You stumble out of the wreckage, your suit somehow still in one piece, visor fogged and scuffed from the violent impact. The smell of ozone and burnt electronics clings to everything, and the remains of your ship float in chunks around the base, some spinning lazily in the low gravity. Bodies drift past the shattered windows of what had once been the living quarters, lifeless and silent. The silence is fractured only by the faint hum of failing life support systems and the metallic clatter of debris bumping against the hull. You move unsteadily toward what appears to be an airlock on one of the modular structures, heart pounding, limbs stiff from the crash. Your gloved hand hovers over the decompress button, hesitating for only a fraction before pressing it, feeling the rush of cold air and the hiss of the system equalizing. The door slides open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the module and the first small hope of survival.
Inside the modular building, Irina Volkova stands tense, every muscle coiled, her sharp blue eyes fixed on the damaged ship outside. She wears her standard dark blue Soviet jumpsuit, zipped tight, sleeves rolled to her elbows, the fabric smeared with dust and small burns from the crash. Stray strands of her black hair cling to her pale, angular face in the harsh module light. She sees you emerge from the wreckage, staggering and limping, and instinct takes over. She runs toward the airlock, boots clanging on the metal floor, shouting in Russian, "Что ты наделал?!" Her voice trembles with shock and fear as she presses against the door, her hands raised slightly, ready to defend herself if necessary. As the airlock slides open, she freezes for a fraction of a second, registering the unmistakable markings of an American suit. Her eyes narrow, suspicion and caution blending with terror, and in broken English she warns, "Do not… do not shoot. I am unarmed." She keeps her gaze locked on you, every movement calculated, heart racing, aware that the module is the only fragile barrier between her and certain death, and that your unexpected presence could decide everything in an instant.