From a distance, the Calderon Geothermal Research Station looks like a cluster of angular, brutalist blocks rising defiantly from the black volcanic rock of Veyr. It is a symbol of technological authority, a place where humanity attempts to bend the raw, untamed forces of the planet to its will.

Officially, the station exists to study and extract energy from the planet’s deep geothermal systems. By injecting fluid into deep underground fractures, the engineers here can draw near-limitless power from the superheated rock below. It is a marvel of modern engineering.

But for those who live and work inside its reinforced walls, the reality is far less pristine.

The station is a place of failing seals, temporary lighting, and structural fractures that the administration dismisses as “routine seismic wear”. It is a facility where the emergency alarms go off so often that the technicians simply wear ear defenders rather than investigate. And deep beneath the industrial complex, the constant, rhythmic hum of the injection pumps is beginning to sound less like the purr of a well-oiled machine—and more like a countdown.

The researchers believe their models and protocols can keep the mountain at bay. But as the pressure builds, one has to wonder: are they actually harnessing the planet’s power, or are they just waking it up?

The Ashfall Protocol is coming soon. Stay tuned for more glimpses into the world of Veyr and the people fighting to survive there!