A Planet to Nowhere

By Nicholas Dufresne

Adrian thought his time as a human experiment was over, that he was done suffering and had finally died. Never did he expect to wake up somewhere new, somewhere alien and far different than he could've ever imagined.

Has he found salvation, or is a test subject all he's destined to be?

***

When a scouting mission brings Reya and her team to a star sector that doesn't support life, they stumble into far more than they first bargained for. The planet they thought was deserted contains secrets with far-reaching consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Jul 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9780228890140

Book preview

Chapter 1

Floating

Time was at a standstill, an eternity of emptiness compressed into a single moment.

Thoughts tried to form but remained just as frozen as he was.

Floating

He was trapped, encased in the blue amber that preserved

him.

Nothing moved. Nothing happened. Nothing could.

Floating

A change in pressure and the darkness shifted.

Falling

The barest hint of a thought returned, comforting him in his desolation.

Falling

The world around him began to move though he knew not where.

Thud

Adrian’s body landed unceremoniously onto the cold metal grates beneath him. Sensation exploded back into reality. A blue liquid dripped off him, draining into the ground through small metal slots.

Adrian spluttered and coughed, a blue gel expelling itself from his lungs as he desperately gasped for air. Shards of crystalline matter remained lodged between the grates, slowly changing state until they disappeared below.

His limbs refused to listen, barely twitching when he tried to move. His best effort wasn’t enough, and he gave up in favour of remaining motionless. He expelled what was left in his lungs and lay there in a daze, not comprehending what was happening.

The last thing he remembered was his futile struggle against the blue. Everything had been blue. He’d felt himself fade as the last vestiges of life fled from his body. His mind had shut down, turning itself off. And then, everything went black.

The darkness.

That crushing, never ending darkness.

Adrian shivered for entirely different reasons as his body heat leached away into the ground beneath him. He breathed deep lungfuls of air, immersed in the simple feeling of being. Blinking owlishly, he rid his eyes of the substance that clouded them while he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.

The lights hurt, his eyes still too sensitive. They slowly adjusted to the harsh glare as his vision came into focus. He stared down at the silver cuffs adorning each of his wrists. The sound of pressurized machines perked his ears, and he tilted his head towards it. He saw the nozzle just in time to recognize what it was but staying still and trying to figure out its purpose had taken one moment too long.

A jet of water spouted from the tip and hammered into him relentlessly, dousing him from head to toe. A second jet joined the first and together they systematically cleaned off the blue substance that still clung to his clothes. The two machines were not gentle as they went about their work, but they did their jobs well.

Surprised by the sudden shower, Adrian quickly turned onto his stomach. He tried rolling away, but the machines followed him, never missing their intended target. He turtled until they stopped at last, satisfied that he was clean.

Standing up, he got his first good look at his surroundings. The room he was in was circular and its gunmetal-grey metallic walls were scored with deep blue lines. The floor was likewise made of the same material and had a geometric pattern of concentric circles that closed in towards the centre, cut off by the grates he had fallen onto mere moments ago.

The pod he’d fallen out of was in an upright position in the centre of the room within the smallest circle, connected to some kind of large, grey machinery. The doors of the pod were open and still dripping. A myriad of tubes ran between his pod and the machine. Adrian studied it more closely.

Its form was unlike any he had ever seen. It was oval in shape and reached the ceiling. Blue rings formed around its exterior. Smaller versions of the machine jutted from the main body at various heights, each end capped with a red glowing bulb containing liquid bubbling softly within. The offshoots themselves had smaller versions of the markings that ran along the main body. The machine was utterly alien in appearance and function to Adrian.

Four robotic arms surrounded the machine and hung down from the ceiling. Two were located above the pod and the other two were along the sides. Adrian paused. The arms looked familiar and were identical to the arms he’d seen installing pods right before he’d been shoved into his.

But that would mean . . . I’m still in a research facility, he realized. He hadn’t believed himself free when his captors opted to put him into stasis. This was simply the next step in his long, unpleasant journey. He must be in the hands of the illustrious benefactors his previous tormentors spoke of.

