Back as myself, I painfully felt the machine release its grip from around my waist, its circular mouth inflamed as its head ruptured into several molten shards. We collapsed on the snow-touched ground together, its body just as shattered as mine. Aydin rushed to my side like he always did, but I hardly noticed him. Clarity of thought was gone, for my throat was clogged with a dense mass of copper tasting matter. The sickness was carefully choking me away from the realm of consciousness. I tried in vain to vomit it out, but it was too late, my eyes already dark. I did not perish there, obviously, but dire consequences did still linger. From that point of my life onwards, the verdict of fate was simple. I would never be alone again. [i][Search the caverns of Io, near the Oasis where shadows lurk.][/i] [b]Next Fragment:[/b] [i]Soon.[/i] [b]Book:[/b] https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/251789024?sort=0&page=0 [u][b]Giveaway Info:[/b][/u] [spoiler][i] I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time to read this. As always I want to improve my skills as a writer going forward, and any feedback you have, be it positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. I wish to give something back to my readers, so I will be doing a giveaway of the GuardianCon exclusive “The Moon Stirs” emblem code. To enter, simply leave a reply to this post with your thoughts on my story so far. You could focus on an individual entry of Biocatarus-2’s tale, or the narrative in its current entirety. There is no requirement on length, nor level of detail. Anything and everything helps. The winner will be randomly selected on July 30th, exactly one week from this post's release. [b]EDIT:[/b] Congratulations KaptKook, you are the winner! A PM has been sent so you can claim your prize! As always, I thank you for your time.[/i][/spoiler]