Jake leaned lazily against the ship’s hatch, twirling a wrench in his hand, grinning as he tossed out a crude remark, “Maybe that kid fell into a ditch and can’t climb out. This damn place doesn’t even have a lantern—wandering around blind makes sense.” Ethan, never amused by Jake’s bad jokes, only sighed and furrowed his brow.
Before he could respond, Rebecca Shaw approached from a distance, carrying a bundle of materials for setting up camp. She set them down and asked, “Who are you waiting for? Didn’t someone just arrive over there?” Ethan blinked, following the direction she pointed. Sure enough, a few figures were faintly visible behind the dune.
At that moment, a furious roar came from beyond the dune: “Colonial army bastards! Go to hell!” The sharp sound of pulse gun fire shattered the dusk’s silence, dust swirling as a fight broke out instantly. Ethan narrowed his eyes, spotting a familiar figure in the distance—Tara, wielding a sniper rifle, locked in fierce combat with four strangers. His heart sank as he shouted, “Damn it, Tara and Nick are fighting!” He bolted toward the dune, Jake cursing under his breath, “Hell,” before grabbing his wrench and following.
Behind the dune, Tara—a sharp-eyed, swift-moving young woman—glared at Nick and three other deserter soldiers. Her short hair was tousled by the wind, a faint scar on her face made more striking in the sunset’s glow. She held a modified sniper rifle, firing off rounds in quick succession. Nick raised his hands, trying to dodge as he shouted, “We’re here because Ethan called us—we’re not enemies!” But Tara wasn’t listening. Another bullet grazed Nick’s shoulder, hitting the sand behind him and kicking up a cloud of dust.
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Just as Tara pulled the trigger to fire again, a nearby abandoned pillar suddenly collapsed with a loud “boom,” crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, raising a thick curtain of sand that temporarily separated the two sides. Ethan seized the moment, rushing forward and yelling, “Tara! Stop! They’re on our side!” He grabbed the barrel of her gun, forcing it down, panting as he said, “Don’t shoot—Nick’s here to help us!” Tara clenched her jaw, her gaze darting between Nick and Ethan, before reluctantly lowering her weapon, spitting on the ground. “Deserters from the colonial army—who knows what they really are?”
As the dust settled, a scrawny teenage girl emerged from behind the pillar, holding a makeshift remote control, her expression blank. Her name was Lila, a native orphan of the mining zone, her hair a tangled mess, her face smudged with engine oil, but her eyes startlingly bright. She glanced at Nick, her tone sharp, “If it weren’t for me, you’d all have shot each other to pieces by now. Slow as turtles.” She waved the remote control. “I set up this pillar as a trap ages ago to fend off beasts—came in handy today, I guess.”
Nick wiped the sweat from his forehead, catching his breath as he said quietly, “Thanks.” He turned to Ethan, confused. “Who is she?”
Ethan, still catching his breath, stepped forward to study Lila, his gaze lingering on the remote in her hand. He asked in a low voice, “How’d you do that? These pillars are old Federation Corp equipment—locked with passcodes.” Lila shrugged, her tone dismissive, “Passcodes? That junk’s ancient—I cracked them when I was five. I grew up in these ruins; I know this scrap inside out. You were making such a racket, I could hear you from half a mile away, so I came to see the show.” She pointed at the fallen pillar. “Figured I’d save your lives while I was at it.”
Ethan’s eyes flashed with a hint of admiration. He nodded, saying, “Your name’s Lila? Want to join us? You’re smart—we could use you.” Lila paused for a moment, her tone flat, “Sure, I guess. I’ve got nowhere else to go. Following you beats starving in these ruins.”
- Ethan Cross: The leader, an idealist who firmly believes he can overthrow Victor’s colonial rule.
- Jake Riley: The mechanic, pragmatic and optimistic, with a rough way of speaking. He’s Ethan’s old friend and the team’s lifeline with his skills.
- Tara: A battle-driven warrior fueled by a burning desire for revenge, excelling in close combat.
- Rebecca Shaw: Serious and determined, calm under pressure, she joined after Evan’s death, seeking the truth.
- Nick Torres: A former colonial army sergeant and deserter, rich in tactical experience but quiet and burdened by guilt from his past.
- Lila: A hacker with a sharp tongue but top-notch skills, born and raised in the ruins.