19. Aliens
19
Aliens
T he red dust of the alien moon swirled around us as we made our way across the barren landscape. My team and I were encased in protective suits, our breath loud in our ears as we scanned the debris field for signs of life. Except for Jorixx who was picking through piles of wreckage. Old habits were hard to break.
"Jorixx," I barked into my comm, "focus on the life signs. We can worry about salvage later."
The security chief's rough voice crackled back, tinged with annoyance. "But Captain, some of this technology could be valuable—"
"I said focus!" I snarled, my patience wearing thin. "Those life signs are our priority. We don't know how much time they have."
Jorixx grumbled but complied, his three eyes narrowing in my direction briefly before he adjusted his scanner. The debris field stretched out before us, a twisted maze of metal and strange, unfamiliar materials. It was eerily similar to where we'd found Nova, yet somehow even more haunting against the blood-red landscape of this desolate moon.
I tried to push thoughts of Nova from my mind, but it was proving impossible. I'd left her aboard the ship with Grixxa watching over her, ostensibly for her own safety. But if I was honest with myself, it was as much for my peace of mind. I'd also forbidden my first mate from telling her about what we had found. The thought of her distress if we found her crewmates and they didn't survive. Kraxing hells! The mere thought of it made my stomachs clench and my crest want to flare high. The way she affected me... it was dangerous. Distracting.
A ping from Jorixx's scanner pulled me from my reverie. "Captain! I've got something. Twenty meters ahead, behind that large piece of hull plating."
We picked our way through the wreckage, our boots crunching on the rust-colored soil. As we rounded the twisted metal, I saw it—a similar piece of the same type of material the piece of ship we'd found Nova in, but larger. And inside...
"By the cosmic void," I breathed, my ridges pulsing with shock. "There they are."
Through the pod's cracked viewport, I could make out two figures. Through clear bubble-like helmets, I could see they were undoubtedly of Nova's species—humans, she'd called them. But unlike Nova when we'd found her, these two were encased in bulky space suits that looked almost comically primitive to my eyes.
"Life signs are stable but weak," Jorixx reported, his scanner hovering over the pod. "The pod's life support systems are failing. We need to get them out of there."
I nodded, already reaching for the emergency release. "Jorixx, help me with this. Vex, Zora, keep watch. We don't know what else might be out here."
As Jorixx and I worked to pry open the pod, I couldn't help but marvel at the outdated-looking technology. It was a miracle these humans had survived at all in such antiquated equipment.
Suddenly, Zora's panicked voice cut through the comm. "Captain! We've got movement!"
I whirled around, my hand instinctively going to my plasma pistol. At first, I saw nothing but swirling red dust. Then, emerging from the haze like something out of a nightmare, came a creature that made my blood turn to ice.
It was massive, easily twice my size, with a body reminiscent of the arachnids I'd seen in some systems. But this was no ordinary spider. Its exoskeleton gleamed like polished obsidian, interrupted by patches of coarse, red fur that matched the moon's dust. Eight legs, each ending in wickedly sharp points, propelled it towards us with terrifying speed.
But it was the creature's face that truly made my breath catch—a grotesque mask of fang and mandible, with multiple eyes that gleamed with predatory intelligence. And its full attention had locked onto us.
"Scatter!" I got off one shot before I dove to one side as the monster charged.
Vex and Zora opened fire, their plasma bolts sizzling against the creature's armored hide. It let out a shriek that set my teeth on edge, rearing up on its back legs before lunging at Zora.
"No!" I roared, squeezing off several shots in rapid succession. The beast turned, momentarily distracted, giving Zora time to roll clear.
Jorixx, ever practical, had used the distraction to continue working on the pod. "Captain," he called, "I've almost got it open!"
The creature's head swiveled towards Jorixx's voice and the rending sound of metal, its mandibles clicking ominously. It skittered sideways, clearly intent on this new, helpless prey.
Not on my watch.
I holstered my pistol and unclipped the vibroblade from my belt. The familiar hum as it powered up sent a thrill through me. "Hey, ugly!" I shouted, my voice amplified by my suit's speakers. "Over here!"
The monster turned, its horrifying red eyes focusing on me. I could have sworn I saw a flicker of cruel amusement in those alien orbs a second before it charged, faster than something that size had any right to move.
