Competition: The Ultimate Science Fiction Smack Down
Details: Your qualifying entry must be between 300 and 500 words long, qualify as science fiction, be written in English, and be inspired by the below picture.
Prompt:
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It's always been there, looming ominously above the Citadel much like a harbinger of death and destruction; threatening to one day crumble and decimate all in its shadow.
The stories say that it's the vessel on which the Ancient Ones arrived milennia past, but the Heretic Elders dismiss such fickle history. They say that is fortells the end of all we know and the birth of a new dictatorial regime - one of infinte and chaotic peace. Those descended from the Ancient Ones tell another story: they say that their ancestors were an expedition sent to explore the stars and find a habitable world for their people; that they arrived merely by coincidence, and not by any instance of fate.
One can never know the truth unless they had witnessed first hand the past long forgotten by all.
Rolling her eyes, Nimiah pulls the hood of her cloak over her head and steps off her battered boat onto the shore opposite the Citadel. "What a ridiculous concept. The past is but footsteps on the shoreline, waiting for the water to wash them away."
Her worn boots sink into the silt as she makes her trek up the riverbank, but the ground soon solidifies and becomes sparsely patched with wiry grass. The uphill march eventually levels out and Nimiah huffs out heated breaths as her lungs burn in protest. It's been far too long since she's made this pilgrimage, and her body has weakened considerably for it.
Trudging over to the rusted keypad and scanner, she barely winces at the squealing of rusted hinges as she pulls the cover off. Inputting the seven-digit code, a wry smile turns up her lips as she places her hand on the scanner, remembering when she figured out the meaning behind the entry code. The door, somehow untouched by time and weather, slides open to reveal the familiar hallway leading into the belly of the ship.
"Home sweet home," Nimiah murmurs, hurrying inside before the door slides closed. Making her way into the hull, the young girl navigates her way to the Flight Deck with ease. "It's good to see you, old girl."
A holographic head appears, hovering above the centre console, with a smile on its face. "Welcome back, Commander Nimiah."
"Karli, assimilate knowledge of this planet into the Databank."
"Assimilating knowledge... Assimilating knowledge... Assimilation complete."
"Set course for destination: Alfalfa Metraxis."
"Authorisation required."
"Alayah Nimiah, Commander of Gala Metria."
"Authorisation accepted."
Nimiah gets comfortable as the transportation vessel rumbles to life around her, shedding the appearance of a rusted craft. "Five thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye, haven't they? Let's see what the next lot have in store for us, Karli."
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Hey, readers!
I've put the link to the anthology book I've created specifically for this Science Fiction challenge into the EXTERNAL LINK below. I hope to see you there. :)