Bad Omen

<SNIP>
For a moment, everything was still.
Nothing moved or happened until a sudden wind blew from out of nowhere; beginning as a mere susurration amongst the leaves it quickly built into a howling roar that tore through the treetops towards them, the thrashing motion of the branches startling hundreds of birds into the air in a multi-coloured display of avian panic
An alarm simultaneously screeched from Cassandra’s terminal
“What the fuck!?” she snapped, frowning down at its screen “This is...”
“Move!” Jade screamed, catching hold of Cass by one of her wrists and hauling her along behind her as her unease gave way to full blown panic and she turned to bolt back the way they had come

Clearing the scorched area of rock around the pyramid in less than a minute, the two women sprinted wildly back towards the cover of the jungle; Cass only chancing a glance back over her shoulder after another minute, as they were approaching the city limits
“Wait. Wait” she called, slowing to a trot and then finally a halt to turn and look back behind them as the three drones quickly caught up and slid to a halt around her
There were no signs of any pursuit
“Why are we running?”
Jade came to a stop some distance away and, breathing heavily, turned to wordlessly shake her head
Cass gestured expansively at the ruined city around them “There’s nothing”
“Okay” Jade gasped between gulps of air “Okay – You’ve got me there; what about your terminal?”
"It crashed. It's STCP kit, so it shouldn't; but it just did..."
Standing stock-still for a moment, the two women scanned their surroundings in tense, watchful silence, their senses alert for anything untoward
The warm, late afternoon sun shone brightly overhead, the birds twittered merrily in the trees, and insects buzzed lazily through the air, wafted here and there by the cooling whisper of a breeze that played refreshingly across their sweat prickled skin
Cass snorted - a stifled guffaw
"Oh alright" Jade snapped peevishly, making Cass laugh out loud "It's not funny!" she protested, but she said it with a smile and pretty soon they were both laughing at their skittish foolishness
"C'mon" Cass grinned as she turned away after a moment, motioning for Jade to follow "I don't know about you, but after an eight hundred metre sprint in thirty degree heat, I need a swim. Shall we go?" <SNIP>

As Evelina was helping Jamie by gathering vines so he could use them as straps for the hut she came a across a corked wine bottle with a note inside it. Our of curiosity she opened the bottle and tried to remove the paper inside it but was having some trouble. After she ran out of ideas she decided to get help from Jamie. Evelina picked up the vines and bottle and took them to Jamie. Jamie looked at Evelina and said, “Thank you Eve you’re a big help. At this rate we will have this hut made in no time.” Evelina smiled as she enjoyed the compliment and handed Jamie the bottle as she replied, “Thank you Jamie. By the way can you get the note out of this bottle?” Jamies looked at the bottle and shrugged as he pulled out a small tweezer like tool from his bag and twisted the note tight and easily slid it out of the bottle. Jamie looked at Evelina and asked, “Where did you find this?” Evelina replied, “It washed up on shore while I was collecting vines. I thought it might have an interesting story in it.” Jamie looked at the note strangely as if it triggered a past memory for him and then replied, “Well I’ll keep working if you read it out loud to me.”

Evelina replied, “Ok.” Then she opened up the note that seemed to be written on a strange type of paper. It has become yellow over time due to the bleaching of the sun but was in very good condition. Evelina looked over the paper and told Jamie it was a personal letter from someone named Imboca. Evelina continued to read the letter to Jamie while he worked.

To Whomever reads this letter:
I am writing this letter as a last effort of hope. For I fear that after tonight I will not see the sunrise. I am alone and out of rations. I used the last of my medicine this morning and have missed to many doses already. The medicine was the only thing that made living bearable. I am not a drug head nor am I crazy person, but I have seen horror beyond my beliefs and understanding. Please read my words carefully and do what you must to guard yourself from the nightmare of nightmares. We came here to study the planet for a possible colonization project. We set up a small camp outside the pyramids to study the natives closely. They seem to be of low intellect and resemble some kind of fish or octopus. After a few weeks of research the natives invited the higher-ranking officers to meet with their chiefs. The natives had a huge bonfire with lots of drums and dancing like the movies I have seen with cowboys and indians. The food was good and so was the drink until I over did it and had to purge the evil spirits from my stomach. After I found a nice quite place away to empty my stomach I had to rest for a bit. I am not sure if I was having a nightmare or was hallucinating but I dreamt of the crew being stripped and bound before they were all raped. The screams still haunt me when I manage to sleep, which is why I need my medicine. Morphine makes the pain less bad and I have more now.

Then the natives took the humans inside the pyramid bound to long poles like pigs about to be roasted. I don’t remember much after that but when I woke up the sun was rising and I heard a scream. When I looked I saw Captain Myra Banks running and screaming naked out the pyramid entrance, as a huge tentacle followed her and grabbed her. Myra’s screamed sent shivers down my spine as I watched her get dragged back into the pyramid. I don’t know if it was out of fear of desperation but I made my way back to our ship to escape the planet. I am not sure how I even made it back to my ship or how I got it started, but I was determined to escape that monster in the temple. However I wasn’t alone. Some of the natives were in the ship and attacked me. I managed to kill them but was stabbed in the stomach by their spear. In the fight one of the natives damaged the shields, which meant the ship would burn up if I left orbit. Since I didn’t have time or a healthy body I set the ship to self-destruct over the pyramids and jumped into an escape pod.

I must have past out in the explosion because when I awoke I was still in the escape pod. I tried to treat my wound with the med kit by my first aid was not very good. Now I am trapped here on this evil place alone with no hope of being found. The Captain never reported our findings to JMC so they don’t know we are even here. Everytime I close my eyes I have nightmares about the crew and the evil monster that mocks me. I don’t know if I killed it and am too afraid to find out, but I think I killed all the natives since I haven’t seen them since the explosion. The pain in my gut is unbearable and turning greener as each day passes. I am not a doctor but I know that green wounds are not a good thing. I am not long for this world now so I am writing this letter so that anyone who finds it and avoid the city and pyramids. For my will I leave everything I own to my sister Sara since she is my only family left. Tell her I am sorry I was a jerk and I love her. I pray I am its last victim.

The last survivor of the USS Hermes.
JMC Ensign Tomas Saibot

Jamie pondered the letter as he worked on the hut and Evelina looked around to see the pyramids. After not seeing any ruins she replied, “Well then it’s a good thing we are not exploring right Jamie.” Jamie nodded as he replied, “Yeah but don’t drop your guard.” Evelina put the letter in her bag with the bottle and continued to help Jamie. As Jade and Cass returned to the beach they found the crew having a barbeque by a nicely fashioned hut/cabana. For the most part the crew was enjoying themselves.

TAG