Looking around the empty room, Adrian saw no obvious door. Turning his attention back to the pod, his gaze traced the tubes connected to the machine while he wondered what their purpose was. The thin glass doors that had sealed him shut stared back. Not wanting to be any closer than necessary, he kept his distance. Unpleasant memories flashed by in his mind.

A strange suctioning, melting, bubbling sound came from behind Adrian that caught his attention. He whipped around in time to see a part of the wall behind him melt away, revealing what lay behind. Apprehension filled him as he wondered what to do next. Apart from the pod and machine, the room was empty. The only sensible choice he had was to explore what lay beyond.

With unsteady steps, Adrian made his way towards the door, still wet. He entered a long, wide corridor that was made of the same gunmetal-grey material as the room he’d woken up in. The floors upon which he dripped as he walked had grooves that formed geometric patterns, and the walls had glowing blue lines that ran along them in an uneven square-waved pattern. He wondered what they meant.

Several steps later, the wall materialized behind him, cutting him off from the room he’d woken up in. What the hell? Adrian thought. He turned back around and brought a hand to the newly formed wall. The metal was cool to the touch and unyielding. A dull, metallic clang resounded when he rapped his knuckles against it.

The blue lines running along the walls rose in the shape of a large square, exactly the size of the opening he’d come through. Casting a critical glance back down the hallway, he eyed the other square patterns with mistrust. He made his way towards the nearest one and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, he was forced to shelve his suspicions and continue down the corridor.

Eventually, he came to a dead end and frowned. The same melting, bubbling, suctioning sound caught his attention and his head swivelled towards the source. To his left, another opening in the wall had formed, as if it had always been there.

Adrian debated whether he should continue his exploration, his fear of the unknown paralyzing him into indecision. His heart beat frantically and he remained frozen, unnerved by the unnaturalness of wherever he’d found himself. What choice do I have? he thought, before reluctantly continuing to the next corridor. No sooner after he took several steps, the same sound came from behind him. Whirling around, he came face to face with another perfectly formed wall.

His unease grew. What is this place? he thought. Not for the first time, he wondered where he was and for what purpose he was being forced to explore the facility. He continued down the much shorter hallway and found another opening waiting for him. When the same phenomenon occurred after he passed the threshold, Adrian knew something was up.

It’s like I’m being shepherded somewhere. But where? Why? He tried keeping a mental map, but as he delved further into the maze of twisting, winding corridors, Adrian eventually became lost. With each new hallway he discovered, a growing feeling of dread made itself known. Strange symbols he couldn’t identify adorned the walls the further in he went.

His adventure came to an abrupt end when he found himself in a large room. The walls, floor and ceiling were stark white, giving it an expansive feel. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he inched towards the centre of the room.

The wall materialized behind him, trapping him inside.

Adrian’s eyes widened. He spun around and walked to where the wall had been just moments ago. There was no seam nor crack to be found. There was no sign of a door having ever been there at all.

Whoever was controlling his environment must have arranged for him to end up in this room. His choice to explore had been an illusion. He could have avoided this had he remained where he’d woken up. He shook his head. No, he thought. Given the circumstances, he’d made the best decision he could at the time and had no way of knowing he was dancing in the palms of another’s hands.

Adrian looked around his new cell. It was a rather large room, easily several times the size of his room at the previous facility, which had been for five people. He looked up towards the ceiling but couldn’t find an obvious source of light.

Along one of the walls was a long, narrow slot. A black tube jutted out of it. He walked over and inspected it. It looked like it was made of rubber and was the only splash of colour in the room. He hesitantly reached out towards it. It looked smooth but he found it rough to the touch as he ran his hands over it.

He was unclear as to its purpose and inspected it more closely, moving toward the centre of the tube. He bent it in his hands, taken aback by its flexibility. Two small drops of a clear, odorless liquid trickled out when he squeezed it.

