by Unknown
To keep warm, she remained near the macabre fire; and tried not to think about exactly what it was that was burning. The stench of the cremations made her retch again.
Surely enough time has passed?
She scanned the night sky for a sign of the rescue shuttle. While they had been traveling with radio silence, the Carpenter must have been visually observing the shuttle. They must have seen the crash. A rescue shuttle would be dispatched as the big starship came around the planet on the subsequent orbit. It would take no more than ninety minutes.
Part Two – On Corvus-3
Chapter Four
Stardate 3527.7.18 – Sunrise on the Mountain Top
The valley below the mountain was still cast in darkness when the brilliance of the sun burst upon the white snow and the smoking, blackened hulk of the crashed shuttle. Once more, Amy searched the sky for a rescue ship. Once more, she saw nothing.
They won't come down in daylight.
Amy tried to justify why her rescuers had been delayed. She reasoned that she was going to be on her own until nightfall. Her stomach growled, and skipping lunch no longer seemed to have been such a good idea. In the bright sunlight, she approached the wrecked shuttle. The exploding fuel tank had incinerated everything. Some portions still glowed red. Amy was relieved that very little was recognizable; she had not wanted this to be her last memory of her friends.
Do they think that there are no survivors?
Her eyes returned to the sky, wondering why rescue was taking so long. Perhaps they would send drones down to examine the area first. Using portions of the black material, she formed a large circle and square on the white snow. The patterns were a clear sign of her survival. As the heat of the fire faded, the wind blowing across the mountain side chilled her. She sought refuge between some boulders. Wearing nothing but her thin jumpsuit, she curled into a ball and shivered.
Despite her attempts at optimism, she knew that something was terribly wrong with the Carpenter. Alone, cold, and afraid, she wiped the tears away. She willed her sobbing to stop. Now was not the time to cry.
After several hours, when the sunlight had reached the valley floor, Amy stood on the rocks and examined her surroundings.
This is not the correct pass through the mountains.
She saw that she was ten or more miles south of the shuttle's intended route. Looking up the glacier, she saw the scar in the snow the ship had created as it slid down the mountain slope. It had come to rest at the bottom of the glacier, about a mile above the valley floor. She guessed that the pilot had become confused by the moonlight reflecting off the white glacier and misjudged their location and altitude. While the temperature in the valley was ninety degrees, the frigid, high altitude winds kept the mountain peaks icy cold. Looking to the north, Amy could see the volcano marking the location of the lanthanum deposit thirty miles away. Looking to the southeast, she could see the small rivers delineating the locations of the alien villages, also about thirty miles away.
Despite her troubles, she could not suppress her awe for the beauty of the scene spread before her. She had been on several alien worlds, but never had she experienced such a view. During her prior adventures, she had always been confined to the tiny observation hut. Here, the entirety of the world appeared to be spread under her feet. Silver lakes were scattered like so many polka dots on the dull green grassland. Hazy, blue-gray mountains rimmed the far horizon. The azure sky was both breathtakingly beautiful and chillingly cold at the same time. The depths of the blue beckoned to her. Brilliant, white clouds swirled across the majestic sky and demanded her focus. All the while, its icy color chilled her core.
Hugging herself for both warmth and comfort, she was so alone and afraid.
She crouched among the rocks and began to mentally review the survival training she had received. Thirsty, she scooped up some snow and ate it. While this quenched her dry mouth, using her body heat to melt the snow would only accelerate the rate with which she would starve to death. In the cold, she could not expect to last more than three days, and the first of these was half gone.
The engineers are in the invisibility huts. They know about the crash by now.
Amy began to wonder if she could climb down the mountain and walk to one of the huts. She knew the exact location of the anthropology hut. It was attached to the side of a rock cliff overlooking the stream. From this location, the anthropologists expected to observe the alien population from no more than twenty-five yards away. Yet it was in an area that the aliens would not traverse. However, walking there would require her to cross thirty miles of the grassland and risk encountering its numerous, big carnivores. The journey north to the mineralogy hut was about the same distance, but this path would keep her under the cover of the trees. While there were carnivores in the forest as well, these were smaller, and less likely to consider her to be a meal. Unfortunately, she had not paid close attention to the exact location of the mineralogy invisibility hut.
Maybe they will be looking for me?
She considered that if she could get within five miles of the hut, the engineers there would detect her locator beacon and come to her.
Stardate 3527.7.19 – Sunrise the Second Day
Amy had remained awake throughout the night. Her sleeplessness was partially due to her vigilant search of the night sky for the rescue shuttle, and partially due to her body's violent shivers as she struggled to stay warm. She had been afraid that if she fell asleep, she would freeze and never wake up.
Whatever the reason, they are not coming to get me.
No rescue shuttle had arrived. With the sunrise, she concluded that she had no choice but to get down off the cold mountain and make her way to the mineralogy hut. She hoped that she could arrive before a shuttle took both it and the engineers away. Using the charred material of the burned shuttle, she created a giant arrow on the snow, pointing down the mountain and toward the north. Rescuers spotting the arrow would know in which direction she had gone.
