Blue-eyed Miracle - 1. Gods' forsaken planet

Day 1

The last thing I remember is the crash.

The intense heat brings me back to my senses. I open my eyes. The first thing I see is the crack on the lower part of the windshield as my sight comes back to focus. My eyes follow the the spiderweb-like fissures of the impact. Up and up until it stops on a hole in the crystal, which is stained with blood.

Little by little the memories start flooding like a river. I remember the combat taking place not far away from this planet. I remember leaving the mother ship and getting caught in the crossfire. I suddenly remember performing evasive maneuvers as my shuttle recoiled from side to side. And then the screaming of Rhabanar, my copilot, as we entered the atmosphere of the planet with the shuttle out of control.

And then the crashing. I remember hitting my head against the windshield before the whole world went black.

I don't know how many hours have passed, but I can feel my legs numbed as I'm still sitting on the pilot chair. I unfasten the seat belt and try to stand, but I immediately feel nauseous. Maybe, just maybe, I should try and remain calm as I evaluate my options. I must react, I know. But somehow my body is not responding.

I bring my hand to my forehead and feel the blood caked on the left side of my head. It hurts. I feel the nausea hit me again and I start drifting away again. As I do so, I have the very distinct impression of being observed. But I can't be sure.

I open my eyes again.

I try and move and realize I don't feel nauseous this time. So I move a little more. The sun is falling down and it's not hot anymore. I lean forward and try and bring the systems online, but the shuttle is not responding. The back-up system is dead as well.

Noticing I'm not dizzy, I stand from the pilot seat and move towards Rhabanar. I place my fingers on his neck looking for a pulse, but I already know he's dead. I move sideways to try and open the hatch manually. The fresh air hits me and I feel like my energy is renewed as the air fills my lungs.

There's a very strong smell of plant-life. The temperature is dropping quickly and I get to the conclusion that the night's gonna be a cold one.

I go back inside the shuttle and to the stern to account for my rations. I know for a fact there won't be much, since the shuttle is a short-range ship designed for short trips. I open a pack and start biting on a piece of dried meat. As I eat, I have the impression of being observed again. I turn to the windshield, but again there's no one around.

As I'm done eating, I get the medical kit of the shuttle. There's sanitizing pads and I start by cleaning the wound. It hurts like hell, so I imagine the wound has to be somewhat deep. When I'm done cleaning it up, I use an ointment to help the healing.

Night is approaching and I need to take care of Rhabanar's corpse. Fortunately, the shuttle is equipped with two mortuary bags, so I prepare one for him and seal him in. I can't help but shed a couple of tears for Rhabanar. After all, we've been piloting partners for some time.

Once I'm done, I close the hatch and get ready for bed. The temperature has fallen significantly and I'm starting to shiver. I unlatch the hidden bed manually and prepare it. I get a couple of extra spreads so I can keep myself warm.

It's a rough night. All through the hours I have nightmares about the crashing and Rhabanar. I think I'm feverish most of the night. In that sort of stupor when you don't know whether you're asleep or awake, I feel like I'm being observed. There's a moment I can swear there's someone looking at me in my sleep. But I can't be sure.

Day 2

Morning comes.

I don't think I'm feverish anymore. As I come back to my senses, flashes from the previous night pour inside my mind as a river flowing. I have the clear impression of a face looking upon my sleep. I remember a young face, not many details, but I do remember a lock of golden hair and eyes of the deepest blue anyone could have.

Most of the morning I work on trying to bring the shuttle's systems online, but Rhabanar was the engineer and there's little I can actually do. When night comes, I tell myself, I'll have to bury Rhabanar. I can't count on the fleet coming in my rescue. Not when we're at war and mine must be one of the many ships that must've been lost in battle.

So around noon I start scouting. I've removed my shirt and placed it over my head to cover myself from the horribly burning sun. The heat is so intense I'm thankful I brought my canteen with me. However, it's vital that I find a water stream or any other source. My water supply won't last forever.

After a two hour walk I find a little stream. I take out the monitoring device and place a sample of the water on it. Two minutes later, the device beeps and a green light tells me it's safe to drink it. So I fill the canteen and start walking following the stream.

Half an hour more and I find a place where the stream widens. I decide to mark some trees so I can go back with relative easiness. I keep walking for probably one more hour until the stream gives way to a small lagoon. I feel so excited I take my clothes off and go inside it. The fresh water is a welcome respite from the heat.

I hear a rustle of leaves and turn around trying to remove the water from my eyes and I see a silhouette running through the bushes, as if trying to hide from me.

"Hey!" I yell, "Hey, wait!"

I come out of the river as fast as I can, and, naked as I am, a run in the direction where I last saw the person, whoever it was. But I haven't been fast enough.

I sit on a rock and let the heat dry me up. I put my clothes back on and start walking back to the shuttle. Because of the sun's position, I gather it must be close to five o'clock in the afternoon and I know I'll be walking for around three hours. I wouldn't want the cold to find me in the open.

