Binary Star

Chapter Two: Encounter

Fallen leaves crunched as the growling creature drew closer. I leapt to my feet and whipped around, aiming straight at a pair of slitted yellow eyes. A huge furry creature with pointed ears and sharp teeth beckoned me. Clearly one of the planet's deadly native animals. I attempted to frighten it off with my rifle. "Go away, or you will regret it," I warned. Although I tried to stand firm and resolute, I couldn't stop my legs from quivering. The unintelligent creature wasn't scared off by my threats.

It swiped its claws at me, and I narrowly dodged with a duck and roll. It hissed and lunged at me, pinning me down with its huge paw. I gasped out as I was knocked down on my back, and my neck was just barely caught between its razor-sharp claws. Panicking, I raised my rifle and squeezed the trigger, firing half a dozen poison-tipped projectiles into the creature's head. It yowled and released me, bolting off into the shrubery at blinding speed.

I laid there on the ground, my chest heaving in and out, gasping for breath and struggling to recover from my near-death experience. I had only been on Earth for a little over an hour, and I already had to contend with nature's hazards. I should have known better. Night was the ideal hunting time for predators. I quickly realized why the Lilliputians needed Scouts so badly. This world was wild and untamed to us.

I couldn't keep wasting time. I needed to get in there before another one of those creatures came after me. But I couldn't find any entrances within my immediate reach, which meant I needed to drill my way in. I crawled to my feet and searched through the equipment in my pack. I extracted a drill attachment that I screwed onto the muzzle of my rifle. I ejected the clip, pressed the drill against the stone wall, and pulled the trigger, watching as the drill spun and cut through the wall with a high-pitched whirring. A cloud of dust gathered around me as bits of stone were sprayed out. The whole time during the drilling, my head was on a swivel, constantly scanning for any stalking predators or unwelcome guests.

It took me a while, but I soon drilled all the way through the wall. I retracted the drill-rifle, leaving behind a hole just big enough for me to fit through. I could see light on the other side. I got down on my knees and squeezed into the hole, working past the wires and plaster and other materials in order to reach the interior. I pulled myself out and tumbled onto a glassy, expansive tile floor that spanned the length of the entire building. The area was deserted. I was beginning to feel thankful I had been dropped off at night. Trying to navigate this place during the daytime, when it was filled with humans going about their business, would have been an absolute nightmare. Getting here without them in the way was difficult enough.

I headed to the stairs and climbed my way up. Turned out Room 707 was on the second floor. It was as if this mission was deliberately trying to make things as hard as possible for me. I took the stairs one at a time, pressing my forearms against each step and using them to push the rest of my body upwards. Challenging wouldn't even begin to describe it. Why did everything on this cursed planet have to be so huge?

When I reached the summit of the stairflight, I flopped over on my stomach and took deep breaths. My body was exhausted, and my sore arms felt ready to fall off. I didn't want to move from that spot.

Just then, trembling vibrations rippled through the floor. A tall, dark shadow ran across the wall. My heart bounced into my throat. I just couldn't catch a break. I dragged myself upright and planted my back against the wall, concealing myself in the darkness. I waited there, shaking, until the shadow vanished along with its owner. Once I made sure the stranger was gone, I bolted down the hall. I scanned the doors of the rooms.

At the end of the monstrous hallway, I skidded to a halt in front of Room 707. The name was marked upon a tarnished brass plate. At last, luck seemed to be shining in my favor. The door happened to be open by a crack, just enough for me to walk in without squirming, squeezing, struggling, or any other uncomfortable words that began with the letter S.