Storm

Kai cautiously descended towards the lake bed, ice and frost accumulating on his metallic body. This time, however, his combat mode shielded his joints and sensitive areas, making him feel less affected by the extreme cold, though still somewhat stiff.

"I've reached the resource point," he reported to Seraphina through the comms. "What do I do now?"

[There should be buttons on the pipe nozzles. Press them to activate the energy shields on the pipes, then submerge the openings into the fluid,] Seraphina instructed.

Despite the protective measures, the memory of being frozen solid by the cryolumboid fluid still lingered in Kai's mind. "Okay," he said with a nervous chuckle, but his mental fortitude quickly quelled his fear.

As he approached the lake, the ice on his body grew thicker with each step, becoming almost unbearable.

"Looks like I have no choice but to use that," Kai muttered, closing his eyes and concentrating on the energy output of his body, slowly increasing it.

"Thermal pulse!" he whispered, releasing a strong pulse of heat from his body. The ice and frost on his body began to melt, along with the surrounding ice within a five-meter radius.

"Phew, that should keep me safe for now," he said, resuming his trek towards the lake. With each step, the ice melted beneath his feet, then refroze as he moved forward.

In this manner, Kai slowly made his way towards the liquid, but the lake's shorebed wasn't deep enough to submerge the nozzles fully. He made a bold decision, increasing the intensity of his thermal pulse and stepping directly into the cryolumboid fluid.

He stepped into the cryolumboid fluid lake. Instantly, ice formed around his feet, only to melt away just as quickly under the heat radiating from his body.

Having reached a sufficient depth, Kai pressed the button on the nozzles. A net-like energy mesh shield formed around the pipes up to the ship, instantly defrosting the accumulated ice on it.

"Okay, I'm in position and submerging the nozzles," Kai informed Seraphina. "You can start the pumping."

He plunged the pipe endings into the fluid, the ice constantly forming and melting on his hands as he worked. After a minute of careful positioning, he emerged from the lake, leaving Seraphina to manage the extraction process.

"So, that's done," Kai said, still brimming with energy for more work. "What's next?"

Seraphina's voice was calm and measured. 

[There's nothing else for you to do right now. Other than just keeping an eye on the pipes and the ship. Ice falls constantly here, and they could get covered in just a few hours. Melt the ice off every half hour.]

Kai glanced at the ship, noting the growing piles of ice accumulating around it. A frown formed on his face. 

"Ugh, okay," he said in a low voice. "I just wanted to explore a bit. It's not every day I get to visit a new planet." He sat down on a nearby icy hill, a sense of disappointment washing over him.

Melting the ice around the landing gear every so often, he watched the distant storms, muttering, "This is really boring, just melting ice all day."

His boredom was abruptly shattered after an hour by Seraphina's shouting in an urgent tone. 

[Kai, hurry! You need to find shelter. I'm detecting disruptions in the cloud patterns. There's a blizzard coming!]n]

Kai jumped to his feet in shock, the boredom replaced by a rush of urgency. Thinking of a place to hide he suddenly remembered that the transport ship had strong defenses.

Kai broke into a run, heading towards the transport ship. "Won't the ship be destroyed too?" he shouted. "Should I fly away from this area?"

[No, you don't have enough time,] Seraphina's voice crackled urgently.

[The drones are returning to the ship as well. Just get inside, and I'll activate the ship's energy shields. They'll protect you until the storm passes.]

"If you already had shields, why did you make me take care of the ship?" Kai asked, still running.

[I didn't want you to wander off and get into danger,] Seraphina replied, her voice a mix of exasperation and worry. 

[But now's not the time to discuss this. You need to hurry!]

Kai sprinted towards the ship, his metallic body a blur against the icy landscape. Suddenly, he remembered something and activated his skill, transforming various areas of his body into small jets. With a powerful burst of propulsion, he leaped high into the air.

The already darkened sky grew even darker as the wind intensified and the weather became grim by the second, making it increasingly difficult for Kai to maintain his aerial maneuverability.

Spotting the transport ship ahead, he activated the ladder mechanism and, with a full power burst of jet propulsion and a powerful leap, he dove through the partially open cargo bay doors.

Second later, a deafening boom shook the ice as a massive boulder plummeted from the sky, landing precisely where Kai had just jumped from. Ice shards exploded outwards in a blinding cloud.

Reacting quickly, Kai slammed the button to close the cargo doors, cutting off the storm's fury just in time. The ship shuddered under the impact of the boulder.

"Sera! Sera!" Kai shouted into the comms, urgency filling his voice. "I'm inside! Put up the shields, quick!"

The moment Kai shouted the command, Seraphina activated the shields, and a blue, hexagonal-patterned energy barrier materialized around the ship.

Inside, Kai was sprawled on the floor, one hand on his face. "Damn!" he exclaimed with a sigh. "That was a close call. If I had been even a second later, I would've been crushed by that boulder."

He lay there for a few moments, regaining his composure. Then, he stood up and headed towards the cockpit.

On the way, he paused to check the status of the cryolumboid fluid tanks. He turned on a small screen, which displayed "66% full." Kai frowned. "The tanks are still that empty after all this time?" he muttered to himself.

He sighed and entered the cockpit, quickly checking the ship's basic systems to ensure they were functioning properly. His attention was drawn to the worsening weather outside.

The sky had turned pitch black, and loud booms echoed from all directions. "Switch the feed to night vision and enhance the image," Kai instructed Seraphina. "I want to see what's happening out there."

The side panoramic screens switched to night vision, and the ship's exterior lights illuminated the area a few dozen meters ahead, the view visible through the central glass window.

Kai turned towards the panoramic screens and felt a chill run down his spine. The sky was a swirling vortex of darkness, with massive tornadoes forming in multiple locations, their funnel clouds resembling giant, ominous eyes.

Hail and rain poured from the sky, a torrent of cryogenic liquids like liquid nitrogen, methane, argon, and other unknown elements. 

Massive ice boulders, ranging in size from mini vans to two-story houses, formed from frozen nitrogen and other gases, plummeted from the clouds.

The cryoflora, sensing the impending storm, began to retract into the ice sheets for protection, their bioluminescence dimming until the surface was plunged into near-total darkness.

Thunder roared through the sky, striking the peaks and glaciers with devastating force, shattering them into countless fragments.

Kai watched the apocalyptic scene unfolding outside, then leaned back in his chair and closed the shutters over the glass window.

"This weather feels like something out of a disaster movie," he muttered, the sound of rocks pelting against the energy shield still audible despite the closed shutters.

"I just hope I'll be safe in here," he murmured, his voice a mixture of hope and apprehension as he settled back in the chair, trying to relax his tense mind.