"Atlas, ship status!! "
'USER, WE ARE ENTERING ORBIT AROUND PLANET ICE!!"
"Why are we entering orbit!?"
'AS PER YOUR PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS, I HAVE ALTERED COURSE FOR PLANET ICE. WE ARE APPROACHING THE ATMOSPHERE!!'
"Entering orbit?" A slight panic began to form in his stomach. "Why wasn't I notified?"
'I TRIED TO ALERT YOU, BUT YOU WERE IN A DEEP SLEEP.'
"Is that really your excuse?" Before Viktor could protest further, the ship began to shake violently.
The lights on the control panel flickered wildly, and a shrill alarm sounded, indicating an emergency. The ship was entering a zone of severe turbulence.
"Atlas, activate shields and check all systems." He was preparing for a dangerous decision.
'AFFIRMATIVE. INITIATING PROCEDURES FOR ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY!'
The ship began to spin out of control, and Viktor grasped the pilot's seat, trying to stabilize it. He held onto the controls tightly, fighting against the force of the turbulence.
"Atlas, we need to regain control of the ship! Now!"
'STABILIZING SHIP!!!'.
He pulled back on the controls, steering the ship away from an imminent collision. The ship shook violently, and for a moment he feared all was lost. But then, slowly, the ship began to respond to his commands, and the free fall was halted.
Not before a colossal mountain appeared ahead, emerging from the dense clouds.
'USER!! MUST SPIN NOW!'
"Seriously! Don't tell me!! What do you think I'm doing!!!"
Turning sharply, he desperately tried to avoid the same fate as the others who had faced this storm. Unfortunately, the mountain was too close, and the ship was unable to avoid it completely. With a deafening crash, it crashed into the side of the mountain, shaking Viktor violently. He was thrown against the control panel, feeling a sharp pain through his body.
"Atlas, report damage!" Viktor yelled as he struggled to his feet.
'DRIVE SYSTEM COMPROMISED. FIRE DETECTED IN CONTROL SECTION!!!'
Looking at the control panel, he saw flames beginning to spread. He knew he had to act fast.
"Activate fire suppression systems!"
'FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM COMPROMISED!!'
Panic rose in Viktor. "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!"
'USER!'
"I know Atlas, we need to find a place to land. Now!"
'SEARCHING FOR SAFE LANDING SITE'
The ship continued its descent toward the icy surface of the ICE. Viktor struggled to keep the ship steady as fire spread around it.
But something caught his eye outside the ship's window. A human figure was running in panic through the snow, pursued by a colossal ice golem. The creature advanced with heavy steps, each movement causing the ground to shake.
"Atlas, do you see that?"
'CONFIRMATION. I HAVE DETECTED A HUMAN FIGURE BEING CHASED BY A HOSTILE ENTITY.'
"Atlas, keep the ship's course toward the golem or whatever it is. I'm exiting the ship."
'USER, THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.'
"We don't have many options right now; if we stay here, we'll either turn into a fireball or freeze."
He adjusted the controls to keep the ship on course, waited until he got closer to the target, and ran for the hatch. With one last look at the burning control panel, he opened the hatch and jumped from the ship.
The icy wind immediately enveloped him, feeling the impact of his fall into the soft snow. He rolled to cushion his landing and quickly stood up, looking up at the sky as his ship continued its trajectory towards the ice golem.
With a deafening crash, the ship collided with the golem and exploded in a ball of fire and ice. Viktor watched as the creature was destroyed by the Explosion. He felt a mixture of relief and sadness at seeing his ship destroyed along with everything inside it. Remembering the cozy warmth of his cell, he was now wearing only the clothes on his back.
Viktor surveyed the region, which was covered in glaciers and snowfields. Temperatures could drop to deadly levels for the average person, but not for him. Ice storms were common, accompanied by piercing winds and lightning that lit up the dark sky as he looked up. These storms were unpredictable and violent, with lightning that could destroy electronic equipment and cause damage like his ship.
