Castaway Planet

Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 154 of 365. Sol standard year]

Days after of Crash landing/ 3

Uninhabited Island /Area near Cavern to underground Passages

Galactic Standard Time / 9005

“Locke, split them up, then you and Jess handle one of those Beasts things! Xordig and Burt, Racha and Paige the other two! Me, I’ll handle the Giant!” Jinn said as he drew out his blade, turning it into a sword.

“HERE WE GO!” The voice of the man armed with a stone staff caused Racha to look at him. But when stone walls started to rise, that was when Racha understood what was happening.

“Good hunt!” Burt called out as he and Xordig ran towards the middle Beasts.

Before Racha could even move walls had closed them off, leaving the two Deckhands with a lone Beast to kill.

“At least it’s not three on one,” Paige said as she looked at the Beast as it looked around.

“Yeah, so fire!” Racha roared and fired.

As the Beast was hit, it moved backwards. No matter what it did it kept moving until it was against the wall. For a few moments, it did nothing before it released a flash of light.

“AAAGGGHH!!!” Paige screamed and fell to the ground, holding her head.

Once the light died down bolts of light shot from the spikes on the Beast and it formed a shield that blocked the hits.

For a second Racha kept firing until she realized that Paige had fallen to the ground. Keeping her eyes on the Beast, Racha spoke softly. “Paige, are you with me? What happened?”

“I….. I don’t know. I just heard a wordless scream! It was unlike anything I can describe! And it was from that thing,” Paige said in horror.

Racha looked up and saw the Beast moving forward a step. But before it took another, Racha and Paige fired again. The shield helped but the Beast stayed where it was, not moving closer, just watching the women.

“Oh stars. That scream…. All it did was make this thing stronger!” Paige said in horror.

All Racha could do was stare at the Beast as she fired. The shield wasn’t doing much, if it had to stay still to use it then they could win this. All they needed to do was keep firing and wait until the others came to help. However she felt, the others were the only thing that could help them. As long as the Beast was against the wall and the shield was blocking their shots, that was it. She couldn't see any other plan here. The only way was to keep firing, there was nothing they could do.

But the thing that bothered her the most was that she couldn’t understand that thing! It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, on any planet. And she had seen terrible things, both natural and not. But this planet! Everything about it made her question everything she thought she knew.

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

Paige just looked at the Beast and tried to feel it. Her abilities let her zero in on singular beings in groups, so it should let her red one creature. The other things were like black holes to her abilities, but this thing. Focusing her will, tried to feel anything from it. But like the others of its kind, there was nothing there for her to sense. But then she felt something, almost as if something was there at the edge of her sight. She focused all her will towards that thing, and then she ‘reached’ it.

She was almost forced to her knees as she suddenly felt such hunger from it. Blinking her eyes and barely keeping herself upright, she kept firing at the Beast. What she felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before. There was a kind of hunger and rage that was beyond anything a mere beast could have. But the rage, it was unlike any sentient being that she had ever sensed. “Racha?”

“Paige?” Racha asked as she kept firing at the Beast. As her shots hit the shield, she snarled in anger. “Son of a blackhole! What is it Paige? Please tell me that thing is not capable of thought!”

“Maybe?” Paige asked softly and Racha stopped firing for a second. But as soon as she fired again, the Beast had taken a single step towards them.

“Maybe??! Either it can or it can’t! So what is it!?” Racha demanded and Paige winced.

“I don’t know! I feel such rage and hunger from something in that thing! Beyond anything I’ve ever sneezed that could think! It’s…. I don’t know! “ Paige said, her voice carrying her shock and horror.

“Good luck!” Jinn’s call caused Racha to look up as she kept firing.

Paige felt a small spark of hope and courage for a moment. For some reason she was reminded of her escape from her world, and the time after. She had done what she thought was impossible once before, and she would do it again. No matter what it took, in the end, she would be among those who won. That was the promise she swore when she left her home, that no matter what she would live. And nothing on this mad planet would ever stand against that!

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

The Bearer had felt the smallest hint of the Spark before it had known how to make the blocker. While the help was good for the Spark, the Bearer was worried that this would quicken its blooming. It had to get the Spark far enough away to gain a good new food source. The walkers, the flyers, and the others had to be harvested. The Birther had created it for that purpose, and it would not fail!

But without the Guard to battle the thing below, the chances of victory were low. But the thing hadn’t attacked. But still, the way was blocked! These little ones were holding it back, and it couldn’t get by. Every time they stopped, it took a step forward. But the way that the Spark was behaving it would soon need to be planted.

