Castaway Planet

Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 153 of 365. Sol standard year]

Days after of Crash landing/ 1

Uninhabited Island / Ruins / Indoor forest

Galactic Standard Time / 2100

As the feline humanoid finished telling the elder what it had experienced in its watch. The one fact that the door had opened caused the elder to feel shocked at the sheer impossibility of the event.

The Elder was another humanoid feline, only its orange fur had started to go grey. It was wearing a golden robe and sat in a green wooden chair. To its left was a small red crystal from which a soft heat came. The chair was It stood up and walked around the wooden hut. The elder looked up at small stone statues of its predecessors, the beings that had guided their race. The station of the Watchers was meant to watch for the Creator’s return, a way to let the weaker heir grow stronger. For generations, nothing had ever happened at the post, and it became a place to watch that side of the forest. But now, the door had been opened and a blast of light had been fired at the captain. There was something different about this, and they had to react to this all!

But what to do? The other tribes would surely hear about it sooner or later! And the passageway was still in the hands of the Horn Clan! The defenses the clan set up wouldn’t hold if the rest of the clans united to take over the forest. And sooner or later the others would learn.

A mew from the Captain of the Watchers caused the Elder to turn and look. This one was always loyal and strong. It was also a proven leader and could think quickly. All in all, the Elder had been grooming the Captain to take over. But was it a strong enough one to handle the return of the Creators? They were the rightful masters of the Under Jungle, those who were worthy of the above hunting place!

The Under Jungle was said in the songs of the tribe to be under a great paradise. A land in the middle of a great lake, full of fruit trees and prey to hunt. A place that was lit by a great light above them out of reach of all. A light that The Creators brought to their ancestors. Brining them here had been a challenge but the tribe had survived, but they had lived in fear of jailers. The stories of the tribe said that the Creators put the tribe down here to test them. That they had been here to prove themselves worthy of the Power that the Creators saw in them.

For generations the Tribe had lived in this small part of the Under Jungle. They had claimed it as their territory and controlling their numbers. When the great shaking had happened generations ago, it had caused a miracle. The paths to the other parts of the Under Jungle had opened and they had celebrated their good fortune. The rules that limited their numbers had ended, they had finally prove themselves! But then the other tribes had attacked. Now they had been pushed back to their first new lands, barely keeping the others at the Front Line. They needed an advantage, something that they could use to break their backs. And now something had caused the Creators’s Door to open!

The elder looked at a crude map on the hide of a beast the tribe killed. The elder traced the battle line and scowled a little. After generations, the Unworthy were slowly forcing them back with trickery and unholy powers. Those of their number who had gained the Creators’s Might had only turned it into a slow retreat, not a rout. They needed to change tactics, but how? The other clans controlled all the routes, how else could they….! The elder went still as its finger slowly moved along the line of the Creator’s Place. It nodded and started to chuckle, it could work. That could work!

Each part of the Under Jungle they had found was a way for the Creators to judge the actions of their chosen ones. It stood to reason that the Creators had ways to move about. They had to, all to watch their chosen ones and prepare new tests for them. Then if they could send a part of the warriors through the creator’s place. They could attack the others and then take back their inactive, change the pace of the war!

The Elder only stared at the map as a mad feeling came over it. This was perfect! And this had to be the final test of the Creators, would the worthy do anything to survive? Yes, only then would their chosen be worthy of the Power and Might of the Creators themselves!

It turned towards the Captain still bowed before it. It looked at this one and felt a small spark of interest. The battle between the two heirs was something, and the victory had been decided by luck alone. This was still wanted to return to the front lines, and the chance to gain honor was the perfect way to tempt it. But for it to get others to brave the Creators's Realm, it would need something. A token or tool to prove that the Elder trusted it, and the Elder knew just what to give the Captain.

Twenty minutes later, the Captain walked out, its teeth bared in glee. Over its back was a new weapon, something that gave the Captain so much pleasure. At long last, it was slowly returning to its proper place! Without a word, it raised its hand and the Watchers fell in behind it. They were all worried about what would happen now. All they had expected was to live, just hunting and protecting their tribe’s back. They were the dregs of the tribe, those who were expected to be those who defended their homes. But now their true purpose was needed, and they had to rise. As the Watchers slowly grew more bold they realized where they were going, and as one they were shocked. The party didn’t move back towards the wall, instead, they moved towards the mustering field!

