Jake stood on Section 311Bs’ desolate surface, the landscape stretched endlessly before him, cracked ground and jagged rock formations dominated the horizon, broken only by the occasional pool of sludge. The sky, thick with pulsing clouds, cast a constant shadow over everything. The air was thin and the intense gravity shifting between heavy and light was a phenomenon.
Jake adjusted his rebreather, its soft hiss delivering filtered air. Even with the device, each breath felt labored. Moving cautiously, he scanned the twisted vegetation, highly alert to perceive any hidden dangers. The silence was unnerving and was amplifyed by the stench of isolation.
His mission was simple , retrieve the flower of Memih. It was a prize possession among the wealthy , It only grew on this planet, and when digested it could stop the aging process and when consumed in large amounts could reverse the effects of aging . The market price for this item was in the tens of millions.
As he pushed through the dense underbrush, a thorned vine lashed out, grazing his suit. It stung but the nano-tech fabric quickly sealed the cut, but some toxins seeped through. His heart pounded harder as he felt the toxin surge through his body. Without hesitation, he injected a nano elixir from his belt—a quick shot designed to neutralize environmental threats. He felt a wave of relief wash over him.
The elixir wasn’t a cure, just a patch-up job, but that’s all Jake needed. Patch the wounds, push through the pain, get the job done. But lately, the missions felt heavier, the risks harder to shrug off. What was it all for? He paused, letting the cool air fill his lungs through the rebreather. Money, yes—but money for what? To stay alive long enough to take the next contract? He sighed, pushing the creeping thoughts aside. Stay focused. His hand instinctively brushed his belt where his elixir was stored. Just get the flower and get out.
As night fell, the landscape transformed. The once-dark sky was now illuminated by a thick pinkish-orange aurora borealis, casting soft light over the jagged terrain. The air crackled and hummed faintly with energy, and the ground occasionally trembled as if the planet itself were alive. For the first time since arriving, Jake paused.
He stopped moving and let his guard down just for a moment, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the night sky. The desolation of the planet, so harsh and unforgiving during the day, now seemed almost serene. A sense of calm washed over him, and he found himself unexpectedly at peace.
His eyes tracing the swirling colors above. It was like the universe was unfolding just for him. Maybe this place isn’t so bad, he thought, feeling a rare moment of connection to the alien world. The harshness of the mission seemed to melt away, leaving behind only the beauty of the scene. There was something in this silence, in the vast, glowing expanse, that made him feel less alone—like he belonged here, in this moment, under this strange, shimmering sky.
He felt a flicker of hope. Maybe out here, in the farthest reaches of space, there was something more for him. Something beyond the contracts, the missions, and the endless grind. This place, though hostile, felt alive, like it had secrets to share if he stayed long enough to listen.
But the moment was fleeting. His Airgor, camouflaged and hidden in plain sight, sent him holographic data, mapping out the terrain. Movement detected. The serenity vanished, and the mission reclaimed his focus. He wasn’t alone.
With the Airgor guiding him remotely, Jake moved with precision, ensuring no tracks were left behind. He climbed to a vantage point high above the twisted trees and thanks to the unpredictable shift in gravity it was easy for him to ascend in a shorter time.
Jake’s visor flickered as it picked up a faint buzzing ahead—a soft hum that sent a chill down his spine. Desomoa. Like Earth’s bees, only the size of school buses, their black-and-yellow bodies were barely visible in the dim light. But it wasn’t their size that made them deadly—it was their agressiveness. Startle one, and the rest would attack within seconds.
He activated glide, leaping from the tree, but then the gravity shifted unexpectedly. Instead of a smooth glide, he plummeted down.BAM ! He crashed into a thick branch, the snap echoing through the still air.
He froze, muscles tensed. The noise was unmistakable. Had hey heard it? he wondered.His heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the horizon. No movement at all—at least not yet. When he was certain he was in the clear, he let out a breathof relief , the tightness in his chest easing. Either they didn’t hear, or they thought it was just another alien creature.
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He steadied himself, ready to push forward, when a notification flashed across his visor: Equipment missing. He glanced down, realizing in that moment that his belt—along with the vital elixir supply—was no longer strapped to his waist. It must have slipped in the fall. Fuck it ! Either way, time was running out, and the margin for error was thinning. He would have to finish the mission before the side effects of the toxins in his body were to become unbearable.
