Chapter 2: Gunnery Sergeant Noah “Bulldog” Rhodes Noah stood near the equipment racks, running his hands along the rifle’s sleek casing. The matte finish felt unfamiliar compared to the standard-issue gear he’d carried for years. This new model, built specifically for zero-G environments, was lighter, smoother—and, in his opinion, far too delicate. He gave it a skeptical look. Fancy doesn’t mean functional. Nearby, engineers buzzed around the launch bay like ants, their voices blending into a constant hum of activity. Noah’s eyes flicked toward the mission clock: T-minus one hour, forty-five minutes. He exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders. The weight of his gear felt heavier than usual—maybe it was just in his head, or maybe it was the quiet hum of anticipation tightening his muscles. He'd been on plenty of missions, but something about this one felt different. He exhaled slowly, setting the rifle down to check its battery pack. Everything about this mission was h...