The second hour, he found the first body.
The black box was in the central server room. He found it easily, a hardened data cylinder nestled in a cradle of sparking wires. As he reached for it, he saw the terminal screen. nighthawk22 - isolation midi
Kael’s hand drifted to the sidearm at his hip. He didn't draw it, but he felt the cold plastic of the grip. He took a wide arc around her. The second hour, he found the first body
He checked his geo-scanner. A blinking dot pulsed two klicks east. He started walking. As he reached for it, he saw the terminal screen
The first hour was fine. Just the crunch of his boots on vitrified soil and that persistent, internal hum. He passed a playground. A swing set moved in a wind that didn't exist. He told himself it was thermal displacement.
He fell hard, skidding across the vitrified earth. The black box clattered away. He lay there, gasping, as the hum softened. It became gentle. Lulling.