And these small ones would stay away, they were already fighting. If it had the chance to escape it should, but the blockage was strong! The only way that the Bearer could see was through the little ones, and it was running out of time!

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

Racha kept firing, knowing that sooner or later they would have to retreat. She didn’t know what this thing was, but they could let it have the cavern. If they could collapse the roof, they could kill this thing. It might not work, but this thing wasn’t stopping. They had to save the baby, that was what mattered. If this thing got what it wanted, then so what? In the end, just what was it? If Burt knew what it was and it was important, then they could come back here once they had the yard ship.

“GAHHH!” Paige suddenly screamed as she held her head.

“Paige, is it another of those shocks?” Racha asked as she kept her eyes on the Beast. It hadn’t done anything, but perhaps the flash wasn’t connected to what happened to Paige. For all she knew, it was the result of some kind of weapon.

“YEAH! Can’t I even straight talk! Don’t I….AGGGGHHHH!” Paige screamed in pain before she almost fell to the ground.

Racha wanted to help, but she had to keep the Beast back. She had to hope that Paige was okay and that whatever this was wouldn’t hurt them. “What was it, where was it?”

“There!” Paige said and Racha fired as she looked at her friend. Paige was pointing at the walls keeping the others from them.

Racha spared a glance at the wall, feeling nothing but anger. Xordgi was one of hers, and she always brought her people home if possible. But this place, all she could do now was hope that this hell wouldn’t eat another one of her team. If that was true, then that meant the other Beasts had done what theirs had. And since she didn’t know what kind of weapons they had, she had to hope they could handle the other Beasts. She had to trust that Xordig could handle his and then the others could help them.

Paige breathed heavily as she looked at the walls around them. She didn’t know what she expected, but this was not it. At most, she thought they might run into the beast from the cavern before they escaped it. But this, this was beyond anything she had feared she would run into.

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

Down below Roy kept trying to move the boulders blocking the passage to the tunnel system. When the things had started attacking the cavern, Racha had told him to protect his cargo. He had seen it as something else, get a way out so that all three of them could live. He wasn’t a fighter, and he knew the chances of the baby’s survival were a lot better with others to help him. All he had to do was get this open, and then they could leave. The others had to have made it to the capsule at the beach, they would be fine.

The four of them who had stayed back had to find another way to the beach, that was what they had to do. If that creature got in here, it would eat the baby! She was who he had to protect above all others, even his own life!

As the baby started to cry softly Roy turned and frowned. Moving away from the rocks, he sighed and smiled. “Don’t worry little one, we’ll be fine. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

The sounds of stones falling caused Roy to look at the boulders, horrified. Slowly, he grabbed the baby and moved to the side. As more of the rocks kept falling, Roy felt his fear grow. As he used one arm to hold the baby and the other to slowly grab the pistol the others and pointed it at the rocks.

Slowly, a small strange red chitin-covered quadruped pulled itself out of the rocks. As Roy watched, the creature looked around with four eyes on both sides of its muzzle. It had two mandibles over the front of the muzzle a darker shade and it had no neck. The body was a single segment and mostly organic with chitin over the beast's back, head and front limbs. It had a tail that ended in a small ball, and all together it wasn’t bigger than the baby in Roy’s arms. Looking around it found Roy and took a step backwards.

Roy looked at the creature and felt that this thing wasn’t here to hurt him. Slowly he put the pistol away and put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a bit of food. He threw it towards the creature which jumped back and smelled the food. It opened its mandibles and quickly ate what Roy threw. For a second, Roy was back in his youth, helping his uncle heal wild animals. He looked at the creature and felt something in its eyes, it was looking at him.

Aether Template Acquired / Trainer Adapt

First Skill/ Aether Bond

Second Skill/ Aether Scan

Trainer Bonded/

Roy blinked as he read the text, wondering what this meant. Something had hacked into his vision nanites, but how and why? Where was it from? And what was this?

“Aether Bond?” Roy asked in shock. Suddenly a green energy glow formed his body. It shot at the creature and after a moment sank into it.

Roy blinked as he felt some new. It was a feeling that everything was right, that he was in a place of safety. But somehow, he knew it wasn’t his feelings that he was feeling. He looked around, then at the creature. It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t. But if it was because of the strange words, would the other one also do something?

“Aether Scan,” Roy said as he looked at the creature. As soon as he spoke, strange text formed below the creature in his vision.