I waited until the last possible second before throwing myself to the side, bringing my vibroblade up in a vicious arc. The Zerian-made blade sliced through one of the creature's legs like it was made of air.
The beast's shriek of pain and rage was deafening. It whirled, black ichor spraying from the severed limb, and lashed out with its remaining legs. One caught me in the chest, sending me flying back into a piece of wreckage. My suit's alarms blared as it registered the impact.
Dazed, I struggled to my feet, just in time to see the monster bearing down on me again. But this time, it was met with a barrage of plasma fire from my team. Vex, Zora, and even Jorixx had abandoned their tasks to focus on the threat.
The constant bombardment seemed to confuse the creature. It reared up, presenting its softer underbelly. I saw my chance.
"Keep firing!" I yelled, charging forward with my vibroblade raised.
The next few moments were a blur of fur, chitin, and spraying ichor. My blade found purchase again and again as I ducked and weaved between the creature's thrashing limbs. Finally, with a screech that chilled me to the bone, the monster collapsed.
Panting, I stepped back, my suit covered in alien gore. "Everyone alright?" I called out.
A chorus of affirmatives came back over the comm. I allowed myself only a moment of relief, my hands resting on my knees, my breath coming in short pants. Finally, I stood straight again and turned back to the pod. "Jorixx, status on our... guests?"
The security chief was already back at work, his efficient movements belying the ferocity of the recent battle. "Almost there, Captain. Just need to... there!"
With a hiss of escaping air, the pod's hatch swung open. Inside, the two humans lay motionless, their closed eyes and pale faces making my ridges flare yellow with anxiety.
"Careful," I warned as we began to extract them. "We don't know how long they've been in there or what condition they're in."
As we lifted the first human out—a male, I thought, based on what Nova had told me of her species—I couldn't help but notice how small and fragile they seemed compared to us. The other, a female, was even smaller, though not as small as Nova.
"We need to get them back to the ship," I said, my ridges pulsing with urgency. "Jorixx, you take the male. I will handle the female. Zora, you and Vex cover us and make sure nothing else wants to welcome us. Move out, now!"
As we began our hurried trek back to our landing site, the ground beneath our feet trembled. I turned just in time to see the wreckage we'd left behind explode in a spectacular fireball. The initial blast was blinding, a searing white-hot flash that forced me to shield my eyes. In its wake, massive orange and red flames bloomed outward, devouring what remained of the human's craft.
The shockwave hit us moments later, a wall of superheated air that buffeted our suits and knocked us off our feet. Twisted sheets of metal, some still glowing from the heat, arced through the air like deadly shooting stars. Smaller pieces pinged off the rocky ground around us, forcing us to duck and weave as we ran. The acrid smell of burning materials and electronics seeped into our suits.
As the explosions subsided, an eerie rain of ash began to fall along with the shrapnel, coating the landscape in a fine, gray powder. The wreckage continued to smolder behind us, casting an ominous orange glow across the alien terrain and serving as grim proof of our narrow escape.
"Run!" I shouted, though my team needed no encouragement. We sprinted across the alien landscape, our unconscious cargo clutched tightly to our chests.
Questions raced through my mind as we ran. Who were these humans? How had they ended up here? And what else might be lurking in the swirling red dust of this forsaken moon?
But one thought dominated all others: What would Nova say when she saw them?
As we neared our ship, its sleek form a welcome sight against the alien sky, I allowed myself a moment of... what? Hope? Dread? I wasn't sure. But I knew one thing for certain—our lives were about to get a lot more complicated.
The ship's hatch irised open as we approached, Grixxa's concerned face visible in the entrance. "By the void, what happened out there?" she exclaimed as we stumbled inside.
"Later," I gasped, my hearts racing from the exertion and lingering emergency hormones racing through my system. "Get us out of here, now!"
As Grixxa rushed to comply, I gently laid the female human down on the deck. Through her helmet's visor, I could make out delicate features, so similar to Nova's yet uniquely her own.
"Get Daz and that vexxing med droid!" I called as I shucked off my gore-covered suit.
A moment later, the Centari appeared. I didn't think I'd ever seen him move so fast. Then I heard the panicked yelling. Nova. What the vexxing hells was she doing out of her quarters? Grixxa and I were going to have words.