Chapter Nine

3 0 0
                                    

     The trio caught up with the old man as he climbed in some kind of dropped alien vessel. Thomas went to go in after him, but Rick grabbed his collar. "These ships are not rigged for human and are lethal in many ways. The fact that he got in unharmed is lucky. We need to coax him out from out here,"

     Thomas nodded as he walked around to the front where he could see the old man through a hole. He was tearing at the console, seeing what he could dislodge. Thomas leaned in. "Hey old man. We reconsidered about the payment. How about you come out here and collect it."

"I don't know you!" the old man shouted, his calm from before faded away. "I think I hit the jackpot in here."

"My friend out here says that stuff is pretty dangerous," Thomas said in his most authoritative tone. "Why don't you come out here and we can discuss it."

"You can't have any!" the old man shouted again. "This is my find and it is all mine. I am going to be rich!"

"He's lost it," Rick replied. "We do not have time for this."

"Just one more minute please," Thomas sad as he turned back toward Rick and Brock. "I wanna see if I can reason with him."

"This looks expensive," the old man said as he tugged on the console, trying to swipe it free, as he tugged the connecting wires began to light up. "I am taking it!"

"Come on, sir," Thomas pleaded. "There's still power in there!"

     The old man continued to tug and suddenly triggering a high pitch while then a bright light flashed. The old man seemed to explode, blood and bone flying everywhere. The machine then powered down, the threat it perceived passed. Thomas staggered back, falling onto his but as he crawled away. "I tried to save him."

Bock walked over and crouched. "You can't save them all, believe e I beat myself up inside for it all the time. But he had lost his mind and could only see greed and delusions. You can only help those who want t be helped."

"Come with us, kid," Rick said as he helped Thomas up. "There's a lot of people that need and want our help out there and lots to do. You good?"

"Yeah," Thomas admitted as he caught his breath. "I thought after everything I have seen I would be used to stuff like this."

"You never become used to stuff like this," Rick admitted. "That's how you know you are still human."

     The trio moved along the winding path through the alien forest. It was like they were in another world and nothing seemed the same. It felt like the razor-sharp branches from the trees above were reaching down to pluck at them and the weeds were trying to snare their feet. The three stayed close together, easier not to find out if it was all in their heads of if the plants around them had it out for them.

     The deeper they went the more the plants became aggressive. It seemed that every step they took, any path they went, the more that would try to snag them or affect them. Burrs were pushed against their clothes, spores and pollen spat at them. Before long all three travelers had their shirts over their mouths and were trying their best to avoid everything coming for them.

Soon the group came across a bunker, deep in the forest. It looked like it used to be a cabin and was overgrown.

"Help me!" a voice screamed from inside. It was feminine and seemed distressed.

Brock looked to the others. "What do you think?"

"You tell me," Rick said as he stood his ground, taking the moment to rest after the first leg of the journey through the forest. "When have had a lot of interesting run ins with survivors, some good some foul."

THEM: RAPTURE (Book Two)Where stories live. Discover now