Crikey, I want a warm cup of coffee!
She ate some more snow, and began the slow climb down the mountain. As the sun rose in the eastern sky, it chased the shadows away and Amy followed the sunlight down the slope.
For several hours she climbed over, around, and occasionally under boulders which had been scraped from the mountain peak by the glacier. After a few hours, she was past the extent of the snow. While she was now warmer, she had nothing with which to quench her thirst. Below the boulder field, she came to a steep slope. While not an actual cliff, this was too steep for her to stand and walk down. She had to cling to the mountain side and climb down as though it were a ladder.
At the base of the slope, she found a row of bubbling springs of delicious, cool water. While now able to quench her thirst, she still had nothing to eat. The springs merged to create a small stream, and Amy followed this down the mountain. The flowing water would know the path of least resistance. The slope of the mountain eased and she was able to climb down to a region of vegetation before darkness shrouded her. Ignoring her growling stomach, she curled into a ball and slept in the shelter of some short brush. At least she was no longer freezing.
Stardate 3527.7.20 – Sunrise the Third Day
At the lower altitude, the warming sun was slow to appear. The previous day's exertion had been more exercise than Amy had experienced in over a year. She had slept soundly.
"Oh, my word!" she groaned as her muscles screamed. Her joints ached as she stretched and uncurled from her fetal position. Sipping water from the nearby stream, she again searched for something to eat. Still the only living things she could find were the thin grass and scrubby brush. There was no sign of animal life.
Amy resumed her trek down the mountain. Being warmer and having fresh water, her life expectancy had increased by several days. However, she was still hungry.
Those extra pounds clinging to my hips are going to come in handy.
She could no longer see the expanse of the valley flo
or, but she knew the general direction to the mineralogy hut. For a moment, she considered abandoning her small stream and angling to the north to cut the distance. But she decided to stick close to the water until it reached the river below. Then she would follow the river north to the lanthanum deposit.
By midday, she reached the forest's edge. While the slope of the mountain side became gentler, the trees slowed her travels. She began to keep an eye on the overhanging branches, looking for predators. The normal color of Amy's jumpsuit was a light blue. This was the color signifying the academic staff aboard the Carpenter. However, it contrasted sharply with the browns and greens of the mountain side. Any predator that was not color blind would spot her long before she could see it. Amy placed her index finger on the control stud under her right collar and stroked it to change the suit's color. As a member of the ground team, her jumpsuit could mimic several camouflage and animal fur patterns. While she didn't know exactly what the animals of this planet looked like, she selected a pattern that mimicked the fur of common predators from other worlds.
With any luck, I won't look like a meal.
Amy continued to follow the stream down the mountain, picking her way through the ever thickening forest. Fortunately, the slope continued to ease, making her task less strenuous. She continued searching for something edible. In the afternoon, she paused to drink.
What was that?
Something moved in the grass and dead leaves on the ground. Startled, Amy froze. She had seen no prior sign of animal life. Then it moved again. Ten feet away, a small rodent eased out from under a pile of leaves and stared at her. The animal sniffed the air, and Amy wished she had not decided to appear as a predator—the animal was clearly afraid of her.
"It's all right, little guy. I won't hurt you."
Amy was lying. She would eat the creature in a second. However, she wasn't sure she had sunk to a low enough level to eat it raw. In her survival training, she had practiced making fires and cooking, but she'd had matches back then. Her training had included instruction on how to create a fire using only grass, leaves, and sticks, but she had not actually performed the task.
As she sat still, two more rodents appeared. When she didn't move for several minutes, the animals began to scurry about. They picked up tiny items from the ground and ate them. Amy imagined that she would have no luck trying to snatch one of the creatures, but she did strain to see what it was that they found edible.
Whatever they eat, I can eat.
When she concluded that the seeds they were eating were far too small to nourish her, she stood. Her sudden movement scattered the tiny beasts. She continued along the stream towards the valley floor. Several streams from other mountain springs merged with hers, and soon she was following a substantial flow of water. The population of tiny creatures scurrying about the ground increased, but she saw no way to catch them.
In the middle of the afternoon she paused to drink again, and then nature called. Her bladder demanded release. Pressing the stud under her left collar, Amy released the taut fabric of her jumpsuit. As the seams appeared, she opened the rear panel, spread her legs, and squatted while leaning against a tree. She relaxed to allow the comforting release.
For the first time, she became aware of the flowers. They must have been around her for the past hour or more, but she had failed to take notice of them. Lovely pink and orange flowers with vibrant green petals dotted the bank of the stream. They made the alien planet appear peaceful. Amy smiled and reached out to pick one.
"Eeek!" she squealed.
A man was watching her. Unable to stop her urine flow, she squatted defenselessly as the alien male stood no more than fifteen feet away. He was motionless in the shade of a tree.
How did he get so close to me?
