"It Was Supposed To Be a Simple Job"
A simple job. Go planet side, take some pictures and grab some rocks and plants, leave, and get paid.
That's all it was supposed to be.
So simple.
And the amount of money that was promised would have been enough to not only get the Bucket's artificial gravity fixed- but also stock up on food and other essentials! And maybe get Shrike a new toothbrush because Trinity knows he needed one.
It's why Beebs even chose to accept the job when Shrike suggested it.
Though in hindsight, maybe that many pixels for such a seemingly easy job should've been a bit of a red flag.
But they had just been so desperate for Any amount of money that Beebs hadn't even questioned the strangeness about so much being offered for something so simple.
And now Shrike was missing. The Bucket was on its side with a nice new scar on its hull, and Beebs was trying not to panic as he struggled to remember what had even happened, or why he was covered in smelly black goop.
There was a million other things about the entire situation that was adding to Beebs' anxiety. The strange footprints scattered all over. The puddles of more black goop. The deep gashes in the ground by a three fingered creature... it appeared that there had been a battle or struggle.
But the worst thing. The most concerning part of this all....
Was both of Shrike' guns lying haphazardly across the ground.
One lying partially in a puddle of the black substance, near the edge of the battle field. And the other a bit closer to the Bucket.
Both having spots of blue blood near or on them that trailed away sporadically across the area between Beebs and the Bucket.
Shrike's blood
Beeb's heart plummeted when that last realization finally hit his still foggy mind.
Shrike wasn't just missing.
Whatever had attacked the two of them had also injured him.
And wherever Shrike was now, he didn't have either of his guns with him.
Beebs had no idea where Shrike could possibly even be. The only clear trail of his footprints vanished suddenly only a few meters away from where the battle took place.
Beeb's kneeled down to look a bit closer, hoping that maybe he just missed the next set of footprints.
Only for his stomach to drop when he saw those strange footprints Covering up Shrike's.
It wasn't just prints following Shrike's. No, they were actively covering and dusting away the smaller man's trail. And successfully too.
Because shortly after it's footprints covered Shrike's, any hint of footsteps vanished entirely. Carefully swept away and covered with more dirt and debris in such a manner that Beebs couldn't find even a hint of Shrike's footprints.
This thing.. whatever it was, it was Trying to make it so Shrike couldn't be followed- so Beebs couldn't follow.
And that realization was the most terrified Beebs had ever felt since he woke up.
His friend was gone. He didn't have either of his guns, had been bleeding at some point. And Beebs had no way to find him.
