Fiction:Search on the Ashes

Malackor-5 used to be a research colony. The Federation’s most intelligent scientists gathered there to find ways to improve the ecosystem of the rest of the planets in garmycan possession. It wasn’t precisely a paradise, but it used to be a good place to live. Green grassland, crystal blue lakes, luxury hotels, and the best university of the federation.

But then, suddenly, the capital received a transmission: “It’s the tree!” The army sent two novice soldiers to explore the colony and discover what happened. The first thing they reported was that the planet’s surface had suddenly turned purple, and that the initial scan spotted no signs of life. The army ordered the two soldiers to land on the planet and find any evidence of what had happened, and to watch themselves.

-- “I’ve been in this planet for ten seconds and I already want to go back to the ship!” Said the Grogian soldier named Radgast.

He and his friend, the Numidian named Kalen, had landed at a shore of the planet, away from any village, just in case. The surface looked creepier than it looked from the space. All plants had withered, and some animals lied dead within the ashes, and despite that there must had happened just three days, they looked like there had been dead for ages. Even the wind was quiet.

“Well… All here is dead. So we don’t have to worry about anyone that can try to kill us.” Said Kalen.

“I don’t worry about any-ONE than can try to kill us. What worries me is that any-THING may try to kill us. I believe that whatever happened here is beyond anything we can handle.”

Kalen placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Hey. If things get too tough, we just call for the ship and we get beamed up in no time.”

The two friends wanted to avoid the dead trees, so they started to explore on a nearby defile. They remained silent for a while, until Kalen considered that if he didn’t keep his friend talking, he would panic with any noise they heard.

“So… Any ideas of what could have happened? And please, don’t tell me you don’t want to know.”

Radgast muttered. “Well, a failed experiment, or an alien virus... What do I know?”

“Ok. Just asking.” Kalen looked up at the horizon. “Hey, is that a village?”

It was a village, alright. Its houses were demolished, and some of them were still burning. There were corpses everywhere. But what truly surprised the duo was that there seemed to be a group of survivors. Kalen and Radgast ran to their location, calling to them, but as soon as they got closer, the eight figures turned on them and attacked the duo.

Kalen brake and uselessly tried to reason with the attackers, while Radgast went on the attack. In a single headbutt he took one of the mad creatures down against the wall. They were more fragile than they appeared. Kalen realised that diplomacy wouldn’t work, so he drew his gun and shoot two of the no-longer-“survivors”, but the third was quick and he pushed him, making the numidan soldier lose his balance.

Radgast was in a more compromised situation, surrounded by the remaining four. They didn’t actually seem alive. Their skin was paler than usual, and their eyes didn’t have pupils. They were whispering to themselves, saying things about the voices, or stuff like that. Two of them attacked, but Radgast managed to anticipate them and hit them both with his tail. Then attacked another one, biting him and throwing him to the wall. Then he aimed to the fourth one and shot him with his shoulder blaster.

One of the two he had knocked out suddenly got up and attacked him, this time with the element of surprise on his side. Radgast didn’t saw it coming. But right before the attacker could finish him off, a sword stabbed him on the back. Radgast relieved after realising that the sword belonged to Kalen.

“I know, I know” said Kalen. “I said that no one would attack us, and they just did.”

Radgast smiled. “Nah! I wouldn’t have seen it coming either.”

The two friends approached one of the bodies, but keeping the distance from it at the same time.

“Remember what you said about the virus or the experiment?” Said Kalen. “Because I believe that you were right.”

“I’m not so sure about the virus.” Answered Radgast. “Look. The bodies of the people that attacked us show signs of both physical and mental degeneration. But the rest of the bodies, however, seem normal, like they had just been dead for a few days.”

“Maybe some of them were immune and these “mutants” killed them.”

“Maybe. But there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of attack.”

A moment of silence.

“I give up.” Admitted Kalen. “We won’t find any evidences here.”

“That doesn’t mean that we can go back to the ship, right?” Asked Radgast, hoping to hear a “wrong”.

“Right.” Then the pair departed from the village. After twelve minutes, the two of them arrived at what appeared to be the remains of a forest.

“It’s the tree… It’s the tree…” Said Radgast over and over. “How could a tree cause so much destruction?”

