Beneath Burning Skies

Posted on 30 Sep 2024 @ 7:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Dresden Cage

Mission: M4 - Falling Out
Location: Passenger Transport Shuttle Nebula Runner
1122 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Dresden Cage settled into his window seat on the shuttle, watching as Earth gradually became a small blue dot against the vast canvas of space. The hum of the shuttle’s engines was steady and comforting, and the gentle vibration through the seat reminded him of the countless missions he’d taken before. But this one was different. This time, he wasn’t just going to another assignment—he was heading into the unknown, to Obsidian Command. He is going to take on the mantle (and security) of thousands of people onboard a giant space station. But he was ready.

He pulled out his datapad and continued to review the files he’d been sent on the station. Reports on the current security measures, personnel profiles, recent incidents—all necessary reading for his new role. There was even mention of some sort of engineering conference or event happening soon.

After a while, Dresden found it harder to focus. The words on the screen began to blur together, and his eyelids grew heavy. He set the datapad down, leaning his head back against the seat. The endless stars outside the window seemed to lull him into a state of relaxation, and before he knew it, sleep was overtaking him.

Dresden awoke, jolted by a violent shudder that rocked the shuttle. The hum of the engines had turned into a deafening roar, and the cabin was filled with the sounds of alarms and the shouts of panicked passengers. He instinctively reached for his seatbelt, securing it tightly as the shuttle lurched again, this time more violently.

Looking out the window, he saw that they were plummeting toward the surface of a planet—a planet he didn’t recognize. The shuttle’s descent was uncontrollable, the ground rushing up to meet them at a terrifying speed. Dresden’s heart pounded in his chest as he braced himself for impact.

BOOM.

The crash was brutal. The shuttle slammed into the ground, the force of the impact throwing Dresden forward in his seat. He saw a body fly over him. He couldn’t make heads or tails of where it was female or male or alien. It happened too fast.

Dresden saw a shoulder… just a shoulder fly on his extreme left. Blood splattering on the ceiling. Metal groaned and twisted around him, and the cabin filled with smoke as parts of the shuttle were torn apart by the violent landing.

For a moment, everything was a blur of pain and noise. Dresden struggled to free himself from the seatbelt, his ears ringing and his vision swimming. He finally managed to unbuckle himself and crawled toward what was left of the shuttle’s exit. Flames licked at the twisted metal, and the smell of burning fuel filled the air.

He stumbled out of the wreckage, coughing and disoriented. The scene around him was one of utter devastation. The shuttle was in ruins, pieces of it scattered across the landscape. A few survivors, some injured and bloodied, had managed to escape and were huddled together on a nearby hill just above the wreckage site.

Dresden made his way toward them, his legs shaky beneath him. As he reached the top of the hill, the sight that greeted him sent a chill down his spine. Below them was a city—if it could still be called that. The buildings were crumbling, many of them on fire, and the streets were teeming with hideous, mutated creatures. They moved in jerky, unnatural ways, their twisted forms illuminated by the flickering flames.

One of the creatures, larger and more grotesque than the others, spotted the group of survivors on the hill. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light as it let out a guttural roar, its gaze locking onto them.

“Run!” someone shouted, and the survivors scattered, fleeing in all directions.

Dresden turned to run as well, but the creature’s focus was on him. It charged up the hill, its massive form moving with terrifying speed. Dresden’s heart raced as he sprinted away, but he could feel the monster closing in behind him. He veered to the side, heading toward the wreckage of the shuttle, hoping to use the debris for cover.

But the creature was relentless. It crashed through the wreckage, sending twisted metal and flames flying in all directions. Dresden’s foot caught on a piece of debris, and he stumbled, falling hard against a large boulder. The creature was on him in an instant, its rancid breath hot against his skin as it bared its jagged teeth.

Dresden backed up against the boulder, his hand fumbling for a weapon—anything to defend himself. But there was nothing. The creature loomed over him, ready to strike.

And then, out of nowhere, a voice cut through the chaos.

“Dresden.”

He turned his head, and there she was—Commander Lake, standing right next to him. She looked just as she had before she disappeared, her eyes calm and focused.

“Dresden,” she said again, her voice almost soothing amidst the horror. “You lose.”

Dresden’s eyes snapped open, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The shuttle was still cruising smoothly through space, the soft hum of the engines the only sound. He was still in his seat, the datapad lying on his lap, the stars outside the window just as tranquil as they had been before.

It had all been a dream—a vivid, terrifying dream. He could still feel the remnants of panic through his veins, his heart pounding in his chest.

He took a deep breath, running a hand over his face to wipe away the cold sweat that had gathered there. The dream had felt so real, so immediate. The crash, the monsters, Lake—it was like his subconscious was trying to warn him of something, but he had no idea what.

Glancing around the cabin, he saw that the other passengers were calm, some of them sleeping, others quietly reading or watching videos. No one else seemed to have shared his nightmare.

Dresden leaned back in his seat, trying to shake off the lingering unease. He couldn’t afford to let his mind play tricks on him. Not now. He needed to be focused, alert, ready.

The shuttle’s intercom crackled to life, the pilot’s voice coming through with a calm announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re on final approach to Starbase 115. This will be our first and only rest stop before we reach Obsidian Command.
Please ensure your belongings are secure and prepare for docking.” The shuttle made its descent smoothly toward one of the docking bays. Dresden took a deep breath, and was glad to stretch his legs and get a bite to eat.