The Ravager Chronicles: The Complete Series

by Sara Page

  If I had the guts to do it, I’d start pounding the other buttons as well but after the siren incident, I’m afraid I’ll somehow make my situation worse.

  Please, giant naked man running for me, please be a mirage.

  I can’t tear my eyes away from him, and it is definitely a him. I can see what makes it a male and not a female flopping as he runs. Holy shit, it’s like a third leg.

  I hear the screen behind me make several beeps. The sound of air pressure hissing in release this time is like music to my ears. The walls start to go up, but I’m not sure they’re going up fast enough.

  Giant man is coming closer and closer. He’s purple and he’s built like one of the elite soldiers in my father’s personal squad. He could crush me like a puny lesser being and by the ferocious look on his face and his narrowed, glowing eyes, it looks like that’s exactly what he means to do.

  The walls reach my shoulders and then they go up and up until I can no longer see my approaching threat. He’s so close, if he can jump, he can still get in. I’m so overcome with crippling fear, I feel paralyzed. I can’t move my head, I can’t look up and watch. I can only wait and hope he doesn’t beat the walls.

  Something slams into the side of the pod. I jump involuntarily and let out a startled scream. The pod rocks precariously. I look up. The walls are closed, he didn’t make it in. It must have been him crashing into the pod, I think at first. But then something slams into the side again. He’s doing it on purpose. What the hell? Does he think he can go through flexible steel?

  He crashes into the side again. I almost expect to see a cartoonish imprint of his body. The pod rocks and almost rolls.

  Oh, no. Not again.

  I leap for the safety seat. I spent so much time trying to get out of the blasted thing, now all I want to do is get back in. My fingers shake, I’m operating on an overdose of adrenaline. My fumbling fingers manage to get half of my straps secured but then he slams and this time the pod rocks then starts to roll.

  “No!” I scream out in terror as I’m forced upside down with only my left side secured in the harness.

  I hold on for dear life, feeling gravity do everything in its power to pull me out of the seat as I’m forced upside down. My arms are crossed, my fingers dig into my own skin and it takes every bit of strength I have left to keep myself from falling.

  As the pod rotates into its natural upright position, I feel myself drop against my seat. Franticly, I work on securing my right side. Just as I get the last strap secured, there’s another crash and then I roll. This time the pod starts rolling and doesn’t stop.

  * * *

  Growing up as a princess and the sole heir of the Terrea Kingdom and all that it encompasses, I was never permitted to ride amusement rides. They were deemed too risky and unnecessarily dangerous by my personal protection force. I’ve been to many amusement parks during my youth and often watched others of my age enjoy their experience. I never could quite understand how they found being thrown about or flipped upside down to be so fun. I especially couldn’t understand how they could want to do it again and again.

  Right now, being rolled over and over again is not my idea of fun. All I want is for it to stop because seriously, I’m about to throw up. But my luck must have run out. I keep rolling and rolling. Darkness creeps into the corners of my vision. I want to pass out. Oh, how I want to pass out. I want to wake up and have this all be over with but for some crazy reason my consciousness hangs on. By the time the pod finally stops, I can’t even tell it has stopped at first. My brain keeps rotating, and my stomach is churning, stuck in the cycle, but my butt is no longer dropping.

  I finally catch on.

  This time it’s a quick press of the release button and I’m out. I lurch to the side, throw open the portable potty box, and proceed to throw up my guts.

  Everything comes out of me. I hack, gag, and heave until it feels like I’m expelling bits of my insides into the box. When I’m done, I slam the lid shut. I hope the biodegradable process in the box still functions. I’ll know for sure the next time I open it up.

  I stumble my way back to the dashboard. Déjà vu. Then I bend back over and double check the scratching I was reading above the black button before the charging purple alien man so rudely interrupted me.

  The scratching above the button spells HELP. It could very well be a cry for help, but it’s more likely that it’s the button that accesses the pod’s internal help system.

