>> Attempting to access files for THE EBONHAND
>> Attempting to ă̵͔ccess file̴̝̭͐̎s for THE EBONHAŇ̴̜͉̂͝D
>> ...
>> ...
>> u̷̩̳̜͐o̵̧͝γ̷̢̟͐̑̈́ ̵̲̲̈́ɘ̷̭̱̿ɿ̸̢͎̗̓͘ɒ̶̙̀̆ ̵̰̙͌ɟ̴͕̙̿̏̕ọ̶͐̌͌n̴͕̉ ̴̭͗ɘ̵̭̹̘͒⑁̵̛̗̘͓͗̌ɟ̷͙̫̑͘ ̶̹̩̽͆ɟ̴̦̰̑̒ƨ̶͓̦̅̌ɿ̷̧̪̜̽̆ǐ̸̛̩͘ʇ̵̮͒̈́̉ͅͅ ̸̡̨̘̓͗͝ő̵͕͕͘ɟ̸̨̬͑ ̵̧̱͛̌͑ʞ̵̩̇̐ɘ̵͔̥̮̆͋̒ɘ̷͈̈́ͅƨ̵̮́̕ ̴̣̭̒͠ƨ̵̛̲̀i̵͚͇̊̃⑁̴̜̺̹͒ɟ̶͚͐̆͐ ̶̤͖͍͠.̴̫̽̕̕ǹ̶͔͗ő̸̧̦̤̓i̵͙̇̇ɟ̵̨̮̩̒ɒ̴̲̰̅̏̿ͅm̵͎͋̊̊ɿ̴̤̮͇͐ȯ̶̺̓̉ʇ̴̳̗͕͆̀͠n̶̳̬͋͛i̸̙̞͋̾̕ͅ ̵̘̟̅u̷̡͎͆͊͒o̵̭̫̅γ̸̭̫̰̚ ̴̨̪̰̏̚͠l̴̛͖͙̯̅̆l̴̝̥̆̔i̴̮̔w̷̱̭̞͗ ̵̤͓̱̀ɟ̶̲͐o̷͍̓̿̓ń̷̝̤̀̈́ ̸̧͊̄̊ɘ̷̡̘̉̓̕d̸̀͊ͅ ̸̲͝ɘ̶̤̈́̍̐⑁̵̛͉̹̾͗ɟ̴̡̈ ̷̲͐̂.̴̜͋͌ɟ̸̨̤͍̏̌́ƨ̷̧̬̯͂̋̚ɒ̵̖̘͘l̸̲̗̯͊ ̸̢̰̈́u̸͔̱̍̈́̓ö̵̙̪́γ̶̯͈̋͊ ̵̻͎͎̾̓͠ļ̴̜̯͋l̴͖͌̎i̵̢͈̍̋w̴͙̙͑̽ ̶̺̼̥̒̈́̅l̶̹̭̒̒ị̶̣͇̋ɒ̷̥͛͛̓ʇ̷̰̓͝ ̸͇̜̓ͅƨ̶̞̂̃ɒ̴̡̌ ̷̧̙̂̕̚γ̴̞̊́ɘ̸͓̋͝⑁̴̻̪͛ɟ̷̜͕̣̽̓͛ ̸̨̮̍.̶̝̩̔͘ɘ̸̼̊͛v̴̥̆͜ɒ̷̟͈̟̅͊̐⑁̸̬͉͔͂ ̸̢͖̑͜u̶̢̠͊̿̈́ö̶̧͚͉͝γ̵̯͓̫̇̾ ̴̯̄l̸͖̊̌̋l̷̞͌͐͜i̷͇͖̊̐w̶̜͊̉ ̸̢̨̥̀ɟ̴̧̟̊̿ò̴͇̭ɿ̴̜̥͆͜ ̴͖̔̄͠ƨ̸̣͇̻̋͌͛ɒ̶̢͓̟̐ ̴̥̞͌γ̵̢͓̦͂͐ɘ̴̙͗ͅ⑁̶͕̱͓͊̀͝ɟ̷̺͊̌͗ ̴̺͑͝.̴̢̻̱̂̕l̴̡͌̽́l̴̞̈i̷̢̨̛͑̑w̶̢̮̃ ̵̨̑́͝b̵̘͐̆͒ɒ̶̭̚ ̴͙̌͆̓m̵͙͕̆̽ú̷̗ɟ̴̫͓̟̂͒̑i̸͚̐̏̚ͅṇ̷̀̉͠ȋ̵̘̬ʇ̴͓̓ṋ̶̹̻̔̍̿į̸̮̦͂͘
>> ...
>> ...
>> INPUT CONFIRMED: Returning Mission Log Files
>> Now Playing Mission Log #6
Many minutes later, everyone has regrouped in the upstairs room, where the walls are covered in control panels, switches, and screens of various sizes and shapes. Several are damaged beyond repair, and the ones that aren’t look to be heavily modified with various cables and duct tape.
From a camera perched in a high corner, nearly the entire room is visible in crisp detail, down to the heavy layer of red dust that’s settled on the majority of the equipment. It stirs in the air around them as they mill about.
With the biodome up and running, several of them have taken off their helmets and tied the top half of their suits around their waists. Alison is one of them, nursing her arm in its sling. No blood stains the bandages, but she holds her arm close to her body regardless. Solena is close by, while Sebastian, Maven, and Aret occupy the opposite corner. The unnamed ranger sits almost directly beneath the camera, only partially in view as he cleans his gun.
“Does it really take this long to raise the tower?” Sebastian lamented, pacing in slow circles and eying the control panel.
The ranger’s answer was simple. “Yup.”
“Isn’t there any way we could speed this up?”
“Nope.”
“Nothing?”
“Nada.”
“And we can’t send anything until it’s up?”
“Fiddle with it all you like, boy, but your message ain’t gettin out until the tower’s up. It’ll be a few minutes, just be patient.”
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Author's Notes to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.