Chapter 10 #2
Roys stopped at a scurrying noise. All of us raised our flamethrowers.
The flora beside Ryker and I moved. We prepared ourselves.
A rat creature waddled out with six legs, a blossom on its head and little tendrils for whiskers.
The rat nibbled on the bud of a plant and wandered back into the forest.
“As I was saying, the militia will stay for the first few months. If the planet is inhospitable danger-wise, then the survey team leaves with us. If it proves hospitable, a small military team will come to live on Illionxonah-14356 long term with the survey team,” Roys said.
“Which would never be any of us,” said Iylene.
“Correct. We will be reassigned, and another team will descend.”
“This may be the most I’ve ever heard the captain speak,” Arana said over her shoulder at me.
I heard him say a lot. None of it for their ears, and I wanted to hear more.
I liked when he got all riled up, how different he was, like he had peeled back a protective layer that shielded him day in and day out.
There was something gratifying about getting that strong composure of his to break, and wondering how many others had managed the same.
Roys never had anyone, not that we knew of, though it had been a short time since his arrival.
I couldn’t really imagine him in a relationship, even what happened between us seemed like more than he could manage. He was surprising, to say the least.
“Those are the cushy jobs, likely for the colonels and their favorites,” Ryker added.
“Yes, we’re lucky, too, in a sense. This isn’t the worst I have seen.” Roys cut aside more flora, tossing the remnants of it into the jungle.
“Weren’t you nearly eaten by a flora the other day?” Zavir asked.
“Like I said, not the worst I have seen.”
“Details,” Ryker demanded, as he would. He was the nosiest bastard, likely because he came from money. His mothers were politicians, and gossip was their language of choice. Ryker learned from them, although less for political reasons and more for his own intrigue.
“Careful, Ryker, you’re asking a lot of our captain. We keep pushing his buttons; who knows what will happen.” My chest warmed thinking of that right eye of his twitching. No doubt it was because Roys almost looked my way before stopping himself.
“I’m not pushing buttons. I’m curious. This is our first planetary tour.” Ryker knocked his hand against my chest. “Iylene has been on two. Lilea, Zavir, and Arana have been on one, and the captain on…?”
“Didn’t you stalk his info?” I whispered, yelping when Ryker pinched me.
“Six,” Roys answered.
“And that’s just the planetary ones. Lots of soldiers die on these, remember? They had us watch that damn video,” Ryker said.
The group shuddered. Even Roys knocked his head to the side.
“All the ways you may die on the job,” Ryker mocked in that damn droid’s voice that manned all the mandatory vids.
Arana hugged her torso. “Why the fuck would they show us that? I still have nightmares about that U’sek’s dick piercing getting cau—”
Zavir cut Arana a warning look that had her giggling apologetically. U’sek’s had a lot of piercings, a rare few I knew the meaning of. They got one at birth, after their first breeding, first offspring, probably a promotion at work — I wasn’t too sure. Just a lot.
“Yeah, none of us liked that.” Ryker cleared his throat. “Details, Cap, if you’d please.”
“Xenothasyllius-673 was the worst,” Roys replied.
He mentioned that one in the caves. “A volcanic planet we knew was uninhabitable from the jump. Straiers were there in droves, though, and the Intergalactic Court wanted to know why. A team was sent in to investigate and annihilate if need be. It was hot, hotter than this.”
Arana gagged. Iylene made a pleasant humming sound. They quite liked warm weather. Their species often sunbathed in the nude, though it wasn’t much different from them clothed. They didn’t have genitalia after all, just abnormally long tongues I thought were gross until one used it on me.
“It was a bloodbath.” Roys tossed aside more ferns, taking a break afterward to get his drink. We did the same, listening as he went on. “Garethrinorope-01X is a close second.”
Another dumb name. Why? Name the planets something normal!
“Another uninhabitable. Our scans showed potential for valuable minerals beneath the surface. Didn’t want to waste the scientist, and most of the droids malfunctioned from the storms. Mornings were below freezing.
Nights were worse, and the creatures even more deadly.
The same minerals we were looking for underground hid the creatures from our radar.
On the third day, we were attacked, blocked in, and had to survive six days before reinforcements were sent in. They don’t always send them.”
“Hah?” Ryker coughed.
“Reinforcements.” Roys took to cutting again, speaking as if he mentioned the weather. “If the militia finds it a waste to send a rescue team in, they’ll leave you.”
“Thanks Mom’s,” Ryker whispered under his breath, even if we all knew that. Suspected it, I guess. We were expendable. No one would be foolish enough to enlist otherwise.
Roys didn’t say more after that. No one asked.
We had our own stories to share. I couldn’t remember all the people I met.
The militia ate through us like a rabid hound, feasting upon offered flesh that the world had already beaten and bruised.
Then there were the stories of before I left the Colony.
I didn’t like thinking about that, sure as shit wouldn’t share it.
The others didn’t want to share theirs either, so we spent the rest of the day in silence.