“Maybe they developed a toxin that drove the inhabitants insane.” Suggested Kalen.

“I’m not so sure. If that would be true, the entire ecosystem wouldn’t be affected. Something else must hav--” The two of them crouched at the sound of what appeared to be a loud footstep. Then another step was heard. And another. And another. And another. Getting closer, and closer. Then stopped.

Kalen and Radgast remained motionless, using all of their willpower to not to shake, because they hadn’t been so scared in all their lives. They didn’t even turned to the creature that was approaching to them. The creature started to walk again, but, for the duo’s relief, it walked away.

“Do NOT turn to that creature.” Whispered Radgast. However, Kalen’s curiosity was too strong, so he slowly turned his head and saw a tall, firm monster, with strange roots that acted as legs. Kalen was lucky his friend covered his mouth, because he was about to scream. The pair stood still and held their breath, as the figure walked away from them.

“We found our tree.” Whispered Radgast, while he put his hands off his friend’s mouth.

“You think it saw us?”

“I don’t think so. It doesn’t even have eyes, and if it heard us talking we’d be bones right now.”

“Then let’s follow it”

“Say what?!”

“Don’t worry. We’ll keep our distance from that thing. I only want to investigate it for a while.”

Radgast knew that was a bad idea, but if the “tree” didn’t have eyes, it was impossible for it to spot them. He had no choice but to agree.

“Don’t worry.” Said Kalen. “If that thing find us, we’ll be ready to run, and with those small roots there is no way it can catch us.”

Then the pair started to follow the tree from afar. The creature had trouble to move forward due to the ground, so the investigation was quiet, but still frightening. They followed it for at least half an hour, until they stopped at what appeared to be some source of small laboratory. The pair decided that the time to follow that creature had passed.

“All right.” Said Kalen. “We investigate that laboratory and we leave.” Radgast relieved.

The duo wanted to waste no time. They entered in the laboratory quietly and cautiously. The place was all a mess. Bodies of scientists everywhere, everything wrecked and smoking. The two soldiers spotted a radio.

“That’s it!” Shouted Kalen. “That radio must be a recorder. I’m sure that we’ll find answers there.”

“How do you know?” Asked Radgast, as his friend picked the radio.

“I just follow my instincts.”

“Oooh! So that’s why we’ve been in nothing but trouble since we got here. I feel so much safer.”

Kalen ignored Radgast’s sarcastic tone and activated the radio. The pair remained quiet as a recorded voice started to speak through the radio speakers.

“''Day one: We did it! The artificial life form Prototype has come to life! It’s purple, small, larva-like, with fins which act legs. It’s so adorable! And imagine what we can accomplish with it. We can use it to cure any disease, and even to improve the terraformation of any planet. At it’s side, the Staff of Life is just a child’s baton.''”

“Let me guess.” Said Radgast. “The Prototype went wrong and killed everyone in the colony.”

Kalen, after asking his friend to shut up, activate the next recording.

“''Day three: Saying amazing is not enough to describe it. The Prototype has reached the pinnacle of it’s potential. However… We scanned it and we believe it is dieing. It is growing weaker. Something must have gone wrong during it’s creation. If we don’t do something fast, it will die in four days.''”

Next recording.

“''Day five: I… I don’t understand how it happened, but one of our workers has gone insane and has attacked and murdered two of his partners. After that, he just stopped living. I am not sure, but I believe that the Prototype must have done this, because right before he went mad, our worker was approaching to it in order to exam it.''”

Next recording.

“''Day eight: I was right! The Prototype is doing this! It escaped from it’s cannister and approached to the forest. As soon as it touched a tree, it transformed into a mutant plant of colossal proportions! I managed to hide back into my laboratory but my as partners tried to run to the colony, they were killed by the plants! They are heading towards the colony!''”

The two soldiers gaped. That tree they were chasing was one of the many reasons the ecosystem had been destroyed. Kalen activated the next recording.

