The group stopped a few meters away from the suited stranger. Nobody said a word for a while. Then, Rebecca raised a hand.

'Hello? Who are you?'

'Hello. Are you from The Company?' The man shifted position from one foot to the other.

'Are you?' Bill snapped as James kept the shotgun aimed at the stranger.

He noticed James, and raised his arms into the air. His hands shook. 'Yes, yes! Please, don't shoot. 'I'm Rich. Rich Harver. I mean no harm.'

Rebecca glanced back at James. 'What do we do?'

He shrugged, sweating from the tension. Who was this guy? Should they trust him? Shoot him?

'Show your face!' Bill demanded then.

Of course, if it was a monster, surely it wouldn't show its face. Though surely he wasn't, right?

'What?' The man lowered his arms. 'I can't breathe here. Can I come with you to the ship? Please? It's almost fully dark as well.'

'No!' they all said in unison.

James gripped the rifle harder, prepared for anything. You could breathe the air, just not for long. He knew.

'Please! They left me! They left me here! I'll die!' The man dropped to his knees, shaking visibly, heaving deep breaths.

James almost pressed the trigger when the man moved. By the seven. What should they do?

'Remove the helmet,' Bill said again, shining his flashlight at the man. 'We're not gonna ask again. We can't trust you're not some monster until we see you properly.'

'All right, all right, just... don't shoot,' he said in a shaky voice and raised his hands to his helmet. Slowly, he unclasped and removed it.

The man looked haggard and worn, in his forties probably. Brown hair with greying temples lay plastered against his head, sweaty face, some wrinkles around and deep shadows below his squinting eyes, a few days' beard stubble.

'Please? Are you happy? Can I put it back on?'

'Yeah,' Rebecca answered.

James could tell Bill wasn't happy about that so soon from his sharp head-turn. But he didn't object. James kept the rifle trained on the guy as he swiftly replaced the helmet.

'Thank you, guys. Really. You don't understand how lucky this is. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your ship-'

'Wait. You saw our ship? When?' Bill asked.

'Uh... when you landed. I've been trying to reach you before you leave for three days. I saw you land, and knew I'd only have one chance to reach you. Almost died getting here, dodging worms, baboon-hawks, and dogs all the way. Even those pesky little birds almost got me a few times.

'Birds?' James wondered aloud. The only birds they'd seen had always flown off when they approached. Surely they weren't harmful?

'Yeah, they land on you, if there's many they can lift you.' The man seemed more animated now, but still kept his hands up.

'The manticoils? I thought they were... nice.'

'Not those, the other ones. The pesky little flying snakes.'

James hadn't seen those, he supposed. But of course there were dangerous flying creatures as well. Shit.

'Where's your crew?' Rebecca asked.

Should have been their first question, really, James thought.

Rich waved a hand in the general direction he'd come from. 'They left. I mean, she left. Two of us died in there, and I was too late. Tess was on the ship, and I couldn't reach it in time. She... she left me.' He drew in a long shivering breath.

'Why did she leave you?' Bill growled.

'What? I was late, man!' Rich's voice pitched.

From fear? Fear of them disbelieving him, or fear they'd find out the truth? James swallowed. He'd rather not shoot a guy, but could they trust him?

'Don't you know what happens if you're late?' the man asked.

Bill nodded. James recalled what Bill had said about being on time or get left behind. The ship's auto-pilot took over if they didn't make it back before the deadline. Something like that. Lords of the Seven, he hated the Company.

'She left, or the ship left with her. Either way, I was stranded here. I've survived for four days, guys. Please. Let me come with you. I won't be in the way, I promise. I'll help.'

Rebecca looked back at them, her eyes wide. James could tell she wanted to help the man. Heck, it was a good idea if he was just being truthful. They'd be a full team again. They needed that. But were they ready for that so soon?

'What do you think?' she asked quietly. 'He could help.'

'If he's not some traitor,' Bill grumbled. 'I don't know.'

'I think we should allow it. But we'll have to be extra careful not to trust too early,' James whispered. 'He's probably just trying to survive. I mean... if either of us had been left, we'd do the same thing, right?'

They both nodded.

'Alright,' Bill addressed the man. 'You can come with us. But we're expecting you to do your part.'

'Of course! Of course! Seven Seas, thank you so much. You don't' even know how much this means to me. I thought I was a goner. Thank you, thank you...' he kept thanking them several times more, and even crawled after them a few steps before getting back up.

James reluctantly placed the shotgun back over his shoulder and grabbed his loot again, but kept his eyes on the man as they walked. Rich kept his eyes down, maybe afraid to look at them. Or shy? Who knew. He'd called to the Seven, so he was from Gordion, just like James, he'd noted.

They entered the shuttle together, and as the man spotted Dakarai's corpse by the cabin, he simply said, 'Oh,' and nodded to himself. James assumed he'd seen his share of death as well, and wondered for how long he'd worked for the Company.

