U.S.C.M. wasn't only a military group anymore. No, those days were over. It had started participating with other races, to build a better universe. This multirace investigation team was a good example. From staggered military bunkers and colonies, this group had evolved into a galactic network, that trains soldiers, scouts, captains etc., trades with other races, harvests resources, builds communication beacons, and most importantly, takes care of humans. They offer them something that makes them feel more than staggered dust particles around the big universe. Unity.
It had been hour since they left their resting area.
Stephen could now recognize the form of something, resembling a tower, through the thick snowstorm.
"We're almost there", J said with voice that somewhat resembled enthusiasm. J was walking up a hill pretty fast, Nahii just after him.
Stephen was concerned of what caused the problem. It's still pretty advanced technology. Maybe it was cold? Or natural decay? Glitch in the system? Or...vandalism? Stephen cleared his mind. His imagination was running too wild. Whatever it was, it would be easy to fix, right?
Well, it was not like that.
Nahii whispered something incoherent and stood still while looking up to the tower.
Stephen walked beside him and stopped while J continued to walk towards the tower.
30 meters tall tower was crooked. The ground underneath it had collapsed. Most of the antenna discs were hanging or missing.
All three stared at the tower.
"It was a earthquake", Nahii said confidently. "All this ground here, collapsed", he told while jumping down into a little bay. He crouched and knocked the ground. "Hear? Hollow. I can tell that there's a cave below us."
Stephen didn't actually hear anything, maybe it was the fact that Nahii heard better than him.
Man looked around with his hands under his cloak. "We can't fix this tower alone. We must report to the base". Nahii flapped his "wings" while climbing up from the bay.
Stephen felt uncomfortable. This feeling got bigger and bigger as seconds passed. He stood back few steps.
It was quiet.
Nahii and J were standing still. Avali tilted his head questioning. His fours ears were twitching.
Stephen frowned.
Did he hear something? J noticed Stephen's anxiety and sharpened his started to neevously look around.
Stephen heard something very low, coming from below.
J suddenly turned towards Stephen and Nahii. He yelled with loud alarming voice: "Run! Get away from here! I sense earthquake!"
The tower started to shake.
Stephen watched in amaze as ground around it shook and fell underground with a mighty roar. The tower descented entirely under the ground.
In no time, ground around J fell apart. Stephen woke up from his trance and panicked: "No! J!" He reached his hand forward, but wasn't quick enough. He watched helpless as J fell swiftly into the abyss below.
Ground under Stephen tilted and he tripped. He saw with edge of his vision that Nahii was in the same sticky situation.
In the next second he was falling down, with masses of ground and snow, into the darkness below...
