‘This way,’ called a voice.
Omar looked up at the young man on the ridge.
He turned in his direction and didn’t look back.
***
Sheridan downloaded the footage onto her tablet and secured it back onto her belt. Her eyes watched the recording one last time, just to reconfirm what she was seeing. The footage was of Omar gunning down the two unarmed Marines in the command room. It was the proof she needed. He was a murderer. She also had footage of Captain Abbott piloting the ship down and saving the survivors by ejecting the sleeping chambers before impact.
‘I can go back now,’ said Sheridan, as she stood in the main memory back room.
‘No,’ her father replied, ‘you must visit the camps. There is still more you have to see.’
‘Isn’t this enough?’
‘No. You must see everything he has done. Only then can you truly charge him for his acts of terrorism. The people at the base believe he will protect them. Omar has people that are loyal to him. You need more than you have to bring him down, and there is a lot more for you to see.’
‘Okay, Dad. I will do what you say.’
‘Good girl. You always were a good girl.’
***
Matthews never really appreciated silence until now. The base felt devoid of life. The bar had closed down, and everyone had slunk off to their living quarters. At night the base operated on limited power to save the energy cells. The silence of the long corridors had an edge of eeriness to them. This was the first time since they crashed on this planet that Matthews truly appreciated how alone they were. They were just a small group of humans trapped on a dead world in a vast galaxy of dead worlds. No one was coming for them. He knew this. How would they find them? Was a distress signal given off? He made a mental note to make sure that the distress signal was truly being transmitted.
He turned at the end of the corridor and stopped.
His eyes fell on the woman.
She was stood at the far end of the corridor completely naked.
Never had he seen such a beauty.
She had long black hair that flowed elegantly over her shoulders.
She was about five foot ten, slim, toned, but had all the right curves in all the right places.
Plump exquisite breasts stood exposed before his eyes.
He could feel hardness setting in between his legs.
‘Follow me,’ she whispered, but in the silence her words reached him. The naked woman walked away from him and disappeared from sight. Matthews did a quick glance around the corridor, just to make sure no one else was watching him. He glanced down at the bulge protruding from his trousers. He could feel his manhood throbbing beneath his trousers. Matthews forced his hands into his pockets to hide this embarrassment. He licked dry lips and started walking. It was like he was on auto-pilot. He followed the woman without a second thought.
***
Heavy breathing echoed off the cave wall as Omar leant forward and placed both hands upon his knees. How he had survived that situation was beyond him. He truly thought that he was about to die. Omar lifted his head and glanced at the young man. The guy had to be no older than seventeen. ‘We are not safe yet,’ said Andy. ‘We have to move further down.’ Andy was gone before Omar had a chance to ask any more question. He allowed himself a moment to catch his breath and then followed the boy deeper into the cave network. The walls of the cave were smooth and moist. They didn’t appear to be made of the same crystal as the forest. In here only darkness awaited him. After thirty seconds Omar was moving purely on touch. He couldn’t see a thing. The cave was becoming narrower the further he went, but the path beneath his feet was free of debris. He could tell that it had been well and truly walked on before. The cave began to descend downwards into the planet. The drop was steady, which made it easy to navigate. Omar didn’t know how long he was walking for. The cave felt like it went on for miles. He could hear the scuffling of feet ahead of him, so he knew that the boy was nearby. And then out of the darkness came light. It was faint at first, but the further he went, the brighter it became. Suddenly, the tunnel opened into a vast underground cavern full of light. ‘It’s impressive, isn’t it?’ asked Andy, with a big cheesy smile. A village of huts was laid out before him. Glowing orbs lined the street that ran through the centre of the town. More of the glowing orbs were attached to the walls and of the cavern, bringing the place to life. Crystal clear water flowed down a stream that disappeared off into another section of the cavern. Purple grass lined the floor with strange multicoloured flowers popping up here and there. Trees were growing between the wooden huts. They were nothing like Omar had seen before. They looked like Willow trees but held big red fruit the size of pumpkins. Dozens of alien beings walked through the village, going about their daily lives. They were tall, even the shortest one was a good six foot six. They had a sort of violet skin tone and had long red hair that was tied back. The creatures were so thin that Omar could see ribcages and more bones than he cared to witness. ‘Let me introduce you to the others,’ said Andy, heading down into the village.
***
‘You can’t be serious?’ Ryan dug the shovel into the mound of dirt and turned to face her. Sheridan was sitting on her motorbike, tapping away on her tablet. The nearest camp was only a few hours away. ‘Let me finish up here, and I will come with you.’ The dead bodies of the Marines were lying on the ground beside the half-dug grave.
‘I will have been there and returned by the time you buried them.’
‘We don’t know this world. We have to stick together.’
‘He has to remain here,’ said her father, standing on the other side of the grave.
‘I will be back before you know it,’ countered Sheridan, switching on the motorbike.
‘Waiting a few hours isn’t going to hurt.’