  I hate buttons. Oh, my stars how I hate buttons now. I want to push it. I want to access the help system. I need to access the system. Accessing the system is the only way I’m going to be able to access the door so I can leave the pod without bringing all the walls down. It would also be nice to access any detection systems the pod may have. Maybe it can give me a UPS location, or a general idea of where I am. Or maybe there’s a surveillance system that will allow me to see outside.

  But I’m so scared. I’m so scared of what’s going to happen. But what’s the alternative? I can sit in here, in the dark, unable to see or know what’s going on outside. The alien is most likely still outside. He could have tools, he could have a way to get in. He could have friends. I need to see. I need to access any systems the pod may have that I could use to scare him off or worse yet, defend myself.

  I touch the button with my finger. Something so small, so normally insignificant, is now very much the difference between my life and death. I close my eyes and push the button.

  The system beeps. I open my eyes and words I can actually understand flash across the screen. I navigate through the help system, pushing the buttons it indicates to cycle through the various options. I find the control for the door, the inside climate control, the current information on the outside conditions, and finally the pods exterior monitoring and surveillance system. I cycle the surveillance system to ON and then half of the console’s screen fills up with two pictures of outside.

  The two pictures show either side of the pod. On the left side there appear to be trees. It’s darker outside and becoming harder to see. The only lighting on the outside of the pod is its flashing built in lights and reflectors. They’re used mainly so other ships can see and avoid collision with the vessel. The lights are not nearly strong enough to illuminate more than a few inches.

  On the right side of the pod is the mean purple alien. He looks even more frightening bathed in the pod’s glowing red lights. Like a space demon. He’s staring at the pod as if he’s perplexed. His arms are crossed over his broad chest and his brow is furrowed. No doubt he’s trying to figure out a way in.

  I start cycling through the pod’s system options. I go through audio, discover the siren controls and quickly toggle them off. After some more digging around in the menus, I finally unearth an intercom system.

  I press the blue button that resembles the one mirrored on the screen and say, “Hey.”

  The alien jumps, startled. His reaction is very satisfying.

  I push the button again and say, “Go away.”

  This time he cocks his head to the side.

  I push the button and say, “Go away,” again, so he understands.

  The alien starts to smack the side of his head. I’m not sure what to make of that.

  Being able to talk to him and him not being able to get to me gives me a false sense of security. I take the opportunity to really check him out.

  He’s big, oh yes, he’s big. I can’t help but stare there, at the thing that dangles between his legs. I’ve never really seen one before, a man’s penis. I’ve seen animals and I’ve seen drawings but never seen a real life one in high definition. It’s a lot uglier than I imagined, yet, there’s something about it I find strangely appealing.

  My eyes slide up, over the v of his hips and then up the rippled expanse of his chest. Every inch of him appears to be solid muscle. From the bulges in his arms to the thick meat of his thighs, he’s hard and sculpted all over.

  He’s a machine, a killing machin
e, I think as I take in the hard lines of his face and his menacing glowing red eyes. A body like that isn’t natural, it’s obtained and maintained, and in this environment, it must be because he’s a natural born predator. I must be the prey.

  I shiver and cross my arms over my chest. There’s something so familiar about him, he’s entirely too human looking. If he wasn’t purple, and it’s not even a vibrant purple, it’s more that he’s purple in all the places that I’m pink. And if he didn’t have the freaky eyes, I could totally mistake him for one of my own kind.

  The alien steps up to the pod and places his hands against it. He begins to run his hands over the pod as if he’s searching for something. I bet he’s searching for a way inside.

  I uncross my arms and push the blue button again, “Hey, you. Do you understand Galactic?”

  He stops, cocks his head again but doesn’t respond.

  I sigh. I want to assume his lack of response means he just doesn’t understand what I’m saying but there’s also the possibility that he does understand, he’s just not going to let me know it.

  “I am Princess Ameia, daughter of Trivent the current sovereign of Terrea. My people are on their way to aid me. If you are still here when they arrive, they will use lethal force against you.”