Adrian jumped back. Both droplets landed on the floor. Bending over, he sniffed the wet spot on the ground, but it didn’t smell like anything. He carefully wiped a finger through the wet surface. It felt like water. Standing back up, he grabbed hold of the tube again.

With nothing else to lose, he put his lips to the tube and sucked. Water flooded into his mouth, and he choked on it. Swallowing roughly, he winced as it went down his throat.

That solves that mystery, he said aloud to himself. He looked around, wondering if his captors could hear him speak. He went silent for fear of being heard.

He continued his patrol around the room until he came across a small hole with a tiny nozzle pointed upwards, just under the rim. He bent down and looked at it. It was about two fists wide and circular. He would have to take care not to trip over it. Looking at the nozzle, he waved his hand over it. A small, concentrated stream of water spurted out. Adrian found that it resembled a bidet.

They’ve trapped me here and given me water and a toilet, he thought. At least, I hope that’s a toilet. His stomach grumbled loudly in protest of its neglect. All that’s missing is some food, he mused. He looked around the room but saw no other feature of note. Now what?

He paced around in circles, nervous energy from being trapped in yet another cell driving him to find a distraction. Several minutes later, he stopped and sat on the floor, his back against one of the walls.

Intrusive thoughts tumbled around in his mind incessantly. He replayed the experiments that had already been performed on him prior to waking up in the strange room. Memories of long hours spent curled up in pain on an uncomfortable cot alongside his cellmates came and went as time crawled by. Recollections of the constant stream of injections full of unidentifiable substances flashed by. He knew not what they did nor why he’d been given them, save that they were highly lethal. He’d survived, but he wondered at what cost.

His final moments before being shoved in the pod fought for dominance in his mind. Adrian tried in vain to push away the memory of liquid entering his lungs and drowning him as he gasped for air that wasn’t there. His breath came in short, shallow gasps as he forced himself to calm down.

Closing his eyes, he tapped his fingers nervously against the floor. His ears pricked and his eyes snapped open. There it was. That sound again. That suctioning, melting, bubbling sound. Adrian’s heart beat frantically in his chest as he expected to finally encounter his captors. He got ready to get up and run. He’d spent enough time as a lab rat.

But nothing happened. There was no grand door that materialized out of thin air. No person to finally explain to him what was going on. Nothing. His eyes searched the barren room, trying to spot any differences. He noticed a two-foot, cubic hole in one of the walls that was chest height. There was something inside.

Adrian cautiously got up and walked over, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any sudden sounds or movement, paranoid that he would be snuck up on by someone. He made it to the slot without incident and looked around but kept his guard up as he looked at the item that was inside.

It was a small loaf of purple bread. Prodding it with one hand, he found it to be dense, yet surprisingly spongy. The outer crust felt thin and as if it would be easy to bite into. He picked it up and smelled it, putting it back just as quickly. The loaf smelled like aged mouldy socks. His nose did not appreciate the experience, and neither did the rest of him.

Adrian didn’t like it. It was new. He’d learned long ago that new never meant anything good. Doing the only sensible thing he could think of, he left the loaf where it was and settled back down against the wall, both hoping and fearing that something else would happen.

***

Adrian didn’t know how long he waited. He’d fallen asleep several times and his course beard had softened somewhat. At least, he thought it had. It had been months since he’d last shaved and it was starting to get a bit unkempt. There was a pattern, he noticed. Every so often, the lights in the room would go out, rendering it completely dark. He assumed his captors wanted him to sleep during this time, so he did just that. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, an ever-present companion to his loneliness and boredom.

The bread remained where he’d left it what he assumed was days ago by now. With no way to properly keep track of time, it was hard to judge how long he’d been idle for. The bread hadn’t changed colour nor texture. It hadn’t become stale nor grown mould of any kind that he could see. It remained the same foul-smelling object he’d first laid eyes on. He wondered if it was even edible.

Adrian got up and went over to the water tube. He took a long drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he was done. The water staved off his hunger but was a poor substitute for real food. Sooner or later, he was going to have to eat something. His stomach growled loudly as he eyed the bread. It was beginning to look good. His mouth salivated at the thought of food filling his empty stomach.