‘Ryan, we know they are dead. Not a single one of them has moved on the map. I need to know if Omar is responsible for this. Time is crucial. He could be back at the base, wondering why we are out here. All he has to do is check this location on the world map to find us snooping around. We cannot waste time. Finish burying his victims. I will be back soon. It is not open for discussion.’ Ryan watched her speed off across the barren landscape. Something had changed in Sheridan. She had gone from a bumbling mess grieving for her murdered father to a determined young woman on a mission to prove Omar’s guilt. He picked up the shovel and returned his attention to the hole.
***
The mystical woman was stood in the observation room on the top deck. The glass dome gave a complete three hundred a sixty-degree vantage point of the barren planet. There was nowhere else for the naked beauty to go. There was only one way into and out of the room, and Matthews was stood in the doorway. Something deep down in the core of his being was being drawn to this woman. His eyes mapped out every delightful curve of her incredible body. She was stood side on, exposing her perfect profile, incredible tits and perfect ass. All sorts of naughty and disturbing thoughts were running through his mind. Matthews opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a sharp pain came from his right shoulder. He winced and pulled away. It felt like nothing more than a bee sting, but he knew better than that. The room began to spin as if he were caught in the centre of a tornado. The naked woman smiled a sweet smile, as he staggered towards her and dropped to his knees. There was someone else in the room. How had he not noticed someone stood behind him? They had drugged him. He had allowed the beautiful woman to distract him so much that he lost all awareness. Was this stupidity going to get him killed? Who was this woman? Who was the person behind him? ‘I will take care of you,’ she told him. Matthews didn’t know why, but he believed her. The darkness took him.
***
Omar had to crane his neck to look up at the purple skinned aliens. It was as if they were giants from a mythical story. All the attention was coming in his direction, as golden pupils looked at the newcomer. Only now did he realise that in this situation he was
the alien. The only positive in this situation was that these aliens were not trying to kill him.
‘You are safe here,’ explained Andy, as he led him through the village.
‘How did you find this place?’ asked Omar.
‘It was through sheer luck. When we woke up from deep sleep, we were in that forest. Those bugs that attacked you were already in the craft, chewing through the machines. It was why half the people didn’t wake up. We escaped through a hatch and made a break for it, but the aliens didn’t come after us. It wasn’t until later we realised that they are attracted to electricity. Could you power down your sidearm?’ Omar looked down at the sidearm he was holding. The thought of switching it off held no appeal to him, but was choice did he have? It wasn’t like he could fight his way out of this situation. He flicked off the power. It would take at least five minutes for the weapon to power up once he turned it on. ‘Thanks. The creatures in the crystal forest are attracted to electricity and can only survive within the boundaries of the crystal forest. They die very quickly if they wander too far away.’
‘Are these aliens friendly?’ asked Omar, weighing up the towering red haired giants.
‘Yes, for the most part. They do squabble from time to time amongst themselves, which is a very bloody affair, but they haven’t shown any sign of harming us. When we ran into the cave to escape the bugs outside, they were welcoming. They gave us blankets and food. The good thing is that the air is breathable. The food hasn’t made us sick. In fact, we feel so much better for it.’
They cut through a gap between some huts and approached a smaller building near the side of the cave. Omar followed Andy inside. A young man was sat on a mat in the centre of the room. Straight away the family resemblance was noticeable. This other man was slightly older than Andy, maybe by a year or two. He was stockier and had shaggy hair.
‘This is my brother, Chris.’
‘Hi.’
‘Hi,’ Omar replied. His eyes dropped on the portable control laptop on the floor. A headset and visual goggles were beside it. This equipment was used to pilot a ship or vehicle from a distance. This guy must have been the one piloting the armoured truck that had distracted the creatures in the crystal forest. The laptop power was switched off. ‘Thanks for saving me.’
‘No worries,’ said Chris, ‘you are the first person we have seen since we landed here.’
‘Is there a rescue ship?’ Andy asked.
‘No. Not yet,’ Omar explained, ‘I am out here searching for survivors, but everyone in your deep sleep chamber is dead. I want to take you both back to the main command centre, but...’ His thoughts trailed off for a moment in time. Would it be safer to bring the others here? They had food and shelter, which might offer a better chance for them surviving on this planet. Of course, they would have to test the water and the food first. Omar knew the natives wouldn’t want all the humans taking over their village, but he could deal with that situation when the time came. He hadn’t seen any visible weapons being carried, which gave him a strong advantage in the warfare department.
‘Let’s rest for tonight,’ said Chris. ‘We can discuss plans once we have eaten.’
***
‘What happened here?’ Sheridan asked as she followed her dead father through the remains of the base. The rumbling noise of her motorbike was the only sound to reach her ears. Sheridan wanted to make sure she could get out of here at a moment’s notice. She did not want to meet the creatures that had massacred the people here. The remains of bodies covered the ground. Sheridan couldn’t even tell what limbs belonged to what torso. The people here had been torn apart in the most gruesome of ways. Ribcages had been snapped open so that internal organs could be devoured, leaving empty voids in the centre of some man or woman’s chest. The metal containers that were being used as living quarters were bent and twisted. It was as if a giant had used a tin opener to cut through the walls or doors.
