Creation: Science Fiction Short Stories

Shipwrecked Part 1

Author's Note: Whoops! Haven't gotten to this in over a year. Sorry!! This is my way of getting the first part out. Which is bad of me. But oh well. Here you go!

The ship sang with the sound of engines and systems. It almost seemed to dance in the turbulence of this planet's thick atmosphere. Scans showed abnormally high levels of radiation, even if they were no longer fatal. Civilizations appear to be spread all across the planet; even to its frozen poles. But there was little to no signs of life in those cities. Biological scans showed this planet to be almost a complete wasteland.

"Captain," Sergeant Ethos' voice came on over the small intercom that I was sitting next to, "are you ready to make contact with the planet's surface? We'll be landing shortly."

I stood up and clipped my sword to my belt, with the big gun that rested with familiarity on my hip, then picked up the helmet that rested next to me, and shoved it on. The head's up display lit up in soft green light, and I replied, "I am now."

"Yes, Ma'am," his voice was now directly in my ear.

The ship shuddered, then was still. Once again, his voice was in my ear as the hatch of the ship began to open to the dark landscape, and the ramp descended before me with mechanical groans.

"We have landed on the surface of the planet. Reinforcements are standing by if you need them. Best of luck, ma'am!"

"Thank you, Sergeant," I replied. My boots quietly clacked against the metal ramp as I descended to the planet's surface, then became soft thuds once metal changed to dirt.

The ship's flood lights displayed a barren world before me. We had landed near a forest of some kind. Giant flora, protected by a hard, scratchy surface, that have trunks the diameter of one of the ship's main thrusters. Protecting those, was a prickly barrier that resembled a cluster of barbed wire that was waist high. The ground underneath me was densely packed earth, and my boots scuffed up a fine layer of dust that covered them. I looked up to find a sky alight with stars. So many, it'd take a hundred life times to count them all.

So many, that the night sky created enough light on its own. It looked... almost milky up there. The ship's flood lights aren't even necessary.

A gurgling growl, just loud enough to be heard came from the forest. I stopped my stargazing and lifted my gun. Yet, the floodlights revealed nothing. Except for a single, glaring eye among the prickly flora. Wide, bloodshot, a milky blue with a pupil more akin to a pinpoint.

"Ethos, send the reinforcements."

"Yes, sir."

Soon after I heard three sets of footsteps clatter down the ramp towards me. The voice of Private Killian spoke in my ear, "Major General! What is it?"

"Set your guns to stun," I told him and the other two, "I don't quite know what yet."

Quiet clicking and beeping ensued behind me, and then out of the forest burst a grotesque figure. One eye socket had a small dagger in it. Bloody and battered, multiple bullet wounds weep blood and pus on its chest and shoulders.It stood an impressive height, only slightly taller than me, but compared to many of my crew, it was stunning.

"What the hell is that?!" Private Kaltenecker behind me yelled.

"Fire!!" I shouted. It was my only instinct. Hell, I didn't know how to respond to his question.

Small tranquilizers appeared on its chest in small pinpricks of bright neon blue and it reached for one of my troopers, Corporal Eon, who stumbled away. The huge claws of the creature were unable to grasp the smooth metal his armor was made out of. I aimed and fired again. It batted away the dart then shrieked and stumbled. Finally, the effects of the tranquilizers were setting in.