Atlas Abandoned

Exodus - 1 year since crash

"Again," AGS-9 instructed. Atlas sighed, grunted, and strained. "Again," AGS-9 was putting him through even more strenuous training than when he first started by doing pushups. Now Atlas was hoisting a sack of rocks up the side of the mountain using a makeshift rope and pulley. His back was on fire. "Again."

"How many more times do I have to do this?" Atlas whined.

"Three more and then rest." Atlas struggled and barely completed his last repetition before laying down on his back from the seated position he was in. Atlas still couldn't use his right leg, but that didn't stop AGS-9 from training him right there in Camp Wellspring. The android had turned the place into a home gym and created tools, benches, and mechanisms to help Atlas train just about every muscle in his body. He was working as hard as ever in the 3 months they'd been here. Atlas was laying at the edge of the cover of the cave's mouth, looking up at the sky of gray. Atlas liked pretending he was inside a giant space station and then clouds were really just the metal walls keeping him in.

"Do you remember the rest of this circuit?" asked AGS-9.

"Yeah, Aegeus, why?"

"I'm going to go get some more firewood. Keep going and start over if I'm not back by the time you finish." Atlas made an exasperated grunt.

"I'm sorry I'm so useless!" he knocked on the shoddy cast wrapped around his leg. Not even AGS-9 was sure if it was severely sprained, fractured, or broken, but he had enough protocol to help Atlas through the recovery. He was helping the rest of Atlas' body catch up to the strength his legs had gained after a year of running around this planet. This was a very frustrating time for the boy because he was getting used to looking out for himself.

AGS-9 gave Atlas a thumbs-up with his one arm.

"You're fine, Atlas. Now stop complaining and start on your hyperextension."

AGS-9 left and Atlas continued with his workout. He finished it and drank an entire bucket of water, doused with sweat, wondering where AGS-9 was. He wait a few minutes, caught his breath, but saw no sign of the android. Following orders, Atlas started up his workout routine all over again, grabbing at the rope to pull the rocks up the mountain again.

Out of nowhere, a thunderous rumble mixed with a cosmic crackling tear roared through the sky. It startled Atlas so much he dropped the weights he was curling and one landed on his left foot. He winced and jumped to his right foot, but that leg was in a cast and he sloppily tumbled to the floor. It was only from this angle, though, that Atlas saw something he hadn't seen the entire time he'd been on this world. There was a hole in the clouds! He was looking into the sky- into space- which was certainly a sight for his sore eyes. He smiled, and a bewildered laugh escaped his lips. Was Planet Demeter still hiding surprises for him? Was this a rescue ship? Atlas' smile faded. Was this something else? Something bad?

Atlas got up and hobbled outside the cave just enough to be able to see the phenomenon above. He noticed AGS-9 standing a hundred feet away with a bundle of wood in its arm. The android also seemed fascinated by whatever was going on.

High, high above the planet's surface and above its atmosphere, The Euros had just successfully completed its second warp jump and arrived at precisely the same coordinates The Persephone had a full year ago. The commanding officer had convinced the rest of the Mammoth soldiers manning the ship to prepare for the unpleasant effects of the jump by getting a little drunk. They had a blast doing it for their first jump, but, as soldiers had a reputation for doing, they got a little too drunk this time and found themselves heavily disoriented when arriving at N98-CL5, or Planet Demeter.

"Suck it up, boys!" belched the commander, "We're here!" The pilot slapped himself in the face a couple times and widened his eyes as he attempted to study the instrument panel. He strained his eyes. He did a double-take and strained again. He even went as far as to call someone over to verify a reading he wasn't sure of. The pilot chuckled to himself before spinning around in his chair and delivering the news.