He was going to have to eat it eventually, but not today.

***

Adrian couldn’t take it anymore. He was hungry. Oh, so hungry. He’d lost weight and his ribs were sticking out more than before. He felt weaker. With each passing day, he lost more strength. He knew he couldn’t keep this up longer.

He was desperate.

A long, angry protest came from his stomach at its neglect. Adrian finally gave in and reached towards the loaf. It remained unchanged, even after all this time. The purple bread didn’t inspire confidence, but he didn’t much care anymore. Lifting it towards his mouth, he blocked his nose to rid himself of the stench and bit into it.

An explosion of flavours entered his mouth, making him gag on the first bite. Adrian commended the chefs. The mockery of food somehow managed to taste exactly as it smelled. The bread was dense and moist. It was surprisingly supple given how long it had been left out in the open.

His insides churned as the food entered his stomach. It didn’t sit well, but he doubted anything that could taste so bad would. Finishing the loaf was a difficult affair, but he managed. Barely. The discomfort grew and he curled up on the ground, clutching his abdomen at the mounting pain. He felt nauseous but refused to be sick, knowing he needed the energy. Black spots started to form around the edges of his vision as he became increasingly dizzy. The next thing he knew he was waking up on the floor.

His insides were a wreck and it felt like his intestines were being put through a shredder. Too weak to cry out, his voice came out in a feeble whimper. He continued to lay on the ground, unable to move for hours until the feeling disappeared. Sitting up once his ordeal had passed, he felt marginally fuller than before. Disappointment filled him. He’d suffered for nothing. He looked back to where the bread had been.

And saw another loaf.

Adrian scrambled backwards, away from the offending item as quickly as he could. Echoes of pain still lingered, fresh in his mind. He wanted nothing to do with the food anymore. It could rot in hell for all he cared.

It wasn’t long before Adrian felt the familiar sensation of hunger return. A headache began to form from the lack of food, his body protesting his decision to fast. He was only delaying the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before he would be forced to eat the bread again, but he couldn’t bring himself to go near it.

When the hunger became too much to bear, Adrian worked up the courage to approach the food once more. He held it with trembling hands and tore off a small chunk. It looked, smelled and felt exactly like the previous loaf. He tentatively bit down into it, trying his best to ignore the taste. With great difficulty, he forced himself to swallow the disgusting mouthful and took another.

The familiar sensation of his stomach churning and being ripped to shreds returned. Still, he forced himself to finish the bread before it was too late. He barely managed to pop the last bite into his mouth and swallow before the pain intensified and he was forced to curl up on the floor in order to cope.

It wasn’t as bad this time around, he noticed. Almost as if his system was adapting to whatever was in the food. The experience was still horrendous, but he was glad for the improvement. Sooner than he expected, he was able to move again. He got up and turned around.

And saw another loaf.

It felt like whenever he looked over to that spot, all he saw was the same purple loaf waiting for him. His captors clearly wanted him to eat as much of it as he could, but Adrian knew not why. He gave up trying to figure out their motives, wondering how they thought any human could subsist on what he was being fed.

***

As great as it was that he was finally eating food again, the bread did little to stave off his hunger. He was now able to stomach the bread twice per sleep cycle and while it didn’t cause him as much pain anymore, it was still an awful experience.

Adrian sat in a corner and pondered his newest situation. The bread was gone. In its place now sat six, two-inch cubes that smelled faintly of meat. He hadn’t known how much he’d missed that smell until it wafted towards him.

Long ago, when he’d first been taken captive, he’d been fed a horrendous grey sludge. The cuisine had been questionable then and seemed to only be getting worse with each new food item.

He eyed the meat cubes with distrust. He was tired of being hungry and the cubes looked more filling than the bread. He was going to have to eat them; it was inevitable. Why not at least feel full?

He reached over and picked up the first cube. It was dry and slightly rough, and its solidity took him by surprise. He brought the food to his lips and bit in. Immediately, the substance liquefied where his saliva touched. Adrian choked slightly at the sudden change in the food’s state.

