01-19-2011, 05:20 AM
Namek was very green. That was the first thing he noticed as they trekked across the seemingly endless landscape. Emerald plains stretched for as far as the eye could see. In some places the grass was long and danced with the wind, in other places it did not grow very high and retained its stiff, stagnant posture. Trees of varying sizes dotted the landscape, more so in the areas where the planet kept her grass trim. Some trees were larger than any Sid had ever seen on earth, stretching out like massive umbrellas over their heads and protecting them from the wrath of dual suns (Sid had learned about Namek’s two Suns in science class. He thought it was very neat).
In the distance a smoky column rose from the horizon. Their de facto leader, the Older Man who had rescued the youngster from Brett’s hostility, had said that he could smell wood burning from that direction. Sid could smell no such scent, but he trusted the Older Man. When another member of their group questioned their direction by noting that the presence of smoke could signify a village or establishment that was controlled by either the natives or the invaders the Older Man shrugged off the skepticism by simply stating that ‘aliens don’t burn wood.’ Sid knew that that probably was not true, but he understood why the Older Man had said what he had said. Whether the source of the smoke was alien or not, they really had no other choice; they had no other destination. They were stranded in God-only-knows-where.
He had been charged with carrying a large duffel bag, much larger than the backpack he used for school, filled to the brim with boxes of assorted ammunition. It was heavy, and he was tired, but he did not complain. This was what he had asked for, to see to it that justice was served. While he was frustrated at their predicament he knew that this was what he could do right now to help those around him, and that was enough. That and the bag was so heavy that he couldn’t think, he was just too tired. All he could do was walk. It reminded him of his blitz ball games back on Earth. In the junior leagues they weren’t allowed to use the hovering technology they used in the pros, and so they just had sprinted and sprinted until they couldn’t sprint anymore, and then they were substituted out. Sid had a bad habit of staying in the game long past exhaustion, when he could no longer think, only do. His current situation was sort of like that. He only hoped that he was better at soldiering then he was at blitz ball.
“Watch yourself kid!” Sid crashed into the crouched man in front of him. He regained his balance before he fell, however, and quickly kneeled next to the man, pretending that the near-accident had never happened.
“Why’d everyone stop?” The youngster whispered back at the man whom he had almost ran into.
“Something’s going on ahead.”
“Yeah, and this far out from the Spaceport it’s probably not friendly,” another soldier chimed in, inserting his two cents in the conversation. The first man nodded in agreement. Sid would have preferred that he disagreed.
No one moved. Everyone was silent. Sid sat still between the two soldiers he had just conversed with. His hands were shaking, but he tried to hide it, and he clenched his eyes closed to turn back the welling tears. How do you describe fear? More importantly, Sid continued his thought, how do you stop it? He was just a kid, what was he doing out here, fighting an adult’s war? He was scared shitless. It had never occurred to him that something would actually go wrong.
The Older Man, who had been at the group’s front, ducked back and slowed up towards their center. The other men moved inwards towards him, but his raised hand halted them. Instead, he whispered to a few, and they spread the word back to the rest. They had been spread out, rather than one, larger conglomerate, as to avoid detection, or so he had been informed.
“There’s something ahead of us, definitely alien.” He paused and waited for the momentary chatter to die down. Sid’s heart dropped into his stomach. “There’s only a few of them, looks like a scouting party. I don’t think they can see us, so we’ll need to move quickly to neutralize them. Catch them with their pants down.”
The other men nodded, and then fanned out, as if they already knew what they would have to do. Resting his eyes on the youngster, the Older Man then shuffled his way over towards Sid.
“You stay in the back, alright? This will be over before you can even blink.” The Older Man rested his hand on Sid’s shoulder and winked before cracking a friendly smile. Sid suddenly wasn't so scared anymore.
In the distance a smoky column rose from the horizon. Their de facto leader, the Older Man who had rescued the youngster from Brett’s hostility, had said that he could smell wood burning from that direction. Sid could smell no such scent, but he trusted the Older Man. When another member of their group questioned their direction by noting that the presence of smoke could signify a village or establishment that was controlled by either the natives or the invaders the Older Man shrugged off the skepticism by simply stating that ‘aliens don’t burn wood.’ Sid knew that that probably was not true, but he understood why the Older Man had said what he had said. Whether the source of the smoke was alien or not, they really had no other choice; they had no other destination. They were stranded in God-only-knows-where.
He had been charged with carrying a large duffel bag, much larger than the backpack he used for school, filled to the brim with boxes of assorted ammunition. It was heavy, and he was tired, but he did not complain. This was what he had asked for, to see to it that justice was served. While he was frustrated at their predicament he knew that this was what he could do right now to help those around him, and that was enough. That and the bag was so heavy that he couldn’t think, he was just too tired. All he could do was walk. It reminded him of his blitz ball games back on Earth. In the junior leagues they weren’t allowed to use the hovering technology they used in the pros, and so they just had sprinted and sprinted until they couldn’t sprint anymore, and then they were substituted out. Sid had a bad habit of staying in the game long past exhaustion, when he could no longer think, only do. His current situation was sort of like that. He only hoped that he was better at soldiering then he was at blitz ball.
“Watch yourself kid!” Sid crashed into the crouched man in front of him. He regained his balance before he fell, however, and quickly kneeled next to the man, pretending that the near-accident had never happened.
“Why’d everyone stop?” The youngster whispered back at the man whom he had almost ran into.
“Something’s going on ahead.”
“Yeah, and this far out from the Spaceport it’s probably not friendly,” another soldier chimed in, inserting his two cents in the conversation. The first man nodded in agreement. Sid would have preferred that he disagreed.
No one moved. Everyone was silent. Sid sat still between the two soldiers he had just conversed with. His hands were shaking, but he tried to hide it, and he clenched his eyes closed to turn back the welling tears. How do you describe fear? More importantly, Sid continued his thought, how do you stop it? He was just a kid, what was he doing out here, fighting an adult’s war? He was scared shitless. It had never occurred to him that something would actually go wrong.
The Older Man, who had been at the group’s front, ducked back and slowed up towards their center. The other men moved inwards towards him, but his raised hand halted them. Instead, he whispered to a few, and they spread the word back to the rest. They had been spread out, rather than one, larger conglomerate, as to avoid detection, or so he had been informed.
“There’s something ahead of us, definitely alien.” He paused and waited for the momentary chatter to die down. Sid’s heart dropped into his stomach. “There’s only a few of them, looks like a scouting party. I don’t think they can see us, so we’ll need to move quickly to neutralize them. Catch them with their pants down.”
The other men nodded, and then fanned out, as if they already knew what they would have to do. Resting his eyes on the youngster, the Older Man then shuffled his way over towards Sid.
“You stay in the back, alright? This will be over before you can even blink.” The Older Man rested his hand on Sid’s shoulder and winked before cracking a friendly smile. Sid suddenly wasn't so scared anymore.