*As I made my way through the crowded corridor towards the center of the ship, I passed by dozens of Coalition soldiers who were huddled in small groups, deep in conversation. Some were discussing the recent discovery of polyps on the surface, while others were expressing their unease at the appearance of the stalks. But one thing was clear - everyone was on edge, anxious about the possibility of an attack.

As I approached the CIC, I came across Jace Stratton, the Coalition's sharp-shooting sniper. He was standing in front of a vending machine, repeatedly bashing at the glass window with his fist. I could see that he was trying to knock out a candy bar that was stuck inside, but no matter how hard he hit it, it wouldn't budge. "Damn! Nearly had it that time," Jace swore, giving the vending machine one last, hard punch before turning to me with a grin. "That's a price I'm willing to pay," he murmured to himself, obviously not caring that the candy bar was a few years old and that he might throw his guts up after eating it.*