“Echoes of the Forgotten Colony”
The static on the comms was worse than usual. “Lieutenant, are you sure these readings are right?” I muttered, squinting at the flickering holo-display. The ruins stretched beneath us—twisted metal and fractured domes, all covered in that weird bioluminescent moss. “Positive, Captain,” she replied, voice tight. “Life signs, but... not human. And they're moving.” My grip tightened on the rifle. Then the ground trembled, and the moss pulsed—like it was breathing. The lieutenant sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, hell. They know we're here.” The shadows between the ruins shifted. Watching. Waiting. I exhaled. “Time to go. Now.”