Obliteration Station

Remnants of the space station hovered above my head. I dug my fingers into the sandy surface of the abandoned planet I had crashed on a year ago today.

The warm sand under my knees would only stay warm for the next hour or so, before the sun would set behind the distant mountains and forest.

The very dense, very dark forest.

Both terrifying and my only safe haven on this devil-damned world, I’d made the forest my home. The creatures that dwelled inside seemed to be aware of my presence, but luckily hadn’t been too much trouble for me.

I wiped the back of my arm across my face, wiping my long hair out of my eyes. My mother used to constantly tell me to put it back out of my face.

“Proper young ladies need to look neat and put together at all times.” She liked to say on repeat.

I never particularity cared for being a proper young lady. I seemed to move closer to carefree and wild.

Probably what got me in my current predicament in the first place.

Despite where I found myself at the moment, I smirked thinking of my mother’s face when she’d found out I had made the Orbiter team. So many nights of late-night studying when I should’ve been sleeping. Countless missed dinners while secretly training.

I hadn’t been sorry for my covert behavior…my mom would never understand. I did what I knew I needed to.

But now, what I wouldn’t give for one of those missed dinners. What I wouldn’t give to be back in my room again, to hug my mom again.

A tear leaked down my face, and I didn’t bother to wipe it. The feelings were there whether or not it materialized on my face.

Now, my mom thought I was dead.

I should be…all things considered.

The best I could figure, was the space station had hit a rock which must’ve been half it’s size and was obliterated into a million parts. The fact that I had been able to get to an escape pod was a miracle itself.

The fact that this planet had been under us at the time was the second miracle.

And the third…was that I could breathe on this world. There was natural shelter, there was food to be killed or grown. And only the fact that I had been obsessed with the old world and their ways when I was little, saved me.

The old world. Earth.

Where they could make their food grow from the soil into the sunlight. Where they could trap and kill animals to eat. How to make a shelter out of what nature provided.

All the old ways…had saved me.

I picked up my transmitter, one piece of equipment that had fallen to the surface when the station wrecked. I had attempted everyday in different locations on this planet to get any sort of signal out to Nebula Station.

Home.

If they had any inkling that a survivor was here, I had hope they just might come to get me.

But even that was a stretch.

I was going to try again everyday as long as I could, refusing to give up.

There, of course, was no way for me to know if any sort of signal had gone out, or if it had, which one of my locations had actually connected to the broken station above me and relayed my distress signal home.

I stood, brushing off the sand embedded in my knees. My pants tearing farther up my legs no longer providing a layer against the coming cold of the night.

I turned, returning to my shelter just inside the cover of the forest. Deep enough inside to insulate from the freezing temps, but not so far inside to bring unwanted attention to myself.

Although the creatures roaming the forest hadn’t bothered me much, I didn’t want to push my luck where they were concerned.

The fallen tree I had made my home for the last year, was perfect to keep me warm and hidden. It had originally taken me several days to dig a large enough hole in the ground underneath it to be able to have a fire and a place to sleep.

It had worked rather well though, once it was dug. The forest was more than giving with the amount of constant firewood on the ground. Fallen branches and leaves made for easy heating.

I knew I was lucky to have it, but did I ever want a hot shower.

Just one more luxury I took for granted before.

I shivered as I entered the forest, the chilly wind at my back already threatening anything stupid or desperate enough to stay out in the sand.

I knelt down next to the prepared fire pit I had ready to go, just needing lit. What took me so many tries a year ago, was easy for me now.

The spark lit up the leaves right away and with some gentle coaxing, the fire roared to life.

I sighed, leaning back on the wall behind me, watching the fire. It always mesmerized me. So many nights I’d fallen asleep to it’s flames dancing in my small space, lulling me to sleep.

Tonight would be no different.

As my eyes became heavier and fell closed, I thought about the shattered space station orbiting above me, and silently willed it to save me.

***

The early morning sun was an odd color of orange. I had seen pictures of the sunlight on Earth, a light and cheery golden hue. I didn’t know why it looked so different here, but I was just grateful to have sunlight at all.

I tiptoed through my garden, finally growing well after months of trial and error. My favorite thing that grew in my small garden space next to my shelter, was a small vibrant red berry. It grew on short plants that sprouted out arms and replanted themselves about a foot away, rooting a new plant.

It was amazing to watch it’s growing process, but it’s flavor was amazing. It’s fresh, sweet flavor burst in my mouth and though I’d let those plants spread over a large space, there was never enough berries to appease my hunger for them.

I smiled as I spotted one, kneeling and gently plucking it from it’s green vine. My eyes rolled as I closed my eyes, savoring that intense taste.

I stood again, the forest grew quiet.

Way too quiet.

Unnaturally-

Snap.

I whipped around silently to the direction of the sound and my breath caught in my chest.

Standing a few yards away, was the largest predator I’d seen yet on this planet. I froze in place.

The beast flared it’s nostrils, smelling the air around it. It’s small eyes squinted as it looked around.

It was almost as if it couldn’t see, at least very well. I didn’t want to test that theory if I could help it.

It took one enormous step forward, crushing a dozen of my berry plants. I would’ve been heavily annoyed if I would’ve been able to think or breathe normally.