His coal black eyes didn't blink as they bored into her. He was holding a spear, but was not threatening her. He was completely nude. His bronze skin was covered with thin, brown, curly hair. The thick bush of hair over his groin almost concealed his manhood. Amy's focus traced lower to his bowlegged stance and thick, bare feet. The alien was short, only an inch taller than her own five-foot, three-inch stature. He was amazingly humanoid. Looking into his eyes, she saw the spark of intelligence.
Finishing, she jumped upright and reached for the stud to reseal her jumpsuit. Instantly, two sets of hands grabbed her arms and held her fast. Glancing to her left and right, she saw two more alien males. She screamed.
Where did they come from?
These two males were younger copies of the first. She screamed again and squirmed, trying to wiggle from their grasp. But they lifted her off the ground. Her feet peddled air as she struggled. The first man stepped closer. His tangled mane of hair and full beard framed his face as he studied Amy. She stopped fighting, and the two males set her back down on her feet.
She locked eyes with the first man. It was difficult to judge the age of primitive people, they generally had short lifespans. From the crow's feet wrinkles beside his eyes, she judged him to be at least thirty. This could be deep into middle age for the alien. He did not blink as he studied her.
The older male reached out and touched her shoulder, stroking it. She glanced away from his face to watch his fingers pinch the jumpsuit fabric. She had left the setting to appear as animal fur. He was trying to stroke her fur, and was mesmerized with the smooth texture that his eyes told him should not be there.
His hand went to her face, her neck. His rough fingers gently caressed her smooth skin. He fingered the collar separating her real skin from the image of fur. He pulled, and the jumpsuit seam opened. Surprised, he stepped back. Startled, the other two males loosened their hold on her arms, and Amy pulled free. Turning, she attempted to run up the hillside. However, she managed only two steps before a hand grabbed her ankle and pulled her down.
"Ugh," she grunted as the wind was knocked out of her.
Face down on the ground, a powerful hand held her. Sucking in a breath, Amy screamed as another hand lifted the jumpsuit's back panel and touched her bare butt.
The three men tugged at the fabric and reached under it to touch her skin. Hands squeezed her exposed globes, and fingers invaded the private space between her thighs. As she kicked and screamed, the seams were opened, and the jumpsuit was pulled down off her shoulders. They turned her over. Lying on her back, she clenched her jaw as they pulled the front seam open. One man held her left arm and leg while another held her right, spreading her. The first, older man touched her breast. Her nipples stiffened as he held them; he lightly pinched them. His hand moved lower. With her legs pulled open, she was helpless as his fingers explored under the fabric. He touched her lady bits. She squeezed her eyes closed and tried not to cry when his finger entered her.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted, but her words had no meaning to them. She screamed again and he pulled away. Ignoring her flaying arms and kicking feet, they continued tugging the fabric down. They pulled it off her feet and she was nude.
The men released her and stood back. She stared into their astonished faces as they looked down upon the peach-skinned girl they had pulled out of the animal fur. The older man kicked the remnants of her jumpsuit away as though it might stand on its own and attack them.
Amy swallowed the lump in her throat.
Sensing that they were as afraid of her as she was of them, she once again tried to run away. She managed to stand and take a single step before a powerful arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her from the ground. The alien spun her in the air like a doll and brought her down across his lap as he sat on a fallen log. Before she could do more than squeal, his hand smacked down on her upturned bottom— hard.
"EEE-OUCH!"
He spanked her again and again. His strong hand pelted her butt and set her tender flesh afire.
"Stop—please STOP!" she begged, but again her words meant nothing to him. A firm slap to her defenseless bottom was his response. Amy's tears ran down her cheeks and dripped to the ground.
Her screams morphed into convulsive sobs.
With her helplessly pinned, he slowed the pace of his spanking. He paused after each painful smack to allow the pain to peak and ebb through her body before the next application of his hand. After a dozen blistering swats, he halted his punishment of her. Amy strained to fill her lungs with air as she suppressed her wailing. Once again, as he held her over his lap, his fingers explored her womanhood. This time she held still when he found her moist entrance. She didn't resist as he once again probed her channel.
With a satisfied grunt, he pushed her to the ground. The three alien males moved closer around her. The alien lifted his hand to his face and sniffed his finger. He tasted her dew that clung to his digit. He smiled and gave the other two males a pleased grunt. Kneeling, Amy noticed their cocks.
"What are you going to do to me?"
The three men were all sporting erections. Knowing that sex was an instinctual response among primitive populations, her question had been ridiculous. She knew what was going to happen next. Twice before, Amy had witnessed primitive males isolating and having their way with the females. She knew that they would insist upon having her, and that if she struggled they might hurt her. They would not be vicious, but they would be unyielding.
However, they didn't advance. Amy stared at the ring of cocks surrounding her. She was not a connoisseur of men's anatomy. She had seen the members of most of the men she had slept with, but she had not exactly examined them. However, peering up at these three men, she was certain that the girth and length of their tools were substantially bigger than anything that she had experienced before.