He pulled the food away from his mouth and swallowed, grimacing. It tasted like paint smelled. He eyed the piece of food that he held in his hand. In some ways it was worse than the bread, the taste lingering.

He decided to get it over with and this time, he popped the rest of the bizarre cube in his mouth, then finished the remaining cubes before he went to sit down in the corner, feeling surprisingly full.

A dull ache formed between his shoulder blades. Oh great, these hurt too, he thought. The pain slowly spread throughout his body as it began to throb, while his muscles felt like they were being eaten from the inside by termites. They tore and knitted themselves back together, over and over again. He dropped to the ground and cried out until his voice went raw, and the pain finally dwindled back down to a small throb.

Adrian lay on the floor, paralyzed. His limbs refused to listen to him as his fingers twitched pathetically, despite his best efforts to move them. He remained in the fetal position until he regained control over his limbs, at which point he crawled several metres and collapsed on the floor.

A phantom pain remained, lingering long after. The memory of his experience was still fresh and haunted him as he lay sprawled out, panting. As it slowly disappeared, Adrian sat up and stumbled his way to the nearest corner. He fell back to the floor and passed out as he landed, the lights not bothering him in the slightest.

He didn’t know how long he slept, with no recollection of how he got to where he was. Mercifully, his sleep had been dreamless. He looked around the room and froze at the sight of six more cubes, waiting to be eaten.

No, Adrian said with a trembling voice. No, no, no, no, no, he repeated as he retreated further into his corner, not believing what he saw. He shook violently. They wanted him to live through that hell again. The alternative was to starve to death. He didn’t know which he preferred. He curled up in the corner and remained motionless as he decided what his fate would be.

It was a long time before he moved again. A long growl came from his stomach as he chugged water, hoping it would fill him up some and defer his need to eat. He was reaching his limit and knew he would need to eat again soon. He feared that if he starved himself further, he might not survive the next round. Eating the cubes the first time had been extremely taxing on his body.

With shaking hands, he approached the cubes where they sat in their little slot in the wall. It was inevitable, he told himself. He refused to give in. He refused to die at the hands of these sick, twisted bastards.

He took one and brought it to his mouth, fighting the instinct to pull away. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, he ate the cube in one bite. Forcing himself to swallow, he quickly picked up the second cube. He needed to eat all the food that he could before the pain hit.

The first echoes of pain appeared as Adrian finished the last cube. This time it started in his chest. He quickly finished the cube and went to a corner and lay down, curled up.

Pain blossomed throughout his body. It was intense, but slightly less than before. He took solace in this, hoping the pain might continue to reduce with each meal.

Adrian didn’t remember what happened next. He woke up on the ground in the same spot some time later. He looked around the room and once again saw that there were six cubes waiting for him.

It was a disheartening sight. Whatever experiment this was showed no sign of ending anytime soon. He would have no choice but to hope the pain lessened each time. For now, he granted himself a break and remained seated, eyeing the cubes.

Eventually he sighed and got up. There was no point in delaying any further. He ate the cubes in quick succession. His theory proved to be correct, the pain was indeed far more manageable, relatively speaking.

***

Sleep cycles came and went, the experiment repeating. Each time he ate the cubes, the pain lessened. When he woke up, there would be fresh food waiting for him. He waited until he was hungry before eating them again.

By now, the pain was nothing more than a dull throb that lasted for several hours. He no longer passed out and had no qualms eating the food anymore. Now that the pain was practically gone, Adrian felt much better. He finally felt like he was gaining weight rather than losing it, and his ribs were sticking out less. At least they were generous with their portions, giving him as much as he could eat, if nothing else.

He wondered why he hadn’t seen his captors again since being brought to his cell. It had been many sleep cycles since he’d arrived, and he’d lost track of time entirely. He’d counted the cycles in the beginning, but stopped after the fortieth or so, unable to remember what day it was.

Adrian didn’t understand what the point of all of this was. All they were doing was feeding him, treating him like a captive animal in a zoo. Surely his captors had something else planned for him.

