Ad Astra Per Aspera 5

“Welcome back to the land of the living my friend. You have been gone for quite some time.” Commander Baja says cheerfully as I look around. Her teal-colored hair (which normally should be up) was currently hanging down just barely touching her shoulders. I guess standard doctrine was out the window at this point. I mean, even if what I saw wasn’t a dream, at this very moment it was currently just us here. Who knew how long it would be before, [IF] we see another unit. It could be weeks, months, hell years even.

She was kind of cute now that I was looking at her face to face versus the looking down angle I had before I came to. She had light green eyes that was just a shade lighter than her hair. Even though she was wearing a light coat of makeup you could still see the freckles that peppered her cheeks. She was rocking a greenish blue lipstick that normally wouldn’t be ugly, but she was actually making it work and was pretty with it. She had a single dimple on her right side that added an extra charm to her smile.

She was still in the dark grey and black suit which was the standard issued U.N.S.F uniform. But for seem reason even that was kind of nice on her. I must have really hit my head if I was fawning over her this much. Then again, it normally was mostly me and Talisman back in the day so maybe she was just being inflated in my mind. However, I needed to give her answer before she caught me staring too much and got the wrong idea.

“Ah, Commander Baja. How long has it been since I’ve arrived here?” I ask. I might as well entertain her. I highly doubt she’ll believe anything I say so I’ll answer with what she’ll want to hear.

“Oh, you know me?”

“No, I just heard your name as I was fading in and out.”

“Ooh. That makes sense.” She says was a slight nod. “Anyway, to answer your question it's been fifteen days since the [DARE] was destroyed, eight since we arrived, and three since you were brought onto the SUNRISE.” She explains crossing her arms and leaning back.

“I see.” I mutter lightly grabbing my chin with my index and thumb in thought and then her wording registers. “You just said since [WE] arrived. As in the ship.” She just smiles and leans back towards me roughly a forearms distance away. The sweet scent of mint tickled my nose as she spoke.

“You are indeed a sharp one. This must be how you’ve survived so long.” She says with a sly smile. “I did mean it as in my ship. You’ve been on the planet since the DARE was lost... If your S.A.R.A.H is to be believed that is.”

Fifteen days? That was a meaty amount of time. That didn’t make sense though. I had around –130 seconds (about 2 minutes) on my mask when I came to and if I remembered correctly and I only spent two days traveling from the first Huntsmen to this one. I was on a riverbank... Maybe I was floating in the river for that missing two days and on day three I fell off a waterfall or something and cracked my mask. Yes, that was the only probable explanation. Then I arch my back a cold chill runs down it and a deep guttural voice enters my mind.

[Hey boy. You got a Big Bad heading your way. Roughly 4 minutes till contact. Might wanna have your lady friend prepare some weapons.]

“Huh? Who is that?” I ask looking around.

“What is it? Who is what? It’s only us here.” Commander Baja asks raising her eyebrow in confusion.

[3 minutes boy. This a big one. The other two were babies compared to this one.]

“Something big is coming. Have your gunners start spooling the Chain Guns.” I tell her trusting this mysterious voice.

“What? There is nothing coming. Our scanners would have alerted us of anything with 6 kilometers.” She scoffs as I try and warn her, fully trusting our technology. “You're just feeling the side effects of getting up too quickly and hearing things. Either that or you're hearing the other crew members outside.”

[Hehehe. Roughly 1 minute boy. She's going to get you killed for real.]

“Fuck.” I careful but quickly remove all of my cables and needles. “Move.” I demand pushing past her.

“HEY WHAT ARE YOU! GET BACK HERE!” She demands as I run out.

[AHAHAHA! YOUR’RE FUCKED NOW!]

Just as I throw on an armored top the entire ships rocks side to side as something huge collides into it. The collision alarms began blaring and red fills the entire ship. I curse under my breath as I grab the first fully automatic non-Chain Gun and that was the M779 SAW which was basically a really advanced 15 mm version of the old American M249 SAW. A couple of crew members try to stop me, but I shove them out of my way and open the roof hatch and climb out.

“All combat units prepare the main guns!” I just barely hear Commander Baja’s command as I’m climbing.

“My God. What is that?” One of the crew members mutters. I was fairly sure the entire crew down below saw what I was now face to face with it. It was definitely bigger than the last two creatures and of an entirely different species. This creature was at least ten meters tall. It was kinda of a mix between an alligator and eel. That’s when I noticed the electricity crackling on its body.

[CLICK, CLACK]

I chamber the first round and prepare to fire. Just as I throw up the barrel and set my sights on the creature, my body instinctively dodges and rolls out of the way.

[AHAHAHAHA... Not even you can win this one boy. You need way more experience and more than this pea shooter. AHAHAHAHA.] The voice laughs as I do my best to avoid the lightning strikes.

“WHERE ARE THE GUNS?” Commander Baja demands, questioning as to why none of the guns are up.

