The team exited the roof of the complex and entered a maze of rusty corridors and cracked shafts. The air smelled of metal and dust, and each step echoed off the damaged walls. Kael knew the figure was still following them, though it had temporarily disappeared into the shadows.
"We can't stop," Kael said, leading the group downward. "We need to reach the transport level and find a way to the planet's surface."
Zara somersaulted through the air and landed on a metal fragment. She smiled wildly. "This is fun! You guys should learn to run on rooftops faster!"
Rex moved closer to Kael, checking the condition of his weapon. "I never thought I'd say this, but I prefer rooftops to these narrow, dark corridors."
Lira climbed higher up the pipes and observed her surroundings. "We have no idea what awaits us here. But something tells me the surprises aren't over yet."
Taro disconnected the cable from the emergency terminal. "We're lucky the systems here are old. If there were modern security, we wouldn't have made it out alive."
The corridor turned left and down, leading them to a huge room where metal and debris formed a maze of obstacles. Kael stopped the group. "Stop. There's something there that doesn't belong."
Zara looked into the dark hallway and did a forward roll, landing right next to Kael. "I can destroy anything. Show me what's hiding here!"
Rex took a closer look. "It looks like an old capsule. Or maybe a chest? But it's not your typical one. It's something... ancient."
Lira was careful as she approached, checking for traps. "There are no alarms, at least from what I can see. But we may encounter something we haven't anticipated."
Kael nodded. "Alright, let's split up. Zara and Rex, could you take a look at the capsule? Taro, Lira, keep an eye on the entrance and the back door."
Zara rolled over, landed next to the capsule, and shot into the air to make sure no one was watching them. "Who's up for playing with an adult toy? Me!"
Rex walked around the capsule, looking at the engraved symbols. "This isn't from this world. No one in our galaxy makes things like this."
Kael moved closer and took a closer look at the symbols on the metal surface. "They look like ancient symbols. Maybe it's one of those artifacts we've heard about."
Taro looked at the terminal. "If it's an artifact, we have to be careful. There's no telling what it'll do when it's activated."
Lira nodded. "Exactly. It could be something that sets off a chain reaction throughout the complex. We'd better be prepared for anything."
Kael raised his hand. "All right, we'll open the capsule together. On my signal. There's no room for error."
Zara rolled through the air, landing next to Kael. "I'm ready. If anything pops out, just say the word, and I'll smash it right away."
Kael looked at everyone. "On three... one, two, three!"
The capsule's metal lock slid open with a quiet grind, revealing the interior. Inside lay an artifact, a glowing sphere that pulsed with a bright blue light, casting reflections on the faces of the team.
Zara tumbled through the air and caught the artifact. "Ha! It looks like a toy, but something tells me it's not just a toy."
Rex moved closer, observing the glowing object. "It's energy... or something that's been here for centuries. It could change everything if it falls into the wrong hands."
Kael nodded. "Exactly. We have to take it, but carefully. We can't let anyone else know it's here."
Taro connected the terminal to the capsule, trying to read the signals from the artifact. "There's some kind of energy here. I don't know how to describe it. It's like a living force."
Lira moved forward. "Whatever it is, we're not leaving it here. But we need to find a way to the surface before the silhouette returns."
Kael looked at the group. "All right. We have the artifact; the mission continues. We're going down, slowly, carefully, and we'll find a way out."
Zara somersaulted through the air, smiling maniacally. "Let no one think we can do this calmly. There's always a little madness in our missions."
The group moved toward the shaft, the artifact pulsing between them, casting a blue light on the metal walls. Kael knew this was only the beginning of the problems that would come with this discovery.
The group descended the old, creaky stairs leading down to the transport level. Kael turned on the backlight in his suit, and its light reflected off the metallic walls, illuminating dust and paint chips. The artifact in Zara's hands pulsed with blue light, as if reacting to the group's every movement.
"I don't like that it's glowing," Rex muttered, moving closer to Kael. "There's no telling who might be watching us right now."
Zara somersaulted through the air, landing on the other side of the stairs. "Hey, I'm not sensitive to blue light! But it looks like everyone else has a problem with it."
