orders. Humans were afraid of such
technology, that if we developed a walking talking A.I. it would rebel. In fact
the only A.I. we had was on the ship and it was kept busy by calculating
turns, checking crew status and making sure everything was in order. They
told us immediately that we were three out of a few hundred that survived the
attack. Then they asked if we were ready to leave.
They escorted us to the spaceport, shooting down any resistance that got
in the way. The leviathan was dead but there were still plenty of babies
around. The ticks had turned Errikus into a living hell.
A human drop ship took us onboard the Aelita. We couldn’t see anything
from inside the cargo bay but we heard that the leviathan had actually made a
few swipes at the hull, killing a group of humans called ‘caretakers’-
apparently there was something special about them. The Aelita didn’t let any
of the surviving Eek onboard. They left them in the ruins of the city. We
weren’t even aloud to see what was left of the city. Even the Arr7 and Pok
that had survived were left to wander the city’s decimated remains. They
would all have to survive on their own against the ticks and against whatever
else was to come. Aelita was a human ship and the only ally we allowed
onboard was the Drok. The aliens that tried to board were shot. Riots by the
Eek broke out. The Eek were shot on sight. It didn’t seem fair. The Aelita and
the Erebus would be the only ships to come to Errikus for days, maybe
weeks. These ships were the only ones capable of giving any kind of relief.
Errikus was a dead planet, abandoned. Those that weren’t human, weren’t
saved. There would be no songs sung for them, no praise for their courage. I
imagined each survivor with their own story just like Aira, Hayden and I.
Ours stories didn’t matter. This was a tremendous loss. The ‘Trinity’ was no
more but the objective of our journey was still the same.
We were given food and then orders. I had only a moment with Aira. I
kissed her goodbye as soldier tore us apart. She was being brought to her
father and Hayden and I was being sent straight to the Erebus. We had been
best friends for seven years and just survived the death and destruction of an
entire planet. Now we were being torn apart by our own kind.
I had spent three days in hell but I knew we were all safe. I accepted my
loss. It was on my way out I listened to soldier’s whisper and learned
something horrible. The Erebus had captured something called a Trepp, a
warrior species enslaved by the Skrav. One of the few the Skrav used in their
war against other aliens. The humans on Erebus had tortured and beat them
to the point of death. They had learned something very important from them.
It wasn’t an accident that the leviathan attacked Errikus.
Living Space
Out of the darkness a small slender creature crept. It stood just higher
than our commanding officers knee. Its ears stood straight up and its black
fur and long tail swept back and forth. It was gnawing on a huge, white bone
pulled from the spine of some sea creature back on Errikus. It was almost
impossible to tell were the bones disappeared and its sharp teeth began. Its
nose was straight and narrow, sniffing the air as it sat on its long back legs. It
made a small growling sound as we moved closer. Its black eyes looked us
over. This was the first time I had ever seen a dog. It was the companion to
the commander and had been bonded to him since birth. It would die for him,
kill for his master and should anything happen to his master he would hunt
down and kill without remorse whoever was responsible.
It reminded me of the bond I had to Aira. We should have never been
torn apart! I requested immediately to be transferred back to the Aelita. Of
course my requested was declined and there was nothing I could do about it.
I had been drafted to the Erebus since my birth. This was the ship my mother
served
technology, that if we developed a walking talking A.I. it would rebel. In fact
the only A.I. we had was on the ship and it was kept busy by calculating
turns, checking crew status and making sure everything was in order. They
told us immediately that we were three out of a few hundred that survived the
attack. Then they asked if we were ready to leave.
They escorted us to the spaceport, shooting down any resistance that got
in the way. The leviathan was dead but there were still plenty of babies
around. The ticks had turned Errikus into a living hell.
A human drop ship took us onboard the Aelita. We couldn’t see anything
from inside the cargo bay but we heard that the leviathan had actually made a
few swipes at the hull, killing a group of humans called ‘caretakers’-
apparently there was something special about them. The Aelita didn’t let any
of the surviving Eek onboard. They left them in the ruins of the city. We
weren’t even aloud to see what was left of the city. Even the Arr7 and Pok
that had survived were left to wander the city’s decimated remains. They
would all have to survive on their own against the ticks and against whatever
else was to come. Aelita was a human ship and the only ally we allowed
onboard was the Drok. The aliens that tried to board were shot. Riots by the
Eek broke out. The Eek were shot on sight. It didn’t seem fair. The Aelita and
the Erebus would be the only ships to come to Errikus for days, maybe
weeks. These ships were the only ones capable of giving any kind of relief.
Errikus was a dead planet, abandoned. Those that weren’t human, weren’t
saved. There would be no songs sung for them, no praise for their courage. I
imagined each survivor with their own story just like Aira, Hayden and I.
Ours stories didn’t matter. This was a tremendous loss. The ‘Trinity’ was no
more but the objective of our journey was still the same.
We were given food and then orders. I had only a moment with Aira. I
kissed her goodbye as soldier tore us apart. She was being brought to her
father and Hayden and I was being sent straight to the Erebus. We had been
best friends for seven years and just survived the death and destruction of an
entire planet. Now we were being torn apart by our own kind.
I had spent three days in hell but I knew we were all safe. I accepted my
loss. It was on my way out I listened to soldier’s whisper and learned
something horrible. The Erebus had captured something called a Trepp, a
warrior species enslaved by the Skrav. One of the few the Skrav used in their
war against other aliens. The humans on Erebus had tortured and beat them
to the point of death. They had learned something very important from them.
It wasn’t an accident that the leviathan attacked Errikus.
Living Space
Out of the darkness a small slender creature crept. It stood just higher
than our commanding officers knee. Its ears stood straight up and its black
fur and long tail swept back and forth. It was gnawing on a huge, white bone
pulled from the spine of some sea creature back on Errikus. It was almost
impossible to tell were the bones disappeared and its sharp teeth began. Its
nose was straight and narrow, sniffing the air as it sat on its long back legs. It
made a small growling sound as we moved closer. Its black eyes looked us
over. This was the first time I had ever seen a dog. It was the companion to
the commander and had been bonded to him since birth. It would die for him,
kill for his master and should anything happen to his master he would hunt
down and kill without remorse whoever was responsible.
It reminded me of the bond I had to Aira. We should have never been
torn apart! I requested immediately to be transferred back to the Aelita. Of
course my requested was declined and there was nothing I could do about it.
I had been drafted to the Erebus since my birth. This was the ship my mother
served
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