“Ma’am, the guns were on shutdown due to energy preservation mode. They need time to spool and heat up.”

“How long?”

“7 minutes.”

Commander Baja can only stare in disbelief. If only she had listened. She had placed her absolute trust in the Earth’s finest and most technologically advanced radar system over the word of someone who had survived at least five days in the wilds of this unknown planet. Now her entire crews' lives were at risk of being lost. She runs to the hatch and yells for me to buy seven minutes.

[BRRRRRRRRRRR]

The sound of the M779 faintly fills the bridge. All the cameras begin focusing on Ozark as he sprays, dodges, and sprays again. He was in nothing but the medical gown and upper body armor. However, he persisted on and continued his assault. As heavy a punch 15mm made, it was deathly obvious that it wasn’t even scratching this monstrosity.

“Think, think, think. What can I do? There’s gotta be something I can do. SHI...”

[BOOM]

I was careless. I stopped paying attention for a fraction of a second and it cost me. I felt at least half of my ribs break as the beasts' tail slams into my right side and flings me off the ship. I was hit with such a force I didn’t even hear the heavy 779 hit the ground. I just felt my body leave the ground and then the excruciating pain of slamming into and rolling across the ground. That’s when it hit me.

“Aaah. It’s the ship.” I mutter forcing my body up. It screams in protest. I didn’t know what all was broken but it was definitely a lot. I watch as the creature slam's itself repeatedly into the ship. I try to scream but nothing comes out. I limp as fast as I could, cursing at how far it threw me.

[VRRREW]

My gaze shoots to the sky as another unfamiliar ship zooms across the sky. The crocodile creature stops mid slam and turns towards the ship that flew by taking a couple steps in its direction.

[NOW’S YOUR ONE CHANCE BOY! MAKE IT COUNT!}

I was hoping the ships speakers were working and if they were I was praying they would hear me. I was roughly five or so meters away, but I didn’t know if I had the voice to scream. No, it wasn’t a matter of [if] I had the voice it was I was [going] to find the voice.

“SHUT DOWN THE SHIP. IT’S AFTER THE SHIP. COMPLETELY SHUT IT DOWN!” I collapse to my hands and knees and vomit blood. My vision was beginning to blur and all I could do now was pray they heard me. My right arm collapsed, and I let gravity take me as a fall onto my side.

[Shut...shi. Af... ship.] The gargled message plays through the bridge's speakers and the crew can only debate on what it is.

Then it hits the Lieutenant. “ALL STATIONS! SHUT DOWN THE SHIP! IF IT PRODUCES POWER KILL IT! MOBILE DEVICES AS WELL!”

Just as the Lieutenants orders are registered the creature turns back around. “Fuck! Sir, we’re not going to be able to shut down in time!” Multiple crew members begin yelling the same thing. Everyone was scrambling trying to kill as much power as possible. Nobody knew how many more whacks the ship could take but, everyone knew it wasn’t many more.

[Whuuuumpf]

Then out of nowhere the ship goes dark as the entire ship is filled with the sound of the electricity dying.

“Forgive me guys. It was the only way.” I didn’t much care what happened after this. All I knew was that if I was going to die, I at least wanted to die knowing I saved at least one person before I went. If they died at least one day after me that was fine as well. As long as todays sacrifice isn’t wasted.

[AHAHAHA! HANG ON TO YOUR SOCKS BOY!]

[PAZIIIIT]

“A...” I barely even get to scream as the electricity entered my body.

[WOOHOOHOO, AHAHAHA! YOU CRAZY BASTARD! HEHEHE. I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY DID IT!]

“Who did that?”

“What happened to the power?”

“Yeah, what happened?”

The entire crew begins trying to figure out why the power went out. There was no way anyone could have killed the power that quickly.

“Hey, hey guys look!” One of the female crew members excitedly yells pointing out the window. Curiosity overtakes almost everyone as they all try looking out one of the windows. Then it’s clear as to why she was so happy. The creature was no sauntering off to the south, it now had absolutely no interest in the ship.

The entire crew burst into cheers having survived the seemingly impossible odds. There was probably nobody onboard who thought they were going to survive. They were all no going to see another day and it was all thanks to one man... That’s when the Commander remembered. There was one more. The hero of the day. “Tango, dismount and find Hull Tech I Ozark. We owe him a debt none of us can repay. Find him and ensure no matter what he is alive or stays alive.” She commands the rescue unit.

“Understood man. Tango, gear up and move out at once.” The leader orders and the member all respond with an “Aye, aye sir.”

“FOUND HIM!”

“Oh fuck. He doesn’t look too good.”

“Alright, hurry and get him back to the ship. We must keep him alive. We at least owe him that. We would be dead by now if not for him.”

“Oh shit. That’s how the power shut down so quickly. The crazy bastard ripped out the fuse box.”

Tango squad quickly administers as much aid as possible scopes the scene and returns inside with Ozarks motionless body in tow.