The last thing Moonwood felt was the ground falling out from under him and he lost his footing. He closed his eyes before he fell. 

The seconds of falling felt like an eternity before a strong jolt went through him. He was no longer falling and yet he felt no pain. Everything was black before his eyes. No sound could he hear. "Am I dead" he thought briefly before slowly opening his eyes. Glaring light hit him."This is it. That must be it. I'm dead." Flashing, his eyes tried to adjust to the light. Gradually he perceived blurred outlines. It seemed to him that he was looking into a face. Slowly the image sharpened, and he looked into the face of Lieutenant Rathaline, contorted with effort.

Sliding his gaze sideways from her face, he caught sight of her outstretched arm, its hand gripping his wrist tightly. He risked a quick glance at his feet and sat the gaping black abyss beneath him. It was that moment he realized that he had not yet died but was hanging on to Rathaline's outstretched arm above the abyss. He was only separated from life and death by the strength and length of Rathaline's arm.

"Pull yourself up!" said Rathaline, whose strength was slowly leaving her. 

Moonwood felt him slowly slipping from her grasp. 

"I can't hold you much longer," she cried out. 

Quickly, his hand, which was in her grip, clasped her wrist to keep him from slipping away. Next, his other hand sought the edge of the cliff. He grabbed the sandy yet firm ground and pulled himself up with all his strength. The lieutenant supported him as best she could. With their combined strength, they managed to hoist the Doctor onto the safe ground. 

Moonwood lay on the floor, panting. Next to him was Lieutenant Rathaline, who was also visibly out of breath and seemed to be gathering herself. Even being totally exhausted and gasping for breath, she looked like a goddess. Moonwood could not help but stare at her. Even as the uncomfortable feeling of inappropriateness crept up on him and he felt somehow watched, he simply could not take his eyes off her.

Captain Narson had stepped up to them. 

"Are you all right Moonwood?" he asked the Doctor lying on the floor, who nodded slightly in reply. "And you Lieutenant?"

"I'm fine Captain. Thank you for asking," it came back briefly. "You go ahead. We'll close up immediately."

The captain turned away from them with a curt nod and went on his way.

"Thank you," Moonwood whispered breathlessly. 

"No problem." Rathaline gave him a brief smile before standing up. "Just take better care of yourself in future. I don't want to keep bailing you out." 

With that she turned away from him and strode towards the others.

Moonwood looked after her one last time before he too stood up and followed her. 

"You two gave us quite a scare there," Commander Cari greeted the Lieutenant and the Doctor, visibly relieved. Captain Narson was also more relaxed, as he now knew his team was complete and safe for the moment. Not so Solomon, who had been glowering at Moonwood all along.

"We could have saved ourselves the shock if our esteemed Doctor had stepped it up a notch."

Moonwood first looked at him in speechless horror before then regaining his speech. 

"You think I enjoyed that? That I'm just going to run a little slower, risk my life by doing so, and just see what happens!?"

"I didn't say that. I meant it the way I said it. If you had been faster, we would have saved ourselves a huge shock and the Lieutenant wouldn't have had to put her life on the line."

"Why did the Lieutenant have to risk her life anyway? Why not you? Couldn't you Admiral or did you simply not want to save my life?" Moonwood stepped closer to the Admiral as he spoke. Only a metre separated the two, which Solomon also reduced in the next moment until, they were eye to eye.

„You probably won't have noticed, as you were busy with, as you call it, running. But I was not only securing your oh-so-precious life, but also those of the others. You should thank me for using my firepower to keep those monsters away from you."

"So, it was your shot that got me into this situation in the first place. I thank you. I really do. Thank you for almost killing me."

Anger glowed in Solomon's eyes and his right hand slowly moved to the blaster on his belt while Moonwood just stared at him motionlessly.

"That's enough!" Captain Narson stepped in between, thus forcing Solomon and Moonwood apart, but they were still glaring angrily at each other.

"This is really not the time or place for such childish arguments. Solomon, you should be relieved and pleased that we are complete again as a team, instead of making a fuss about the fitness and stamina of your team members. Because that's what we are. A team. We should show our appreciation to the Lieutenant. You are not exempt from that. So, whatever you were planing to do with that, take your hand off your blaster and calm down now. Otherwise, there will be a murder here and the victim won't be Moonwood, you can be sure of that. Take that as a threat but mark my words Solomon."

Narson then turned to Moonwood.

"And as for you Moonwood. I expected better from you. How can you, of all people, blame the Admiral for your fall and thus practically frame him for murder. You, who always logically and rationally recognise and analyse situations. The Admiral did everything possible to save our lives, including hers. I am really disappointed in you."

