Maya let out a long breath, leaning her back against the cool metal of the housing. We can't keep patching this place together, Aris. The planet is changing faster than the tech can handle.

Aris looked down at his scorched gloves. He knew she was right. The old manuals were dead weight now. Survival on Colony 7 wasn’t going to be about forcing the environment to fit their plan anymore. It was going to be about how fast they could rewrite the plan.

The season premiere of their mission was off to a chaotic start.

Aris grabbed a plasma torch from the tool wall and moved toward the lift. The metal grate under his boots felt hotter than it had an hour ago. When he reached the sub-level, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and heated iron. Maya was straining against a massive iron wheel, her boots slipping on the slick floor.

The overhead lights flickered, stabilized, and the oppressive heat began to slowly recede.