Lesser Arligix / Lone scavengers, they are part of the food chain. Those who go on hunts watch for Arligixs, as they are the main food source for Krildixs/ Male

Roy looked at the creature, seeing it and sensing its love. For a second all Roy could do was stare, wondering just what could hunt this being. Then the boulders shook, and he felt fear. Without even thinking he tried to send feelings of safety to the creature, grabbed it, and ran. Holding both the creatures and the baby he ran down and hid in the cave. As soon as they all were huddling within the caver, the boulders flew out. As he heard a primal scream, all Roy could hope for was that whatever it was wouldn’t find them.

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

Paige felt something behind her and looked, paling in fear. “DOWN!”

She tackled Racha, they hit the ground. A single seconds later a boulder five feet wide flew through where they had been. The rock hit the ground and rolled into the Beast, breaking through the shield it had.

“Physical matter can pass through the shield!? That’s the way to get around it? And where did that thing come from!?” Racha demanded as she looked up at the cave mouth. The Beast had wasted no time and moved towards the cavern. Before it had taken even three steps, something had burst from the cave's mouth.

The new creature was as tall as the Beast and was a reptile. It had scale armor of the darkest black and seemed to ooze a sense of malice as it stood there. It had bulging muscles all over its quadruped body, from its legs to its long whip-like tail. The face had a muzzle with two saber fangs that curved down. Above them were three eyes that were locked on the Beast. With a roar, it charged and the two monsters started to fight.

“Where did that come from?” Paige breathed out in horror. The only good thing was it wasn’t dripping blood from its mouth. That had to mean Roy and the baby were okay.

“The same place as the boulder! It must have broken through the tunnel!” Racha snarled as she rolled to her feet. She almost fired but stopped when she saw that the two monsters were fighting each other.

As the Beast charged at the Fanged creature it roared. The Fanged creature roared back as it dodged to the right and then bit down, tearing off the middle leg. The Beast’s wound gushed black blood that hit the Fanged creature and the foul liquid did nothing to it. As the liquid hit the grass, however, that sizzled as it dissolved away. The Beast kicked out with its back right leg, hit the Fanged creature’s right fang, and broke it off. As the Fanged Creature roared it pounced on the Beast's neck.

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

The Bearer fought the new beast and knew from the pulse of the Spark that its time was done. This might be the best that it could hope for. The creature battling it was fast, strong, and vicious, the perfect source stock. Once the Spark consumed the Bearer it would take in this and use the strength it still had to spawn copies of this one. And then they could take the two-leggers down, adding their sources to the stock. Just those alone would be enough for the Spark to take control of this territory. To finally kill the Ravagers.

As the new beast came at it again, the Bearer felt the Spark and knew that this was it. As the Bearer readied itself for one final move, it knew that it had one chance to use its death to help the Spark.

<>------------------------------------------------<>------------------------------------------------<>

Suddenly there was a flash of light and Paige screamed in pain. Racha held a hand over her eyes as the light hit her and sounds of cracking were heard. Even the Fanged Creature cried with anger, rage, or shock and Racha knew that this was beyond bad.

“THE HUNGER, IT’S HERE! AND IT WANTS US!!” Paige screamed out in horror.

Racha blinked and once she could see, all she could do was stare in horror. There, where the Beast had been was a tree that was growing before her eyes. Already it had reached a height of ten feet and five feet wide. She looked around and saw the Fanged Creature on the ground. All she could do was watch as vines from the branches fell onto the creature. As it tried to get up the vines suddenly entangled the Fanged Creature and pulled it up into the air.

Racha felt shocked as she watched the Fang Creature struggle to break free. But the vines carried to the tree, right to a hollow that had formed. As she watched in horror the tree ate the Fanged Creature, and Paige’s shocked gasp told Racha this was real.

“That thing, it’s stronger! And it wants us now!” Paige shrieked in pain and anger.

Racha didn’t think as she saw the vines coming towards them, all she did was fire her weapon. As each bolt hit, the vines burned and then they all stopped. The tree screeched and Paige cried out again.

“It’s angry!” She screamed as she held her head.

Racha looked at the tree and aimed at it as anger burned within her. If this fly trap tree wanted…… where had that fruit come from?

She watched as a small green sphere the size of an orange started to grow larger before her eyes. In seconds it was the size of a watermelon and it only grew larger before it fell. When it hit the ground, it split apart, and from it came a green-eyed Fanged Creature got to its feet.

All Racha could do was look at it in horror, suddenly understanding what Paige had meant. This thing, it took captives to use their DNA to make servants for itself! It was an interesting ability and explained a few things. The Beast must have been the way for it to spread from the source that ‘made’ it. And the mind behind it wanted her and Paige to grow stronger! With a hard look, she aimed at it before a bolt from the right hit it.