“Lower the shields! Now!”

Murphy was running for his life, screaming hoarsely into his lapel comm, stumbling through the desert like a modern Pheidippides. He tried following a zig-zag course across the plain, but under the circumstances he was more interested in getting back to the ship than dodging particle bursts. Training be damned.

Shit! A trio of red-hot photons crackled past his left leg, too close for comfort. Murphy looked down to see the fabric of his trousers melting faintly from the heat.

“Lower the shields!” he repeated, his voice a mere whisper. The ship was in sight now. Stupid busted earpiece, he had no idea if they even heard him. He tucked his head down and prayed for the final stretch.

The shields had a ten-yard radius around the ship. Almost there… almost…

“Raise the shields!” gasped Murphy.

The air hummed and shimmered as the energy shield activated, catching a particle burst in the exact spot his head had been one second prior. Murphy collapsed in shock — he was safe for now.