Marooned on Giri Minor
There is only time to react on impulse. You reach for the plasgun and switch it to one of the lower settings, and then fire it at the commander when she is not much more than a meter away. She collapses to the ground, and when you see that she is merely stunned--knocked out but still breathing--you finally allow yourself a deep breath.
This is far and away the most desperate moment of your life. A few hours ago you miraculously survived a harrowing crash, but now you're alone in a strange desert with a commanding officer who, due to an alien influence, just tried to kill you.
In the morning light, the beetle-crabs have all scurried away; there is no sign of them anywhere. Staying here is not an option--you know that much--but where can you go? What can you do? You spot a nook in the rock ridge nearby, so while you're thinking you pick Andrade up over your shoulders and set her down in what you're sure will be a shady alcove. Carrying her any farther than this is out of the question. But really, what are your options?
The idea of leaving Commander Andrade here alone is indefensible. At the moment she seems finally at peace, sitting with her back to the rock wall deep with the shady alcove. Within a few minutes, maybe longer, she will wake up from the effects of the stun blast, and either she will be back to her old self, or she will still be under the effect of the alien neurotoxins. Either way, the only good option you see before you is to wait with her and see what happens.
In the meantime you are starving and thirsty, so you reach into your rucksack and devour one of the NutriRations and guzzle the contents of one of the water bottles. You could easily gorge yourself on the remaining supplies, but you know these have to last for both of you. So before you succumb to temptation, you place Andrade's rucksack beside her--with everything except the plasgun.
Two hours go by, during which time the Girian sun rises over the distant mountains and climbs high into the dust-filled sky. You watch from a safe distance as the commander begins to stir once more, hoping that the stun blast has helped to clear her mind--but keeping the plasgun handy in case it hasn't. When her eyes flicker open, she seems disoriented at first, seeing only the rock that partially surrounds her. Then her eyes fix on you, and you recognize that the rage has hardly abated.
Once again she charges at you, and in your moment of hesitation she pins you to the ground and grabs the plasgun. When she stands up--the plasgun now pointed at you while she blocks the entrance to the rock alcove--you realize that you're only remaining option is to attempt to reason with a madwoman.
You sit up, but you don't dare try and stand, as that might only provoke her. It's better to appear submissive. "Commander Andrade, it's me!" you plead. "We need to reach the colony site and try to send out a distress signal!"
She does not respond, but merely glowers at you over the plasgun.
"Commander, please, this isn't really you!"
But she remains unimpressed. The alcove briefly flashes as she fires the gun, and you slump backward, your chest blackened by the plasma beam.
This is far and away the most desperate moment of your life. A few hours ago you miraculously survived a harrowing crash, but now you're alone in a strange desert with a commanding officer who, due to an alien influence, just tried to kill you.
In the morning light, the beetle-crabs have all scurried away; there is no sign of them anywhere. Staying here is not an option--you know that much--but where can you go? What can you do? You spot a nook in the rock ridge nearby, so while you're thinking you pick Andrade up over your shoulders and set her down in what you're sure will be a shady alcove. Carrying her any farther than this is out of the question. But really, what are your options?
The idea of leaving Commander Andrade here alone is indefensible. At the moment she seems finally at peace, sitting with her back to the rock wall deep with the shady alcove. Within a few minutes, maybe longer, she will wake up from the effects of the stun blast, and either she will be back to her old self, or she will still be under the effect of the alien neurotoxins. Either way, the only good option you see before you is to wait with her and see what happens.
In the meantime you are starving and thirsty, so you reach into your rucksack and devour one of the NutriRations and guzzle the contents of one of the water bottles. You could easily gorge yourself on the remaining supplies, but you know these have to last for both of you. So before you succumb to temptation, you place Andrade's rucksack beside her--with everything except the plasgun.
Two hours go by, during which time the Girian sun rises over the distant mountains and climbs high into the dust-filled sky. You watch from a safe distance as the commander begins to stir once more, hoping that the stun blast has helped to clear her mind--but keeping the plasgun handy in case it hasn't. When her eyes flicker open, she seems disoriented at first, seeing only the rock that partially surrounds her. Then her eyes fix on you, and you recognize that the rage has hardly abated.
Once again she charges at you, and in your moment of hesitation she pins you to the ground and grabs the plasgun. When she stands up--the plasgun now pointed at you while she blocks the entrance to the rock alcove--you realize that you're only remaining option is to attempt to reason with a madwoman.
You sit up, but you don't dare try and stand, as that might only provoke her. It's better to appear submissive. "Commander Andrade, it's me!" you plead. "We need to reach the colony site and try to send out a distress signal!"
She does not respond, but merely glowers at you over the plasgun.
"Commander, please, this isn't really you!"
But she remains unimpressed. The alcove briefly flashes as she fires the gun, and you slump backward, your chest blackened by the plasma beam.
THE END
