Quoted By:
He had been a soldier... or a member of some security force at least. But what remains of his uniform suggests military. And now just the corpse remains, slumped against the wall, remaining upright only through the rigid structure of his body armor. Because he had been dead for a long time - enough for the flesh to slough off and decompose completely, leaving behind nothing but a faded stain around the body where it once formed a putrefied puddle. And for the smell of rot to have faded completely from what was a sealed off interior...
The rest of the room is unremarkable - a square box with a small table in one corner and two of the walls occupied by switchboards and transformer boxes that tell you this probably once served as a control substation for a local power grid. The one notable thing is the door opposite the one you entered through - or more precisely, the crowbar wedged against it, preventing it from being opened from the outside.
The dead soldier's weapon lies beside him, but as you approach, you immediately notice that it's been damaged - something has shorn through the barrel casing and forward grip, likely rendering it inoperable. The weapon itself is an unfamiliar bullpup design, which in itself is unsurprising - if you landed on your destination planet (or any rimworld for that matter) you were likely to see weapons from across a dozen worlds, as well as native production adapted to local needs and circumstances.
The nature of the weapon does mark the long-dead soldier as a member of a vehicle crew or some other support role. Or - you correct for your location - someone armed for fighting in tight quarters.
You crouch down in front of the corpse and bring the flashlight to bear to examine it closer. Dull metal shines between the bony digits - the sphere of a grenade.
You suppress the impulse to leap backward and simply make note not to disturb the corpse. It does not seem to be a booby trap... but one of the fingers does sit inside the pin. Causing the body to collapse could easily have some unintended consequences.
Letting your gaze roam, you spot a tear in the soldier's uniform above his right hip. The size and length suggest a wound beyond the means of field medicine - he likely bled to death while waiting for his enemies to come finish the job.
Except... they didn't - you rise and approach the blocked door. It shows no signs of attempted forced entry. No one ever came for the decayed corpse behind you - neither friend, nor enemy.
He died alone. Forgotten by everyone. Not knowing if anyone knew. Not knowing if what he did mattered to anyone.
<span class="mu-i">"Listen carefully, pet," your Master lays a trembling hand on your head and you lean into it eagerly. "I have one final order to give you. It's very important..."</span>