“''Day twelve: The colony… No. The entire planet has fallen! All the mutated trees have destroyed the houses and the inhabitants have fallen to the Prototype. Some of them were mutated too, but the rest of the colonists... Men, women, children, animals and plants alike… EVERYONE ELSE IS DEAD!! The Prototype’s degeneration can be delayed by killing living beings and absorbing their life force, and as soon as it finds... Me… There will be nothing left to absorb, and the Prototype will have to move to another planet to satisfy it’s hunger, and then the next, until all life in the galaxy is extinguished! If anyone finds this message, get out of here! Warn the Federation! It’s coming for me. I know. I will face it so it can’t harm this radio nor the laboratory.''”

Kalen and Radgast couldn’t believe what they were hearing. The voice continued speaking, so fast that sometimes it was hard to understand him.

“''I know it has taken over one of the trees in order to postpone it’s life! Once it’s host body is destroyed, it will take it’s larval form, and that’s it’s weakest state and the only way to kill it! Please. I don’t know if anyone is going to receive this message, but if you do, don’t face it alone, or it will overwhelm you within an hour. As I said, go back to the Garmycan Galactic Federation. Show them this recording and put an end to the Prototype before it’s too late. Whoever you are… I am counting on you. Farewell...''”

The transmission ended. The two soldiers remained silent for a while.

“We’re leaving.” Said Kalen. He took the radio and putted it on his pocket.

As the two got out of the laboratory, they found out that they were surrounded by dozens of those giant, mutant trees. Panic took over their bodies, as they were unable to move. As the creatures were getting closer, Radgast discovered their weakness.

“The roots!” He shouted. “Shoot at the roots of that one”

Kalen reacted quickly and the pair shot at the roots of the plant Radgast pointed at. The giant creature lost it’s balance and fell, giving the soldiers an opening to escape.

“Call for the ship now!” Shouted Radgast while running.

“I already have! But it’s too far! It’ll take it some time before it reaches us!”

“Oh, what was that?! “Hey”, you said. “If things get too tough, we just call for the ship and…””

“I know what I said! Now keep running or else we’re dancing the salsa inside their stomachs!”

As they argued at the same time they were running, more trees were coming. Their master was hungry, so they were not allowed to escape. The monstrous plants cornered the duo.

“We’re trapped!” Said Radgast.

“But not helpless” Answered Kalen, as he shoot one of the trees.

The energy blasts struck them perfectly, but the trees did not backed down. Could they actually feel any pain?

A huge noise was approaching towards the battlefield. The trees ignored it but the soldiers knew that their salvation was coming in the form of their ship.

“All right. You get beamed up first. I’ll hold them off!” Said Kalen.

“What?! No way! You go first!” Replied Radgast.

“Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine!”

“Promise you will meet me there?”

“Promise!”

As Kalen kept fighting, the ship abducted Radgast, praying for the life of his friend. Once inside, he went to the cockpit and started to prepare the engines and set course for the capital. Before pressing the button, he stared at the abduction room. Kalen wasn’t there yet. What if something had happened to him? He said he would be fine. He promised him that he would meet him there! He had known him for so long. They played together when they were children. They enrolled in the army together, they fought together, and today they were about to die together. And in that long time of friendship Kalen had never broke his word. Could this be the first and only time his friend had lied to him in order to sacrifice himself? Five seconds later, Radgast’s questions received answer.

“What are you waiting for? Get us out of here!” Said Kalen as he appeared in the abduction room.

Relieved, Radgast pushed the button and the engines spitted fire as they got the ship out of the atmosphere. In this kind of situation, Kalen and Radgast would be celebrating their survival, but no noise came from their mouths. They stared at the devastated planet, and they thought about the countless exceptional workers, ingenious scientists and talented teenagers eager to learn that had lost their lives down there. But they specially thought about one person. That one scientist who realised what his mistakes had done to his creation, and to his friends. That one scientist who embraced his imminent death and gave everything to leave a clue for them to find. It was a pity they didn’t know his name, because it would be long remembered. The End

DISCLAMER: This adventure was inspired in a Bionicle Stop-Motion video called 'Dust' 's Diary: Enter the Madness, by Turaga Lianyu, especially in the concept of "tree". However, I received permission from him to publish this adventure. I may also have taken inspiration in the adventure It Came from the Sky.

I hope you liked this fic. It took me some time, but not that I enjoyed it giving a history to some of my characters.