by Project Kyle
Thankfully, the ship’s nose began to tip up, and the landing procedure began to activate. The trees of the jungle surrounded most of the surface, but a long, narrow line was visible. It went on for ten miles before dropping off the edge of a large cliff.
“Oh no,” Nerd said out loud as he realized that his ship was not slowing down. “He wouldn’t…yes…yes, he would.”
The crew members were confused about what David was referring to, but they were relieved to see that the narrow line was actually an opening for a runway. In theory, the landing should have been safe. However, it wasn’t, and soon the crew began to realize what Nerd was nervous about.
The ship continued at the same blazing speed, showing no signs of letting up. It plunged down and landed hard on the runway. An explosion could be heard as both engines overheated. Thankfully, the thrusters were no more, but the ship’s momentum continued. It dragged the ship mile after mile; a loud, high-pitched screeching sound could be heard as the bottom of the Iron Heart was dragged across the runway. The crew began to realize the danger they were in, as the cliff’s edge was continuing to draw closer. The momentum was beginning to slow down, but only a mile was left, and they were not sure if the ship would stop in time.
The Iron Heart was now a quarter of a mile away from the edge. They had now slowed down significantly, but was it enough? They were about to find out.
The ship’s momentum was now at a crawl. It was ten feet away from the cliff’s edge; then six feet, then three, then one. The nose of the ship began to inch its way over the cliff, and right before the momentum stopped, almost half of the Iron Heart protruded over the cliff’s edge. A sinking feeling overpowered the crew as gravity began to pull the nose of the ship downward. The bottom of the drop was visible from the ship’s visor, but the momentum had completely stopped, and the ship seemed to be balancing itself, ready to fall but not committing itself to it.
“We have a 50-50 chance,” Nerd said. “It depends on how much of the ship has passed over the cliff’s edge.”
The ship teetered on the cliff’s edge for a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity to the rest of the crew, but relief soon came to them as gravity began to pull on the back of the ship rather than the front. The ship was now level and safely on the ground.
The crew breathed a huge sigh of relief. Though everyone but Nerd was completely clueless about what had just happened, they were still thrilled to be alive, as the incident was too close for comfort.
Nerd, however, was irritated at what Experiment-1 had done. He pulled a flashlight out of his lab coat and ran out of the bridge as soon as they landed.
A few minutes went by, giving everyone time to regain their composure. The shock was heavy, and even though they were grateful to be alive, uncertainty was a feeling that was now starting to overcome the shock.
Sophia was the first to express curiosity about where Nerd had taken off to. She grabbed a flashlight and left the room, followed by Henry, Baker, Collins, and Howard.
They noticed the door near Nerd’s bedroom was open, a room that neither Henry nor Sophia had explored. They could hear tinkering going on inside. So, the five of them decided to walk in.
The room broke off into two little rooms located on the left and right side. Thankfully, they did not need to explore them, as Nerd was examining the ship’s computer located at the back of the room. He had opened one of the panels on it and had half his body stuck within it.
“Aha!” he said victoriously. “I found it!” Nerd quickly pulled himself out and revealed a small computer chip in his right hand. “One of Experiment-1’s devices. He must have planted it inside the ship’s computer when we were docked at Nebula. This is how he was able to hack in and control the ship.”
“What?” Captain Baker exclaimed. “He hacked the ship through that? That one little chip?”
“He is very brilliant. This technology is most likely his own. I’m actually not surprised; I just wish I had checked the ship over before. Whenever this guy is involved, you have to prepare for everything.”
“What do we do now, bro?” Henry asked.
“I will contact Deep Cosmos. The ship’s power circuits have overloaded and both engines have blown. The Iron Heart will fly again, but she will need to be repaired first.” Nerd reached into his pocket and pulled out his communicator. He began to panic when he was unable to contact the central commander. He tried reaching others on his contact list, but still, nothing. He tried contacting Sophia and Henry. The call went through, meaning they could still contact each other. However, that was not what Nerd wanted to see.