As it turned out, they did. That suctioning, melting, bubbling sound echoed throughout the room once more. For the first time since he had arrived, a door to the cell opened.

Interlude I

Present day

Irric stood tall and saluted General Nessah with his free hand. Clutched tightly in the other was a manila folder containing a sheaf of papers bound together by a large clip. It was his report on the anomalous activity in the Arvis sector he’d discovered several days ago.

At ease, soldier, Nessah said sternly. She observed Irric with a critical gaze from behind a large wooden desk adorned with stacks of papers, a phone and an empty mug.

Irric relaxed his stance, hoping she didn’t catch the sweat forming on his brow. Her gaze flicked to his forehead, telling him she did. He cringed internally. This was not how he wanted to appear in front of his boss.

Ma’am, I’ve brought my report on my discovery. He stepped forward and placed the folder on her desk. For your eyes only, as you requested.

I trust you didn’t have any trouble compiling the information without anyone knowing, she said coolly as she opened the folder. Her sharp eyes scanned the documents one after another in quick succession. Before long, she placed the folder back on the desk in front of her.

It was a bit tricky but rest assured, no one else is aware of the contents of the report.

Excellent. General Nessah trained her piercing gaze onto Irric. He gulped. Tell me your thoughts on the matter. What do you think our course of action should be?

Ma’am, it’s not my place to make decisions like that, he stammered.

It’s your report, isn’t it? Surely you have an opinion on what should be done with the information.

Irric hesitated, nearly wilting under her patient yet demanding gaze. I think it’s worth sending a team to investigate.

And why is that?

Because the Arvis sector is a dead zone. Nobody really goes there. There are only a handful of planets in the entire sector that support life, but the activity is coming from a portion known to be uninhabitable. It might have planets with a breathable atmosphere, but that’s about it. There’s nothing else there.

If there’s nothing there, why should we bother investigating? It can’t be anything too important if it’s, as you say, a dead zone. Why should we care?

Precisely because it’s a dead zone. Nobody should be out there. So why was a ship detected going there? I think it’s worth finding out, Irric said.

My thoughts exactly, Nessah agreed. A lesser-known fact that we’ve been keeping a secret is that the gru’ul have been reported around that area. That’s a long way away from their home system and the Arvis sector falls under our controlled space. If they’re up to something, I want to know what. Especially if it’s in our own backyard.

Irric nodded slowly, taking in what the General said. You believe it might be linked to the gru’ul?

I suspect so, yes. Which is why I’m putting you in charge of monitoring the Arvis sector. You will also be in charge of relaying any information that comes from the scout team we’ll be sending in to investigate.

Ma’am, Irric balked. "You’re putting me in charge?

Why?"

Because effective immediately, your security clearance just got increased. I want this to remain under wraps until I know what we’re dealing with. Since you’re in a position to know how the mission will transpire, you’re in charge of communications until further notice. I’ll inform your superior. Congratulations on your promotion, Officer. As of now, you report directly to me. Dismissed.

Irric gaped at the suddenness of it all. He hadn’t been expecting a change in rank when he entered the General’s office that morning. Remembering where he was, he saluted her and scurried out of the room.

Nessah watched him leave. After he was gone, she picked up the phone. Commander Cyrix, she said brusquely once the call was answered. Meet me in my office. You have twenty minutes. She hung up and rested her chin on her bridged fingers, sensing their newfound problem was going to be bigger than anyone realized. She hadn’t become General by ignoring her hunches. It was time to prepare.

***

Reya flipped her long, platinum hair over her shoulders so that it didn’t land in her food as she ate. Her pale purple hands picked up her fork and knife and she began eating the chow on the tray in front of her. Army food wasn’t the best, but it was filling and designed to have all the nutrients a body needed and then some.

Rann, meanwhile, shoveled hers into her mouth with gusto from across the table. Reya smiled at the sight. Leave it to Rann to actually like the food. She liked anything that she could eat. Her short, dark purple pixie-cut ensured that hair wasn’t an issue while eating. Reya often wondered if that was why she kept it so short.