He turned to face the human figure that was being chased, hoping that they were alright.
"Do you have a coat I can borrow?" he asked as he felt the biting cold penetrate his clothes.
//////////////////////////// ///////////// ///////////////////// //////////////////////
In a cave located near the mountains, there was a warm and cozy refuge. The walls were smooth and solid, providing heat through power generators that powered the heating units.
The floor was covered with thermal mats that ensured comfort and insulation from the outside cold. On top of the thermal mats was an unconscious man wrapped in a thermal blanket against the freezing cold of the planet.
He raised his tired eyelids and looked at the ceiling.
"Where am I?" Standing up slowly, he felt burning sensations all over his body.
"What...?"
'GOOD MORNING, USER!'
'WARNING! FREEZING ON THE BODY! I RECOMMEND STAYING IN THE HEATED ENVIRONMENT.'
'Atlas? Where are we?''
'WE ARE IN ONE OF THE HUNTERS' NEUTRAL AREAS!! ACCORDING TO MY RECORDED DATA!'
Surprised by his surroundings, he looked around. The rest area had mid-level high-tech weapons with ergonomic designs and advanced functionality hanging on racks along the walls.
Plasma rifles and vibrating knives were just some of the tools available. Tracking devices for creatures. Thermal sleeping bags made of advanced materials were arranged in rows. These bags were equipped with temperature sensors and an internal heating system that automatically adjusted the heat.
"How do they have this equipment out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Ah, you're awake!"
Turning around, he saw a masked man wearing a hunter's fur coat made from creatures that inhabit the planet.it looked too large for his slender frame.
The coat, made of thick and durable furs, was worn from time and weather but still provided effective protection against the cold. The edges were frayed, and some parts had been patched multiple times.
"....."
"Any problem?" the large man asked.
"Do I know you?"
"...?"
'USER! IT WAS A CIVILIAN WE HELPED!'
'Seriously?'
'YES! WHEN DID YOU USE OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AS A BARRIER AGAINST THE SPECIES ON THE PLANET WE ARE ON?'
"..."
Closing his eyes, he tried not to remember the scene of his ship being crushed against a giant golem made of pure glacial ice.
"How?" The stranger was starting to look worried.
"Sorry... but how did I get here?"
"You don't remember?"
"Not really..." He put his right hand on his head in an attempt to remember.
"Well, when you asked if I had an extra coat, you fainted from the cold!!! It's a miracle you're alive, really!!"
"What?"
"You thought you could survive in this freezing weather! Just by wearing your underwear... HAHAAHAH"
"...."
What he said was correct. Normally, the average human body temperature is a cold 19ºC, but an enhanced individual can withstand even 12 ºC, when this value begins to drop, all bodily functions begin to be compromised.
At 32ºC, for example, a person may have amnesia. At 27ºC, they become unconscious; and at less than 21ºC, they are suffering from severe, life-threatening hypothermia. Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body temperature drops below a safe level.
But the climate on this planet is brutal. Temperatures can drop to critically deadly levels, and ice storms are common on the planet, accompanied by biting winds and lightning that illuminates the dark sky.
"Seriously, if you had fallen during the night, you would have kicked the bucket! HAHAHAH"
"....."
"Well, other than that... thank you very much for saving me!" said the man.
"....."
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"I... luck?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm lucky… HAHAHAHAHAH"
The giant man looked startled and took a step back, thinking the boy he'd encountered had gone mad.
"Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" He stopped laughing, his face darkening.
Viktor remembered where he'd been before. His somewhat unplanned escape from the Union prison ship. His desperate struggles and near-death experiences.
Almost participating in the battle between the UNION and the rebels in space. His ship becoming a smoking fireball against a giant ice creature, losing everything on board. How he'd nearly succumbed to the planet's extreme cold.
"You could say that." He smiled slightly.