“Guys!” he said to his crew members. “I need you all to see if you can contact someone outside of this planet.” Everyone but Sophia tried; she only had Nerd, Henry, and Experiment-1’s contact information, two of whom were right by her and one of whom she seriously did not want to call.
The others had the same problem as Nerd did and were only able to reach people that were in the ship with them. Nerd let out a sigh.
“Something is keeping us from contacting anyone outside the planet. We’re going to have to find out what it is. If it’s the planet’s atmosphere, we may be here for a long time.”
Nerd ran out of the computer room and made his way downstairs. The other five crew members made their way back into the lobby and waited for their commander. After a few minutes, Nerd made his way back upstairs. He had a drone in one hand and a remote control in the other.
“Follow me, guys!” he said to them. “Let’s find out what the trouble is.”
Nerd opened the ship’s airlock and extended the ramp down to the planet’s surface. He then made his way down to the ground. The six of them exited the Iron Heart and were refreshed by the sensation of the crisp, sweet air filling their lungs and the warm glow of the planet sun covering their skin. Only Sophia and Nerd had been on a planet that contained such a beautiful atmosphere before. That was Zentar, the other jungle planet, whose inhabitants cared for and provided for the world they lived on.
Nerd activated the drone and sent it away to search the area. The remote control had a view screen on it, so Nerd was able to see where the drone was flying. The drone also had a scanner for him to use. Thankfully, it was picking up a powerful radio signal coming from the north. He piloted his drone towards the signal until a massive structure was visible in front of him. It was a temple, and sure enough, the signal was coming from the very top of the tallest tower. Nerd scanned it, revealing that it was a signal jammer and it was projecting a shield across the planet’s atmosphere.
“Bingo!” Nerd said. “It will be a long hike, but if we can destroy that thing, we may have a chance to escape.” Nerd flew the drone back and notified his crew about the journey that lay ahead.
“We’re going to head north. It will take at least a day to get there and back, but if we run into trouble, it could take a lot longer. Pack anything you will need for the journey. This planet is very dangerous, so make sure you prepare for the worst.”
The crew members reentered the Iron Heart and gathered their things. Henry Smith was excited to don his new battle armor and the dual-wielding laser pistols he had bought at space station 1529.
“Money well spent!” He said to himself as an arrogant smirk covered his face. He also strapped on the flamethrower and rocket launcher he got from Smiley and made sure he loaded two new rockets inside it. He had everything he needed and was prepared to fight anything that came his way. Sophia, on the other hand, changed into her usual attire, which included her high heels, which she needed to have on her at all times, even on a journey through a jungle planet. She gathered her sword, bow, and normal arrows she had gotten from their space vacation, as Nerd still had not figured out a way to re-create the shadow arrows.
Half an hour went by before everyone had packed everything they needed. They were ready to head out, eager to destroy whatever was keeping them from escaping the wild planet of Obian.
The six of them made their way th
rough the vast jungle and were amazed at the life that surrounded them. Although the planet was very green, the shapes and patterns of the trees and plant life were very different than anything they had seen before. Some of the trees were so tall they could easily challenge a small skyscraper. There were mushrooms that were at least five stories tall and as wide as an average-sized house; there were bushes whose limbs spread out and spiraled inward like a snail shell. The plant life was not the only thing that was unique about this world, however. The sound of bugs and wild animals filled the air. A few of them were visible, and they were not like anything they had ever encountered before. Despite the fact they were very creepy and alien-looking, they were all thankfully herbivores. Most of the carnivores came out at night, a situation the crew would sadly need to deal with on the way back. Overall, the planet was very beautiful, but a sense of danger still lingered, as if evil was lurking somewhere in the heart of this green world.
The crew continued, and Collins was distracted by a very large, flat plant. It was laid out like a lily pad and seemed to have some sort of saliva gland inside each leaf. In the very middle was a flower that was incredibly beautiful. It glowed with radiant light and was truly desirable.
