The Shrooms

Season 2: The Plan Revealed

(Prince)

The Prince's head is down as he lays on the ground. Quake along the side with him. He waits until a signal comes from Quake to follow. A tap on the shoulder initiates action. The Prince jolts to his feet stealthy staying on the tracks of Quake. The land is wet from the recent bad weather full of rain and toppling winds. A lot of focus goes into keeping good balance, he doesn't want to fall too far behind.

The objective is to find mechanical parts to fix their ship's communication channel to home. It was ripped apart when scavengers of this planet discovered the ship. They unscrewed many pieces taking parts that were detrimental to the ship, but scavengers don't care. Along with the communication system, the steering wheel, the entire engine, fuel vacuumed out, and navigation system were also missing. They wouldn't know where to go if they successfully got into space.

Prince had the idea to steal the parts back, he's been chock full of them lately. His privileged mind has been stripped thanks to circumstances but been replaced by the ego of usefulness. He wants to be the one who gets them back safely, to make the plan of survival, to receive the praises from the people, and most importantly get respect from his Father. Quake hasn't paid much mind to his decisions, most being inadequate ones, but this idea was shared between them.

They get to the small two-story shack where they assume parts can be found. There was a sign with a picture of what resembles a rocket or some sort of ship along with their foreign language. They get to the back sticking to the wall, staying quiet as can be. A thudding noise sounds off from the inside. Light long steps to the nearest window to peek in and Quake sees a man sitting at a desk with his back toward him hammering metal. He tries his best to look around but is unable to get a full view of the room but so far he thinks the man is alone.

"One man with a hammer. Stay at the window, I'll move in through the front and surprise him." Quake tells the Prince who nods in agreement.

The window slides open smoothly making a faint creek noise but the hammering overpowers it. The Prince lifts his gun, that Quake allowed him to keep, at the man's back. He's never shot anything besides a few tree trunks back home. He's nervous about missing his shot or worse, accidentally shooting his only ally. Looking in the window he notices the man stops hammering, twitches like he notices something odd. He stands from his desk and slowly turns around. The Prince quickly ducks to avoid being seen. The man places his hammer down walks to the window shutting it to prevent anymore breeze from coming in. After locking it he notices the Prince kneeling, and Prince notices him watching. Prince stands up and points the gun at him. Finger off the trigger, elbow bent at an awkward angle, nose flared out. The man reaches for something unknown but doesn't get it in time as Quake bashes him in the head with the hammer. He falls against the window, Quake swings some more until his dead body shatters the window and his top half hangs out.

(Woman)

She sits at a table with her parents at the helms and her boyfriend across from her. They congratulate her as she announces her joining of the NASA Space Program. She's all smiles knowing how much she loved it and dreamed about it for so long.

"2390A. 2390A! 2390A!" Neil yelps. She awakes from the dream of happiness to a life of forced encampment. She's slow to get out of her bed. Neil drops two buckets in front of her, one of water the other foul-smelling excrement. "Your turn to tend to the shrooms."

She hates tending to the shrooms which this planet makes a lot of money trading universe-wide. She steals a few for herself to make it worthwhile, only an unnoticeable amount. She takes them to fall asleep better, a difficult task when you constantly think about dying. She grabs the two buckets, without showering yet, and goes to the farm outside. The guards first shackle her up from head to toe, only able to make small movements with her feet and hands.

At the farm, she lays to excrement with a provided smoothing tool then carefully waters each plant evenly. Not too much or too little, they each need the same and right amount. This is the only time she and the rest of her cellmates get a taste of the sunshine on their body. There's a different appreciation for something that's been there since the dawn of time when you're deprived of it.

Heading back to her cell covered in alien shit and water, she sees Neil preparing both of their beds. She just wants to shower and change clothes. They only get to shower twice a week, so the small window if time is special and important. She gets her clean set of wears to shower, Neil follows her in the hall.

"Even in this state, I would make you feel good." Neil says to her. She looks at him not in disgust but amazement how sex can still be a thought. But nature waits for no one and becomes aggressive when it needs its fix.

She ignores him for the dozenth time. It's not that she's opposed to the idea of sleeping with an almost one-hundred-year-old man who looks to be mid-thirties, the need for it hasn't seduced her. Plus, she's never done it before and for this to be her first time would be a scary situation. She tries to think small of the act because she sees and hears other prisoners doing it every time, letting nature take over their body for mindless sex. For now, she will continue to reject Neil.

In the shower, that's private for each prisoner, she faces up at the water allowing it to drench her entirely stripped body. Filling her nose, seeping in the eyes and ears. She opens her mouth swallowing as much as possible hoping that one day she would drown from the large intakes. It never happens. She reaches into her dirty pants pocket taking out three shrooms. Her tolerance for them has become high, eating three is how she feels the hallucinations she so desires.

Her mind becomes artful and unconscious at the same time. Body weakens forcing her to lay on the floor. All sounds leave existence until the constant running water on her naked rough skin remains. Whatever is in her mind tickles her soul, laughing to the point of uncontrollability. She feels herself up from her tired-looking face to her aching shoulders. Her small breasts are no more a thought like it was on earth. Toned physique from all the working out with Neil and others shows itself in her hands.

She doesn't even see know where she's at anymore. She's somewhere else in space. Probably a goddess of the universe traversing the endless chasm and what lies beyond. She reaches out to the stars to feel their warmth, the moons to feel it's chill. Then she sees a face, unrecognizable. She studies it better than any notes she'd written in school. She likes it, loves it actually. It just connects with her on a deeper level only achieved through the magic of the shrooms. She wishes this can be her life.