The corridors of the wrecked ship were quiet, but the silence felt far from safe. Zack moved cautiously, his jagged pole held at the ready, while Josh followed a few steps behind, clutching the crowbar tightly. Neither of them had spoken much since Jess's death, the weight of it lingering in the air between them.
"We need bags," Zack said, breaking the silence. "Something to carry food and water."
Josh nodded, his eyes darting nervously around the dimly lit hallway. "And somewhere to sleep. We can't be out here when it gets dark."
Zack glanced at a crack in the ship's wall where faint rays of sunlight streamed through. The orange and pink hues painted the interior with an almost serene light, but to Zack, it was a warning.
"We don't have much time," he muttered, quickening his pace.
The first room they entered was a storage closet. Zack pushed the door open cautiously, peering inside before stepping through. The space was cramped and cluttered, filled with overturned shelves and scattered supplies.
"Look for anything useful," he said.
Josh rummaged through the debris, pulling out a dusty duffel bag. "This could work," he said, holding it up.
"Good," Zack replied, grabbing a smaller backpack from a nearby shelf. He shook off the dust and slung it over his shoulder. "Keep looking."
Among the mess, they found a few bottles of water, a box of crackers, and a couple of granola bars that had somehow survived the chaos. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Josh opened another cabinet and pulled out a long wrench. "Think this counts as a weapon?" he asked, trying to inject some humor into his voice.
Zack nodded. "Better than nothing. Keep it."
They continued searching, moving through the broken halls and into what used to be a staff lounge. The room was partially collapsed, but a few of the lockers remained intact. Zack pried one open with his pole, revealing a small first aid kit inside.
"Finally," he muttered, tucking it into his bag.
Josh opened another locker, his face lighting up as he pulled out a flashlight. "Looks like it still works," he said, clicking it on.
"Good. It'll help us tonight," Zack said, glancing at the cracks in the wall again. The sunlight was fading, the warm hues giving way to deeper shades of red and purple.
"Zack," Josh said hesitantly, his voice quieter now. "Do you think it's going to get worse… at night?"
Zack didn't answer immediately. Instead, he scanned the room, his eyes landing on a corner that seemed relatively secure. "We need to find somewhere like this—closed off, defensible. If it does get worse, we can't be out in the open."
Josh nodded, swallowing hard. "Right. Let's keep looking."
As they moved deeper into the wreckage, the cracks in the ship's walls grew wider, offering glimpses of the forest outside. The faint glow of the alien trees was visible in the distance, their blue hues stark against the darkening sky.
They found another room—a former supply closet with sturdy walls and only one entrance. Zack tested the door, making sure it could still close securely.
"This will work," he said, stepping inside.
Josh followed, dropping his bag on the floor and sitting against the wall. "It's not exactly luxury, but I'll take it."
Zack placed his pole within arm's reach and began sorting through their supplies. The food and water they'd gathered wouldn't last long, but it was better than nothing.
"We'll stay here tonight," Zack said. "Tomorrow, we search for more supplies—and answers."
Josh didn't reply. He stared at the doorway, his grip on the crowbar tightening as the last rays of sunlight disappeared, plunging the room into shadow.