  Okay, so the last bit was a bit of a bluff but I really need him to think it’s not a good idea to keep messing around with me. If he even does understand me.

  He takes a step back, away from the pod, yet his glowing eyes continue to bore into it. I hold my breath, waiting, hoping he’ll decide I’m too much trouble.

  Outside, it continues to grow darker and darker. Inside the pod, the temperature feels like it's dropping. I can’t stop shivering. Outside, it must be just as cold yet the naked alien man doesn’t appear to be the least bit affected by it. The seconds tick by until it feels like minutes have passed. My heart is thumping like a drum in my ears. Go, just go, I mentally urge him.

  He takes a step towards the pod, I almost cry out with disappointment. Then he seems to think better about it and turns away. I blink, and he disappears into the darkness.

  I thought I would be relieved to see him go. I let go of the breath I was holding. But now that he’s gone, I only feel more nervous. Maybe it would have been better if I had just kept him where I could see him.

  Chapter Three

  The thin blanket left in the storage box is surprisingly warm. I wrap myself in it and spend the rest of the night in the seat, dozing off then jerking awake. I keep dreading, even in my dreams that the alien will return. At one point, I even strap myself back up in the safety harness. If he does return and starts rolling the pod again, at least I’ll be somewhat prepared. At least I won’t die right away.

  I’m not sure how much time has passed when I do finally decide to stay awake. It’s light outside. There’s a clock in the computer system, but it’s not set, it blinks zero, and I’m afraid of messing with anything I don’t understand.

  My stomach growls so I unstrap myself and grab one of the foil wrapped bricks out of the storage box. I think this is probably the longest time I’ve gone without eating. I try to think of the last meal I had. Oh, yes, I had some finger foods at my birthday party but then Vrillum pulled me away.

  The bar is so hard I can’t even take a bite out of it. I scrape at it with my teeth. It’s a dark mossy green color, probably packed with iron and protein, but it tastes so bitter I cough and almost choke. I wrap the brick back up and return it to the box then pull out a cup and the jug of water.

  The water at least is sealed and seems to be okay. I gulp down two cups and feel a little better. The hunger eases. I think I might be able to survive without food for a couple of days. If I can find a way in the pod’s system to contact my father, I may only have to hold out for a few hours.

  I spend the day searching through the various help functions, searching for a way to communicate or send a signal. After a few hours, I start to develop a creak in my neck from the way I’m standing and my back hurts from bending over. Then my eyes start to blur with strain. I plop myself down on the safety seat and take a break.

  I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know what I’m doing. My stomach rumbles. I’m not used to going hungry. I drink a couple more cups of water, but I still need something to eat.

  Maybe if I mix some of the bar with the water I’ll be able to get it down without gagging.

  I scrape the bar against the edge of the box, filling the cup with mossy green shavings. When the bottom of the cup is covered, I then fill it up with water but the shavings stay stuck to the bottom. Maybe if it has some time to sit, it will soften. I rest the cup on the floor and wait.

  After a while, I pick the cup up and swirl it around. The shavings have turned into a thick green sludge. It doesn’t look the least bit appetizing, but it’s all I have. My stomach rumbles again, I have to eat something. I pinch my nose and lift the cup to my lips. I tip my head back and drink. The water is easy but once it’s gone, the sludge is slow and sticky. I swallow it, just barely, and then chase it down with a bunch more water. Hands down it’s the worst thing I’ve ever eaten, or drank for that matter. The hunger goes away, but I’m stuck with a very bad taste in my mouth.

  The rest of the day is uneventful. Once it starts to grow dark outside once more, I strap myself back into the seat and wait. I fall asleep and stay asleep until morning.

  * * *

  I wake up. I must have slept very deeply and very peaceful because I was drooling. I wipe my mouth off with my hand and check the screen for any signs of life outside. It’s been a day now since I’ve seen the alien. If he came around last night, I think it would have disturbed me.

