Clean. Just as it was meant to be for the Vector’s second in command. The bed was perfectly done, the metallic walls and floor were shining, as well as the assortment of basic furniture made out of the same material. A mirror hung on the wall next to the bed, reflecting one side of the room. A holographic clock rested on the nightstand next to a picture in a rustic, copper-toned frame. The picture displayed a girl no older than eight in a pretty, yellow floral dress, her mother and father standing just behind her. The glass cage on the desk contained an animal hidden in a small cave nestled amongst the sand that completed the synthetic, desert-like ambiance inside the miniature biome.

Everything was perfect.

The door to the room slid open and then closed with a hiss as a fully armored man walked through, his crimson red shoulder pads brightly contrasting with the rest of his dark grey suit. The man's shoulders rose as his chest expanded with air, his hands moving alongside as they traced a path up to his helmet. A few moments later, a light metallic click echoed around the small room. A stream of gas vented from his faceplate as he removed it, immediately cutting off the myriad of information that assaulted his eyes from behind the visor. After his vision cleared, he calmly approached the corner of his room that housed the bed and nightstand and gingerly placed the piece of armor behind the clock.

He loosed a sigh and turned to look at the mirror, the stark image of his scarred complexion stared back at him from the other side of the glass. He always told himself and his subordinates that every battle left a scar, be it mental or physical; his many years of service and pain had taught him that. He could have them removed, but he preferred to keep them. For him, they were a reminder. A reminder of what he had and what he continued to fight for.

The man took his eyes away from the mirror and brought his attention to the framed photo placed on the nightstand. He grunted as he lowered himself onto his bed and then reached out to carefully wrap his fingers around it. His mouth grew into a warm smile as he drew the picture closer.

“When will you come back, daddy?”

“Soon, sweetheart.”

“Do you promise?”

“Mhm... I promise.”

His smile twisted into a frown as he placed the picture back on the stand. A whole month had passed, yet no contact had been made with the USC. Planets had been found, yet every single one of them devoid of life and only useful for mining operations. He found it hard to believe that the Vector was so far away from the rest of the fleet. A month should have been enough to at least get in range of communication, which meant something was wrong.

And he was going to find out exactly what it was.

His expression unchanged, he stood up and walked over to the desk. With one of his fingers, he tapped the glass of the animal’s living place. A hiss soon reached his ears as a small snake emerged out of the small cave opening. It looked up at him inquisitively, probing the air with its forked tongue. Its timely response and calm, collected demeanor returned his vanished smile to his face.

“Good girl...” he said, opening the top of the cage and leaning down, sticking his head inside. The snake approached him and licked his nose, then snuggled up against it.

“I’m sorry I haven’t had much time for you... Things have been rather hectic,” he mentioned as he reached into one of the metallic pockets of his armor, retrieving a small bag from which he produced a small piece of raw meat. The snake tilted her head as it came into view

“I know, I know... we’re rationing, so it’s hard to sneak out much from our supplies.” He reached into the cage and placed the meat onto a rock. “I promise I will find you something that’s alive as soon as I can.”

The snake continued to look at him, then slithered over to the rock and opened her jaw, taking the piece of meat with her. The man knew she would be patient. After all, he always kept his promises.

He sat down by the desk, and a holographic display automatically opened. He began to manipulate it with his hands, running them over the various screens. As he navigated his way through the vast, virtual library, snippets of memories, images of campaigns won and lost from decades past, and images of friends and soldiers who had served with him loyally flashed before him. Lost in deep thought, he knew they were all fading quickly as he focused again on the task at hand. Pulling up a video data log, he thought briefly on what he was about to say.

“This is Infantry Commander Jack Silverback of the USS Vector,” he sighed as he began. “I have decided to start a log here, since I believe it could be of use in the future.”

“We have been out of contact with the USC for almost a month now. I do not know why or how, but there is no denying it, the comm lines have been silent.. The crew is uneasy, and all we have left is hope. Hope that we’ll return soon.”

“Something is wrong. I just know it.”

“After the jump, we found ourselves above a planet inhabited by sapient quadrupeds who possess the ability to levitate objects and apparently a fluent comprehension of Terran. Almost impossible to believe, I know.”

“This is not normal. And by no means is this supposed to happen when a hyperspace jump fails!”

“There are not many leads to follow as of now, except one. Rather, three.”

“A model MAC Mark One. A combat android. It was not hard to tell, since it speaks in monotone and usually acts, well, like a machine. We should throw it out the airlock.”

“I have no clue as to why it is here, but its existence alone is trouble. Troopers grip their weapons tightly and whisper to each other whenever it is nearby. They were banned after the Augmentation Crisis for a reason. If one of them gained sentience and rebelled against us, what’s stopping this one from doing so as well? Why, with every second it’s powered, we risk the same fate.”

“There is also this Raider... ‘Torres’, as I have heard. She does not show up on my display, and I am unable to pull any records on her. I have also noticed how the other Raiders stay away from her... I should probably find out why.”

“Lastly, there is this... augmentee wandering around the ship. Twelve feet tall, a mountain of pure muscle. It fails to show up on my display as well.”

“These three are all connected to the Admiral and are referred to as his ‘Personal Team’. Now, they had to have come from somewhere, and that is exactly what I am going to find out. If I’m correct, then this could be much bigger than I had originally thought.”

“Silverback out.”