I took a hesitant step backwards, immediately regretting it as it’s enormous head swiveled towards me.

I broke out in a run, through the heavy trees, towards the waterfall I knew was a ways away, but close enough to give me hope to outrun it.

A thought that was quickly put to rest as the beast caught up to me in three large running steps of it’s own.

My whole body lurched forward as it kicked me. My body cracked against a solid tree trunk before I fell in a slump to the ground. I didn’t think anything was broken, but I still winced as I tried to right myself up against the tree behind me.

Before I could learn if I could still run or not, the beast lurched mouth first. It’s jaws wrapped around the tree and myself. The same trunk that may have broken my body was saving my life.

But the predator was making fast work of the tree and splinters sprayed out all around me as it’s mouth tightened.

It’s huge teeth were closing in, I had seconds left to live and no where to go. It was almost funny, so many miracles to happen for me to survive this far…to be taken out as an animal’s breakfast.

The beast suddenly jerked up, it’s nose to the tree canopy above them. That’s when I heard an engine roar.

Surely some sort of death-illusion to help me cope with dying…

The trees whipped around as if a massive vehicle was hovering above.

Then I saw it.

A conveyor!

I cautiously watched the beast towering over me, realizing all too well that it’s reaction could take me out just as easily as it’s teeth. Luckily, it’s took a step backwards, and then turned and ran in the other direction.

I laid there on my back, surrounded in broken tree shards, still in shock that I was alive.

And…the fact that there was a conveyor ship that had landed just on the edge of the forest.

I shakily stood, and started towards it. I ran hard and fast, sharp leaves and branches leaving tiny cuts on my skin. I finally broke through the tree line to see the most glorious sight…

A Nebulain ship.

It sat in the orange, morning light as the door slowly opened. I choked out a sob as a Nebulain officer stepped out.

Even through his helmet I could see my old friend’s surprise as I ran to him.

“Rory!” he gasped.

I fell into his open arms as I cried even harder hearing my name spoken for the first time in a year.

“Brock.” I let him hold me as my mind caught up to reality. He slowly helped me stand, and with a look around, turned me into the conveyor.

A few more stunned faces that I didn’t recognize stared at me. I let Brock lead me to the seat just inside the door and helped me sit.

My eyes took in the ship I sat in, but I was still in disbelief. Maybe that beast did have me for breakfast, and this is my heaven.

“Rory…Rory.” Brock’s voice was under water, but as I finally focused on his face in front of mine, his words became clear.

“Rory, don’t worry.” He clasped my hands in his, “We’re taking you home.”

That was the first time I really allowed myself to believe I was being saved.

My voice was hoarse as I attempted to clear my throat. “You- you got my distress signal?” I asked softly.

Brock already had his back to me, putting in the launch sequence to return us to whatever ship they had made the long voyage in…hovering above us in orbit.

“Apparently so, we just got the order from Command that someone was here to rescue…so here we are.” Brock turned around just enough to give me a reassuring smile.

I reminded myself to breathe as I sank into the chair beneath me. “How’s Mila and the kids?” I asked. Brock had been my friend for years, but his wife Mila and I had been close friends for most of our lives.

“The kids are going to be very happy to see their Aunt Rory again.” he said, motioning me to buckle up as the conveyor lifted from the ground.

I buckled myself and watched out the window as my home for the last year sank away. A tear rolled down my cheek and I thanked the Galaxies for hearing my call.

***

Seeing the massive Nebulain gateway was a sight I hadn’t really thought of before but meant so much now. We passed the windows looking into the space station, the floating city that had been my home for as long as I could remember.

I wondered now where my mother was. What was she doing? How would she react to her only daughter returning from the dead?

As we docked and the conveyor door opened, the smell and sounds of home engulfed me. I expected the Admiral to acknowledge me…what I didn’t expect was for his face to be the first one I saw exiting the conveyor.

“Aurora Sterling,” his low voice carried through the large room. “You are under arrest for the murder of your crew and sabotage to the Orbiter Space Station.”

My knees threatened to give and I grabbed the railing next to me. “Wha- what?”

Brock took a brave and stupid step in between the Admiral and myself. “Sir-”

“Cuff her.” He ordered, not bothering to acknowledge either of us.

Two officers grabbed my arms, roughly cuffing my wrists. “I didn’t sabotage anything!” I screamed as they started dragging me away. I drag my feet as if that could stop them.

They ignored my pleas, taking me to a room I could only guess was not where they held their welcoming parties.

“I did not kill my crew.” I declared again, “Why would I do that? I barely survived myself!”

They threw me down into a hard chair at a table and left the room.

Admiral Caltor walked in, shutting the door behind him. He slowly sat across the table from me, again not acknowledging me as he looked at what I had to assume was my file.

“A girl from the Squils….no wonder.” he grumbled to himself.

“Admiral Caltor,” I leaned forward trying to get him to look at me, “I just wanted to be part of the crew. To complete the mission, and come home. I did not kill anyone, I did not sabotage the mission…I just happened to survive it.”

The Admiral dropped my file on the table, looking at the camera on the wall…checking that the light was off.

I was alone with him for no one to witness.

“You weren’t supposed to survive at all, Miss Sterling.”

I froze, stunned.

The Admiral smiled sickeningly, “You were supposed to die.”