Collins felt himself being pulled in by the flower’s beauty and began to make his way towards it. He was stopped when Nerd caught sight of him doing so. He ran up to Collins and grabbed his arm.
“No!” Nerd yelled. “That’s a Venton; it lures its prey in like a Venus flytrap…only it can devour much larger prey than a bug. Its leaves engulf its victim, and it pours acid out of the glands you see on each large leaf. The victim is devoured instantly. Not even a cell survives.”
“Ah!” Collins said. “That’s no good.”
“At least these predators are stationary, and the bait it uses is very noticeable. So just keep your distance from the glowing flowers, they will kill you.”
Nerd stepped ahead of the group and continued to lead. It was evident that he was familiar with the planet, even though he claimed he had never been on it personally before. Normally this would raise suspicion, but this was Nerd. He had probably researched every planet in the galaxy and would have somehow found doing so enjoyable, rather than a chore.
The group continued to make their way through the jungle. Minutes soon became hours, and the crew began to feel the effects of their long travel, especially their leader, Nerd.
As noon approached, the temperature rose severely, and Nerd, who was still in his lab coat, was drenched with sweat and was about to collapse from exhaustion.
“I need to stop for a few minutes, guys,” he wheezed.
The rest of the away team didn’t see any reason to argue, given the fact that they had been on the move nonstop. So, they found a spot to relax for several minutes. Sophia removed her high heels and began rubbing her feet. She was used to walking great distances with them on; she was used to wearing them through nature walks or other activities that were done outdoors, but she wasn’t used to all three at once, and for the first time, her feet were sore from walking in them. Henry Smith, on the other hand, was restless. He was longing for some hostile creature to come attack him. He still had not been able to test out his new weaponry, and he desperately wanted a chance to use it.
He took his seat next to Nerd, who was still panting and drenched from head to toe in sweat.
“This blows, man!” He stated. “All we’ve done so far is walk in a straight line. I need some action!”
“Be careful what you ask for, Henry,” Nerd warned. “It may come true.”
“Dude! We survived the entire Wrath team. I think we can take on this planet!”
“I’m not worried about the planet. I’m worried about…him.”
“That creepy stalker guy? Come on, man! He’s only one guy…who single-handedly killed millions and managed to hijack our ship without anyone noticing…but still, we can take him!”
“Henry, I need to be honest with you about something. That guy, the one with the glowing green eyes? We…we don’t actually stand much of a—” Nerd stopped. He was distracted by the sound of a creature coming through the woods. Judging by the sound of its steps, it had five legs, had a long stride, and was moving towards his crew at a very high speed. “Oh no. Henry! Draw your weapons now!”
David’s command was music to Henry’s ears. He armed himself with his dual pistols and was ready to kill whatever was coming towards them. Not long after, a five-legged creature came jumping through the foliage. It had a leopard-like body, a roundish head with no neck, a long and relatively wide jaw that nearly hit the ground and could easily eat a human whole, and one big eye located on its forehead. The fifth leg was located where the tail of a wild animal would usually be. The creature was fast and extremely hungry! Henry wasted no time and began firing his dual weapons, alternating them one by one, shot after shot.
The creature fell by Henry’s feet, burn wounds all over its body where Henry had shot it.
“Brill, man!” He shouted. “Don’t know what that was, but it’s dead now!”
“That was a Ja-gore beast,” Nerd said to the group. “They are fast, strong, tough, but not invincible. Henry could’ve put it down with a few shots, but obviously he was really excited to kill it, as you can tell from all the unnecessary blast marks that cover its corpse.”
“Should we expect to see these creatures often?” Captain Baker asked.
“Unlikely; they usually hunt in packs. But the fact that this one came alone should mean it was a drifter…unless…”
Nerd stopped. His sensitive ears began picking up the sound of more Ja-gores coming. There were five…ten…twenty… Nerd groaned and realized the significance of the situation they were in.
