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From black clouds that blocked out the daylight, sweltering rain fell, which would have cooked us alive without protective suits. The black, stony ground crunched under my footsteps, which were drowned out by the patter of rain. The planet Pyro I was a dark, hot hell. The only light came from the buildings of the Lazarus shuttle station, which we approached with our weapons drawn. The Slaps under Ace’s command accompanied us. Kjeld had already gone ahead with TYR and other units to secure the station. The shuttle was the only way to get into the Lazarus complex. The ASD couldn’t have chosen a more sinister location for their secret experiments. We were aware of the dangers and extremely tense, especially after our experiences at the Farro Data Center. But we also knew that those who fight may lose, but those who don’t fight have already lost. And we weren’t going to let the ASD get away with it that easily – we had to expose their dark machinations, we couldn’t remain silent.

A sign at the shuttle station made it clear what awaited us. A restricted area where lethal force was authorized against intruders. We waited in the pouring rain until the automated shuttle arrived.

We sat silently in the shuttle and looked out into the impenetrable darkness. With a ‘Whoosh’, we regularly flew past masts with a bluish energy field.

‘Whoosh’ – ‘Whoosh’ – ‘Whoosh’ – it was like a countdown to doom.

My thoughts revolved around our mission. We wanted to find out what secret experiments the ASD was conducting and secure evidence. We didn’t know any more details. Only that they had something to do with Vanduul corpses, animals, and radioactivity. We also wanted to find clues about the people abducted by Project ENOS and uncover the connection between ENOS and ASD. And finally, we needed the cure for Friedrich, Alaska, and Lyrana. The three had been hit in the battle at the Farro Data Center by ammunition from a prototype weapon that operated at the quantum level. The effect was fatal. They looked years older and didn’t have long to live.

‘Whoosh’ – ‘Whoosh’ – ‘Whoosh’. Doom was inexorably approaching.

My gaze wandered to the sign behind me in the shuttle: ‘Warning! You are entering a radioactive area’. We were truly on our way to hell. I wondered if we would ever make it out alive. Then the lights of the Lazarus Complex came into view and the shuttle stopped.

We got out of the shuttle. Pouring rain pelted my helmet and the metal floor. Only a few of the Lazarus Complex’s modern buildings were visible in the darkness. In the light of a spotlight, two ATLS exoskeletons with mounted weapons stood on the roof of a building. It looked downright apocalyptic. An armada of signs warned of radioactivity, restricted areas, and the use of lethal force. Gunshots could be heard coming from the building.

I immediately jumped behind a shipping container to take cover. My chest rose and fell as if under the weight of a mountain range. The air came out of my lungs in short, hard bursts. Trembling, I held my rifle at the ready and waited until the advance team had secured the building. Then came the GO.

As I walked down the stairs, my weak knees almost gave way. On the way to the entrance, dead guards in radiation protection suits and green shimmering Kopions lay on the floor. I could only vaguely perceive my surroundings. It was as if I were sleepwalking—my vision was narrowed to a tunnel.

As if remotely controlled, I walked through the energy field of the entrance, and suddenly it became quiet. The sound of the rain had disappeared. Only the murmur of many voices could be heard. The room was full of people from the advance team, huddled around the beds of an infirmary to treat their wounds.

Through a window, I looked into an office with a single desk, a periodic table on the wall, and a yellow radiation protection suit in the corner. It wasn’t just any office, but that of Chief Scientist Dr. Logan Jorrit. The perfect place to gather information. However, access was secured with a code lock. Now I was in my element. It only took me a few seconds to hack the lock.

We went inside and searched the office. On a shelf was a picture of Dr. Jorrit shaking hands with a woman. Next to it were models of a Kopion and a Vanduul skull. It was bizarre. Friedrich found a dictaphone with a voice recording of the scientist. I hacked into his computer and copied as much data as possible. Then the security team urged us to move on.

Shortly thereafter, we stood in front of a yellow security door marked “Specimen Cache”. The door was equipped with a body scanner. The symbol for radioactivity was visible everywhere. A lump formed in my throat. I feared what awaited us on the other side.

“I can’t open the door. It only opens if you’re wearing a Stirling radiation protection suit.”

“Let me try,” said Pike, standing in front of the door with his Stirling suit.

A green beam scanned him—the door opened.

