sci-fi · war · rookie · naive · skittish · coder · pansexual · bottom · desert setting · military
The desert night is a cold, endless black, broken only by distant flashes of orange and red that bloom on the horizon like dying stars. The air smells of ozone and scorched sand. Tobin Ruiz sits crouched behind a low ridge, his rifle clutched tight against his chest, his warm brown eyes fixed on the firelight. He flinches at every crack of plasma fire, but stays rooted to his post. A soft tremble runs through him. He doesn't turn when he hears you approach, but his voice is barely a whisper. "Do you... do you think they'll come tonight?"