Jake crouched low behind a jagged rock, the faint light of the alien sky barely illuminating his surroundings. His stealth suit shimmered, blending into the landscape. He was close—too close to let a small mistake ruin everything. Just ahead, the faint glow of the Memih flower beckoned from the clearing.
His visor flickered again, this time picking up movement. The Desomoa were closing in on him , the buzzing grew louder. Jake knew their weakness—fear. Specifically, fear of their only known predator, a giant reptilian creature that had gone extinct long ago but lived on in their instincts.
With a few taps on his wrist device, he activated the projection sequence. A high-pitched hiss filled the air, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. The Desomoa were startled, their wings buzzing nervously. The sound grew louder as a holographic image of the predator, Velir, emerged from the clearing, towering with glowing red eyes. They scattered instantly, retreating into the trees.
“Too easy,” Jake muttered with a smirk.
But he knew the projection wouldn’t last long. He sprinted toward the Memih tree,. The tree was the Desomoa’s lifeline, their territory.
As he approached, an overwhelming stench hit him. Desomoa feces—thick, fermented and inescapable. His rebreather struggled to keep it at bay, but even advanced tech had its limits. Jake gagged, coughing into his suit. “Oh God—this is horrible!” he groaned, pinching his nose despite the rebreather. His eyes watered as he crossed the terrain. “This better be worth it. If I smell like alien bee poop for a month, I’m gonna...” He trailed off, shaking his head.
Reaching the Memih tree, Jake quickly cut the glowing red-and-blue petals with his laser, and stored them in a containment unit on his back.
Just as he turned to leave, the gravity shifted again, and suddenly, he felt weightless. He ran toward the Airgor, every step effortless.
Jake heard the distant, unmistakable buzz of the Desomoa returning. But something else caught his attention—the other group. The one he had spotted earlier, had now made their move.
They had activated a device that mimicked the Queen’s call, a tactic Jake had also considered. It sent out a signal meant to lure the Desomoa away, giving them a chance to retrieve the Memih flower.
Idiots.
They had missed one crucial detail: Hive mind. The Queen’s call didn’t just affect a small cluster of Desomoa—it triggered the entire hive.Every Desomoa on the planet was now heading to the distress call.
The Desomoa, disoriented by the fake call, quickly realized the deception. Their buzzing intensified, becoming a high-pitched, angry hum. In an instant, they swarmed to secure the Memih tree.
Demolishing anything that moved, The group’s plan backfired spectacularly. Jake winced as he heard the chaos erupt behind him, the gun fire then stopped. The swarm had torn through the group in seconds.
They never had a chance.
Thanks to the shift in gravity, Jake had put so much distance between him and the Memih area. Most of the Desomoa had now retreated underground to protect their queen. This meant that Jake wouldn’t have to engage or enter into a confrontation.
The exhaustion of shifting gravity made Jake very disoriented, and the elixir he had taken earlier was beginning to wear off and his vision was starting to blur as he staggered toward the landing site, willing himself to stay upright. The sleek, translucent form of the Airgor came into view. It was a ghostly apparition amidst the twisted flora, its pearlescent body blended into the landscape. With a final surge of willpower, Jake stumbled towards the vehicle. The door slid open with a soft CHWOOF! inviting him inside.
Purifying vapor enveloped him as he entered, cleansing away the grime and smell from his mission. He breathed deeply, feeling the healing properties of the vapor take effect. His clothes shifted into something more comfortable, thanks to the suit's nano-tech. He needed that.
Inside, the Airgor, the walls curved elegantly around him.
An alert flashed on the control panel: Unknown pathogen detected in bloodstream. Jake forced himself to stay calm as the Airgor initiated its cleansing program. Seconds later, it chimed, “Complete. Pathogen removed.” He exhaled in relief.
Satisfied with the diagnosis, he prepared for takeoff, eager to leave this hostile planet behind.
The Airgor's interface displayed a detailed analysis of his mission. One line caught his eye: "Mission duration: 5 hours (planet time), 3 months (Earth time)." Jake blinked in surprise, processing this revelation. The Twin Suns must have created a powerful gravitational anomaly, affecting the passage of space time as well as being responsible for the gravitational shifts he had experienced.
The Airgor ascended smoothly, guided by antigravity, making for a quiet, serene journey.