Taro connected the scanner to the terminal by the door that led outside. "If I'm reading the data correctly, the exit is damaged. We'll have to go through the emergency system."
Lira climbed onto a piece of pipe above the terminal to see the entire obstacle course. "There are no alarms, but the system looks like it's been abandoned for a long time. This is our chance to get through unnoticed."
Kael nodded. "Okay. Zara and Rex, you go first. Taro, Lira, you cover the rear. We have to go slowly and carefully."
Zara somersaulted through the air and landed on a metal fragment, smiling crookedly. "Careful? Who's talking about caution when you've got a trinket like this in your hands?"
Rex sighed. "I don't even want to know what this artifact can do. Better if no one moves, because it might react."
Kael led the group through a narrow corridor that led to the emergency transport system. The metal creaked under their feet, and every sound echoed throughout the complex.
Suddenly, the artifact pulsed more strongly, and its light cast dynamic reflections on the walls. Zara stopped. "What the hell...?"
Kael moved closer. "I don't know. It looks like it's reacting to something nearby."
Taro connected the terminal to the emergency system. "Checking the power in the grid... It's unstable. Someone or something is out there."
Lira looked up, watching the darkness. "We're not alone. I feel like someone is watching them."
Zara rolled in the air, firing a burst into the corridor, though there was no sign of movement. "Let them think we have the advantage!"
Rex shook his head. "I don't know if that was the best decision..."
Kael nodded. "We have no choice. We need to go through the emergency system and get to the surface."
The terminal creaked, and the emergency system shook. The metal doors leading to the elevator shaft opened. Kael led the group inside.
The artifact pulsed more and more intensely, and the light reflected off the walls of the shaft. Kael sensed that they weren't the only ones reacting to the artifact; something outside the complex was sensing its presence.
"Every step counts," Kael said as he entered the elevator. "We have to move slowly. We don't know what might appear."
Zara tumbled through the air, landing in the elevator, holding the artifact aloft. "I can't believe I'm holding this! It looks like a toy, but I can feel... power in it."
Rex looked at the artifact. "We'd better be careful. I don't want to see what happens if it falls into the wrong hands."
Kael nodded. "I agree. We need to retreat to the surface and assess the situation. Then we'll decide what to do with it."
Lira moved to the back of the elevator, watching the windows and emergency systems. "We don't have much time. The silhouette is still following us. If it shows up, there will be no warnings."
Taro connected the final wires, and the elevator began to descend slowly, emitting a metallic sound. The artifact pulsed more and more strongly in Zara's hands, casting dynamic blue reflections across the glass.
Kael looked at the team. "Stay together. This is just the beginning of what awaits us."
Zara rolled over in the air, smiling crookedly. "I always like the beginning of trouble! Pure adrenaline."
The elevator shook, and everyone on the team felt that something was waiting for them on the surface. Kael knew one thing: the mission with the artifact was just beginning.
The elevator slid out onto the planet's surface. The wind hit the team's faces, kicking up dust and small pieces of debris. The light of the setting sun reflected off the metallic structures scattered across the former base. Kael looked into the distance. The area looked deserted, but he sensed the presence of an observer.
"It looks peaceful, but I never trust the calm before the storm," Kael said, glancing at the artifact pulsing in Zara's hands.
Zara rolled in midair, landing securely on the ground. "Silence is boring. I prefer it when someone is trying to kill you!"
Rex scanned the area, checking the metal ruins and fragments of destroyed machines. "I don't see anyone... yet. But this artifact will attract attention. Things are about to get interesting."
Lira climbed onto the fragments of the structure, observing the entire area. "We don't know who else might be following us. This place looks abandoned, but it could be a trap."
Taro put down the scanner. "If something is waiting here, it will react to the artifact. Its energy is too strong to go unnoticed."
Kael nodded. "Okay. We'll split up into short sections. Zara and Rex front, me and Lira middle, Taro back. We'll move slowly, checking the area."
Zara rolled in the air, firing a burst at the abandoned tower, though there was no sign of movement. "Let them think we're prepared!"
Rex moved alongside her, covering the rear of the group. "I don't know if we're prepared, but it's better to look like we are."
