Chapter 9 - Chapter-9

Aiden scanned his surroundings, attempting to identify the source of the growling.

The moment he turned to his left, Aiden was taken aback by the sight of a massive creature standing about 5 feet away.

A rhino-like being, this creature lacked eyes but possessed two large ears. Its skin, entirely black and sturdy, covered its six-legged form, and it emitted a menacing growl.

"Fuck..." Escaping Aiden's lips, this expletive coincided with the creature's charge.

Aiden bolted toward his team, hoping for assistance and salvation.

He ran at full capacity, necessitating heightened exertion due to the planet's gravitational force.

After some distance, a motion sensor caught his attention.

"Help! Anyone, please help me!" he yelled, but received no response.

Exiting the forest and entering the landing field, he was greeted by a more gruesome scene.

Most of the mercenaries lay dead, their bodies torn apart, intestines exposed.

The remaining mercenaries waged a fierce struggle against colossal green vines that mercilessly took lives.

They fired their weapons in an attempt to halt the vines, but the gunfire only fueled their growth.

"Everyone to the ship, now!" Ajacks's voice boomed, rallying those left standing.

Scientists and mechanics had perished; only five mercenaries remained, running for the ship. Aiden followed, the pursuing monstrosity in relentless pursuit.

"Oi, don't follow us! Head in a different direction!" a mercenary shouted, noticing the creature trailing Aiden.

"I can't! It's after me! It'll kill me!"

"Hey, look, the ship... Let's go!" one of the mercenaries pointed, the distant vessel offering hope.

"Yes, I'll be saved," Aiden thought, pouring on more speed.

"Where's Captain Ajacks?" one mercenary inquired.

"He's staying behind, urging us to escape," another answered.

"If he—" The mercenary's sentence was abruptly cut off as a vine swung from the side, bisecting all five of them.

Aiden, trailing behind, evaded the vines' reach.

"F-FUCKKKKK!" Aiden's shout echoed as he raced toward the ship.

Then, he spotted a figure on the ship's gate.

None other than Zara herself stood there, observing the chaos.

"Zara... Wait for me!" Aiden's desperate cry rang out.

Observing Aiden's approach, with the creature close behind, Zara stood her ground.

"I can't risk it. This is the only emergency pod. I can't jeopardize it. I'm sorry, Aiden," Zara whispered, pressing the seal button as the spaceship's doors began to close.

"No, no, no... She's sealing the doors! Zara, stop! Wait for me! You can't do this to me, bitch!" Aiden's voice grew frantic.

The emergency pod detached and shot into space, activating a red flag as it separated.

Pop-pop

Pop-pop-pop

Ajacks continued firing at the vines while his radio hummed.

[This is Mike... Mercenary Ajacks. If you're still alive, please respond to my call.] Mike's voice crackled on the other end.

"Yes, I'm still alive, Mike, over."

[Good. We've received a red flag signal from your planet. Is everything alright there?]

"No, Mike. It's chaos here. My squad's gone, and I think the survivors have left. This is Code: RED, Mike. I repeat, Code: RED. This planet is hostile to humanity. We can't settle here, and I don't trust the other planets either. Leave and never come back—" Ajacks's voice was abruptly silenced by the vines.

Aboard the ship, fear gripped everyone as they listened.

"What do we do?"

"We're going back."

"I won't set foot on those planets."

[Please remain calm, everyone. You're trained for this situation. I'll compare this planet's environmental data with that of other planets in the solar system. If there's a match, we'll depart. If not, we'll investigate further.] Mike's words aimed to soothe the panic.

"What's this 'environmental data'?"

"It outlines the conditions required for life to flourish on a planet. If this planet's data aligns with the others', it suggests similar life forms."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll need to investigate."

"What? We could encounter different life forms, possibly dangerous ones?"

"That's a possibility," the scientist admitted.

"Are you serious? We're not going down there knowing the risks!" the mercenary leader protested.

"That's protocol, and why we're here."

"No more lives will be lost for this. I won't allow it," the mercenary leader asserted.

"But—"

[I have the results of the Environmental Code Search... All planets share the same Environmental Code. We're leaving this galaxy and returning to Nexus Prime. Please return to your quarters.] Mike announced as the ship's engines roared to life.

"That's a relief."

Suddenly, an emergency pod emerged from the planet and attached to the spaceship.

"What's that?" a scientist queried.

"An emergency pod. Let's investigate who's inside."