At this point, I feel comfortable enough putting this up as a real submission. Once again, feedback is welcomed if you see any problems with it.


Working Alone

On the planet Sadalbari 5, the sun descended past the horizon in a brilliant cascade of reds and orange which Vesa Larkon had never seen during his time on Earth. Although he was already late returning to the colonial settlement, Vesa couldn’t help but be stunned by the shimmering curtain of color that made Sadalbari sunsets famous throughout known space. He had been warned that being out of the settlement past dark could be dangerous, but Vesa had not seen any obvious sources of danger so far.

The colonist smoothed his hands on his prospector’s uniform and adjusted his oxygen enhancement mask on his face. He still found the mask a little clumsy on his face, but it allowed him to breathe the thinner atmosphere of the planet. Even conversation wouldn’t cause a problem, though he didn’t expect to meet anyone on the makeshift roads leading back to the settlement. By now, most of the colonists had retreated to the safe zone within the settlement’s walls.

The crackling of alien branches from beyond the edge of the gravel road caught Vesa’s attention. He walked over apprehensively to the unfamiliar tree line and spied another settler. The other man was clad in a green and tan jumpsuit, marking him as one of the settlement’s farmers. At Vesa’s approach, the farmer spun and brandished an energy beam gun.

Vesa rapidly raised his arms. “Whoa! Don’t hurt me!” he exclaimed quickly, his panicked voice causing the speaker on his breathing mask to crackle.

The other man kept the gun aimed at Vesa. With a snort of derision, he shook his head and said, in a grizzled voice that projected from his own mask’s speaker, “No reason for you to get hurt. Of course, seems to me that there’s no reason for you to be out here, either. Mite suspicious, that. What’s yer business, stranger?”

Vesa was fast to reply, “I’m a speculative prospector coming back from inspecting potential mineral deposits. I’m just running a little late back, that’s all.”

The armed man barked a short laugh and peered at Vesa. “’Course you are...I smell sungazer all over you. That’s what we call newcomers, you know, on account of they can’t help but stare at the sun all the time - and they can’t help but be late into town when they do that.”

Vesa frowned underneath his mask and shook his head. “So why are you out here, if it’s so dangerous?” he inquired cautiously.

The other man barked another laugh and said, “Nice try, sungazer. I run the farm over past the trees. Got long range sensors hidden to keep track of things over this way, but they’re on the fritz. Gotta fix ‘em quick, you know?” After looking over Vesa carefully, he lowered his weapon and said, “You don’t have a holster or a holdout weapon that I can see. Might as well get on your way, sungazer. Name’s Marus, if anyone asks.”

Vesa uneasily lowered his arms, disbelief evident in the way he looked at Marus. He replied, “But it’s getting dark. Are you going to stay out here all alone fixing your sensors? I could stay and give you a hand.”

Marus shook his head and declared, “Nah. I work better alone.” With a dismissive wave, he walked backwards into the tree line whence he came.

Vesa was a little disturbed, both by the sudden dismissal and the fact that Marus didn’t want his help. “Stuck-up old man...” he muttered to himself angrily. He set his feet back on the gravel road and began to walk back toward the settlement.

Suddenly, the staccato sound of energy beam guns shattered the quiet of the alien forest. Vesa looked toward the direction of the sounds...the same direction in which Marus had exited. He cautiously approached the tree line and studied the undergrowth where he thought the farmer should be from a distance.

Marus crouched behind a tree in the twilight, thin smoke emitting from his gun. A thicker stream of smoke came from a freshly scorched tree, near where a dark silhouette lurked. As he watched, the silhouette fired its own energy beam gun at Marus, missing him and lancing brightly through the encroaching gloom. The two seemed caught in a standoff.

Vesa was struck by a sudden desire to help the antagonistic, crotchety farmer. Looking down, he found a rock and threw it hard against the tree which the silhouette had chosen for cover. As he did so, he heard someone call out from the shadows to the right of him, away from the firefight, “Old man’s got a buddy!”

The prospector ducked suddenly behind his own tree, realizing the danger he was in. Energy blasts hit his tree, illuminating the area around him with reddish light. Vesa’s attempt to rescue the farmer had backfired, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before this second interloper took aim at him. He frantically looked around him for a tree limb, or another stone, or anything that would serve as a weapon.

Back in the other direction, he heard a calm, steady chuckle amplified over the speaker of a breathing mask. “Don’t need a buddy to take you on anymore, though,” he said in a raspy voice. An energy beam shot toward the new voice, hitting the second assailant full in the chest. The gunman slumped and dropped to the ground, eyes visibly wide even through the mask and the dusk light to Vesa.

The first attacker uttered an aggressive obscenity and rashly stood up out of cover, his gun firing rapidly toward Marus. Marus took steady aim at the enemy and fired, his aim just as accurate as his last shot. The attacker fell swiftly and silence reclaimed the otherworldly forest.

Vesa steadied his nerve and hesitantly approached Marus, arms shaking as he raised them up once more. Marus motioned for Vesa to lower them, which Vesa used as an opportunity to ask, “What...what just happened?”

Marus wiped down his energy blast gun. “Couldn’t warn you, or else they’d know that I knew they were out there. Those two are the reason why my sensors are out,” he spoke casually. He picked up a piece of alien grass and bit on it before continuing, “Couldn’t get a visual on the second one, though - sneaky bastard, and clever too. Knew his job was to cover the other guy. When you showed up, figured your presence would make ‘em do something rash, so I baited the first one into a fight ‘cause I knew you’d come running.”

Vesa flushed with rage. “I thought you worked alone, you old bat! What right do you have risking my life?!” he exclaimed angrily.

Marus shrugged. “You’re fool enough to be out here after dark, after everyone told you it was dangerous. If I’d not been here, they’d have killed you and taken your gear. ‘Sides, you’re going to make out on this too,” he replied as he made his way toward one of the two former assailants.

Vesa walked over to see Marus stripping the goods off of one of the dead men. He presented the gunbelt toward Vesa, who stared at it, utterly confused. After a moment, he tentatively accepted it from the farmer. “You get the rest of the stuff this guy’s got,” Marus said as he handed over the rest of the belongings, “He don’t need it and some of it’ll be useful to you if you continue working alone yourself.”

“What do you mean?” asked Vesa.

“You’re out here all alone - makes you as much of a loner as me, ‘cept that I know better and do it anyways. My advice - get a partner. Out of the settlement, it’s dangerous.”

“I don’t know anyone,” Vesa replied.

Marus stroke the jawline of his breathing mask. “Tell ya what - I know some guys at the Tin Cat Bar at the settlement. ‘Cause you’re being a good sport about this, I’ll introduce you tomorrow if you meet me there at noon. Maybe they’ll teach you some tricks for staying alive. Sound good?”

Vesa thought about it for a minute, then nodded carefully. “Alright,” he said.