Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Terra Vitae - 2. Chapter 2
I am going to warn you of the impending "scary" moment that awaits, as well as a bit of a comic relief.
Jenson caught his captain in his arms as he lost consciousness, he picked him up with ease and laid him on the bunk that he usually slept in. He looked down at his captain’s sleeping face, studying every detail. Those features that made his thought process strain.
He knew that something was amiss with his programming. There has always been this issue with him, it just became ever more prominent after he had been inserted into this new platform. It was different from the ship, much smaller and more fragile than it as well. Though he quite enjoyed it, the ability to move like a human, to see through two visual receptors, to hear through the synthetic ears, and to be able to touch with his own two hands. He was happy to have this platform, this body even.
He looked back to his captain and spotted the torch on his jumpsuit. He narrowed his eyes and glanced to the open hatch noticing that it was not sealed. He crawled toward it, being restricted as he was in the tight space. He grabbed the handles located next to the opening and pulled himself out of the vessel.
He landed on the ground with a thud, which was an obvious break to the silence of the room he was now in. He took in his surrounding seeing a large gaping opening in front of him brimming with energy that was most likely a shield to hold in the cocktail of gases that humans rely on to breath, to his left was a large grouping of transport shuttles that had seen better days, and to his right was a large steel plated door that had to measure in at least three meters tall and around the same measurement in width which dominated most of the wall.
He began making his way toward the door, intent on finding what was on the other side. He wanted to know why they came to this seemingly derelict place. He was almost to the door when the scratching noise began. He stopped immediately and listened. He heard the scratching more clearly, enough to know it was coming from the other side of the door.
He backed away, more alert than ever. His eyes began to scan the room they were in more thoroughly searching for anything he had missed previously. He noticed there was a large pile of scrap that he must have missed before. He saw a very slight movement. So small no one but a hyper alert person would notice. He edged forward step by step carefully and quietly.
He stopped suddenly when the entire pile shifted dramatically, falling to the side with a loud resounding thunk. His security protocols kicked into high alert. He marched forward determined to find the source of this disturbance. He halted directly in front of the scrap pile, then stretched downwards and grabbed onto the biggest part. He used his platforms inhuman strength to lift it and toss it aside.
After the chunk was removed he looked about the remaining clutter to find whatever had caused the earlier shifts. He found nothing in the pile or near it. This drove him to be even more alert. He began scanning for life forms. And saw something that all but terrified him. An additional lifeform was resting next to the Sentinel.
He began striding forward at a ridiculous pace to reach the ship and detain this lifeform before it harmed his captain. No one harmed his captain. He reached the ship and rushed into the the hatch to make sure his captain was unharmed. He frantically looked about the ship in search of this lifeform that he didn’t see outside. He only saw his captain still resting in the same spot which relieved him greatly.
His security protocols still in overdrive though rendered that relief useless. He scanned once more for lifeforms and only came up with his captain. He was greatly concerned for their safety and began to search for their position on the galaxy map he had stored in his data banks.
The world that appeared was Terra Vitae, a mining colony located near the city world known as Anchorhead. They were currently located on the only existing space elevator linked to the planet. He began to wonder how unsettling the planet would be, if the elevator station was already this eerie.
“Jenson?” His captain’s voice fractured his thought process, and his eyes were drawn to the man.
“Captain, our current position is unsafe. I must imply that we need an immediate relocation to a safer and less unsettling place to operate.” He began spouting borderline orders veiled as suggestions to his captain. His captain pinched his nose and drew his eyes shut tightly.
“We have a mission. One that I require your aid for to accomplish. Please don’t make his harder than it has to be.” His captain said with obvious irritation lacing his voice. Jenson clenched his jaw, and furrowed his brows.
“Captain, this place is unsafe. I have picked up odd readings. I detected an additio..” Jenson began to spout off. Only to be interrupted by the captains odd explanation.
“Pancakes!” He yelled at the top of his lungs stopping Jenson from continuing. The look on his face so determined yet filled with humor and irritation. It was an odd look indeed.
“Captain?” Jenson asked confused by the captain’s abrupt outburst.
“Pancakes. I. Want. Pancakes.” The captain said. His voice full with this serious tone that was obviously faked. So much that he even punctuated each word.
“Captain, I don’t believe I understand.” Jenson said as he attempted to process what must have been going through his captain’s head at that moment. He watched as his captain made his way over to the extremely small kitchenette which was basically a mini fridge and a compact oven. Reaching into one of the containers he pulled out what seemed like a food container that presumably was filled with pancake mix. He began to wonder if his captain was insane. He began pulling out all sorts of things and laying them out. He even preheated the oven.
“Captain are you okay?” Jenson asked, looking at his captain with great concern.
“Call me Silas Jenson. I thought I told you to already.” His capt.. Silas said with the agitation still heavy in his voice. He just continued with his task of baking pancakes as Jenson watched him. Silence falling upon them once more.
They sat there until the pancakes were finished. Then Jenson watched as Silas hungrily devoured every last one of them. Jenson’s thoughts drifting farther and farther away from the disturbing situation earlier as he watched Silas eat his pancakes.
Hope you enjoyed it!
- 8
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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