As twenty new warriors stood ready to move to the front line their Trainer stood before them. The Trainer was a feline with grey fur and was wearing a black dyed vest. It’s job was to train the new Warriors, and this was one of the best batches it had in years. There were a few bad seeds that were that had made it through, and it’s eyes went to one in particular. As the object of its ire stared back, Trainer’s eyes then went to its best student. This one had gold color fur and unlike the others who only wore green vests, this one had on a greenhead band. Out of all of them, Trainer saw this one as the best it had. Trainer expected that this one would rise in the Tribe’s eyes, and become a worthy one.

As Trainer was about to give them their orders, the Watchers walked onto the field. Without a word, the Captain walked straight towards the trainer, a sense of command about it. What followed was the Trainer arguing with the Captain as it told the Trainer it was taking the warriors. As the trainer tried to argue the Captain drew the sword from its back, revealing a Creator Metal blade.

These weapons were only handed out by the Elder, each a sign of its trust to the wielders. The Trainer stepped backwards, shocked beyond words. To even see the wielder of a Creator Metal blade was rare, they mostly stayed at the front lines. The tribe still had a magma forge where they could smelt the bodies of the Creator’s servants. But to even find or damage a servant, they needed a Creator Metal blade. The tribe only had less than ten of the blades, and all but three were on the front lines. To see one here, and it’s wielder needed his trainees? The answer for what the Trainer would do was obvious.

Moments later, the Trainer led the twenty warriors behind the Watchers. As one they ran towards the Watch Station. All the Trainer knew was that this was a path to glory, one that was chosen by the Elder.

The Captain was giddy, this was perfect. Once the tribe heard that it had led a group through the Creator’s Realm, its name would rise. If the plan of the Elder worked, then the tribe would have more land. Then they would be able to grow their numbers and take back everything that the foul ones had taken from them! Uniting and attacking the Tribe, how dare they! Soon they would feel the Captain’s Blade as it plunged into the backs of their armies!

Finally, they reached the guar post and the captain climbed up the stairs. As the warriors and Watchers followed after it, the Captain looked ahead. All the Captain had to do was get through the door, and then everything would be perfect. Nothing could stop its rise now!

As the group moved up the stairs, a white-furred feline slowly looked around. As it did so, a strange feeling going through it. It was the sorest of the warriors, but it was loyal. No matter how long it took, it survived and did its job. The others might think it wasn’t suited for a life as more than a Drudge, White wanted to serve to the best of its abilities. Let the others try and bully it, it would keep standing until it’s service was over!

A red-furred feline with a line of black fur from its forehead back looked at the white one and chuckled to itself. Unlike the others, this one never bothered the white one. It liked the way White always worked hard for its fellows, and never tried to bring others down. Unlike the Gold one, who always had to win and bring others down to improve how the Trainer saw it. As soon as they all made it to the Front Line, then others would see the truth. Gold would find a way to suck up to a leader, earn their trust. Then when the leader's back was turned, Gold would kill it and try and takeover. Red only wanted to survive and maybe have a few litters later on, and that was enough for it. Let Gold scheme, as long as Gold left it and its friends alone, let the stuck-up run to its death.

As they moved up the stairs, White looked around, a strange feeling going through it. Something about the walls was bothering it, and it couldn’t figure out why. Still, as far as it was concerned that wasn’t something to be bothered with. It had joined the Warrior Trials to become a Warrior to protect its clan, and that was what it wanted to do. As long as all its tribe-mates could make it back alive from war, it would be happy.

As the Warriors all made it to the hallway, all of them looked at the windows in awe. They had moved so far upwards, and the view was something they had never thought they would ever see. For a solid moment, even Gold was looking at it in awe. To see their home from this high, and to see only the peace and not the battle. To see the world they had grown in from this height, the Creators were true gods to have created such wonder.

The Watchers all yowled, and the Warriors moved on. Red looked on and saw Trainer had even been affected by the view. Red grinned a little and moved its right hand to its blade, and looked at the windows as it moved. There was something about this view that bothered Red, something that wasn’t there. But for some reason, it had a strange feeling that it had seen something like this before, and had hated it.

When the group reached the door, both the Captain and the Trainer stepped forward to examine it. After a few minutes of work, they couldn't find any way open the door. Trainer turned towards the Captain with a scowl in its eyes. The Captain didn’t say anything, it kept looking for a way to open it.

The door just stood there, all the slash marks the few Watchers who had Creator Steel blades the only signs on it. The Captain kept looking for anything that might have changed, there had to be! There had to be a way, there had to be. This was a test from the Creator’s, it had to be! They wouldn’t just open their realm after all these centuries only for it not to let them in!

