Chapter 24: Chapter 23: The hard truth

The fog of his hissing breath mists up the glossy visor of the helmet. His shoulder pulls itself taut, as his body floats away from his grip. He stares, transfixed in awed horror at this new thing that begins to slowly appear from inside of the cargo hatch, hidden beneath the array of solar-panels.

 

“…Kai…” mutters Gottlieb beneath his breath, his eyes going wide as he realizes. The man, if only out of reflexive horror, turns his eyes away to look at the single, blue light, which shines with a glow that would hint to him in his mind that it does so alone for him in this moment that they share.

 

Gottlieb’s fingers press themselves together, gripping onto the rung of the ladder that he’s holding himself against so tightly, that he can feel the circulation stopping in them.

 

— It’s over.

 

He looks back towards the thing that is new.

 

Kai won.

 

“Damn it…” mutters Gottlieb beneath his breath. The man screams. “DAMN IT!”

 

Kai does not respond.

 

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