The Shrooms

Life Comes and Goes

(Woman) Unsure how much time passed in here. No one else thinks about it, focus is on who can save us. He stopped tracking time a long time ago Neil told her. He believes a cavalry team from the United States will save us all. It's been fifty years since the news aired of his false return to earth. Her conscious says tell him no one back home concerns themselves regarding him, mostly because they've been fooled he died a few years back, but she refuses to crush the faith he garnered all the decades in here. I wonder if he knows it's been that long?

The meals served to us is quite good despite the grotesque grub-like presentation. Reminds her of Timon and Pumba searching for food. She wishes to take some back home, probably shouldn't be the thoughts in this situation. Anything to lessen the terror she feels. The alien force took a couple of people from their cells. Neil tells me it's to extract samples. They're so used to it they don't fight it, they actually volunteer to experience some outside shine from the giant torch in the sky.

The first she saw leave, Charles Conrad. A smart man who understands what the aliens speak, why they like him the most. He gets more food on his plate and they show him videos of earth, anything of his choosing. Most times he chooses the location of his wife who continued with his imposter. He hates watching it because she's never been that happy with the real him. His children, became society ideals of people, calling someone else father. They are what millennials would refer to as life goals. What gets him the most is them hugging and kissing each other so lovingly. What happens next would make his heart stop.

The second, Alan Shepard, the most hated of them all. The woman is the only one who talks to him though brief every time. He always devises a plan to escape. "He attempted freedom over two hundred times and he's still in here," Neil told the woman. She has yet to see one of these ingenious plans that result in his torturing which are brutal. His skin is layered with cuts and lacerations from the plethora of punishments.

She hopes to never be taken for samples but understands she can't avoid it forever. Until then she'll behave, follow the rules and avoid the pain.

(Prince) Quake has left for food. He's been stealing from a small local shop nearby. The prince wonders if they will ever catch him but he wouldn't help. He's the running type. Follows him on the food scavenge, he uses the suits stealth mode silencing his movements. Quake comes upon it stopping behind a tree a few dozen yards away. He's patiently tactical in the approach, knowing the owners paths they take every day. Routines are perfect for thieves.

Quake rushes in through the back door when the owners circle to the front. This is how he gets in and out with ease. Not this time. Quake is sent back out landing on his back. An alien standing over seven feet high, arms width of fire hydrants and legs that could demolish a car in a few kicks, follows furious. It shouts in its native tongue, the owners scurry over joining their new security. Quake returns to his feet taking his rifle from his back to his shoulders aiming at the beast. He pulls the trigger shredding it with plasma bullets that breeze through flesh.

The prince stands there, timid covering his face as he sprints back to camp. Gathering the few items he can in hopes of returning to their ship which is miles away. Retracing his steps shouldn't be difficult the prince thinks, he departs.

Quake stands there, three dead aliens in front of him. Survival is his game and he is the best at it. Their orange life-juice oozes out of each corpse spreading to his feet. Samples are collected, for the scientist back home, before he returns to the prince which as much food he can carry. Back at the trashed camp, the prince is nowhere in sight. Quake speaks his name in a loud hushed manner, no answer. He looks at his wrist gear that tracks the person he's assigned to. The blip is far away moving in the direction of their powered down ship.

"I won't die because of you." Quake squeezes through his teeth, furiously moving the remains of camp in a pile. Sparking a fire, he burns the camp as its use expires. Tracking the prince ignites.