Kael led the middle of the group, watching every shadow closely. The artifact pulsed more and more strongly, its blue light reflecting off the metal structures.
Suddenly, a figure leaped out of the shadows. It wasn't the one they had encountered earlier in the complex; this one was larger, more terrifying, with mechanical limbs and eyes that glowed red.
"Contact!" Rex shouted, immediately opening fire. Plasma cut through the air, and the silhouette was reflected in the metallic fragments.
Zara tumbled through the air and landed on the ground, firing both pistols at her opponent. "I won't let you catch me!"
Kael moved closer, watching the silhouette's reactions. He noticed that its movements were unnaturally fast and precise at the same time. "Rex, Zara, keep it moving! Taro, Lira, find cover!"
Lira climbed onto a piece of the structure and noticed another figure in the distance, lurking in the shadows. "We're not alone. One more and it could be more difficult."
Taro jumped aside, connecting another scanner. "If these things react to the artifact, we have to keep it close, or we'll lose our advantage."
Zara rolled in the air, smiling wildly. "Let them try! I'll destroy them all!"
The silhouettes moved faster, and Kael felt the tension mounting. Every movement required coordination, every shot could mean life or death. The artifact pulsed harder and harder, as if sensing danger, and Kael knew that this was only the beginning of the battle on the planet's surface.
The silhouettes moved straight toward the group, reflecting off the metal fragments of the ruin. Their movements were faster than the eye could follow, and Kael felt adrenaline rush through every muscle.
"Rex, Zara, flank them from the sides!" Kael shouted, moving toward cover. "Lira, Taro, secure the rear!"
Zara tumbled through the air, landing on a piece of debris, and fired a burst at one of the figures. "I won't let you catch me!"
Rex moved closer, hitting another opponent in an exposed area. The plasma pierced the metal, causing an explosion of sparks. "Keep them moving!"
Lira climbed higher, observing the area. "A second silhouette is approaching from the south! We have to split them up."
Taro disconnected the cable from the emergency terminal. "The artifact is pulsing stronger. If it's attracting them, we can use it to separate them!"
Kael nodded. "Zara, make noise on the left, draw one's attention. Rex, you go to the right. We'll surprise them."
Zara rolled in the air, firing a burst to the side, aiming at the shadows of the silhouettes. One of the opponents bounced violently, and her bullets left marks on the unprotected part of its armor.
Rex moved in from the right, hitting the weaker point of the second silhouette. Metal exploded in sparks, and the silhouette growled with an unnatural sound.
Kael moved to the center, trying to control the situation. "Don't let them regroup!"
Lira climbed even higher and noticed fragments of the structure that could serve as makeshift barricades. "We have the advantage if we use the terrain!"
Taro leaned over the terminal. "If I can disrupt some of the electrical systems in the area, the silhouettes will lose synchronization."
Zara rolled in the air, smiling wildly. "Let them try to catch us!"
The silhouettes moved toward the group, but Kael noticed that one of them was beginning to destabilize. Rex hit the exposed section, and the silhouette recoiled, revealing weak metallic-energy connections.
Kael nodded to Taro. "Now! Disrupt the system!"
Taro pressed a button on the terminal. The opponents trembled, their movements becoming chaotic. The artifact pulsed as if reacting to the interference.
Zara tumbled through the air, launching herself into the air and forcing the silhouettes to retreat. "Easy!"
Rex joined her, hitting another opponent. "A few more seconds and they'll be done for!"
Kael moved, leading the group toward the metal shafts leading deeper into the ruins. "Let's go! Don't stop!"
Lira jumped off the structure, disabling more traps along the way. "The way is clear, but don't rest! There may be more."
The group moved forward, the artifact pulsing more and more strongly, casting blue reflections on the metal ruins. The silhouettes were temporarily pacified, but Kael knew they wouldn't disappear for long.
Zara tumbled through the air, landing firmly on the ground. "Let someone say my missions are boring. This is just the beginning!"
Kael nodded. "Exactly. This isn't the end. The artifact attracts attention, and we're just getting started."
The group moved on toward the main gate of the ruins, the artifact pulsing between them, and Kael felt that more challenges awaited just around the corner.