The Other Place

Scavengers

The pilot stepped out of the smoldering wreck that used to be his IP-TS onto the course hot sand of Host 4's third moon. The only survivor, he tried to salvage supplies from the wreck. He knew he didn't have long, the scavengers would be there any minute. As he scrambled to the remains of the crushed lower deck, he could hear distant plasma engines speeding towards him.
"No, no, no! Not yet."
He frantically searched in vain for a weapon of any sort. As the enemy drew nearer he spotted a Grade 6 rifle dangling by the strap five feet above his head. He jumped for the gun, but fell a few inches short.
The rumble of the engines was just a few seconds away.
"Come on, just a little more."
He jumped for the rifle and managed to take hold of the barrel. He yanked the weapon down and prepared for the arrival of the Scavengers.
As the roar of white hot fire within the engines grew louder, he braced the gun against his shoulder and waited. Now the vehicles stopped. He looked through a hole in the hull at the six ton trucks, they were covered in dust from the recent storms and the treads were rusted from crushing what little vegetation survived in the desert. The Scavengers jumped down from the trucks and loaded their weapons, their sharp teeth showed over their leathery, dry lips and their armor was patched together with hides and scraps of the ships they hunted.
They crept carefully closer, watching the wreck for any signs of life. The pilot was perfectly still, praying that they wouldn't see him. One of the enemies stepped into the ship and turned to face him, growling and baring its fangs. The pilot raised his gun to his shoulder and stared strait into the creature's hateful black eyes. He looked at its long matted locks of hair, and its dusty rags. He pulled the trigger.
The gun didn't fire, it was jammed. The beast lunged forward and slammed its powerful jaws shut around his throat, tearing every vein and muscle and crushing his bones. The other creatures rushed in to feast on some of the fresh red meat.
The pilot blinked.
"This is it." he thought.
His head turned toward his lifeless body lying on the floor being torn apart before his very eyes. Then everything went black.