As I walk back, I start feeling the temperature dropping and start regretting staying so late in the lagoon. A new rustling sound brings me to a state of alert and I look around trying to find the source. This time, however, I cannot see anyone. But I know he's around.

"Hey!" I say, "I just wanna talk to you! I'm not gonna hurt you!"

There's no reply.

"I'm not armed, see?" I say raising my arms so he can see them.

I try for some minutes to no avail, so I resume my walking.

The night is close and I don't want to be caught outdoors when the cold has taken over.

I make it to the shuttle and I'm already shivering. I'm not sure how many degrees the temperature has dropped, but it's chilly. I come inside the shuttle and close the door so I can get ready for bed. I know that, as morning comes, I'll have to try and fix the shuttle. My survival depends on it.

Day 5

It's been almost a week since I crashed in this lonely planet.

Two days ago I buried Rhabanar and marked his grave with stones. I shed a couple more tears and then said a prayer on his behalf.

I've been coming and going to the lagoon every day since I found it and have been carrying water back to keep in stock. I've managed to set a couple of traps to see if there's any small animal I can catch for eating.

I've also seen glimpses of my observer every now and then, but every time I try and call for him, there's never an answer. I'm not sure whether there's a settlement close by, but I haven't run into anyone but him. I now know it's a he, but I have only caught small glimpses.

I've been working on fixing at least the shuttle's auxiliary systems, but so far I haven't managed to get any positive result. I'm starting to think I'll be stranded in this Gods forsaken planet probably for the rest of my life.

Around noon I go on to the lagoon and on my way I check on the traps I've set to catch any small prey, but so far I haven't caught anything, so I keep on my way.

I jump inside the water feeling the coolness of it soothe me. I swim around for a couple of minutes letting myself relax. I know there's a lot to do if I'm to ever fix my shuttle, but right now I don't want to think.

The loud crack I hear brings me alert and I turn around. I see a tree branch cracking down and the shape of my observer on it. I don't think twice, I run out of the water towards the spot, but I'm late. The branch has already fallen and my observer is on the ground, struggling to stand up.

As I approach him, he turns around and tries to move, but the pain reflected on his eyes tells me he must've broken something.

"It's okay..." I tell him, "I'm not gonna hurt you..."

I get closer to him and he moves backwards assisted by his arms. Then I see his ankle is completely twisted.

"Please," I say, "let me see that, maybe I can help you..."

I approach him and look at his ankle. I can tell by the position and the quick swelling it's more likely not a clean fracture. I take his foot on my arms and he jumps.

"It's okay," I tell him, "I'm gonna have to carry you back to my ship."

He doesn't say anything. He just looks at me, pain in his eyes. He removes a lock of golden hair and I can see for the first time the brightest blue eyes I've seen in my life. His mouth is contorted by the pain and I know I have to act quickly, before the fracture goes cold.

I stand, completely oblivious to the fact that I'm still naked, and carry him in my arms. He's tall, 5'11 or so, but even when I'm slightly shorter, I'm thick, my body strengthened by all those years of military training.

Carrying him under the heat proves hard, and I have to rest at times. All the way to the shuttle, my young observer is quiet, even when I try to make him talk to me. I know nothing about him and I'm really trying to find out whether there's a settlement nearby.

After some time we make it back to the shuttle. I bring him in and set him down on the bed. He looks at me, I'm not sure whether he's scared as well as in pain.

"It's fine," I tell him, "really. I just need to check on your ankle so I can fix it..."

He looks at me but still says nothing. I get the medical scanner from the kit and run it over his ankle. Fortunately, it's a clean break, but both fibula and tibia are broken.

I give him a very potent analgesic, which he swallows immediately. I let it take effect and try and talk to him, but he just doesn't reply. I'm wondering whether he understands English. Once I know the pill has worked, I go to his ankle and then with a clean move, I place the bones in the correct place. Then I immobilize the fracture improvising a fracture harness with some pieces of debris from the shuttle's consoles.

He then falls asleep. And I let him rest. I go out with the sole intention of checking my traps once again. If I don't catch something quickly, I'll very soon start starving... unless I can figure out where my secret observer came from.

Night comes. I close the shuttle and start improvising a bed for myself. My observer is still resting, so I decide to let him. When my improvised bed is ready, I go check on the golden-haired boy. He seems to be placidly sleeping. I pull the spreads to cover his arms, which are uncovered.

He looks so beautiful under the dim nocturnal light that pours through the windows. His golden mane, shoulder length, falls to the sides of his face over the pillow. He's pouting and it gives him the sweetest facial expression ever. I can't help but wonder who he is and whether he'll be missed at home right now.

I go to my makeshift bed, lean down and pull the spreads over me. I'm so tired I very quickly start drifting away. Tomorrow will be another day...