As soon as she stepped out, a shimmering glow formed around her. The forcefield held enough oxygen to keep her comfortable for hours. Her wristpad was connected to her nervous system and constantly monitored her vitals to make sure she never lacked anything. As long as its link to the ship’s thilium core was not severed, it would never fail.

A map of the area appeared on her retina. Taking a moment to inspect it, Sarisa started down a slope. The terrain was tricky and she’d have to watch her footing, but there was enough purchase for now. The original explorers had dug a trail leading to the buried ruins, so she did not expect too much trouble. Still, she had rope and pitons to help, in case the land had changed in the past two thousand years.

There was not much to see ahead, because of so many protrusions. It was all jutting rock, everywhere she looked. No trees, no rivers, no flowers...

From reading geological reports, she knew this world had not always been like this. There had been life here, once upon a time. Billions of years ago. Before even the birth of humanity. That was how she knew how old this language was.

How long had this civilization survived, though? And what had destroyed it—not to mention this world? Why was it like this now? So many questions ran through her head. It baffled her that no one else wanted to know. The past could inform the present, even the future. It seemed so obvious to her. There had to be lessons to learn here. Mistakes to be avoided.

Her right foot slipped, and her hand shot out to grab a nearby rock spike. Regaining her balance, she frowned at the floor and carefully stepped over the broken surface. The stone here was brittle and she could see cracks running through many of the tiles that paved her way. She paused at this, realizing that this was not natural ground. Was it the path the explorers had dug, or something much older, dating from that ancient civilization?

Stolen novel; please report.

Sarisa took a deep breath before resuming her walk.

Another ten minutes, and she reached the bottom of a large crater. Checking the map, she saw there should be an opening in one of the walls... right behind her, in fact. She turned, walked around a boulder, and stopped when she found the shadow-filled opening. It was small, but not so small she couldn’t fit into it.

A tap on her wristpad and a glow appeared, floating in front of her. She moved forward and it moved with her, lighting the way.

Shadows parted as she stepped into the narrow and damp tunnel. She could smell the rank air, but it did not stop her. Nor did the trickery steps that took her further into the dark depths of the earth. Trickery not only because they were slim and uneven; they were also partly covered with a glistening substance that proved slippery. She had to be careful to avoid those spots as she slowly made her way down.

When she reached the bottom, she found herself in a circular cave. For a moment, she wondered if she hadn’t taken a wrong turn. She hadn’t examined the crater as she should have... Could there have been other openings? She had assumed this was the one and had hurried in.

The reports mentioned no other tunnels, however, so she had to assume she was in the right place. Her mind was appeased when she found what the explorers had called the ‘knob.’ A bulbous rock formation that resembled those antiquated grips for opening doors. Except, as they had noted, there was nothing natural about it. It was smooth and formed a perfect sphere. Clearly, it had been crafted, likely by the aliens who once lived here... Though for what purpose remained a mystery.

It jutted out from the wall near another tunnel opening. She ran her fingers across its surface and was startled by how warm it felt. It had been chilly outside, even more so here... and yet, this ‘knob’ was warm.

Sarisa pulled away and stared at it for a moment, then headed down the new tunnel.

Despite knowing what she was about to see, the view stunned her when she finally arrived at the end of the hall.

She now stood on a ledge, high above the ruins of an ancient city. The city sprawled through a gigantic cavern, as far as the eye could see. To reach it, there was only one way. More steps. Steep ones. Just as narrow and uneven as the previous. From the ominous glint, she could tell more of the same slimy substance would impede her progress. Even more troubling, there was no railing.

With a grunt, she started the slow descent.