White looked around from the pack of Warriors and tried to think a bit. There was something about the walls that had bothered it as it walked down the hallway, but what? No matter what it thought of, it was still there. Something about them was different, something that was beyond the edge of its mind.

As Trainer yowled and waved its arms, White looked up in shock. Trainer wanted them all to move to the Front lines and something about how the mission was a fool’s one. As Captain growled and drew it’s blade, White went still. It looked from the blade as Captain threatened Trainer and nodded. As Trainer spoke again, White stepped forward and meowed. Red looked at her as Gold blinked, but they were the only ones who heard it. As Captain and Trainer both kept arguing Gold stepped forward, grabbing Captain’s arm. As the two looked at him, Gold pointed at the wall by the door.

With a word, Captain looked from Gold to the wall and sliced out with its weapon. As they all looked and saw that Captain’s blade had sliced through the wall itself a few inches, they stared in shock.

Captain only looked at the wall, and then with a yowl started to slice at the walls.

White looked at the wall, and only now knew what had bothered it. All the marks on the windows and door, but had been none on the wall. With the Creator Steel blade, Captain was making it so they could push the door open. And that meant that the mission might work after all.

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Down the hallway, a large and long drone flew. It was sent into the abandoned sector with one order, capture the Templates from the new sample group. The fact that they had found a way into the Complex under the Mind’s control was too much for it to tolerate. Already, the mind was making a plan to repair and recover the sector. With the help coming from the Central Mind, the complex would be stronger than it had been in years.

But still, the drone was the best for this situation. It was long, maybe ten feet long, five high, and one wide with a kind of blocky shape to it. At its center was a large stalk with a crystal sphere at the top that glowed. It had four long limbs that front-ended in four clamps set in an ‘X’ formation. It had eight slopped thrusters, four on top and four on the bottom at the end of its body that pushed it along. It was made mostly of the metal that the Creators had made this complex out of. The only thing that wasn’t were the circuitry within its body and the crystal sphere.

This drone was sent when the Mind needed to capture less than four specimens. And most times it alone was enough to get the job done, even if the targets could think. As it sighted the door Zane, Bryce, and Rodolphe had gone through, it slowly sped up to ram it.

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As Zane blinked he looked up. After they had all decided to stay here, they had scouted ahead through the other door. It opened onto a dark corridor that they had traveled for a while before returning to the security room. The plan had been to go through it the next morning. Zane had volunteered to watch the room with the glass wall. He had said that if the robots came back, they would need someone to be on guard. But the noise was coming from the door to the hallway with the windows.

He looked at it and for a second he thought he saw nothing, but then he saw it slowly move upwards. As that happened, a sound from behind him caused him to turn and see the door to the hallway being pushed open.

“Time to go,” He said with a swallow as he turned and ran for the security room. He fumbled for the ‘hand key’, and ran through the door.

As he ran into the room, he put the hand under the scanner inside and whistled. “Time to go my friends! We’ve got a battle behind us, so let’s leave them alone to settle their differences!”

Bryce and Rudolphe both looked up from what they were doing.

“Zane, what’s happening!?” Bryce asked as he put his pack on.

Zane kept silent as he threw on his pack as the door closed behind him. “Don’t know, only that the doors from the hallway and the corridor are both opening from the other sides! So let’s move before the survivors come for us!”

“Right, the key!” Rodolphe said from the other door.

Zane threw it to him and without a word, the group moved out of the door. Rodolphe let the other two pass before he closed the door with the “hand key”. Knowing they would need it again, he put it into his pack before following after the others into the unknown.

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Captain walked into the room, looking around smelling the scent of everything there. As it led the way into the chamber, Captain looked around and saw the way it was set up. With a strange feeling going through it, for a moment it was shocked. But then Captain realized that it was feeling disappointed. This wasn’t anything like it had expected to come to, it seemed like a room back in the village. But then it saw the great window and its breath was stolen at the view. Captain looked up at the view of the Sky Crystals and it stared in awe. The Captain felt a rush of something, something it couldn’t identify. But now it seemed like it was the perfect time to tell the others their true mission.

But before it could say anything beyond looking at the wonder Captain heard a screech of fear. Captain turned with a scowl but it saw Trainer staring down at something as some of the others stood with it. Captain came over and when it saw the skeleton, it stared in horror. Before any of them could say anything, they heard something from the side opposite the mirror. They all turned and stared, shocked and worried about what was coming at them.