“Oh no,” he said as the ground began to shake.
Chapter 15 Green Eyes Part 2
“Everyone load your weapons!” Nerd yelled. “We are about to be attacked from the east side!”
Immediately all the away team formed a line, facing towards the direction that the other creature had come from. They raised their weapons and prepared for a fight. Sophia had to choose between her bow and her sword. She thought about the creature and how she could fit within its jaw. Close contact was not her best option. So, she loaded her bow and hoped that her regular arrows would be strong enough to break the creatures’ skin.
The first Ja-gore made its way through the foliage. Then the second, followed by the third. Instantly all three of them fell to the ground, as the team wasted no time getting on the offensive.
Five more Ja-gores made their way through. These got closer but were unable to reach anyone before dropping dead, just as the first wave had before them. Next, ten of them came through at one time, and the away team felt a brief moment of panic, but before the monsters could get anywhere near them, the two in the middle were met with a completed Rubik’s cube that landed right by their feet. The Rubik’s cube exploded, and all ten of them were sent soaring through the air in flames. Nerd reached into his pocket and began to solve another Rubik’s cube; he had prepared for battle this time.
Another wave of five, then seven, then three, then twelve, then two. Wave after wave of the creatures fell, and Nerd could tell by the sound of the stampede that they were almost finished. It was dying down, with no more than ten remaining. However, all ten came at them at once, and Nerd did not have enough time to prepare his third Rubik’s cube. The other five members went straight for an all-out attack and were able to drop nine of the ten Ja-gores. But the tenth Ja-gore broke through the line and went straight for Nerd. Nerd was so focused on trying to solve his Rubik’s cube he didn’t notice the creature lunging at him until the last second. Nerd jumped up and just missed getting swallowed whole by getting enough air to make impact with the creature’s snout. The impact with the creature launched Nerd backwards. His head throbbed in pain as it slammed against a large rock.
The blow to the head caused Nerd’s vision to blur out for a second, and he was unable to predict
the creature’s landing pattern. When his vision cleared, it was already too late. The Ja-gore was only inches from Nerd, ready to consume him whole.
Nerd spent his final moment self-reflecting. He hated his life, he hated being who he was, he hated having a mind like his. Despite his gifts, he still felt empty and dead inside. However, at least his life was not in vain. He had encouraged Sophia to find herself and had the honor of watching her regain her confidence and become a strong warrior again. He had helped Henry to take a step away from his life of crime and proved to him that there was some excitement and thrill in fighting for good.
He had helped both individuals to see the potential they had and had no doubt they would continue to flourish even long after the beast had ripped his body to shreds without mercy. It was okay; there was no reason to feel scared. He could die now, knowing that he had made a difference…but something was wrong. He was still alive. The creature had not devoured him.
Nerd opened his eyes and noticed a large snake-like creature wrapped around the Ja-gore beast. The creature immediately snapped the Ja-gore’s neck, and the beast let out one final cry before it died. The giant snake creature then unhinged its mouth and began devouring the beast whole. It was a gruesome sight, but it only took a few seconds.
The snake creature was now fattened from its meal, but not for long. It quickly started to regain its shape, as the creature’s digestive system seemed to digest the creature in a matter of seconds.
Now the creature’s true form was revealed, and Nerd was able to identify it instantly.
Although he was snake-like from the waist down, his torso was very much like that of a human male. He had two arms and a neck. However, that was where his humanoid features ended. His hands were very alien; they had three fingers and a thumb, with a large claw attached to each one. His head was the most interesting part of all. His lower jaw looked a lot like a steam shovel and his scalp was very spiky; he had four eyes that glowed green, but they were shaped differently than Experiment-1’s. He had one blue shell located on his forehead. However, Nerd never could figure out what it was for. His skin was very reptilian and was purple in color.