Tassie, Eimir, Beor and Kell joined them at their table in the mess hall. Her squad was just missing its Captain, who’d been called away before they were let off to eat. Reya felt bad that Jyn was going to miss lunch but knew he’d get the chance to eat later, even if it wasn’t with everyone.

So, Eimir said as he ate, what do you think the rush was for Jyn to leave so quickly?

He was called away by the Commander, Tassie replied, picking up her utensils. Maybe he’s getting our next mission. It’s been a while since we’ve been deployed.

You think? Beor said excitedly. Gods, it would feel so great to get off base and actually do something. I signed up for action, not sitting around doing nothing.

Training isn’t nothing, Reya chided as she finished her meal. It’s important that we keep in top form in between missions. Otherwise, we risk messing up when we’re on active duty.

Whatever you say, princess. I’d still rather be out there shooting up some enemies.

Babe, we’re not at war with anybody at the moment. There’s nobody for you to shoot, Rann said.

Bah, Beor spat. Where’s the fun in that? Give me some action, I say!

That’s the spirit, Beor, came a new voice from behind Reya. She turned and saw Jyn approaching the table with a tray in hand. He ran the other through his shock-white short hair.

Jyn, Reya said warmly with a smile. You’re back. How’d the meeting go?

Jyn took a seat at the table and began scarfing down his food unusually fast. We’ve been given a mission, he said between bites. He grabbed his glass and took a large swig of water as he began choking from eating too fast. We’re to report to the Commander in the next fifteen minutes.

Alright! Beor whooped. That’s what I’m talking about. Finally, some action, he said with a toothy grin.

Rann face palmed. Why am I dating this idiot? she muttered.

Because you love him, Tassie teased.

We all heard how much you loved him last night, Eimir deadpanned. Rann flushed a glorious shade of purple and the whole table cracked up.

Reya wiped a tear from her eye before a thought struck her. Wait, she said. Doesn’t it take almost fifteen minutes to get to the Commander’s office from here?

Rann’s eyes went wide. Oh, shit. We need to get going! she proclaimed as she shot up and rushed to put away her tray. The others followed suit and soon Reya and Jyn were the only ones left at the table.

You coming? Reya asked as she got up.

Yep, Jyn replied with his mouth full as he rushed to finish what was left on his plate. Together, they ran to catch up to the rest of the squad that had already left the mess hall.

Unable to procure a transport vehicle, they were all forced to run to the Commander’s office in order to make it in time for their debrief.

Why is the Commander’s office so far away, Tassie huffed, with both hands on her knees as they arrived outside the squat grey building.

Rann raised an eyebrow. You know, if you actually joined us on all of our morning runs, you wouldn’t be this out of breath, she pointed out, hardly winded.

Hush, I’m tech support, not infantry like you guys. I’m not supposed to run anywhere. Cut me some slack, Tassie panted.

The team filed into the building and wound through the corridors until they arrived outside the Commander’s office door. Jyn knocked and announced their presence. They waited until they were called in before entering.

The office was sparse and utilitarian. Very little furniture adorned the room beyond the bare minimum required. The Commander clearly didn’t spend much time there. Irric was present in the room, discussing the details of the mission with him as they entered, garnering confusion, as nobody had met Irric before.

The Commander glanced at the clock above the door. Right on time, I see, he said in an amused tone, noting Tassie’s flushed face and winded breathing. Alright then, let’s get to it. Officer Elydis, Cyrix said, motioning to Irric, has discovered signs of activity in the Arvis sector.

A small hologram lit up above his desk, displaying a star cluster that zoomed in to the top right of the image. Now, normally this part of the sector is a dead zone. There’s no reason for there to be any activity there. And yet, there is. Your job will be to investigate his findings and report back to us.

