When Isaah roused from his sleep, the sun was peering through the glass door. It was the first time he took a proper look outside. Dense jungle extended as far as he could see, with trees so tall he could not see the top. Sunlight barely cut through the dense leaves, casting dark shadows almost everywhere. The only exception being the clearing where both pods rested.

He tried to wipe away his tears, but his hands awkwardly scratched against his visor. An involuntary chuckle escaped him as he fiddled with the helmet, reaching for the button to unlock it. After trying several times, he began to hyperventilate again, suddenly feeling like he was about to suffocate.

“Come on!”

He screamed at himself, trying to pull open the helmet.

His HUD flashed, and the helmet unlocked with a pop. He furiously scrubbed his face with his hands until his skin felt raw. For a moment, he stood there, watching his trembling hands.

“Why me…”

Isaah whispered, defeated. He went limp in the seat again, watching the sky. His mind wandered back to his crewmates, his family. Jackson would tackle the problem head-on and would already have goals set for himself. Clarice would have remained calm and thought things through. Steward was usually too spiteful to die without fighting back…

“Why not them… why me…”

But none of that mattered, he supposed. He could easily open the hatch and let an alien eat him. Or simply use a cable to strangle himself. His gaze wandered towards the 3D printer. There was a schematic for a synthetic rope he could use. He would have to cannibalize the chair to make it, but what would that matter in the end?

He would be gone after that.

His hands crept forward, inching slowly to the data pad to select the schematic. To be done with everything. Until he heard fabric being torn. Squelching sounds came soon after that. It was coming from inside his helmet. Wet splashes, sharp cracks, and more torn fabric.

“What the… huh?”

That threw him for a loop, making him forget about his plan. He grabbed it, examining in and out. Yet he didn’t spot anything amiss, just sounds coming from inside…

“Fuck…Clarice!”

He tried to pry open the door, but the handle didn’t budge an inch. Even after hitting it, kicking it, ramming against the door, nothing happened.

The ship’s AI voice finally rang from inside the capsule as he was getting out of ideas. He stood in complete shock, processing what was going on. “Mother-” He punched the wall, disregarding the shooting pain that coursed through his hands. In the fit of rage, he almost broke the helmet itself, but the sounds of tearing flesh were getting more and more frequent.

With a groan, he put it on and waited with bated breath as it performed diagnostics. When his vision finally cleared, the door swung open, and he shot towards the other capsule. On the way, he grabbed the first rock he found and prepared himself for the confrontation. Wet mud gave under his boots and tiny insects scurried away from his steps.

However, all his bravado and adrenaline drained as quickly as they came when he witnessed the creature. It was easily over 6 meters long and more than 2 meters tall. A slender tail waved in the wind behind it. Its general frame was like a feline: strong back, thick hind legs, triangular ears. Yet, Black scales covered its body like armor, with long quills over its back. Its paws ended in long claws, easily tearing Clarice’s body apart without a problem. And finally sharp teeth that cut through flesh like a hot knife through butter.

Isaah’s breath hitched when the creature suddenly stopped eating. Its ears moved in several directions as it looked around. He managed to hide himself behind the capsule, legs giving out under him. The eating sounds didn’t return, however. Silence reigned as seconds stretched. Isaah did his best to not make any sound, biting his lips and holding onto the rock with a tight grip.

“This is it…”

In front of his eyes, the snout of the creature appeared behind the ‘corner’, sniffing the air. There was no sound when it walked, no dirt displaced or loud roars. It looked around with alert eyes, searching for any danger. When its gaze landed on Isaah’s stiff form, it observed him curiously. It smelled him, bumped his helmet with its nose, and gave some experimental licks to his visor.

Its tongue, raspy like sandpaper, scratched his helmet and almost tore his visor away. The feline-reptile recoiled at the sensation and gagged as the taste of the plasteel it sanded off. Isaah, on the other hand, found a newfound rage well up inside him.

He gripped the rock as his friend’s blood trickled down his helmet. “She doesn’t deserve this. None of them do.” As the creature slowly approached with an annoyed expression, fire burned inside the technician’s chest. “If I’m going to die anyway…”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Isaah was someone who loves stories. Be them from books, graphic novels, games, or even from drunkards at 3 am. It always seemed so cliché to see ‘life flashing before your eyes’ just as death was coming. But now that he was experiencing it…it was an experience.

