Chapter three

Of all the ancient structures we have found, one thing links all of them. They are all so far beyond our technology that we could call their builders gods. So, what killed the ancients? What disaster or enemy could kill a “god”?

“Move! Move! Get into the drop ships and get strapped down!”

Boots thundered through the corridors and loading bays of the GEN Gobro as soldiers rushed for their drop ships and their officers yelled at them. I ran for my ship, swerving around another person and jumping over a cleaning drone, before tripping over a crate and half falling into my ship.

“Woah there, you okay?” My squadmate Borkas caught me just before my face met the hard metal seat.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I sat down and strapped myself in.

“Drop ships launching in five, I repeat, drop ships launching in five.” The tannoys rang out.

“Ready.” The voice of the pilot came drifting out.

Clunk. The drop ships disengaged their docking clamps one by one, then dove out of the ship. As they descended towards the planet below, the briefing screen flickered on.

“Our objective is to secure a base for the science teams, and to explore for any artefacts or anything out of the ordinary. Do not fire unless attacked. I repeat, do not fire unless fired on.”

“You excited? We’re exploring a whole new world!” Groth nearly screamed.

“Might be dangerous. I heard there was an anomaly on it, and the whole Union’s here.” Borkas rebuked him

“But it’s new!”

“Not everyone loves danger like you.” I cut in.

We went silent as the ship shuddered. The view screens showed a vast expanse of grey.

“Doesn’t look too inviting out there. I think you’ll be disappointed.” Borkas stated the obvious. Groth slumped down slightly.

“We have touchdown! Everyone out!”

We filed out of the ship, dropping onto the ground below. We immediately noticed several things.

“Why is it so heavy? What’s the gravity!” Groth groaned.

“I think it’s about 2.5 standard grav.” Borkas kicked the ground. “Why is the ground so hard? I’m wearing a combat suit and it isn’t giving!”

I knelt down and examined the ground. “There seems to be a thin layer of space dust, and below that is a blackish purple substance that is really hard.”

Borkas went still, then pointed his plasma shotgun at the ground. “Orders from command are to use our guns to test the hardness of the ground.”

He fired, before we all stood slack-jawed as the plasma packets just disappeared the moment they touched the mystery substance, with no visible effect.

“Well, I think this is not a normal planet.” I said after a while.

“What is this planet made of!?” Groth yelled in disbelief.

“… I think we may have found the anomaly.” Borkas said slowly. “No, scratch that. Every team on the planet is reporting the exact same thing…. I think this whole planet may be an anomaly.”

We all looked down broodingly.

“We have orders to return to our ships. Orbital scans have shown that the entire planet is completely flat. They’re going to try and dig a tunnel into the planet from orbit to see what’s inside the shell.”

We hurried back to our ship, and were silent the whole time until we were back in the loading bay.