The screen zoomed in further on a specific solar system. The source of activity is believed to come from system AVS-1.011.314. That’s where you’ll be focusing most of your efforts. If you find nothing, scout the surrounding systems. If you find any source of activity, you are to report it immediately. Officer Elydis will be in charge of your communications with the base. Any and all reports will go through him before reaching me. Your task is to scout only. You are not to engage should you come across any hostiles. Retreat and regroup back here. Any questions?

Tassie looked over towards Irric before speaking up. Why are our communications going through Officer Elydis and not through our regular channels?

Good question, Corporal, Cyrix said, turning towards her. That’s because this mission is classified. You’re to tell no one other than Officer Elydis, me or the General about your findings in the Arvis sector or that you even went to the Arvis sector.

Tassie’s eyes widened. Why us then?

Is there a better team you’d like to suggest? Cyrix asked. Tassie remained silent, knowing full-well that they were one of the top teams.

The rest of the team asked their own questions, clarifying the details of their orders and what was expected of them. They began formulating a mission plan, until the Commander got fed up and shooed them out of his office. Go do that on your ship, he said as he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Soon, only Irric and the Commander were left in the room. First impressions? Cyrix asked with a raised eyebrow.

They certainly get along well, Irric noted. Tassie especially seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Her questions and reasoning were very impressive.

Oh? Tassie, eh? You’ve got a good eye, she’s cute, Cyrix teased.

Irric’s face flushed slightly. That’s not what I meant, Commander! Her cuteness was not a factor in my assessment of her.

Cyrix’s grin grew wider as Irric further dug himself into a hole. Her cuteness, he quoted, as Irric’s flush deepened, comes second to her competence. She absolutely earned her spot on one of our top teams, as you’ve come to notice. I look forward to the two of you working together on this assignment.

Irric made a strangled noise before deciding to change the subject. Reya and Eimir as well made a good first impression. The excited one, Bore? Beor? Not so much. He seemed a bit trigger happy. I’m worried about whether or not he’ll be able to refrain from engaging any enemies they might come to face.

Ah, Beor. Indeed, he’s quite excitable. They’ve been on base for a while now, so it’s understandable that he’s a tad eager. Don’t worry, when push comes to shove, he falls in line and listens to commands. Usually.

Irric breathed a sigh of relief. That’s good to hear.

What about the rest of them?

They didn’t really make much of an impression.

I think, Cyrix said slowly with a soft smile, that you were too focused on Tassie to notice the rest of them. He could almost see the steam coming out of Irric’s ears as he made one last dig at the poor lad.

If that’s all, Commander, Irric said tightly, I’ll take my leave to go and prepare for the mission.

Very well. Dismissed. Cyrix watched Irric leave with a bemused expression. Nessah was right, he’s fun to tease, he thought, chuckling to himself. He then pulled up Irric’s report and reread it.

Chapter 2

The wall opened, revealing a shimmering blue field of light that Adrian was unable to see through. He stood up, ready to face his captors and to learn of their motives. He’d thought long and hard about what he wanted to ask them. A black form passed through the field undeterred, one step at a time, rather than the tan limbs he was expecting.

Adrian stared. And stared.

And stared.

His mind looked at the approaching form in front of him uncomprehendingly. A part of him screamed out to run away, pumping adrenaline into his system. The other part watched with morbid fascination as the thing slowly clinked closer.

Four long, sinewy legs worked in tandem to move the creature. They had black, chitinous plates covering the outer portion of their grasshopper-like form. Each leg jutted out from a large, grotesquely formed thorax that was a disturbing blend of grey skin and black chitin. The carapace, if it could even be called as such, was oval and lay horizontal with a pair of legs on either end.

Its body was upright at the front, entirely covered in black chitin that resembled that of an ant. Cracks and grooves running along its shell hinted at the muscle beneath. It had four arms attached to its upper body. A pair of larger arms that ended in a sharp three-pronged grip sat in the middle of its stomach and smaller, grey-skinned arms were higher up, closer to its head. Each arm had two joints. The smaller arms, strangely, had no chitin like its larger counterparts.

The creature’s insectoid head had six bulbous eyes that took in its surroundings as its antennae twitched, with only the