The Dark Expanse: Mackkiwi's Descent
08 Nov 2023Groovy Groydis
In the deep void between the familiarity of Sol and the enigmatic heart of the Milky Way, Commander Mackkiwi navigated the quiet solitude of space aboard his fleet carrier. His ASP Explorer, a haven and a window to the universe's unspoiled enigmas, had borne him company through the silent months of his odyssey. With his short brown hair, wide nose, and skin bronzed from the radiance of distant suns, Mackkiwi was the quintessence of an explorer, driven by an insatiable hunger for discovery. The vast cosmos was his domain, its secrets his coveted treasure.The Commander’s onboard AI, COVAS, chattered in German—a language as alien to him as the uncharted systems he coursed through. But his excitement, the thrill of uncovering new worlds, transcended language barriers. As his carrier emerged into a new, unexplored system, his heart raced with anticipation. Launching his ASP Explorer, he commenced scanning for planets, his pulse quickening at the sight of one with signs of life
Yet, a sinister blip interrupted the routine scan, a spectral flicker on his radar that vanished as swiftly as it appeared. Dismissing it as a mere glitch, Mackkiwi's thoughts were consumed by the potential of a significant discovery. The promise of wealth for the biological data he could gather drove him to ignore the warning signs. With fervor blinding his caution, he descended toward the planet.
As the ship penetrated the outer atmosphere, a series of malfunctions clawed at the edges of the serene picture. Alarms shattered the silence, creating a discordant symphony with the German warnings from COVAS—warnings that fell on uncomprehending ears. Mackkiwi's usual reticence was broken by sharp exclamations as his instruments betrayed him, control slipping through his fingers like grains of cosmic dust.
The descent became a battle against the planet's will, the Explorer shaking violently as if in protest. The thrusters faltered, power flickered, and with each passing second, the ship was consumed by the atmosphere's wrath. The cockpit became a chamber of horror, bathed in the red glow of failing systems and the Commander's desperate curses.
Then, catastrophe struck—a violent tremor that sent ripples of destruction through the ship. The hull moaned in despair, a grotesque prelude to the end. The Explorer, once a vessel of ambition, was now a plummeting tomb, ensnared by the planet's merciless grasp.
With an impact that reverberated through the desolate landscape, the ship met its grave. The silence that followed was as profound as the void itself. The fate of Commander Mackkiwi hung in the balance, an unanswered question that melded with the darkness of the planet below.
This was the terror that unfolded as the Commander descended toward the unknown, a gripping tale of isolation, dread, and the unyielding grip of fear. What lay beyond the wreckage, in the shadow of this alien world, was a horror yet to be revealed—a horror that had only just begun to whisper its sinister secrets.