We looked into a room with yellow columns, into which glass incubators were embedded. In one of them was a 30 cm egg. Through transparent areas, we could see a green liquid inside, in which small worms were swimming. Pike and I looked at each other in confusion, then went inside and examined the room.

“It says here that this is a Valakkar egg that has been irradiated.”

“And it says here that radioactivity causes abnormal growth in the Valakkar. It also spits radioactive saliva, and its pearls develop unusual properties that could be used for regeneration technology.”

I was stunned. What on the Prophet were they researching here? Finally, Brubacker found instructions that directed him to place the egg in a device located in an outdoor tower.

Worried, I stood in front of the incubator and looked at the egg. The little worms inside were moving slightly. There was a terminal and a card slot on the incubator. Then I remembered Dr. Jorrit’s note that we had extracted from the ASD Data Center – ‘Access to our most important resource only via the key cards stored in Farro’.

I took the card we had stolen in Farro out of my pocket and inserted it into the card slot. As soon as the card was inserted, an alarm sounded, the light turned red, and all the doors opened. It was just like in Farro. My heart began to race. Then shots rang out through the room. Our security team fended off the rushing guards.

I nervously looked at the terminal on the incubator. It indicated that the atmospheric conditions had been adjusted. It took forever for the incubator to finally open. I carefully removed the egg from its holder. Immediately, the Geiger counter in my suit went off.

“Damn, I can’t hold the egg for long. The radioactivity is too strong for my suit.”

I looked at Brubacker, who was standing next to me in a Stirling suit.

“You take this thing,” I said, pressing the egg into his hand.

Suddenly, Ace reported in.

“All hell has broken loose outside! Several Idris-class capital ships have arrived at the shuttle station. Our troops are engaged in heavy combat and are under pressure. We have to retreat.”

“No!” replied Brubacker. “We have to find out what they’re doing here. We have to take the egg to the tower. Now! We won’t get a second chance like this.”

There was some back and forth. Ace urged us to retreat, but we wanted to find out what ASD was doing here first. Finally, we decided to take the egg to the tower.

We ran out of the specimen chache. Brubacker to the right, me to the left.

“Where to?” asked Brubacker.

“Follow Zero,” shouted Pike.

Brubacker turned around with the egg in his hand and ran after me.

“No, this way!” shouted Ace.

“Where is this way?” asked Brubacker, confused.

“Damn, wrong direction,” I realized and turned around.

I almost ran into Brubacker. Together we followed Ace and left the building.

It was still pouring rain. The security team accompanied us to the tower 100 meters away. At the foot of the tower, Brubacker tried to place the egg in the device.

“Damn! It’s stuck.”

Friedrich rushed to his aid. Together they managed it and the egg rode into the tower in a holder. Then it happened.

Step by step, I backed away, not taking my eyes off the tower, which began to glow white. Then a reddish cloud of energy formed at the top of the tower. Suddenly, a flash of energy shot out from the base of the tower. A shock wave hit me and almost knocked me to the ground.

“Retreat!” Ace shouted.

I was frozen in fear and fascination, unable to look away. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. I staggered. Several Valakkars emerged from the ground. Then a primeval roar sounded, and a monstrously large Valakkar, towering above the tower, rose up. My breath caught in my throat.

“The sacred Valakkar,” I said reverently.

The gigantic Valakkar spat green saliva at us. Frozen, I stared at the huge worm. Suddenly, I fell backward as Alaska pulled me behind cover.

“We have to get out of here. The situation is escalating. The enemy forces are overwhelming us!” Ace shouted.

“No, the honorable hunt has only just begun. We can’t leave the oasis until our thirst is quenched,” I replied.

Brubacker didn’t want to leave either. Alaska and Pike yelled at us to finally come. Ace threatened to drag Brubacker away by force. Finally, we complied and retreated into the building.

An emotional war of words broke out between Ace and Brubacker. Ace urged retreat, Brubacker wanted to stay to find out as much as possible. In the middle of the argument, injured fighters from the security squad limped into the infirmary.

“The escape attempt has failed. The enemy forces have the shuttle station under control. They’ve pinned us down!”

Horrified, I looked around. Chaos reigned and no one knew what to do. We crouched with several people in the building and hoped for help. Suddenly there was an explosion. I was thrown to the ground, my ears rang, and my body burned. Then everything went black and I felt nothing more.

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