I kept my eyes peeled as we crept forward. Something shifted, and I whipped to the left. A creature with thick skin the same color as skim milk and a worm-like body, dagger-sized fangs, and two muscular front legs ending in massive talons leapedat me. My heart raced as I lifted my blaster and squeezed the trigger. An orange beam came out of the muzzle and smacked the alien in the chest. It went down with a high-pitched squeal.
“That’sthe creature that lives on this planet?” I asked, panting.
“It’s fairly accurate. I’ve been to Takzil, as I was stationed at the moon base, and seen muk before.”
“You have?”
“I was part of the colonization force seven cycles ago.”
“What?” I jerked toward him. “You were fifteen.”
“Pay attention,” Kal ordered with a chuckle.
Focusing on the task, I took the lead until we came to a cave delving straight into the darkness. Kal grabbed a rope and hooked it to his waist. I peered into the pitch-black hole, then at the rope.
“We can’t fall far. Trust me.”
“I’m not worried,” I lied.
The rope looked real, but I felt the shields holding the program in place, which didn’t feel solid. I peered down, and a light beam from my helmet illuminated the darkness. It seemed real, but it wasn’t. I wouldn’t fall.
We slung over the edge and descended until our feet hit the ground. Three caves that were equally horrible with jagged entrances greeted us.
“Which way?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. Pick one,” Kal said, lifting his palms.
I chose the path on the left.
The cave twisted through the ground, and muk filled it like an ant nest—a nest with green eggs covered in white slime hanging from the ceiling in clusters. Together, Kal and I killed dozens of muks while dodging their sharp talons. We moved deeper underground in search of the heart of the nest.
Kal came to my side. “Stay close.”
Leading the way, I continued down a wide entrance with rough rocks all around us. Our steps echoed in my ears, and every breath I took sounded harsh and insanely loud. Every shadow made me jump, sending my pulse through the roof.
A low scrape came from the darkened tunnel, and I froze. I pressed against the wall, dragging Kal along with me. The high-pitched scratch of claws got louder, growing closer. I kept an arm across his chest, holding him in place, as we waited.
The largest muk I’d ever seen appeared from the shadows. The monster dragged its bloated body by its front two legs; its belly scraped on the floor and its thick tail moved from side to side, slapping the walls.
Its snout twitched.
I tensed, trying to push Kal further behind me.
His voice sounded in my ear, synthesized by the program as coms, “You aim for its body, and I’ll aim for the head.”
My fingers curled around his shirt. The cool metal of his necklaces bit into my skin, reminding me this was nothing but a game. “On three.”
His eyes narrowed like he didn’t understand.
I didn’t bother to explain and started to count. “One. Two. Three.”
We stepped out, and the muk shrieked, rattling the walls and sending rocks to the ground. I shot its body and hit it while Kal aimed at the head, but he overshot. The cave shuddered before buckling.
Rocks started to rain down, and I shouted, “Cave in!”
I knocked Kal out of the way, landing on top of him and blocking him from the falling rocks. For a moment, shields pressed into me and stopped my breath from the sheer force, then the weight lessened, and the program disappeared.
A monotone voice stated, “Mission failed.”