They all removed their helmets, and watched Rich carefully. He begged them for water and food, since he hadn't had anything for days. They complied, and then the new guy simply fell asleep on the floor after eating ravenously.

'He must be exhausted,' Rebecca said, sitting beside Bill on the bottom bunk bed.

Bill nodded, his eyes on the stranger.

'It fits with his story though. I'd be dead tired too after four days out there, day and night,' James commented and ran his fingers through his matted hair.

'I wonder how he made it here,' Bill said. 'The shuttles are automatically routed to a good landing site, and probably also to a place far away enough from other teams that we can't get in contact with each other. Makes sense?'

'Yeah,' James and Rebecca both agreed.

'The Company is devious, so it would make sense they try to keep everyone separate, to prevent people from grouping together,' James added.

'Right,' Bill said.

'What happens now?' Rebecca asked. 'What happens when we go back to the Company? Which we should be doing already, by the way.'

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

'I don't know,' Bill grumbled. 'Normally, a new employee would be arriving shortly before we leave again. But now we are already four again, so I don't know.'

'Let's go and find out,' James said, turned to the computer, and routed it to the Company. A small sense of pride for knowing how to do it simmered behind all the confusion, pain and burning fatigue in his body.

As the shuttle rumbled loudly and shuddered to a stop on the pier by the Company building the next morning, they were all awake and suited up.

'Hey, thanks guys so much for this. I owe you my life. I can't begin to thank you enough,' Rich said as they waited for the engines to die down and the doors to open to the rain and wind of Gordion.

'Don't mention it,' James said, glancing at the new guy's yellowish suit. He wondered if each team had different colours, or if it was just an old suit.

'Just do your job, and we'll keep your back clear,' Bill grunted.

'Guys,' Rebecca said. 'What about Dak?'

She had tears in her eyes, James noted. Shit, with all the things happening he'd managed to push thoughts of Dak away for a while.

'Yeah, what do we do? Bill?'

Rich looked at them, but didn't say anything.

Bill sighed. 'Help me bring him out.'

James nodded. He'd rather not, but what could they do? Together Bill and James lifted and carried the headless corpse out from the ship.

'Where to?' James grunted.

'The only place we can leave things,' Bill huffed.

'Wait... no.' He stopped dead in his tracks.

'Do you see any other places here?'

'Bill! That's the monster!'

Bill sighed deeply, and set Dak's body down. 'Yes. I know. Are you gonna fight about it?'

'I'm not fighting,' James snapped. 'But it's very inappropriate. Don't you agree? Dak's a fucking hero, and you wanna feed him to that... that thing!'

'I don't want to. We have no other choice.'

'What's happening?' Rebecca came jogging out to them, hands full with scrap. 'What are you doing?'

James said nothing, wrestling with his thoughts and feelings. He understood what Bill said, but he couldn't ignore the wrongness of it all.

'They're going to hand that, the dead one, over to the Company,' Rich said unexpectedly.

'What!' Rebecca shouted. 'You can't! It's not right!'

'It's not right,' Bill agreed. 'But if we don't, we're fined and we might not make the next quota. It's either hand him in, or risk dying. Which way do you want it?'

'I've seen people chucked into the sea,' Rich offered.

'Wha... but...' Rebecca looked listless from one to the other, to the edge of the pier and to the Company building. 'That's... none of that's good.' She sniffled.

'Let's do what's best for the living, yeah?' Bill said in an unusually soft tone. 'We're alive, and if I can help it, I'd like to keep it that way.'

After a moment's silence and feet shuffling, James and Rebecca nodded.

Bill grabbed the corpse's arms and they both carried him to the counter in the large building. James swallowed nervously as they approached. The hatch behind the counter was closed. But he heard noises from behind it. Or maybe he was imagining them? Did anyone other than the monster inhabit this building? It was huge after all. Surely someone must work there? He glanced up. The tall, grey walls stretched up and vanished into the thick, low clouds.

They placed Dak's body on the counter as gently as they could, then stepped back.

'Ring the bell,' Bill said quietly.

James nodded. Suddenly, stinging tears sprang to his eyes, and his throat constricted. Sadness for his lost friend, guilt for causing his death, and a sudden realisation that this would probably be all of their fates, if they weren't eaten by monsters on the moons, hit him. What a terrible situation they were stuck in.

He tapped the bell once, and stepped back to a safe distance, struggling to keep his face passive.

Rebecca and Bill came to stand beside him, solemn and quiet.

The hatch opened.

James closed his eyes.

A hissing, scraping noise, a thud, and then the metallic thunk of the hatch closing again.

James opened his eyes again. The counter was empty, save from a few dark stains. Fuck.

'Let's get the rest over with,' Bill said and patted him on the shoulder.

Nothing else to do but to work. James went to the shuttle and started picking up things. Then they all went back and forth a few times, carrying their loads.

