Far From Home, page 7
“Come on!” Nitha shouted. “It seems to be middle afternoon. We’ll want to find some shelter before nightfall!”
Got that right. Seth managed to make the lip of the container with a good jump. Nitha grabbed his arm, pulling on him until he got the rest of the way out. As he dropped onto the soft ground, he sneered at the sensation through the soft soles on his shoes. We’ll have to be careful. Injury in this environment will be deadly.
Sweat poured down his back. The humidity alone promised to be deadly. A quick survey of the environment gave him some confidence though. He’d been through tropical survival training. This place looked a lot like home. Meaning most of what he learned probably applied.
“Where the hell is the rest of the ship?” Seth asked.
Nitha stood nearby, just to the right of the container. She pointed without a word. He came to join her. His back stiffened at the sight.
Miles of desolation spread before them in a wide line. The ship itself had broken into several pieces, large chunks tossed to the left and right. Their container had come free, sliding another several thousand yards before sinking in the mud. It was a miracle they hadn’t flipped over or tumbled the whole way.
Fires smoldered here and there, blackened areas where molten metal seared the foliage glowed red.
Seth whispered, “How did we survive that?”
“Luck,” Nitha said. “Or maybe the spirits watched over us throughout the descent. I don’t normally believe in that sort of thing. After this though…” She gestured to the carnage. “I can’t help but wonder if I’ve been wrong.” She turned to him. “We can search through that wreckage. Try to find some intact crates or something.”
“Unless I’m seriously mistaken, everyone on this planet probably saw a thing this big come down, right?”
Nitha nodded.
“How long do we have before they descend on it?” Seth frowned. “And how long have we been unconscious since crashing? We have to weigh the risk of encountering the natives with our ability to find clean water.” He tapped his chin. “Okay, so I think we should avoid all that. We’ll boil whatever water we find.”
“Purifying it.” Nita nodded. “That sounds reasonable. What do we put it in?”
Good point. Seth hurried away, moving through the desolated path before cutting to the left. The foliage thinned out into a clearing. He paused there, looking in each direction. Part of him felt like they had enough time to rummage through some of the wreckage. The timing bothered him the most.
“Come on!” Seth waved at her. “We have to hurry!” With only two of us, we can get away quick if anyone shows up. He felt confident they could defend themselves. It all depended on how many people showed up. The more the merrier. I doubt a bunch of prisoners will be trained to capture anyone using full-on evasion training.
Nitha jogged to his side. Seth immediately moved out, going for the largest of the wreckage.
“I thought,” Nitha panted beside him, “we didn’t want to risk it.”
“Seems stupid,” Seth replied, “it would be different if this was home. I could probably figure out where we were eventually. Get us on a path for a settlement. But if we’re on some alien world and the only settlement is for prisoners, then we’re on our own. Any advantage we can get will help. Are you okay?”
“It’s humid,” Nitha said, “hard to breathe.”
“You’ll get used to it.” Seth had to admit, he was surprised he did so well. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do any of this. He’d feel it later. The aches and pains were on layaway until he had the luxury of experiencing them. Hopefully long after we get off this planet. Providing she has a plan for that.
He could keep them alive in the jungle, maybe even find them reasonable shelter. But if they weren’t going to live there for the rest of their lives, that would be on Nitha. Though judging by the thickness of the plants, he had no clue if leaving was even a remote possibility. Unless the settlement happened to be a proper city.
That bit of hopelessness could wait until later.
They reached the first larger chunk of debris, something big enough to walk through. Seth paused at one end, peering down the length. It appeared to be a hallway, ripped clean from the rest of the vessel. The sharp edges twisted in all directions, like thorns on a rose bush. He turned to Nitha.
“Look at the floor,” Nitha said. “See the various panels? This probably sat on top of our container… and several others. Though this likely connected only two at the most.”
“Wait,” Seth replied, “do you think there are containers with more people?”
“Hard to guess. They carry normal cargo as well. It’s not all about slavery.”
“Wow. Okay. We’d better hurry on.” Seth picked up the pace toward the next section. This one appeared to be a room. He looked all around the clearing, hoping to find another box similar to theirs. Nothing stuck out. Lots of pieces though. Hundreds of bits of debris no bigger than him. “Do you think something exploded before we landed?”
“Based on all this…” Nitha crouched to examine a piece. “Yes, it seems quite possible.”
“God. We’re lucky to be alive after all.”
“Yes, that’s what I was saying before. It’s a real miracle. The spirts must have something in store for us.”
“Spirits… that your religion?”
“I would call it a belief about those who came before.” Nitha gestured to the next large section. “We’re almost there.”
Seth made his way over to it. The debris had been a room, but it appeared to be empty. He cursed under his breath. Did they have anything onboard this thing? He stepped forward, hovering his hand near the wall. It wasn’t hot so he leaned against it, bowing his head as he contemplated their next move.
“Cargo container,” Nitha said. “Just over there.”
“Where?” Seth squinted to see whatever she pointed at. He couldn’t make it out. “Just lead the way, please.”
