Atop a hill above a sprawling city sits a short and thick lady with purple short hair in working clothes. She plays around with a straw in her mouth as she watch the night sky. But something unusual caught her eye as she in the horizon see falling stars. This perplexed her so much that it made her grimace.
”Heeeeh?” She made a sound as she scratched her head.
How can there be starfall now she thought. The diviners guild never mentioned anything about this, and they love their their freakin starfalls because they see them as the signs of the gods. She spit out her straw and stands up.
”What a crock of shit.” The lady says as she kicks a rock downhill. She looks downhill and then left and right before looking up and noticing a fast moving star in the night sky. This just made her even more confused.
”You gotta be kidding me...” She says in an very annoyed tone. This woman who has never been into religion can not deny what her eyes see. This is a sign of the creation of a new god!
”If this is a god I will name myself Lord Gra’tos instead of Janice… I am too old for this shit.” Says Janice as she shakes her head while furiously tapping her right foot. As a stout believer of atheism she would hate to be proven wrong. What the priests say is divine intervention when they cast their spells she just think is traditional magic. She is a tough one to convince!
As Janice is about to go back to the city she see a weird object descending slowly from the sky above the city. The new star is right above it too. This can’t be a coincidence she thought.
The closer the mysterious object descends the bigger it becomes. Not until long is it big enough to cover the whole square plaza in the city it lands on. As it makes landfall does it extend weird metallic legs which burrows into the ground as soon as they touch it. Then the whole object lights up like a holiday tree! All around it is smoke belching out from hollowed out cone-like protrusions.
Janice runs with all her might towards the object. She must see this or there will never be a chance like this again!
~~~~
Inside the command section is the ambience one of calm as red emergency lights are on from the backup generator. Out of all the stasis pods is only one intact after the traumatic journey and planetfall. Inside the only intact one can coughing be heard from a lady.
”I- I told you I- cough Was worried...” She slowly claws her way out of the stasis pod and can clearly see the carnage that has been going on meanwhile she was sleeping.
On the floor lies one man convulsing as the last of the life is spilling out of him and one pod is full of a red slurry which used to be a human at one point. This scene became permanently etched into her mind as tears started to form in her eyes. All these people here used to be her co-workers, friends and even lovers after all. She reaches for her multi-tool and tries to contact the HMSS Heavenly Garden vessel.
”Sarah York to Angel of HMSS Heavenly Garden, please respond.”
After a short delay comes a response from the cheery sounding Angel.
”Angel can hear you loud and clear!”
A half-hearted smile forms in Sarah’s face. Her makeup is now ruined by her tears. Angel then starts informing her of her mission.
”Sarah York, as a survivor of the crew it is your mission to ensure the success of it!
The planet codenamed Fantasia has been confirmed to be safe for human life. So your survival gear will not be encumbered by that. Please proceed to arm yourself because I has discovered that unknown lifeforms are approaching your command section!
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
And before you leave, be sure to grab a survivalist kit from the lockers! It will quickly let you skip all manual labor.
Angel out!”
Her multi-tool dims out as Angel finished briefing her.
”Fuck.” Cries Sarah out. This mission turned out the worst possible way for her. She thought that it would be better off to be dead.
With no time to waste she repressed her emotions and pulled out a submachine gun and a electric baton from the weapon locker in the stasis pod room. With the baton on her hip next to the multi-tool she jogged to the locker room of the section and equipped herself with a survival kit.
A survival kit is essentially a workshop and backpack in one. It contains a miniature nanolathe which is capable of building parts for a larger stationary one given enough time and materials. And it is also equipped with a tractor beam capable of moving one ton of materials at a time. Finally it can be fueled by nearly anything which burns which makes it ideal in survival situations.
Before Sarah went out to greet the potential friends or foes she pulled the bolt on her gun and activated the laser sight on it. Locked and loaded she now felt more safe.
”I never signed up for this.” Says Sarah in a mocking tone as she pulled the airlock lever with her left arm.
~~~~
Janice managed to get to the mysterious object just in time as the indented door looking thing opened. With the mixture of air from outside and inside was steam created and a humanoid wearing a very shiny outfit stepped out holding a strange thing in its hands.
The crowd Janice was in looked at the stranger with both awe and fear. The stranger looked scared as it held up its left arm meanwhile still holding up the metal thing with her other arm.
After a few seconds the stranger opened its mouth and said something they could not understand. Janice were at first confused, but what she heard sounded familiar. She did not understand it but the way she spoke sounded a lot like the language the majority of her race used. Hesitating at first, she walked up towards the stranger with both her hands up.
Maybe if she becomes the first one to understand the stranger, then good things will be up for her in the future. Go all the way from commoner to nobility in one go!
As Janice approached the stranger it noticed her and held the metal thing with both her hands again. Fear was great in the eyes of it but Janice tried to make herself unthreatening as possible and started talking.
”My name is Janice, what is yours?” She said while smiling to the stranger. The stranger then lowered her metal thing and scanned the crowd before snapping her eyes at Janice again.
”** **** Sarah ****.” Said the stranger. While Janice could not understand it all one thing stuck out, and it was Sarah which was pronounced just like in her language. She decided to push it and pointed at the stranger.
”Sarah?” Said Janice. The stranger pointed at herself and said ”Sarah.” with confidence.
The language barrier is going to need a lot of work thought Janice. As she was about to reach this Sarah, the stranger then gripped the metal thing with both of its hands. The sound of running footsteps and war cries could be heard before several loud bangs, flashes of light and then screams echoed in the plaza.
Janice looked behind her and saw armed men riddled with holes from which blood seeped out of. The metal thing Sarah is holding is a weapon. She looked back at Sarah with fear in her eyes hoping that she would not be next.
What was before a noisy crowd is now complete silent as the only thing you can hear in the plaza now is the eerie wind. Then the sound of rustling armor and galloping of horses is heard as the representative of the lord of the land arrives with his guards.
”Commoners, go back home. It is an order.” Said the representative in a commanding voice. Not wanting to feel the law of the land on themselves did the crowd immediately scatter. The only one remaining now was Janice, Sarah the stranger and the representative.
”I said go back home.” Said he in a more annoyed tone. Janice took her chances again now.
”I- I believe this Sarah person doesn’t know the language. But I can manage to make out a few words.” Said Janice while smiling awkwardly towards the representative. He just makes an annoyed sigh while looking at his guards which just nods.
”Fine. I will take you together with this so called Sarah.”
Sarah holds the grip of her weapon even tight now and Janice tries to calm her down. Janice pulls the weapon down as she points at the representative and tries to make her follow. After a few minutes she finally gains the trust of Sarah which still is on the edge. The representative looks surprised and pleased at the same time. Maybe this Janice could prove useful after all.
Janice and Sarah mounted behind two of the guards and followed towards the castle. At the same time shut the mysterious object its door, barring entry for anyone.
~~~~
”I will get off this planet one way or the other...” muttered Sarah to herself as she rode to the lords castle.