer see even Ariana's floating head ahead of us.

"Can you see them?" I whispered, straining to peer through the soup-like fog.

Tivek's response was cut short by the unmistakable discharge of a blaster up ahead, followed by a shout that belonged to Torq.