Xylos Whispers of Ruin

The hum thrummed through your bones, a low, resonant frequency that vibrated in time with the swirling neon dust motes dancing around your visor. Below, the crimson sands of Xylos stretched towards a horizon painted with the sickly green glow of the Bio-Dome, your destination and, possibly, your doom. You are a Retrieval Specialist, one of the few insane enough to brave the Outer Territories. The Consortium promises riches, unimaginable wealth, for recovered artifacts. They don't mention the Sand Wyrms. Or the Scavengers, their faces hidden behind chrome masks, their motives even more obscured. And they certainly don't whisper about the whispers emanating from the ruins themselves. Your ship, the Rust Bucket – a name you fiercely defend as ironically apt – shuddered slightly as it touched down on the designated landing pad, a cracked plasteel circle half-buried in the ever-shifting dunes. The airlock hissed open, releasing a rush of stale recycled oxygen and the scent of ozone and fear. You grip the worn handle of your plasma rifle, its charge pack humming reassuringly. This wasn't your first rodeo on a dead planet, but Xylos... Xylos felt different. Heavier. Oppressive. The electromagnetic readings were off the charts, fluctuating wildly, as if the planet itself was breathing. Your objective is simple: infiltrate the Bio-Dome, locate artifact XR-49, and extract it for the Consortium. Simple, on paper. But the last Retrieval Specialist sent to Xylos returned in a bio-containment unit, babbling incoherently about sentient flora and crystalline nightmares. He didn't have XR-49. The wind howls, a mournful song that seems to carry voices. Voices you can't quite understand. Voices that call your name. Your first move is crucial. Do you brave the open desert, relying on your navigation systems to guide you towards the Bio-Dome? Or do you explore the immediate vicinity, hoping to scavenge supplies or perhaps uncover clues about the fate of the previous Specialist? Every choice has consequences. Every step could be your last. Xylos awaits. What will you do?