“Sure.” Nitha hurried off. They moved toward the tree line, the edge of the path where the ship dragged along the surface.
The object didn’t become visible until they were practically right on top of it. How the hell did she see this? There were three large boxes, easily big enough to fit both of them inside. I guess I’m glad the creepy ass bastards who abducted us didn’t throw us in these. He wondered if it would’ve been more efficient.
Maybe they wouldn’t have died.
“How do we open it?” Seth asked. “Do we need a tool?”
“There’s an automated panel.” Nitha walked around it. “Here we go. It’s not broken. That’s a good sign.”
“Is this like the cuffs? You can just hit a few proper buttons to get through the thing?”
Nitha smiled. “Far simpler than that.” She tapped the thing once. The top hissed as one whole section rolled out of the way, receding into the left wall. “And there we are. They just open. They aren’t generally locked because why bother? The Guild tends to be the only ones accessing the stuff.”
“Thieves?” Seth asked. “Or pirates or whatever? You have those, don’t you.”
Nitha smirked. “Oh, we have those.”
“Why’d you say it like that?”
“Hm?” Nitha’s brows lifted. “Like what?”
“Never mind.” Seth leaned over the crate. There were more boxes, plenty of them in fact, crammed together. “What am I looking at? What is this stuff? And is it safe to touch?”
Nitha drew one of them out. She popped it open, revealing that it had a lot in common with cardboard. Her shoulders slumped. “Parts for repairing various technical devices.” She set it aside then tried another. “More of the same. Looks like we found the storage closet for their engineering team.”
“There are others,” Seth said. “Show me how to open them. We’ll search them all.” Together they went through eight crates in all.
Nitha waved at him from a good thirty yards away. “I think this’ll get us started!” She held up a box roughly the size of a briefcase.
“What is it?” Seth hurried over to join her. “What’s in it?”
“It’s a short-term survival kit. Medical, some protein, and a water purification device. Probably buy us at least a day or two.” Nitha shrugged. “There’s one more in here as well.”
Seth grabbed it. “Okay, we should…” Voices made him go silent. He pulled her into a crouch. “Did you hear that?”
Nitha nodded. “Seems we have the chance to see the locals.”
We took too long. Seth leaned out to get a look. The people arriving remained in the clearing created by the ship. They seemed to be assessing the situation. One of them hunched at the shoulders, its face akin to a massive ferret. Okay, shit keeps getting weirder. At least scavenging is on brand for how he looks.
Seth checked behind them and to the left and right. No one appeared to have made it that far. He tapped Nitha twice, then directed her toward the way they came. She nodded, slipping away silently. Enough so that he had to double-check that she was even moving. Considering the foliage, her stealth impressed him.
Now to see if I can match it. Most of his training came back to him fast. The thought process of survival, the various steps to maximize their chances, he remembered those lessons like they were yesterday. Have I lost the physical side? He stayed in shape. Hit the gym, did some running, but that wasn’t the same as going on a march with full gear.
It never goes away completely. Seth watched the people for another moment. They had yet to move from their spot out in the clearing. They probably have no idea where to start. Or have a clue of what they’re going to take. He envisioned their settlement needed all manner of things, including the walls.
Whatever they could muster to bolster their shelters. Though his assessment was totally based on the implications he received from Nitha. As far as he knew, they had a proper city built by their jailers, somewhere for them to dwell in relative safety and something resembling comfort.
Seth slipped away, staying low. He rustled the first few bushes, but it only took a few steps before he got the hang of where to put his foot to minimize noise. Nitha moved so far ahead, he’d have a hard time catching up if she didn’t slow down. Maybe it was for the best if they stayed apart.
I wish we would’ve found a weapon. A knife, particularly. Maybe the survival kit contained something sharp. If not, they’d need to come up with something. Maybe a piece of the ship would do. Though he had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy to shape the thing, sharpening one part while making another into a handle.
Seth made it thirty yards. He maneuvered into the thicker part of the jungle to ensure there was no line of sight to make him. That required him to slow down a little more to keep from making much noise. The way the ship landed chased off any animal noises that might’ve masked his movements.
I’m assuming there are tons of dangerous animals down here. Maybe the ferret guy was native to the planet. I don’t want to speculate about the strangeness I’m seeing out here. He spied through the gaps in the plants, noting that the people he wanted to evade remained in position. Are they ever going to work?
“There you are!” A voice behind him made him go stiff. Seth turned to look at a thin, pale man with no hair. His narrow head gave him a snakelike quality though he still looked mostly human. A gray tunic clung to his torso, with matching pants cut off above the knee. Maybe it was their prison uniform.
Seth rose.
“You’re coming with me!” The guy advanced. He didn’t seem to be holding a weapon. Just a weird box roughly the size of big cell phone.
Seth remained quiet until the guy got within a few feet. He swung the survival kit upward, connecting with the man’s chin. The blow made his jaw clamp down, teeth against teeth. The groan that escaped his victim was cut short by his rapid fall to the ground. When he hit, it was like someone rolling in leaves.
