Inferno

16 - Forced Evolution

POST-MISSION SUMMARY

Objective: To scout the unknown planet "Erebus" for potentially threatening IMC activity.

Members: Lt. Tobias Four, WO Amelia Vale, Sgt. Tyra Crane

Status: COMPLETE

Comments: Vale was reuploaded into another simulacrum in hysterics upon her other body's 'death', and refused to calm down until we heard from the dropship that Crane used to evac from the planet. Unfortunately, she was alone with two of their Titans' data cores. Four and KT-0298 were left behind on the planet.

Both Vale and Crane told us of alien ruins, and dig-sites that the IMC are digging up. They attempted to find out why, but complications arose during their exfiltration. The data-knife upon which they stored the IMC database's information was lost with Four.

I'm going to list him as MIA. But I wouldn't hold out hope.

- Graves

- 17 Days Later -

Out in the frozen tundra, not a thing was seen or heard other than the snow and wind.

Except for one, unusual specimen of interest.

If one were to look at the ground, they would see a trail of footprints in the white fluff, slowly being covered by the snowfall. When followed, those tracks would lead to the top of a small rise in the land, ending at the feet of a fallen figure, who was currently trying to drag themselves through the snow.

Out of sheer exhaustion, his legs had failed him. Tobias was now trying to progress forward on sheer willpower alone, but it was quickly fading. His rations were almost gone, he had no idea where he was going, and his suit wasn't going to keep him alive much longer. It would likely fail, and then he'd freeze to death out in the arctic of Erebus. In fact, he'd have probably given up by now if he wasn't so motivated.

The only thing pushing him forward was the thought of saving KT.

The data core was still in his pack, safe from the elements. But if he died, so would she. Her core would be stuck here in the snow, to be buried and never recovered. Her entire fate rested on his shoulders, and the assumption that he made it far enough to put her core back into another chassis.

And so, he pushed on. Or, he was trying to.

The wind picked up, drowning out his own fuzzy thoughts and thinking. His mind continued to blur the line between reality and delusion. On the surface, he followed his body's basic order; survive. But somewhere deep in his reasoning, he knew that he was shutting down. No human being was equipped to survive in freezing temperatures for weeks at a time, and he was going to become yet another statistic to that fact.

He lifted his helmeted head above the mound of snow weakly. He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly; just some sign that-

There. A wall of ice off to his left, with an opening. A cave. If there was any hope for warmth or survival, it was there. Grunting, he forced his arms to push himself up and onto his feet, a little bit of energy coming back to him as hope came flooding back into his veins.

Upon reaching the mouth of the cave, he noticed a few marker poles outside of it. Evidently, he wasn't the first to happen across this cave. It was probably another excavation site. Still, if it kept him warm, it'd be worth it. With that thought in mind, he entered.

The ground had a gradual incline to it. He felt his muscles straining to keep him balanced on the slope, but he pushed ahead. He could feel the temperature rising already-