Pushing a heavy slab of shattered asphalt off his legs, Caleb dragged filtered oxygen through his teeth. His canvas trousers smoked where stray acid droplets had landed.
The concussive wave from the Mimic's detonation left a high whine ringing deep in his ear canal.
His ribs ground against the ballistic weave of his undersuit.
The anomaly behind his sternum thrashed, asking for food he did not have to repair the damage across his back.
The protein block he ate in the staging tent was already gone, leaving his stomach twisted into a hard knot.
Rolling onto his knees, he coughed up soot.
"Sound off!" Rina shouted. Her voice cracked over the local squad link, harsh and urgent. "Hiro! Give me a status right now!"
Caleb forced his head up. The Rank C veteran was already moving. Scrambling over the broken rocks, Rina swept her kinetic rifle across the dark corners first, then started calling names.
