Falling Power. Survive or all die. Alexander Skopintsev

wound.

      – Lula, report on my condition,» Rent ordered his battle system.

      Lula’s melodic voice came through the earpiece:

      – Sergeant Lyle, you have a serious rifle pulse wound. Diagnosing active bleeding and multiple contusions. No bone damage. General body condition: Cortisol levels elevated, heart rate 110 beats per minute, blood pressure 140/90. The values are slightly elevated due to heat and stress. Overall, you’re in good physical shape, Sergeant.

      Rent nodded:

      – Good. Lula, start tracking the prisoner on the perimeter.

      – Copy that, Sergeant. Beginning scanning the space around the elemental camp. Also activating a regeneration protocol to accelerate the healing of your wound.

      Rent felt a slight tingling sensation in the area of his wound as the nanomachines in his armor began to work on repairing the damaged tissue.

      – Thank you, Lula,» he said, looking out at the horizon. – Now we have to find the bastard before he figures out how to kill us.

      Chapter 2

      Two hours later, Lula reported:

      – Sergeant Lyle, using the ship’s residual resources, I have located the prisoner object. It’s three hundred paces south of our camp and moving away fast.

      Captain Lex straightened, sweat beading on his face:

      – «The prisoner is leaving. Then it’s time for us to follow his trail. Pack up your supplies, and we’ll leave immediately.

      Rent, breathing heavily from the heat, replied:

      – Captain, there’s nothing left from the crash. Almost nothing.

      Despite their fatigue and the pain of their wounds, Rent and Zorn began to gather the remains of the rations from the bodies of the dead Guardsmen. Their movements were slow, each effort difficult.

      – Lula,“ Rent turned to his system, „where the hell are we?

      – Sergeant, this planet is not on the charts. According to the battle sheet, your starship came out of hyperacceleration at unknown coordinates. You were attacked by an unknown force, but there’s no sign of them either. Possibly pirates.

      – Give me full statistics on the planet,» Rent ordered, wiping the sweat from his face.

      Lula began to report:

      – The planet’s atmosphere is thin. Physical exertion may cause unconsciousness. The current temperature is forty-seven degrees.

      Zorn, hearing this, cursed:

      – Holy shit! It’s hot as a volcano’s ass!

      Lula continued:

      – My current charge is forty percent. Probably enough for a hundred hours before the unmanned rescue ship arrives. Daytime on this planet is 40 hours, nighttime is six hours.

      Zorn swore again, his voice sounding tired and irritated:

      – Better than the barracks. Maybe I’ll move here.

      Captain Lex, despite the sweltering heat, tried to make a joke:

      – That can be arranged, Private.

      – We don’t doubt your abilities and desires, Captain,» Rent added dryly.

      Lex, wiping the sweat from his forehead, summarized:

      – According to the combat systems, we have less than three local days left to catch this thing. Let’s move out immediately.

      However, Rent moved away from the group and began fiddling with the repairmen’s welding machine they had picked up from the crash site. He began to burn a rectangular piece out of the starship door with brackets in the center.

      The captain, watching the sergeant’s actions, asked with obvious irritation:

      – Lyle, what the hell are you doing?

      Rent, without taking a break from his work, sarcastically replied:

      – Making myself a door, Captain. I want to open it to make it a little cooler.

      Zorn, trying to suppress an attack of nausea from the heat, inquired:

      – Why don’t you fix the ship too, smart guy?

      The heat was becoming unbearable. Sweat trickled down the Guardsmen’s bodies, soaking the clothes under their armor. Wounds throbbed with pain, and fatigue came in waves, threatening to knock them off their feet at any moment. Every movement, every breath was difficult in this fiery inferno.

      Rent continued to work the metal, ignoring the bewildered looks of his comrades. His hands moved methodically, despite the fatigue and pain. Finally, he finished carving a rectangular piece out of the starship door.

      – Here,» he said, raising the makeshift shield. – Now I have at least some protection.

      The shield was large enough to cover Rent’s chest and stomach. The sergeant attached it to his left arm, testing its balance and mobility.

      – One wound is enough for today,» he muttered, remembering the searing pain in his back from the prisoner’s gunshot.

      Captain Lex looked around at his men:

      – Is everyone ready? Let’s move out.

      The three guardsmen began their journey across the vast desert. Their steps were heavy, their feet sinking into the hot sand. They were followed by a chain of footprints, but the hot wind quickly erased all signs of their presence.

      The hours stretched agonizingly slow. The sun was scorching mercilessly, making every step a test of willpower. Sweat trickled down their bodies, soaking the clothes under their armor. Breathing became increasingly difficult – the thin air of the planet did not provide enough oxygen.

      Hanging in the sky were huge planets. Their presence gave the landscape a surreal feel, reminding the Guardsmen how far they were from the barracks.

      Zorn, barely moving his feet, muttered: