My wristwatch ticked past midnight as we cleared the tree line. The report would span two days, a bureaucratic footnote to whatever happened here.
We stood side by side and gazed at the wreckage on the ground. It had been a ghastly sight from up in the sky, but now it looked even more dismal. Everything lay in pieces, smashed, charred black, or still aflame. Wires, bulkheads, and other sections of the vessel were scattered everywhere around us. But there was one large chunk of the ship that was still intact; I suspected that we could climb inside if my hunch was right.
We all surveyed the wreckage for a few moments, trying to make sense of it all. It was clear that whatever had sent this vessel careening into the forest had exploded close enough to the surface that most of the wreckage hadn't been scattered too far away from the point of impact. “Let's fan out,” I said after a few moments of contemplation. “See if we can find a way in there.”
I'd no sooner gotten the words out of my mouth than Rafaya's tablet gave off a beep and started vibrating wildly on her belt. She pulled it free and tapped open the screen, eyes widening as she read whatever it was that had just come through. “Sun Jin forces have been dispatched,” she said flatly. “They should be here in roughly thirty minutes. We need to hurry up and get out of here before they arrive.” She stowed the tablet and gave me a stare for a moment to see my reaction.
Shaking my head a bit, I moved to one side and began scouring for any sign of an entry point while Chambers took off in another direction towards what looked like some sort of hatch at the back end of one piece of metal debris from the ship's hull. I kept my rifle at my chest, but ready.
"Rafa," I murmured.
"Yes, sir?"
"Go join Chambers."
"Understood," she responded quickly and quietly, before beginning a jog to catch up to him.
“Sir,” Chambers said over the communications, “I think I can get into the cargo hold. No visible fire, but it looks like one may have been here earlier. I was able to force the door open and I can see around. It's all banged up and empty, but there aren't any blockages that I can see.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Permission to go deeper inside? I want to check the interior out. It looks like this area is relatively intact inside.”
Rafaya chimed in, "I'm coming with you, Chambers."
I stayed quiet as I pulled myself up onto an extension of the superstructure so that I could search for another way in. From my vantage point above, I finally spotted the front windows of what must be a cockpit or command deck and felt a glimmer of hope. "Granted," I replied. "Let me know if you need me. Just be careful. I'll look for another way in."
Chambers and Rafaya had gone ahead, leaving me to find my own way. As I circled the wreckage, the twisted metal reminded me of the Shrike Program's grueling missions. Of Kaisara. A flash of memory: a high-rise rooftop on Amber Krowe, her face contorted in an agony so profound it felt like it could tear the city apart. She was more than a mentor, and that memory was a scar I couldn't stop touching. I shook it off, focusing on the hull.
I was so lost in my memories that I didn't even realize I had found what I was looking for until I was standing right in front of it. The side hatch to another cargo area was partially open, wires and circuitry hanging out of it like entrails. It was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze through the opening and get a good view of the immediate surroundings.
“Sir! I’ve got movement.” Chambers’ voice.
I stopped what I was doing and walked backwards to try and wiggle my way out of the same entry I had come in. “Movement? Survivors? Rafaya go-“
Before I could finish I heard the sounds of rifle fire over the radio. I immediately tried to turn around in the tight space, but my gear got snagged on some hanging debris. I growled and was able to finally free myself as the gunfire continued. Finally free of the doorway and in the open, I started running down the length of the superstructure towards the rear end, where the cargo bay was. I ran over the top of the flat debris and tried my best to navigate around some of the destroyed parts.
“Where are you,” shouted Rafaya into the radio. There was no reply. “Forza? Are you on your way?”
“I’m almost there.” I slid down a large flat surface and made my way down the side until I was close enough to the ground to just drop the rest of the way. I landed firmly on my feet with a thud and got up with my rifle in hand, looking down the rifle’s sight as I approached Rafaya at the back gate. She looked frantic.