The rumble of the descent shook the ship as it pierced through the planet's thick, gray atmosphere. Wind howled past the windows, streaked with mist. Below them, a dense forest stretched out like a living blanket, the trees gnarled and twisted, cloaked in fog.
Inside the ship, the streamers braced themselves.
"Landing sequence complete," Brogan said, hands on the console. "We're stable. Doesn't look like there's any immediate threats... just your standard haunted forest."
"Figures," ZaneZero muttered. "Game doesn't even pretend this is a nice place."
LunaByte walked over to the side door near the ramp. "Here's a button next to the hatch."
She pressed it.
Hissssss...
The door slowly creaked open, releasing a puff of stagnant air. A low, eerie groan echoed through the chamber as the cold wind swept in.
They stepped outside.
Before them was a dark forest—massive trees hunched overhead like ancient statues, their limbs clawing at the sky. Mist drifted around their ankles like smoke. The ground was soft, covered in wet leaves and scattered debris.
Then, a faint chime rang in their ears.
[Tip: Think the word "scan" to activate environmental scanning.]
"What the hell?" Brogan said. "Is that part of the game?"
"I think it's reading our thoughts," LunaByte said. "We're in a full neural interface, remember?"
"Okay, scan," Zane muttered, thinking the word.
In response, a blue filter swept over their vision. The trees lit up faintly in wireframe, and a pulsing red marker appeared in the distance.
[Objective: Facility Entrance – 600m Northwest]
"There it is," Vexxie pointed. "Let's go before something decides we're the objective."
They walked in silence through the forest, flashlights cutting through the fog. The occasional sound—a creaking tree, a distant rustle—kept their nerves sharp.
LunaByte stayed close to the group. "I know it's just a game… but this feels too real."
"That's the best part," Zane said. "No cheesy UI, no pop-ups. Just immersion."
The path twisted between mossy stones and fallen logs. At every bend, the scan confirmed the entrance drawing closer.
Then, at last, the trees cleared.
They stepped into a rocky clearing, and ahead of them was a massive industrial structure built into the side of a cliff. Twin rusted steel doors stood like silent guardians. A faded sign above them read simply:
Zartech Industrial Processing
Lights blinked dimly on a control panel nearby.
Zane approached it, pressing the largest button.
CLUNK. WHIRRRR...
The doors slowly parted, groaning under their own weight. Warm, metallic-scented air spilled out, like opening a long-sealed vault.
Beyond: darkness.
They stepped inside, flashlights immediately flicking on.
Pipes crawled across the ceiling like vines. Thick dust coated the concrete floors. Faint electrical buzzing echoed from deep within. Yellow hazard signs lined the walls, warning of outdated machinery and toxic leaks. A flickering monitor on the wall displayed nothing but static.
Then—
SLAM.
The doors behind them closed on their own.
The four froze.
LunaByte spun around, eyes wide. "Nope. Nope. I'm out. Screw this."
She rushed back to the door and pressed the panel beside it.
The doors hissed… and opened again.
Fresh night air spilled in from the forest.
"It's… not locked?" she said, blinking.
Brogan walked up behind her. "Looks like we can leave any time."
Zane nodded. "Good. Game's terrifying enough. At least it doesn't trap you."
Luna exhaled hard, laughing nervously. "Okay. That was a little dramatic."
Vexxie smiled. "A little? I saw your soul try to exit your body."
They laughed, but the tension didn't fully leave them.
Turning back to the factory, Zane's voice dropped. "Alright. Let's get what we came for."
They stepped inside again.
The doors closed behind them with another hiss, but this time, they didn't flinch.
Deeper inside, the darkness waited.