"... Okay."

Getting the VIP to hunker down Dax cautiously approached the closest of the 6 artificial constructions on the luna surface. Taking up combat formation with 4 Reaper drones and a specialist UGAV Dax slowly approached what looked to be no more than a giant dome shaped pile of moon regolith.

"This is definitely radiation s.h.i.+elding.."

"Radiation s.h.i.+elding?"

Muttering quietly to himself Dax realized he had forgotten to shut off his communication channel with Solaris.

"Yeah, regolith layered with stuff like lead and plain old concrete makes excellent and cheap protection from radiation so any occupants inside don't develop extra limbs or get the so called 'turbo cancer'. Anyway protection from radiation means occupants and/or sensitive and precious machinery, which in turn means there's definitely also other kinds of protection and me walking directly towards what can quickly turn into a s.h.i.+tshow of shrapnel and explosions."

"... Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking happy thoughts… Just another day at the office."

Even as he was waiting for an ambush Dax still walked forward in a carefree manner with his rifle over the shoulder, until he felt a slight vibration in the ground.

"Contact front, range 200 meters."

Taking a shooting formation Dax looked ahead to the edge of the dome where something started rising from the ground.

"Engage on my command only, ICI hold fire."

[AFFIRMATIVE. ALL DRONES HOLDING FORMATION, FIRE CONTROL GIVEN TO COMMAND, AWAITING GO ORDER.]

"Dax the CAS is leaving!"

The same time Solaris started panicking as she had looked behind her to see her only to see the CAS-7A take off and disengage from the area flying at low alt.i.tude.

"Of course it is, if we lose the only craft capable of transporting us off this rock we're both dead."

Leaving the part about how his own suit could cryogenically suspend him if something like that happened Dax kept his attention front and center while blocking out any further complaints from Solaris as time slowly pa.s.sed. After about 30 minutes the shaking slowly increased in magnitude when something started emerging from the ground in front of the closest dome.

"Here we are…. Now is it defensive turrets or an access point?"

Waiting another 20 minutes Dax question was answered when what could only be described as a giant stone box with a door had finished emerging from the ground.

"That sure is a big a.s.s door… ICI?"

[TARGET COMPOSITION: UNKNOWN, NOT ENOUGH DATA, APPROXIMATE SURFACE TEMPERATURE: -165.4.]

"So it's slowly heating up from the sunlight, and I'm not feeling any other vibrations… We are moving up, Solaris get up here."

Judging the door to not be an immediate threat Dax and the drones slowly approached it guns ready, with Solaris bringing up the rear.

"Yeah that sure is a large door, what now?"

Standing at a distance of about 10 meters from the large door that had emerged from the ground Solaris almost had to look up to see the top of it.

"Well it's an entrance, so we enter."

"And how would we do that? It's closed."

"No silly, it's temporarily closed. Everything can be opened with the right amount of force.. And in this case: Shaped charge explosives. ICI set up breaching charges."

[DIRECTIVES CONFIRMED, SETTING UP STANDARD TYPE 14 FRAME SHAPED CHARGE BREACHING CHARGE.]

As a Reaper drone started setting up charges to blow a hole clean through the gigantic rock door Solaris started feeling something strange coming from the door, and slowly walked up to it.

"Solaris?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Playing a hunch."

Walking all the way up to the door Solaris placed the palm of her hand on it and started injecting mana into it. The effect showed itself a few seconds later when a small rune circle appeared at her hand.

"Well would you look at that… I thought there was no mana here?"

The way Dax understood it was that mana, the special particle that allowed the pheromone known as magic too happen, needed to be present not only in the user's and the atmosphere around them, something not really possible when there was no atmosphere.

"There shouldn't be any no, but there is. I sensed it something like mana coming from the door and tried interacting with it."

"Can you open it?"

Leaving multiple questions for later Dax focused on the present problem of gaining entrance.

"I can try, but if I run out of the mana I'm storing in my wings I will become extremely sick."

"Yeah leave it within reasonable amounts, and don't worry I will drag your a.s.s back home by force if need be."

"O-okay, that's good to hear."

Not really deciding if that was rea.s.suring to hear Solaris decided to definitely not pa.s.s out if she could help it and concentrated on trying to understand the strange spell formation.

"... ICI hunker down, give me a full perimeter around Solaris."

[DIRECTIVE CONFIRMED, SECURING VIP, ESTABLIs.h.i.+NG PERIMETER.]

Seeing the small runic formation on the door slowly starting to grow in size and complexity Dax decided on a wait and sit type of approach, setting up a secure perimeter around Solaris so she could do her work in pace and relative safety.

-

"How is it going?"

"Steady. I'm attempting not to expend too much mana while poking around."

Over the last hour Dax had watched the small rune formation slowly grow and shrink in size.

"You're using a lot of oxygen, I'll replace it for yo-"

"Got it!"

Suddenly the rune formation grew in size immensely before a spider web like pattern spread all over the door, then something inside seemed to respond and the gigantic door slowly started opening. Taking only a few seconds to open completely, a gentle ramp was now visible as far as Solaris could see, with some kind of strange half transparent film like barrier covering the doorframe. Solaris showed a happy smile in response, then reached out to touch the film like barrier but was stopped when Dax grabbed her shoulder and dragged her away from it.

"Yeah no, this is why I brought drones."

Continuing to drag Solaris away from the door she found herself unable to resist him in the low gravity and silently gave up remembering what Dax had told her at the start of this mission. With a Reaper drone serving as Solaris' replacement as a live test subject it was found that there was no danger entering and after heading down the half kilometer long ramp Dax and Solaris found a large and completely empty stone hall with another door at the end.

"That looks to be a airlock.. I'll cover you so try and open it Solaris."

"No problem, I think I got the knack for it now."

Proving herself correct it only took Solaris a minute to open that door and revealed a small room with another door leading further in.

"Okay this is an airlock. Solaris can you close the first door after us?"

"Sure."

With all of them closed in the airlock all drones and Dax pointed their weapons towards the inner door Dax instrucked Solaris on what was about to happen.

"The second you open that door a drone will pull you back behind me so don't resist that. After that I want you to under all circ.u.mstances to stay put and don't move until you hear the word 'clear' form me, if you hear 'retreat' or the phrase 'situation black' do your best to open the door to get outside as fast you can and I'll get you out."

"O-okay."

Understand how dangerous the current situation was Solaris tensed up slightly as she placed the palm of her hand on the door and opened it. As Dax had explained would happen she was instantly pulled back and briefly flew in the low gravity as Dax pulled her down behind her.

"Secure the area!"

Solaris couldn't see much of what was going on as Dax still had his one hand firmly on her shoulder and kept her down behind him she could only listen and hope for the best.

[FRONT SECURE.]

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[ALL SECURE, STARTING IMMEDIATE RECON.]

"Stay down."

Almost as if reading Solaris' mind Dax kept his hand firmly placed as the drones secured the immediate area inside out of visual range.

[ICI a.s.sESSES ALL CLEAR.]

"Check sector 4 again."

[STANDBY… CLEAR, ICI a.s.sESSES ALL CLEAR.]

".. Clear, but stay close Solaris. I want you on my a.s.s at all times."

"O-okay, but what is-"

Standing up to see what was going on Solaris was briefly blinded by the light coming from inside, as soon as her eyes adjusted to the light she was struck with awe. Inside the airlock stood a gigantic tree in the middle of what looked to be plaza you would find in the central kingdom.

"That s.h.i.+t is not normal, not on a supposedly abandoned station."