The soft glow from the bundle of fungi faintly illuminated the immediate area, making it stand out starkly against the dark cavern.
Upon closer inspection, Sergeant Will's suspicions were confirmed. This was absolutely not a natural formation!
The stalks of glowing fungi had been deliberately uprooted, bound together with a crude fiber rope, and arranged neatly. Would a mindless beast do something like this? Impossible. Even the smartest primates on Earth didn't weave their own flashlights.
This pointed to one thing: intelligent life. Something far smarter than a simple animal!
Will's heart began to hammer against his ribs. Intelligent life? There are actually sentient beings down here?!
The other quick-witted Marines quickly caught on, their eyes widening in sheer disbelief behind their visors.
Suddenly, a Marine whispered urgently over the comms, "Contact! One o'clock! Everyone, look at the one o'clock position!"