The death of his parents at a young age. The scam he suffered from his ‘family.’ Years of isolation at school with nobody to rely on. Everything changed when Concrete Solutions hired him. A small family business that needed a mechanic on board for their deliveries.

Years went by as he got used to his friends and their odd quirks. Jackson’s need to shout out everything. Clarice’s being everyone’s mom. Steward being that grumpy old man who had a soft spot.

Now he stood alone, having watched all of them die before him. Clarice’s blood staining his suit. A burst of energy surged within him as the creature stalked forward, slowly opening its mouth. Just like those stories, with heroes pushing beyond the brink of death. Even if every bone in their body broke. protagonists always laughing and charging into the face of certain death. He could be one of them. Yet…his body didn’t move. Revenge burned in his mind, but his limbs wouldn’t budge.

The creature bit down on his helmet, denting it easily with its powerful bite. It tugged it, trying to pry it off. Thankfully, the helmet was sealed shut to maintain the air pressure inside. But eventually it was going to get through.

The message blared on his HUD, distorting and warping thanks to the ever-increasing bite force the animal was applying. Isaah could only scream as he felt his helmet give in. As the animal squeezed his head, Isaah felt an excruciating pain that he had never encountered in his life. Blood trickled down his face as the sharp teeth penetrated the plasteel. Black crept along the edges of his vision as his consciousness faded.

As if some divine being took pity on his plight, something changed. The creature yelped and jumped back. His body fell limp to the floor as the creature writhed in pain. Everything was blurry, but even then, he could see smoke coming out of the beast’s face. After a couple of seconds, the beast jumped to its feet and disappeared into the jungle.

Isaah barely felt the needle piercing his skin before the world exploded in color. His eyes shot open as a new burst of energy coursed through his veins. Looking upwards, he saw the emergency thruster from Clarice’s pod engaged, blasting a stream of fire forward.

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Resisting his urge to stand up, he crawled forward until he was no longer at risk of self-immolation. He gave Clarice’s corpse one last look and sprinted back to his pod. He sealed it shut and slumped back on his seat.

“What am I doing…”

Tears welled up in his eyes again as the adrenaline began to subside. When the moment came to do anything different, to stand up for himself, avenge his comrades…he just froze like always. His body wouldn’t obey him. And why would it? He was so used to have someone else take the reins of his life for him, to protect him.

When he took off his helmet, it came out without resistance. It had several holes and a patch that appeared sanded down. He could still see it trying to power up, but failing to do so. With a defeated sigh, he let it fall to the floor.

Beyond the glass door, he could see small animals crawling around. None of them being species he recognized. The creatures shared traits with Earth prime animals, but were distorted in unusual ways. Rodents sailing through the tree trunks with colorful wings. Fur covered snakes that stalked through the undergrowth. Frogs jumping with 2 legs instead of four… He even saw a reptile speeding along on 2 legs that was eerily like the humble chicken, if it had razor-sharp teeth and extra long claws.

If he wasn’t sure he was going to die, it would have made for a great story. Or a great game.

“What can I even do now…”

A mechanical voice rang inside the pod, startling him.

<…>

<3D Printer database updated>

The AI said in a monotone voice using the intercom inside the pod. After all that had happened in the last hour, he forgot they were an exploration vessel. He wanted to laugh out loud, if only to drown the encroaching sadness that he felt in his chest.

“I’m an explorer now…”

Being explorers was their dream, after all. They endured years of grueling work, horrible customers, meager pay and suffer Moonstrider’s quirks to buy their admission ticket for the qualification exam. The nerves they endured while waiting for the response from the committee were the worst. Installing the new onboard AI and receiving their exploration badges felt like a dream come true.

Exploring the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Find new and fascinating worlds. Cataloging alien life. Fame, fortune, recognition. Even he, someone who detested human interaction regularly, could appreciate being valued. Maybe finally getting a permanent partner wasn’t out of the question…

With a sigh, he reached for the first-aid kit inside the pod. A bright red box with the red cross symbol on top. He grabbed the scanner, a small box that easily fit inside his hand, and scanned his head. He winced after seeing the results on the small holoscreen.

“Stitches…”

With the press of a button, the scanner unfolded into a stapler. He liberally applied alcohol and numbing agents before taking the first shot. He was grateful the escape pods were soundproofed, because otherwise half the jungle would have heard him screaming.