When Happy came to, he groaned as he was immediately blessed with a splitting headache and ringing ears—getting out of his harness in the middle of flight was not one of his best ideas; in fact, he was beginning to think that maybe a lot of his most recent ideas were not his best ideas. He definitely cracked his skull open and broke a few other things. G2 Omeocoon bones were known for being brittle because they were flexible, but they sort of made up for it because of a heightened healing factor. Happy would likely be fine in a few days, but it still hurt like no tomorrow. He stood up and held his forehead. He had to level himself. He was horizontal—or at least the pod was; everything had shifted in the crash—the port bulkhead was now the floor.
He was surrounded by sparking wires, broken display panels, night terrors...and...grease? He pulled his hand back from his noggin, only to be horrified by the sight of vitalum. In the dim light, he could see pink fluid accumulating on his hand—it had been leaking from his skull. He was startled by the sight of his own blood; he'd tuned everything out just to stare...was he too in over his head?
The computer talked in the background, muffled to Happy, but it still reported, "...Confirming atmospheric composition: oxygen 19.3 percent, nitrogen 76.2 percent, barometric pressure 15.4 PSI..." It continued droning on.
Happy's ears were still ringing...or...maybe they weren't? Happy straightened out, and he looked around. 'That didn't sound like ringing? That sounds like..?' Happy told himself; he moved to the exit hatch and started the short trek up the ladder to the door; once he arrived, he pushed the access button on the control panel. The area surrounding the hatch was doused in a light mist of disinfectant spray. Then, the hydraulic door clunked as the airtight seals broke, and finally, the doors began to motorize open slowly. The rushing water noise flooded the compartment; Happy instantly shielded his eyes; he was expecting sunlight. But he was met with a planet that seemed to be entering its night cycle, dusk. Happy climbed out of the hatch further and observed his surroundings. Just like Tommy, when he first crashed on Omeocoon, he was on a beach, but Happy wasn't back home.
His pod was half-buried by a patch of obsidian black sand. There was no grass, barely any color, and a barren wasteland, but it was fresh air. Happy's nose twitched with irritation as he inhaled alien oxygen. Looking off into the distance, he saw a puff of black smoke dancing up into the atmosphere....fantastic...pollution. At least he knew he wasn't alone; at least he could breathe.
'Where am I?' Happy echoed to himself. This was the first time in years that Happy had heard the ocean. It sounded pure, just like home. Happy snapped back into his mission mentality, he climbed back into the pod and ran to the helm. "I gotta get out of here! Set course for...erm." Happy stopped. He didn't even know where he was going. He didn't think he'd get this far. What was he supposed to do now? Maybe he hit his head a little too hard...everything was foggy.
"Unable to initiate launch protocol due to damage to the thruster control module." The computer replied as it called up the specific module that needed repair on the cracked display panel. "Time to main power loss, 39 hours, 24 minutes, 13 seconds. After power loss, further aerial navigation will be eliminated."
"What?! No! I'll die here," Happy shrieked. "Wait! Why are we even losing power? Aren't escape pods supposed to serve as some kind of shelter before rescue?" Happy interrogated the computer.
"This vessel's main power cell was damaged in the crash." The computer returned simply.
"Well, how do I fix it?" Happy said, putting his hands on the display panel as if he were holding someone by the shoulders.
"Repair of propulsion system will promote recharging of batteries, which will avoid main power loss."
"Wait...you're saying that the engine will work as some kind of alternator...like in a 21st-century automobile?"
"Affirmative."
"Well, where am I supposed to find the parts to fix that?"
"Processing." The computer stopped to think. Then it returned to speaking mode, "5,000 life forms have been detected within walking distance of this vessel."
Happy pulled back and started anxiously playing with his hands. This place didn't exactly look like a prime spot for a colony. Then again? Who was he to judge? He lived on a spaceship. "Wait...you want me to talk to people?"
"Affirmative."
Happy gulped, "And there isn't any other way? Like—I can't just fix the broken one?"
"The current module is beyond repair. Replacement is required. Coordinates of the local settlement have been sent to your tablet."
Happy felt the buzz in his utility belt. He pulled it out, looked at the display, and then huffed and puffed, "Fine! Alright—alright. I'll go...but I won't like it!" Happy growled as he moved toward the rear compartment of the pod. He had some walking ahead of him.
He figured he ought to throw on something a little less conspicuous. Venturing over to his duffle bag, he opened it and rummaged through it. Not much could be used for a disguise here; a blanket from home acted as a cloak in a pinch. In this barren wasteland, he looked like a yellow and orange highlighter walking around the beach. He attracted less attention this way.
What was he supposed to say when he got to this town? He'd be making first contact with whoever was on this beach...what was he supposed to do for money..? All he had was whatever was in his duffle bag, this escape pod(none of which he'd be taking apart to trade; it was damaged enough as it is,) and 56 onits, which his father had given him as his daily allowance for the week. He worked in a shop and was a decent barterer—Pop taught him one thing at least.
As Happy touched the ground, even through his leggings, he could feel the sand on his feet; it felt so different from the Kori's solid titanium floors. It almost tickled. Happy went all wobbly for a minute as he stepped forward. Gravity felt so strange when one wasn't spinning around in a ring.
Happy stopped, trying to get his bearings. His knees felt like jelly(despite what he was,) but this was natural...he had to learn how to walk again.
YOU ARE READING
Number One Fan
Ficțiune științifico-fantasticăWith a ship as large as the Kori. It's no secret that some people just don't really fit in. And Happy is one of them. He annoys EVERYONE! He's an outcast! And his father can't control him! Unfortunately for Tommy, Happy just happens to be his number...
