#ft appearances by a stalker and a cave crawler today

[katreal-fic]

Amberina by Morning

Chapter 15/??

In the Shadow of the Grave

Summary:

The downing of the Aurora was one tragedy among many in the long history of Planet 4546B, but it is, perhaps, one you can survive.

Once a young boy stood on a sterile, white sand shore, dreaming of the stars.

After the fetters of broken dreams rain down with the thousands of red-hot meteors that scatter across an endless ocean with no hint of land in sight–maybe this tragedy will set you free.

Preview:

You don’t get right up next to the Aurora, although you could. The bulk of the ship is just a couple hundred meters of your right hand side, a pittance considering the extra speed afforded to you by the introduction of the Seaglide. Even so it fucking towers over you, blocking out half the fucking sky.

From this distance, if you poke your head above the water and peer through the trailing sea spray lapping up against your visor you can pick out a number of potential breach points. Dark and twisted patches, openings forced into a metal hull. In some, embers continue to glow, indicating fuel still burns.

The question is, how deep, and would they get you to where you want to go?

You doubt it. Even without access to the ship’s schematics--Lexie refused to produce them when you asked, once again citing policy, and the grudgingly produced maintenance map didn’t tell you how thick the hull was. You only got that one because you fucking argued that the automated message said any crewmember--you are pretty confident there’s more than enough layers of shielding and unsalvageable (and possibly still half-alive systems) between you and any of the interior pathways.

Read the rest => [Link]