Operation: Alien Artifact

"Are you sure about this?" Robert asked into the comm transmitter, his hands securing the gas-mask tightly around his head. "We don't know how well these natives organize, or how prepared they are."

"Don't give me nonsense, Robert." Arthur replied from the other side of the deployment bay, as he ran a last minute check on his equipment. "Miriam ran a scan of the largest local settlement. No physical weaponry of any sort, or at least none that could be considered dangerous at long ranges, and defenses at their most basic." Arthur slid a cartridge into a compartment under the left armpit of his suit. "We're pretty much dealing with spears and bows here. Keep an eye on your oxygen, your ammo, and your surroundings, and you'll be just fine."

Arthur turned to a small panel adjacent to the closed ramp at the end of the room, and gave it a thumbs up. The walls rumbled and the floor trembled, and the lights inside the deployment bay flashed once before turning off completely and being replaced by a red glow.

"Attention, deployment bay sealed off and ready for deployment. Please confirm to open the ramp." A woman's voice blared through speakers located around the bay, and the red lights began to flash.

"Do your thing, Miriam." Arthur called into the panel. "We're all set down here."

"Deployment confirmed. Opening ramp."

The red lights stopped flashing and grew dim to the point they only illuminated the bay, and the ramp slowly began to lower, revealing a lightning storm raging on the outside.

"Get ready for the jump, Robert! Once outside, wait a while before firing the stabilizers! Remember the coordinates I gave you, and keep an eye on your map, and for God's sake, try not to be seen on the way down!"

"See you on the other side!" Arthur grabbed his lifeline and unhooked himself from it. "Remember! Second time's the hardest!" Turning his back on Robert, Arthur slid down the ramp and dropped down to the ground beneath.

Robert groaned, sight locked on the gaping maw that the ramp made. He took a hold of his lifeline, and walked toward the ramp.

Foot after foot, until he stood gazing down at the abyss.

"Fuck." He whispered. "Fuck, this is crazy." He took one tentative step forward, feet pressing down on the steel floor, the cascading rain outside the ship roaring frightfully.

"Alright, let's-" He screamed as his foot slipped on the edge, sending him tumbling downward, lifeline still attached to the flying ship. His body tossed to and fro as the ship flew onward with him flailing about behind it.

"Shit! Shit! Miriam, cut the fucking lifeline! Let me loose!" He screamed into his transmitter, arms and legs flailing. "Let me loose!"

"Detaching lifeline number two."

"Holy fuck!" Robert felt the lifeline lose tension and his stomach grow a pit, as the ship slowly became smaller and smaller, and the ground beneath drew closer and closer.