I remember initiating the thaw cycle manually for the other four crew pods - then just a blank. Next thing I knew, I was on the bridge and an automated landing sequence was in full progress. All the touch controls were unresponsive.
When I went back inside the ship, the crew were dead. Just smoking gas and fluids in the pods. I must have failed to complete the sequence. Some specialist, huh? Should have left it to the computer.
A hard landing, half buried in sand. No way we're going to get off here again and the follow-up mission is years behind us. We'll do what we can to survive but it's not looking good - we can't go outside without our suits.
There are four of them. All in suits. They're standing over a trench. Sombre. Looking down. I rush towards them, calling out. Who are they? Can't be the crew. They were dead.
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