With that, Narson turned away from Moonwood again and stepped up to the lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Rathaline, I thank you for your selfless rescue action. You acted on our sacred principle when no one else did. You have my appreciation." With a thankful gesture, he gave her a brief nod, which she immediately returned.

Captain Narson stood in front of his crew.

"Now that we're all back together and everything else is settled, let's talk about the most important question. What do we do now?"

He let his gaze wander over the silent faces of his crew, eyeing each one of them. When, after a long silent five minutes, no one had stirred, Solomon dared to speak up.

"I would suggest that we go back to the ship. In my opinion, we have risked our lives enough times now on this blue lump of rock. Besides, the signal was obviously fake."

Now Commander Cari stepped forward.

"Excuse me Admiral, but you can't say that at all. We don't know if the signal is real or not. Our equipment could simply have been damaged by the radiation from this planet. If that is the case, then we cannot simply return to the ship, unless one of you made a map during our mission. If we were to try to find the ship again now, it would be our certain death. Not only will we die without our supplies. Even more, we don't know if more of these monsters will attack us if we try to go back the same way."

"Then what do you suggest Commander?" asked Solomon visibly irritated.

"I think we should try to find a way to our ship through the tunnel system of this mountainous rocky landscape. I myself have already taken a look into this tunnel here. It seems very deep and long and maybe we'll get lucky and get closer to our ship without being in mortal danger." He pointed to a large opening in the rock wall that none of the others had yet noticed or even recognised.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Moonwood agreed, stepping up to Commander Cari.

"Yes, a very good plan! If we assume that everything also turns out as you Commander says it will, then yes, it's a great plan. But we could also find much greater dangers in this cave or get lost in the tunnel system, if not both. Have you ever considered that!? I'm sorry, but I don't agree with this plan, not at all. I must say, I'd rather die here on the sandy surface, feeling the bright and warm sunlight on my face and facing the cause of my death, than to languish or be slaughtered in a dark, cold and wet cave somewhere."

"Admiral. It almost sounds like you're afraid of the dark!" said Cari in an acted surprised voice.

"Not at all Commander!" assured Solomon grudgingly. "I'm just trying to spare us all a gruesome, painful death. Why don't you let us ask the lieutenant and our captain? I'm sure they will agree with me."

All eyes now turned to the Lieutenant and the Captain, who spoke up first.

"Before I give my opinion, I would like to hear the Lieutenant first," he said, his gaze fixed on her. Feeling the pressure of all eyes laying at her she took a deep breath before she began speaking.

"I understand the arguments and concerns of both sides very well. But being a person who does not like to make the same mistake again, I say we take the caves and give it a go."

"But Rath-," Admiral Solomon began, but was immediately interrupted again by Rathaline.

"I'm sorry Admiral, but this is my last word on the matter."

"Very well, since I couldn't make up my mind anyway, democracy has decided in this case. Three against one. We'll take the caves." Announced Captain Narson, gesturing to his crew to get moving.

Cari and Moonwood followed him eagerly, while Rathaline only started to move leisurely. She still wasn't quite sure if she hadn't made the wrong decision. She just hoped not.

Solomon, who had made some distance to the others to take a few deep breaths and calm down, had now quickened his pace and caught up with Lieutenant Rathaline.

"Rathaline. Why? Why did you do this to me?" he asked. "Why did you stab me in the back like that?"

"Stabbed you in the back? That is very harsh. And remind me please, since when did we have an agreement that I always have to agree with you? I was just making my point, as required of me. And I think I made it pretty clear why I made that decision. But maybe you need an extra invitation. I. Will. Not. Make. A. Mistake!"

Solomon, who was visibly surprised at her angry reaction, just stared at her for a few seconds, eyes wide open and speechless. Suddenly he grabbed her arm so that she had to stop, fastened in his grip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you to open your eyes and wake up. You have to see that this is the mistake. Please, you're the only one who can save us from this mistake. Go to Narson and tell him that you've changed your mind and that we'd better go the other way. He will listen to you."

"I can't. My mind is made up. I'm not going to do anything else about this. Is there anything else or is that it?"

Lieutenant Rathaline looked at Solomon with a stern expression. Solomon shook his head in disappointment.

"Good, then it would be very nice if they could loosen your grip." With a glance she referred to her arm and Solomon complied with her request. With a jerk, she wrenched herself from him and quickened her pace to catch up with the others, not dignifying Admiral Solomon with another glance. He himself looked after her briefly before he also started moving again.