Chapter Text
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A slash of honeyed gold lit the glittering white wall, shoving aside the shadows that lingered in the corners of the room. Dust motes drifted lazily above him, swirling in a mist of dancing sparks.
It was so beautiful.
He lifted his dust-coated paw into the light. He flinched as comforting warmth seeped into his fur. The cold, artificial flooring beneath him, where he lay, was all he’d ever felt.
He flexed his stiff fingers, studying the way the light lit his semi-translucent, pink pawpads. Gold snagged the gray soot trapped in his onyx pelt, like stardust scattered across his fur.
“Where am I…?” he whispered.
The floor trembled beneath him as a generator belched and hummed to life. A bright white light clicked on above him.
He gasped as it blinded him, shielding his eyes. He sat bolt upright and rubbed purple dots from his vision. He glanced around him, as those familiar, monotonous square tiles were thrown into stunning clarity by that impassive light.
Right. The dropships.
They’d sent him here on a special mission: to retrieve some sort of technology. That’s all he’d heard right before they shoved him into this pod. He’d blacked out on the way down.
He was grateful for the opportunity. He’d get to see a new planet! His caretakers had specially selected him, while his friends were stuck back on Earth. I’ll have so many stories to tell when I get back!
He stood shakily, staggering over to a gash in the side of his pod. Through a crevice in the rock, he could see an endless gray plain dotted with patches of lush plants, all lit by a warm, red sky. The breeze smelled of old humus.
He shoved his arm through the gash, clawing to reach that warmth, but the hole was too small. His claws scraped uselessly against rock, and he only succeeded in chipping them.
He sighed. They wanted me to head down into the caverns. That’s where my mission objective is. His ears perked. I’m sure it’ll be even better down there! They always know what’s best for us.
He picked up a flashlight. The impact of landing had cracked the lens. Otherwise, the pod was sparse. He’d been hoping to take some food with him. Surprising. Normally, they’re good about feeding us. One square meal a day.
“Oh well,” he muttered.
With the push of a button, the steel door hissed open.
Before him, a bristling darkness gaped, ridged with pitiless fangs and patiently awaiting his arrival.