Chapter 7
Light years fell behind them. Relda had a sudden mindfulness of what she had brought with her. She scanned her memory of the actual packing. She pulled down her ceiling compartment and extracted the viewing screen with the Code Book insert drive, her evaporating cleansing gel and evaporating clothing powder, her trusty black blaster, and a canvas bag. She unzipped it and pulled out a few extra garments, and her Shulgar skin Curian cloak. She draped it over her shoulders, but after a second of observation, she concealed them all again, repacked the compartment, and slammed it shut.
"How much farther?" Ozla yelled into the cockpit.
"We're almost there," Raylay said, turning his head giving the passenger cabin a half glance.
"There!" Klea shouted, pointing through the front shield at a blue planet with a single green landmass.
"Turning on the energy shield now," Raylay announced as he yanked levers backward.
They penetrated the atmosphere, and glided into a spot teeming with vegetation and animal life. Raylay retracted the shield. Trees towered into the sky, moss covered the rocks, and bushes and ivy found their home on the forest floor. Legless, pipe-bodied serpents wrapped around the branches. Forest cats with stripe and spot patterns darted through the ivy. Scaled winged creatures landed on treetops. They all peered at the newly landed transport. Relda stepped into the carpet of grass, inhaled the Jucardian air, and absorbed the earthy smell. It had been years, decades, since she'd been home. Now she was here, but she wished it was under more ideal circumstances. She jolted when a rustling sound disturbed the bushes.
It's the wind, she told herself as she took a step backward.
She listened for the wind, but silence filled her ears. It only required a few seconds to realize something or someone had rustled the bushes.
Three coal black creatures emerged, toting long tubes.
"It's the Curians!" Relda announced as a sharp object penetrated her neck.
She collapsed into the grass as her world turned black.