Rebecca placed something on the counter then that James recognized. An old receiver. He stared at it for a moment, then shook his head. Must have been some interference, or malfunction. Nothing else was possible. Or he'd imagined it. He's been very stressed, after all.

Someone coughed behind him. 'Excuse me.'

James and Rebecca looked back.

A woman stood there. Long blond hair in a pony-tail, blue pants, dark blue rain jacket. Maybe thirty years old.

'Oh, hi!' Rebecca said lightly, as if nothing was amiss. 'You must be the new... uh... yes.'

The new woman tilted her head ever so slightly and quirked her mouth.

'I'm the new employee, yes.' She stepped closer, extending her hand. 'The voice in the speaker by the door said I should join the crew on the pier, so I assume that's you guys?'

'Yes, that's us. Welcome. I'm Rebecca ' Rebecca shook her hand, then glanced at the others, raising her eyebrows as if she wanted them to save her.

'I'm Olivia,' the new woman said pleasantly.

Bill stepped forward and shook her hand, and then James and Rich followed. They introduced themselves, and explained that they were almost done unloading the ship. Then they'd have some time to get more acquainted before leaving on their first mission with the new assets.

'So, can I help?' Olivia asked, and looked around.

'You need to get a suit first,' Bill said. 'Unless you wanna dirty your clothes.' He indicated their flecked and grimy suits.

All the dust had become mud in the rain, but also, thankfully, washed off most of the red stains, James thought. At least from the suits, if not from his conscience.

'Alright. Where do I get one?'

'You'll have to wait for the orders to come in with the rocket,' James explained.

'Oh, rocket? Cool.' She smiled, her eyes alight with excitement despite her outer calm.

So alive, James thought. Had they really been that naive and happy when they first got here? Yes, probably more. Would she see them all as dull and grouchy like he'd seen Bill from the start, James wondered. Maybe not, if he put some effort into it.

'Umm, guys,' Rebecca said then. 'We're five now. We only have beds for four.'

'Oh yeah... uh. Who wants to share beds?' James asked, feeling silly.

'Wait, for real?' Olivia laughed. 'Only four beds? But we're five.'

'Yeah, something went a little wrong, so we're now one too many,' Bill said and dinged the bell.

'Well, that's not good. I... can wait for another crew?'

'No, don't worry about it. If they said you're coming with us, we'll make space,' James said. 'Rebecca... could you... do you...' He coughed.

Rebecca laughed. She got it. Neither of them wanted to share a bed with Bill, and they didn't feel comfortable enough with the new guys yet.

'Yes, of course.'

'Thanks.' His face heated, and he was glad for the rain and wind. Nobody'd notice. Probably.

A shriek had James heart take a double-tap, and he spun around just in time to see the red tentacles yank all the loot in through the hatch with a loud rattle. Olivia stood with both hands by her mouth, staring at the hatch.

'Holy shit! Did you guys see that? Did you see that!' She pointed towards it, stepping backwards.

Well, that went well. 'Yeah, don't worry about it. Just don't stand too close. It's just... uh...'

Olivia turned her wide eyes on him. 'I'm VERY worried about it! What was that?'

'It's a... It's... I don't actually know. Look, it doesn't matter what it is. It's just a thing that brings the loot into the Company building,' he said, trying to lessen the impact by being nonchalant about it. 'Some squid...'

'You are true professionals,' The Company's AI voice stated. The red numbers on the screen showed him they'd only just cleared the quota. One thing stood out to him. Company Suit – 5G. Five, James tried to make sense of it. Five! Company suit. Suit. Dak. He couldn't breathe.

Olivia stared at him for a while, then back at the building. 'My guy, that's no squid,' she snapped. 'And I don't like it. But sure, don't tell me, I guess. Where do I get my suit?'

'Uh...' James tried to refocus on the conversation again. She'd think they were all crazy. Oh well. It could have gone worse, all things considered. What had she asked?

'I'm ordering one right now,' Bill called from the shuttle. 'And some more food and gear. Watch your heads and don't get flat.'

'Don't get flat?' Olivia's voice pithed a little.

'Just the rocket,' Rebecca said. 'Come over here, look.'

James followed Olivia towards the rocket's landing pad. Rich already stood there, squinting at the sky.

'Hey,' James said and stopped by his side. Rich was taller than him, he realized. Pretty wide-shouldered as well. Great if he was strong. Would help with the looting later. 'How long have you worked for the Company?'

Rich bit his upper lip a bit, giving him the face of a bulldog. 'Not sure. But maybe a month.'

'Wow. That's pretty impressive. We've been at it for a week now. Well, two missions. So, almost–'

'Eight days,' Rich finished for him.

'Yes. The worst eight days of my life. Feels like a year already,' James said.

Rich smiled vaguely. 'It can always be worse.'

Well, that was uplifting. But at least they were five now. It should make things a little easier.

The rocket roared, the flames lighting the whole place up in bright yellow.

The happy little song played, and James remembered a friend who'd danced to it once.