Crisis Navigation
The ramscoop was broken.
A loud roar filled the small cabin as a hairy hand reached for the cylinder prong. On the control panel, red and yellow lights blinked in warning, high-pitched alarms blared, and the display screen flashed three large letters: SOS
That meant only one thing. The meteor that rammed into his spacecraft a few moments ago had irreparably damaged the engine.
From his rough calculations, he had thirty minutes to fix the ramscoop, or his life's work would go up in flames.
The creature leaped to his feet. He barreled around the cockpit, wildly searching for a way to keep his spaceship from catching fire. His large eyes zeroed on the wall across from him. Similar to an angry bull seeing a red cape, the creature glared at a scarlet button protected by a glass case his engineer and friend, Vinton, had installed.
Vinton had told him that if there was an emergency and all else failed, he could hit the red button. But his friend had stressed only to use it in an emergency.
The creature’s shoulders fell as he stared at the chaos around him. This had to be the kind of emergency Vinton had been referring to.
It took him only three steps to cross the long cockpit. With a grunt, he shattered the glass, ignoring the rivulets of maroon blood already matting into his light-brown fur.
Right before he pushed the button, he paused. His thoughts went to his family, back on his home planet, Magnus Hominum. His parents had urged him not to go on this trip. Especially with no crew.
But his planet was dying. He needed to find answers or another home for his people.
As he punched the red button, he wondered if his family had been right.
As soon as he made contact with the button, the creature was thrown against the wall with a loud crash. His head thumped against solid steel, and his large frame slid down until he hit the ground.
For a moment, all he could focus on was a loud ringing in his ears. When his vision cleared, he saw that the navigation system had set him on a new course.
Fear trickled down his spine when he saw he was headed for a dark blue globe with green and white colors spaced throughout. Vinton had warned him against stopping at this particular planet. The inhabitants would consider his overbearing appearance a threat. Vinton had learned from our surveillance that the hairless creatures had weapons that could kill him in an instant.
Rubbing his aching head, the creature stood and ran over to his control panel, desperately trying to change course. He roared with desperation when he couldn't override the system.
He had no choice. His only option was to land on a planet that would hunt him for sport.
All he could do now was sit in his padded captain's chair and buckle in for the ride.
The creature’s teeth ground together as his aircraft traveled at light speed. White wisps bleeding with the color blue streaked past his windows as he barreled into the alien planet’s stratosphere.
A thunderous ripping sound made him turn in his seat. His eyes widened when he saw that his right engine had caught on fire. Flames were licking at the back half of his ship, feasting on his home for the past year.
But he couldn't focus on that. The creature needed to brace for impact. He was headed for land at an alarming speed. Giant brown plants with large green leaves he didn't recognize surrounded him. He tried to guide the ship to land in a clearing. But he had entirely lost control of the navigation.
The aircraft rammed into the top of one of the giant plants. The creature’s head slammed against the back of his seat, and he knew no more.
Intense heat made him jerk awake. His head spun as he jumped to his feet. The cockpit was surrounded by flames. With his heart in his throat, he jumped out of the front window, cutting himself on the broken glass.
He fell into the wet mud with a grunt. The creature hurried to his feet and sprinted away from his ship. He spotted a large rock and hid behind it.
With a defining boom, he watched his rocketship explode to pieces in front of him. A wall of fire rained down metal pieces and glass. As a searing warmth encircled him, one tear rolled down his hairy cheek.
Despite a morbid urge to watch, he knew it wasn't safe to stay. His legs shook as he stood and took in his new surroundings.
This alien planet was the opposite of his home. The color green infected every available surface. He rubbed his hand over a bright grassy substance that covered a nearby rock and cringed at the damp, sponge-like feeling.
Water was pouring from the sky, and he got an eyeful when he tried to find out where it was coming from. The creature was uneasy about the giant plants that closed in on him from above. It made him feel like a caged animal.
With a grunt, he started walking, hoping to find food—at least he could drink the strange water from the sky.
His large feet made imprints in the wet mud as he began to explore this strange planet.