‘They were attacked,’ explained her father, ‘shortly after Omar left to investigate the crash site.’
‘How did they gain access to the base?’
‘Someone lowered the electrical field.’
‘Why would they do that?’
‘I don’t know.’
They walked through a demolished airlock and walked into the interior of a house. Blood stains covered the walls, as a single leg lay in an open doorway. The rest of the body was spread throughout the house. Sheridan walked over to a hand that she located on a kitchen floor. The touch screen tablet on her forearm was leading her to the location chip embedded in the palm. Her fingers danced across the screen, and the blue symbol of a living person was replaced with the red dot of the deceased.
‘I don’t think we should stay here for too long,’ her father suggested.
‘Okay. Were there any survivors?’
‘I don’t know that either.’
‘I will do a quick once around and confirm the dead.’ She headed back towards the airlock, but a thought occurred to her. ‘Why didn’t Omar return here? It would make sense that he would return to his base after investigating the crash site.’
‘Unless he knew that they were already dead.’
‘And that is why he headed to our base, but for what reason? What is his end game?’
‘I don’t know, what was he doing at the dig site? Why did he kill me?’
‘Does he know the secret to this planet? Does he know that the dead can come back and talk?’
‘I honestly don’t know, my love.’
‘The more we investigate, the more questions I have. What is Omar up too?’
***
‘The Captain was a terrorist?’ Chris asked, repeating the facts out loud. Omar nodded his head in reply as he chewed on the red fruit. It tasted a lot like a watermelon but felt heavier in his stomach. ‘Why would she do such a thing? Did she pick this planet or was it by sheer luck?’
‘I don’t know,’ Omar admitted. ‘I am starting to think this planet wasn’t an accident.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Andy was quick to ask.
‘Strange things have happened in camp.’ Omar noted the look the two brothers shared. Did that mean they knew something too? Had they experienced something as well? Then again they had survived beneath the strange crystal forest living with these aliens. The brother’s experience could be vastly different to anything that had happened so far.
‘We have experienced strange things here,’ admitted Chris.
‘What would they be?’
‘Should we show him?’ Andy asked his brother. Chris thought about the question for a brief moment and then nodded his head in reply. Andy hopped to his feet, smiling. ‘It will blow your mind when you see this.’ He headed for the door of their hut and then paused. ‘Can I ask you a personal question?’ Omar climbed to his feet and regarded the young man for a moment. He replied by shrugging his muscular shoulders. ‘What God are you loyal, too?’
***
Omar followed the two brothers through the alien village. He glanced over his shoulder, as the towering purple giants began to fall in line behind them. It was the first time since he arrived here that they had given him any actual attention. If they were human, he would have said their expressions were ones of contempt, but maybe he was just reading it wrong. His eyes looked left and right, as aliens began to appear in the alleyways between the huts. These new aliens held razor sharp bone handled curved bladed knives in their hands. That was never a good sign. The path in front of the group opened up into a large circular space, which the village appeared to be built around.
‘What the fuck?’ Omar stopped in his tracks as he looked up at the wooden cross.
The symbolic figures of Christ nailed to the cross was stood before him.
Only Christ was one of the aliens.
He wore the crown of thorns, as he hung crucified in the middle of the village.
‘How is this possible?’
‘They know Christianity,’ said Andy, smiling from ear to e
ar.
Omar looked around at the aliens all around him. Not one of them was smiling.
‘It is such a shame,’ said Jesus, standing beside the wooden idol. The human version of Christ was wearing an all glowing white robe. The robe glowed so brightly that it was like looking into the sun. To the aliens, they saw an alien version of their God, but to Andy and Chris, they saw the human version that they had prayed to every Sunday in church.
‘What is wrong, My Lord?’ asked Andy.
Omar looked at Andy in confusion. Who was he talking too? He followed the young man’s line of sight. It was as if he were talking to the wooden alien Christ. Omar could not see the glowing light of God stood before him. The tension in the air was pressing down on him. Every single fibre of the soldier’s being was warning him that he was in dangerous territory. Omar looked for an opening, but the villagers had surrounded him.
‘This man is cursed,’ said Jesus, ‘he worships a fake God.’ Omar could feel all eyes on him, judging him. A taste of murder filled the air. It was like being watched by a pack of wolves. The Marine had survived through enough life and death situations to develop a sixth sense for danger. Danger was what he was feeling right now. Subtly, he dropped his hand to the holstered handgun on his hip. He flicked on the power to the weapon, but it would take several minutes before he would be able to fire off a single round. ‘Cease him!’ Jesus ordered with an outstretched index finger. Omar managed to smack the first alien in the face, but the rest were on him within seconds. It was evident in the first second that they were far stronger than him. Nevertheless, Omar kicked and punched, bit and spat. If they were going to kill him, he wasn’t going to make it easy for them.
Sinister Shadows Page 13
