Rubble cascaded down over the both of you, just barely skimming Meursault's suit. You had activated your shield for him just in time — a second later, and you both would have been reduced to debris as well.

This was the second time his suit malfunctioned today. If you noticed, he hadn’t heard anything from you yet — and he hoped he wouldn't.

“...I will scan the area for anything of importance,” Meursault announced shortly, turning away from you. But that was only an excuse to catch his breath. His head spun in circles, and his vision blurred as he kneeled down.

He knew this was inexcusable behavior from someone who survived the Hatchery. He didn’t even know why he felt this way.

Except that he did. Coffee, sugar, and energy tablets could only carry him so far. In the grueling heat, he could finally feel his body's complaints catching up to him.

But his suit would always be bound to his skin; it would always be there to deplete what scraps of energy had. He had no choice but to persist.

“I found nothing that the other combatants would find interest in,” Meursault sighed tersely, finally standing up. “We will continue through this territory and rendezvous with the rest of the pack by nightfall, just as planned."