The doors slid open, revealing the vibrant landscape beyond. As they stepped, the strange, moss-like surface crunched under the weight of their boots. The jungle stretched endlessly, as if it went on forever. The glowing plants and creatures cast an eerie but mesmerizing light.
"It's… beautiful." Ash said, scanning the area through his visor.
Suddenly, the ground started to shake immensely. But as soon as it started, it stopped.
"Weird…" Carter said.
He pulled out a tablet that was stored inside his bag.
"I don't see any tectonic plates or fault lines near us. This planet really is something else." Carter said, tapping and scrolling through the information on the screen.
"Well, let's just get this over with." Ash said as he trudged through a field of long grass to enter the dense jungle.
Carter followed closely, using his tablet to scan the area. The mushrooms and creatures illuminated the forest, which was otherwise dark thanks to the tall trees.
"Bioluminescent creatures and animals. Interesting…" Ash said, sketching the creatures in his journal.
"Stop it with your nerd stuff." Carter said, snatching the sketchbook from Ash's hands.
Ash groaned, and tried to take his journal back from Carter. "Hey! Give that back! It's critical research!"
Carter rolled his eyes. "Drawing a glowing squirrel is critical information? I think not."
"At least I'm doing my job! Science isn't just about blasting random creatures in the face!" Ash yelled.
"Fine." Carter said as he tossed the book back. "But if something jumps out of the bushes while you're doodling, don't expect me to save you."
Ash groaned, but agreed. There were lots of strange occurrences, and they would have to be careful if they wanted to come out with all their limbs intact.
Ash tried to remember the last time he truly felt relaxed, and wasn't fighting for his life. The only memory that popped up in his head was before him and his ten other crewmates entered the ship. All his friends and family gathered to cheer him on.
Did they even remember me? Are they even alive anymore? Ash wondered.
Lost in thought, Ash didn't notice that Carter stopped abruptly. Ash finally snapped out of it when he heard a low growl. He looked forward and saw that something was off. The tree in front of him shifted into an unnatural position that was impossible to be caused by wind.
His heart dropped when the realization hit him: That isn't a tree.
Ash froze in place, his eyes widened as a towering figure was staring right at him, its bark-like appendages twisted and turned. Ash's suspicions were correct, the strange foliage was part of the creature's body. Specifically, its legs. The creature's glowing eyes locked onto him, faintly illuminating its slender body covered in moss and fungi. It was as the forest came to life, and it was staring right at him.
Ash watched as the creature shifted again, its slender and towering legs silently stepping over the mossy ground, its movements mimicked the gentle rocking of the jungle canopy, making it almost impossible to track as it blended in seamlessly with its surroundings.
"Carter…" Ash whispered.
Carter glanced over his shoulder, his hand instinctively reached for his rifle. "What is it now?" He muttered, but his voice trailed off as he followed Ash's gaze.
The creature paused, and tilted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing. Then, with an ear-piercing screech, it darted away through the jungle with immense speed.
Ash stumbled back, gripping a nearby tree for balance. "Did you see that? It- it was watching us!"
Carter turned around and his eyes widened as he saw a silhouette of something, the same size as the creature. "I don't think it was watching us…"
The jungle fell eerily silent, as the silhouette neared the two of them.
The silence was broken by a deafening roar that made the ground tremble.
"Well, we're doomed." Ash said, pulling out his blaster.
Before they could run, trees in front of them started to snap like twigs. Emerging from the foliage was a dinosaur-like creature. It stood on two muscular legs, its scaly body covered in jagged, bone-like plates. A long tail swung behind it, slicing through trees if it were paper. Its elongated snout was lined with razor sharp teeth, bioluminescent streaks ran down its spine, illuminating its body.
The creature let out another roar, shaking the air around it.
Ash stumbled back again. "What the fuck is that?!"
"A huge problem!" Carter yelled, cocking his rifle.
The creature charged, its long arms digging into the ground. Carter and Ash dove to opposite sides as the beast lunged. It's jaws snapping shut where they just were moments before.
Carter fired his rifle, the bullet ricocheted off of the creature's armored plates. "It's like shooting at a brick wall!"
With every step, the vibrant trees and plants nearby seemed to wither, their leaves curling and falling to the ground.
Ash's eyes widened as he noticed the glowing streaks flaring brighter. "Carter! I think it's draining energy from the trees! Try hitting the glowing streaks on its back!"
Carter nodded, and started to sprint to get a clear shot. The creature turned its attention to him, with a flick of its arms, it sent Carter flying into a tree.
"Carter!" Ash yelled, running over to check on him.
The creature ran towards him, its mouth already wide open to swallow them whole. When all of a sudden, a boulder was hurled towards the creature's face, when it made impact, the creature recoiled in pain.
Ash turned to see two glowing eyes staring back at him. It was the same creature that had been blending into a tree, its full body now revealed by the dim light of the jungle.
The creature's name, which Ash had dubbed Trellimorph, seemed fitting. It moved with the same unnatural grace as the trees it camouflaged with.
Trellimorph charged towards them, but not at them. It tackled the dinosaur creature, which Ash dubbed Vireth. Trellimorph wrapped its appendages around Vireth's tail, and ripped it off. It cried in pain, but Trellimorph didn't stop. It used the severed tail to strangle the creature, making it struggle for breath, killing it.
Its body went limp. Trellimorph used its strength to pull Vireth's head from its body in one swift motion. The jungle fell silent in the aftermath of the brutal fight.
Ash stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat. The jungle was silent after the fight, except for the soft rustling of the leaves as the wind picked up.
He couldn't take his eyes off Trellimorph, now standing above the headless body of Vireth. The creature surveyed its surroundings, still alert. For a moment, it felt almost… peaceful, but it didn't last long. It slowly turned its head to Carter and Ash, staring at them.
"We should go," Ash muttered. "Before it decides that we're next."
Carter nodded. "You're right. Let's go."
They began to back away slowly, Ash's eyes never leaving Trellimorph, which was still watching them with those glowing eyes. Just as they turned to leave, the creature let out a low growl, almost like a victory cry that sent chills down Ash's spine.
They never looked back.