  I take care of my business in the portable potty box. Thankfully the box does break down biowaste, so it’s not filling up the pod with a stink. The stink that’s starting to permeate through the pod is definitely coming from me. I need a wash, but I know it wouldn’t be a good use of the water I have left. Between using the water when I’m both hungry and thirsty, I’ve already gone through half the jug. If I’m not careful, I won’t have any water left by tomorrow morning.

  I spend the rest of the day messing around with the help system, going through all the selections again and again, just trying to keep myself occupied throughout all this waiting.

  I’m waiting for everything. Waiting for someone to help me. Waiting for the alien to reappear. Waiting for my water to run out. Waiting to go hungry. All this waiting is driving me so crazy. I’m just waiting for something to happen. Waiting for anything.

  If I’m not waiting, I’m worrying.

  Why has no one come yet? Surely my father must be looking for me… It doesn’t make any sense. Vrillum didn’t take us out that far out. Whatever planet I crashed on must be only hours away from home. The UPS of the escape pod should easily be within range.

  Something is wrong, very wrong. Perhaps the UPS in the escape pod isn’t working… It’s a sad fact that I find that thought even remotely reassuring, especially when compared to the other possibilities. I’d rather think that I’m stuck on this planet because of the ancient, decrepit escape pod’s malfunctioning capabilities than think I’m still here because no one is trying to come for me.

  As the hours creep on, I start to feel like the walls of the pod are starting to close in on me. For an escape pod, it’s actually quite roomy. That’s why it’s designed the way it is, a perfect circle with retractable walls. On a ship, they’re stored with the walls down. They stack up like discs, then one by one the walls go up and the pods go shooting out into space when activated. But even for a roomy escape pod, it’s too small. I need fresh air. I need to move.

  If the alien doesn’t come back tonight, I’m going to venture out tomorrow morning. I hope I don’t have to. I hope help arrives and I’m home by tomorrow morning.

  Hopefully, this is just that story I’ll tell my Grandkids when I’m older. Gather round, kiddies, let Grandma tell you about the time she crash l
anded on a remote planet and was chased by a purple alien with a huge penis. She survived with only sludge bars and a porta potty…

  After another sludge dinner, I strap myself in the safety harness and spend the night sleeping fitfully. I dream of glowing eyes and crashing ships. Still, morning comes too quickly.

  Chapter Four

  There’s no sign of help when I wake up. On the bright side, there’s no sign of the alien either. It’s not lost on me that this entire time I’ve been sitting in the pod, watching and waiting, there hasn’t been a sign of much of anything going on. I’m going to take it as a good sign, though, there must not be much outside, or at least in this area that can hurt me.

  I’m not dressed for exploring and there’s not much I can do to remedy the situation, but I do decide to arm myself with one of the foil covered bricks. Worse comes to worse, I can threaten to force feed it to them.

  By now, I have almost all the buttons of the console and their related functions burned into my memory. It’s a simple push of a green button and part of one of the retractable walls hisses and drops down, disappearing into the floor. The gap left in its place serves as my door to outside.

  Fresh air fills the pod, airing out my stink. Breathing it in, I’m reminded that it tastes strangely sweet. The first time I tasted it, it was new and refreshing. This time the sweetness is only making me more hungry.

  Wanting to leave is one thing, actually doing it is another. I cast one last glance at the console screen. The area surrounding the escape pod is still empty. I walk up to the gap in the walls and peek my head outside. I wait and listen. I don’t hear anything but bugs hissing and chirping.

  I stick one foot out and wait. Nothing happens so I step outside. I’m surrounded by trees. The trees look like normal trees to me. Most of them seem to be really old with thick brown trunks that reach high into the blue sky. Like the grass, their branches are covered in blue and green leaves. I wait another moment, in case something starts to come after me. When nothing does, I walk around the pod and look to the other side, expecting to see the path the pod squashed.