Quatarious didn't end clean
Neither does every mission do.
It never does.
The extraction was fast.
Too fast.
No debrief.
No rest.
The voice in the speaker announced with a rushed voice.
"Return to Nexarion immediately."
That alone felt wrong.
Inside the ship.
Silence.
Even Assault didn't talk.
Heavy sat still.
Aira stared at the speaker.
Akane sat quietly.
Something felt off.
Not danger.
Worse.
A priority transmission cut through.
Sharp.
Urgent.
"This is Nexarion Central Command."
Static.
"We have confirmed internal contamination."
Silence.
Everyone stared in shock.
" I Repeat Nexarion has been breached" the rushed voice said.
" I repeat nexarion has been breached."
Assault blinked.
"That's not possible."
"Nexarion has the strongest defence ever made..."
Heavy didn't respond.
Aira's eyes narrowed.
"How"
The answer came.
"Returning drop ships carried the infection."
Akane looked up.
"Even clean ships?" he asked.
No answer came through.
Pause.
"The pathogen is airborne under specific conditions."
"Define the specific," Aira said.
Another pause.
"Highly concentrated radiated carbon dioxide."
Silence.
The commander continued.
"It attached to breathable air in enclosed systems"
"It remains undetected until activation."
"It spreads silently."
Assault exhaled slowly.
"So we brought it to our homes"
No one corrected him.
The screen shifted.
Nexarion.
Not burning.
Not destroyed.
But—
Wrong.
Soldiers moving quickly.
Containment zones forming.
Doors locking.
People being scanned.
Then—
A man collapsed.
On screen.
Convulsing.
Stood up.
Wrong.
Attacked.
Feed cut.
"ALL returning units will undergo immediate quarantine."
"Non-compliance will be treated as contamination."
Heavy turned his head down slightly.
Aira stared blankly into the wall.
Akane broke the silence by saying.
"We'll be separated now due to the containment"
Silence.
Then ships connected to theirs.
Took Aira, the heavy and assault.
The three waved eachother goodbye.
As the entire body of soldiers had been put on contamination.
2 cruel long hours of silence passed.
Nexarion came into view.
Massive.
Structured.
Familiar.
But now.
Parts of it were in fire visible in space.
Others flashing warning signals.
Ships orbiting with no life.
And it's two massive rings stopped rotating.
Large ships float around.
They're isolating sectors.
Leaving ships unmanned.
Power generators down.
What was once thriving.
Now lies in silence.
Akane stared at the station.
Something in his chest tightened.
Not memory.
But
Recognition.
"This place…"
The ai intercom said.
prepare for docking.
No direct entry
External quarantine lockdown engaged
The ship slowed.
Guided.
Not welcomed.
Mechanical arms extended.
Grabbing the ship.
Pulling it into a sealed chamber.
Doors closing behind.
Air cycling.
Scanning.
"Feels like we're the threat"
Doors opened slowly.
Armed personnel waited.
Weapons raised.
Not hostile.
But ready.
"Step forward"
He did
Scanners passed over him.
Light flickering.
Silent judgment.
Akane stepped through.
Paused.
The he was scanned througly.
"Clear"
He kept walking.
But something felt
Off.
Inside Nexarion—
Everything felt tighter.
Even more Controlled.
Harsher
Too quiet.
Hallways empty.
Doors sealed.
Silence.
Being watched.
No privacy.
As he walked.
He noticed something.
Subtle.
Too subtle.
A soldier in the distance.
Standing still.
Watching a wall.
Not moving.
The soldier tilted his head slightly.
Like.
Listening.
Then walked away.
Normal.
He was directed to a small room
Huge metal doors shut downed as he entered.
As he sat down the chair.
thoughts bursts his head.
Nexarion...
Is not safe anymore.
They didn't bring the war down.
It struck back and followed us.
Silence.
And somewhere—
Deep inside Nexarion—
Something was already spreading.
Days passed.
As he wondered his mind.
He became more sane.
Losing... His mind.
Days with no human contact.
No noises
Makes an ordinary human become crazy.