“Damn,” Seth muttered. He hurried forward, punching the man in the face once to knock him out. The box rested on the ground nearby. Grab it or not? It seemed important. They might be able to track us with it. He didn’t know if that mattered. But if they could, Nitha would know. They’d toss it then.
Seth snatched it up then hurried away. He examined the device. It was dark on all sides. If it had a screen, he couldn’t figure out which of the two flat surfaces it would’ve been. Nor could he get it to wake up no matter whether he tapped it or swiped. She’ll know. I hope. Or else this was just an emotional support brick.
Voices shouted behind him. Seth picked up the pace. He moved parallel to the prison he escaped from then into the thicker part of the trees just beyond it. A hand touched his shoulder. He spun, ready to fight again. Nitha hopped back, holding her free hand up to fend him off.
“It’s me,” Nitha rasped, “what did you do?”
“Someone discovered me,” Seth replied, “so I took care of him.”
“Is he dead?”
Seth shook his head. “No, why?”
“Because if you had killed him and they caught up with us, then it wouldn’t go well.”
“You’re assuming they’ll catch us.”
“This is their world,” Nitha replied, “we’re visitors. Our chances of staying out of sight for long are slim. But they’ll be busy with their newest acquisition. Meaning we have a chance to escape.” She pointed. “That way.”
“Why?” Seth asked. “What made you pick it?”
“They came from the other direction. I figure if we’re trying to avoid them, then we want to go away.” Nitha started moving. “Let’s go.”
“Wait.” Seth hurried to keep up. “I took this from him. Is it useful?”
Nitha took the box. She shook it, then tapped the surface. “Dead hand scanner.” She tossed it aside. “Why the hell did he have that?”
“Kind of makes me nervous,” Seth said. “Like… maybe they all have them? To keep track?”
“Who knows? This place is madness. No one comes here. It’s dangerous to even come close.” Nitha sighed. “I can’t believe we ended up here. Still, it’s better than the alternative.”
“A zoo?”
“For some of us.” Nitha waved her hand at him. “It would be best if we talked later. After we’re safe. I’m trying to listen for pursuit. They must be looking for us after finding their friend unconscious.”
“True.” Seth looked over his shoulder, half expecting to see a crowd of angry prisoners right on their asses. But there was nothing. Just empty jungle as far as the eye could see. This is almost eerie. He knew how those places worked. The plants absorbed sound, made it difficult to even call out to companions to know where they were.
They needed to find some form of shelter before nightfall. He tried to estimate the time before the sun went down. How far off is the cycle of the sun on this place compared to Earth? Seth figured he’d check it every ten minutes or so… as best as he could estimate at least. Then maybe he’d gain some understanding of their predicament.
Could be like that movie Pitch Black. Perpetual sun for years. He doubted it, though any theory might’ve been reasonable. I was kidnapped for an alien zoo, crashed on a prison planet, knocked out a guy who seems to work for a six-foot-tall ferret, and I’m running off into a wilderness I have no experience with.
Anything is possible. Anything.
Chapter 6
Erva entered his modest quarters. He’d talk to Mezani later, after he had a chance to cool off. Plunging into the deeper parts of the jungle never did him any favors. The humidity got to him the most. Prior to Lakon, he’d never even visited a tropical environment, let alone tried to live in one.
Despite years on the prison world, he hadn’t fully acclimated to the worst of the environment.
His space might’ve been for royalty on Lakon, but he’d been used to considerably more lavish accommodations prior to his incarceration. The metal floor came from salvaged starships. Not all the living spaces contained such a luxury, which made them far less habitable considering the insect problems.
The walls came from a cargo container, though any sort of sections within the living area came from privacy screens. One for the wash area, one near the officer’s bed he took from the last ship that went down. Trinkets from the jungle as well as from some of their salvage operations littered tables here and there.
But mostly, he stored necessities. Food, water, the ability to clean himself and his meager clothes. The prisoner sent him down with a jumpsuit. He’d kept it, though over the years he had to trim up the sleeves and the pants. Most of the garments they found on crashed ships didn’t fit him.
Fortunately, he managed to negotiate some new attire from a couple of the prison resupplies. When they had to go into the deep jungle, he preferred to be covered. A scratch might make a person seriously ill, and worse they might have no clue it happened until the fevers set in.
Crondak would likely not be back in the settlement before nightfall. Which meant they probably didn’t need to worry about a round of the games until the next day. Erva didn’t have it in him to officiate such a thing. His mind was elsewhere, fending off a familiar depression about his situation.
Come to terms with your lot. Erva actualized the phrase often enough. It worked in the early days. As he grew older, he began to worry about it more. Eventually, someone will come here that can take me. Because they’re good or I’m incapable of fending them off. That day would not be pleasant.
Erva believed he treated his people fairly, though some may not have seen it that way. Rationing supplies tended to frustrate the newer people. A few never got over the concept. They refused to understand how things worked there. Living with finite goods meant stretching them.
They occasionally had fancy enough people who didn’t even think about such things. If any of them had been in charge, the settlement would’ve liked died of starvation within a month. Or from some other malady brought on by eating the wrong plants. Some of the weird folk that took to living elsewhere showed signs of madness.
