Kaelen adjusted his rebreather, the copper-tinted sky of the planet pressing down like a physical weight. On the maps of the United Colonies, this world was technically "HD-8842b," but to the scavengers and outcasts who lived here, it was simply Dune. It wasn’t like the deserts of Old Earth. Here, the sand was composed of pulverized silicon and rare-earth magnets, creating shifting dunes that sang with a low, metallic hum whenever the wind reached forty knots.
But as they slid down the slope toward the prize, the ground began to vibrate. It wasn't the wind. The hum of the dunes shifted from a melodic drone to a rhythmic, thumping growl.
"Static-Wyrm," Mira hissed, her hand flying to her flare gun.