Burns pov
The field was a dead thing. No words, no movement, just the echo of grief that seemed to seep into every corner.
Mark's death hung over us like a stormcloud, heavy and suffocating. I wanted to give them space to grieve, but I couldn't. Not now. This wasn't a safe place to fall apart.
"Listen up," I began, my voice cutting through the oppressive silence. "I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but we can't stay here. We're exposed. Vulnerable. We move in five minutes."
The words fell flat, meeting no resistance but also no acknowledgment.
Six was sitting cross-legged near the edge of the camp, his hands trembling as they gripped his knees. He stared at the ground, his lips moving silently, as if trying to say something he couldn't quite get out.
Ten was motionless, her head bowed, her hands clutching at her chest like she was trying to hold herself together. Her breathing was shallow, uneven. She was teetering on the edge, and I knew it wouldn't take much for her to tip over.
And then there was Cross. She leaned against a boulder, her side wrapped in bloodied bandages from the last skirmish. Despite the pain etched across her face, she was the only one who looked remotely functional.
I paced a few steps, letting my gaze sweep over them. "I need you to focus. We've lost Mark, but we're still here. He'd want us to keep moving."
Still, no reaction.
"Six," I said, crouching in front of him. "Look at me."
It took a moment, but his eyes finally flicked up to meet mine. They were red and glassy, brimming with unshed tears.
"I can't," he whispered. His voice was barely audible, a trembling thread of sound.
"Yes, you can," I said firmly, holding his gaze. "You're one of the strongest people I know, Six. You've faced things that would break most people. You've got this."
His lip quivered, but he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, though his tone made it sound like he was trying to convince himself.
I stood and turned to Ten. "Ten," I called. "Get your gear. We're moving."
She didn't respond.
"Ten!" My voice sharpened, a deliberate edge of authority. It made her flinch, but it also snapped her out of her daze.
She looked up at me, her expression a mix of confusion and anguish. "He's gone," she said, her voice cracking. "Mark's gone, and we just… we just keep going like it doesn't matter?"
"It does matter," I said. "It matters more than anything. But staying here isn't going to bring him back. Moving forward is the only way we honor him."
Ten didn't look convinced, but she nodded anyway, her movements stiff and robotic as she started gathering her gear.
I let out a slow breath, then turned to Cross.
"Can you walk?" I asked.
She gave me a flat look. "I can walk. I can fight. I can carry them if I have to. Don't waste your energy worrying about me."
"Noted," I said.
----
The first hour of the trek was miserable. The terrain was rough, the air thin and dry, and the sun—if you could call it that—blazed overhead with relentless intensity. There was no cover, no shade, just an endless expanse of jagged rocks and cracked earth.
Nobody spoke. The only sounds were the crunch of boots on dirt and the occasional grunt or cough as someone adjusted their gear. The silence was heavy, oppressive, but I didn't try to break it. They needed time to process, to pull themselves together.
My mind wandered as we walked, replaying the moment I'd delivered the news. Mark's death hadn't just hit them—it had hit me, too. But as their captain, I couldn't afford to let it show. Grieving was a luxury I couldn't afford.
Six finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse. "Captain," he said, falling back to walk beside me. "What's the plan when we get there?"
"First, we figure out where that maroon came from," I said. "Then we assess the area for threats and look for survivors. After that, we regroup and figure out our next move."
He nodded but didn't look convinced. "And what if there are no survivors?"
I hesitated. "Then we deal with whatever's left. We can't afford to leave any loose ends."
His gaze dropped to the ground. "Understood."
We walked in silence for a while longer before he spoke again.
"Captain," he said, glancing up at the unchanging sky. "Is it just me, or has this day gone on forever?"
"It's not just you," I said. "The light hasn't shifted at all. It's like the sun's frozen in place."
"It's the planet," he said, his voice steadier now that he had something to focus on. "Its rotation must be slower than Earth's. Probably takes sixty, maybe seventy hours to complete a full revolution."
"Great," I said dryly. "So we're stuck in perpetual daylight for the foreseeable future."
He managed a weak smile. "Better than perpetual night, I guess."
---
The smell hit us before we reached the source of the maroon.
It was thick and cloying, a nauseating mix of rot and something metallic that clung to the back of my throat. I covered my nose with my sleeve, but it didn't help much.
"Stay alert," I said, my voice low.
Six moved ahead, his weapon at the ready. Cross followed, her steps careful but determined despite her injury. Ten stayed close behind me, her movements still stiff and hesitant.
When Six froze, I knew we'd found it.
"Captain," he said, his voice trembling.
I stepped up beside him, and my stomach churned at the sight before us.
The remains of our fallen comrades were scattered across the area, their bodies broken and twisted in ways that didn't seem possible. The ground was stained with blood, and the air was thick with the stench of death.
Ten dropped to her knees, her face pale and her eyes wide with horror.
Six turned away, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back tears.
Cross clenched her fists, her body trembling with barely-contained rage.
I stood there, staring at the carnage, the weight of it pressing down on me like a physical force.
"Kate's not here," Six said suddenly, his voice a choked whisper.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He pointed to the bodies. "He's not here. These are… these are the others. But Kate…Kate's not here."
My mind raced. If Kate's wasn't among the dead, then what?
"Captain," Cross said, her voice tight. "What do we do now?"
I didn't answer right away. I couldn't. My thoughts were a whirlwind of anger, guilt, and helplessness.
But one thing was clear.
Whoever had done this was going to pay.
"We'll take this route and camp up front, we should still have some food left and I'm guessing the outpost isn't that far ahead right? "
Six hesitated a bit, still staring at the corpses before jolting back to reality when I walked towards him and repeated myself.
"Ye-yes.... It should "
I nodded finally, waving from ahead as I continued walking.
"Come on, we definitely don't want to be out here once it gets dark".