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11
We passedthrough the atmosphere of Calig without more than a bump. Still, a few gasped and exhaled loudly. Most aboard were awake now, huddled in groups with blankets around them, or nibbling on the dry ration bars and instant noodles which were all the pod was stocked with. Thankfully the pod was also stocked with enough clothes that no one was naked. Some still wore their pyjamas, but didn't seem too worried. At least they were alive.
"I'm looking for a place to land," Brinley said over her shoulder. "Everyone strap in."
She looked worried about something, but I couldn't ask right now, especially with J'avet sitting in the copilot's seat beside her.
Instead, I sat in what was my usual spot now, between Danec and Slek. Slek had screwed the seats back in and checked on the rest of them, and the strapping. If we crashed, no one would get thrown through a window. Small mercy considering we'd probably die anyway. Of course, I had every faith in Brinley that wouldn't happen.
"Are you all right?" Slek ran a thumb over the back of my hand.
"I'm fine," I said. "We're about to land on a strange, alien world. What could go wrong?"
We hadn't seen any sign of the IF. If J'avet had received word from them, he wasn't sharing that information, at least not with me. I certainly didn't see a big ship in orbit, nor were we heading for a safe little ole pod bay. Nope, we were heading for a world that looked to have less water than Earth, approximately eighty percent if I guessed right, green continents, and huge frozen poles.
"From what I've read, Calig is like Earth was before industrialisation," Danec said.
I was coming to realise that. "Why hasn't it been colonised?"
"Few natural metals," Danec replied. "And it's out of the way from everywhere."
"Right. If you tell me there are dragons on this planet…"
He gave me a funny look. "Dragons?"
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter." Old sci-fi books from Earth's archives were a hobby of mine, but one they apparently didn't share. I would have to work on that.
One hand in Slek's, the other in Danec's, I watched out the window as the ground got closer and closer. Patches of green became trees, bushes and wide expanses of grassland. It was to the last that we headed.
"That's strange." Slek's forehead all but touched the window.
"What is?" I leaned over until my chest was pressed against his bicep.
"There should be other pods out there," he said.
I blinked. He was right. Pods had left Infinity after us, but we hadn't been the first off.
"They must be on some other part of the planet," I said.
"I suppose so." But he didn't look convinced.
I peered into the cockpit, but saw nothing but the back of Brinley and J'avet's heads.
"If they got eaten by dragons or space spores, I'm out of here," I muttered. Who knew where I would go, because I didn't have a clue.
"It'll be okay," Danec said. "The pod is equipped with laser rifles and I know how to use one."
He puffed out his chest until Slek said, "You point and shoot. Nothing to it."
"You have to…to aim as well," Danec said, obviously rattled.
"I'm sure it's not that simple," I said, addressing them both. Danec was trying hard and Slek didn't need to make him feel bad about it. We were all on edge, but we didn't need to take it out on each other.
Slek shrugged. "I guess, but if you really want a challenge, try a sonic bow."
"I w-won second place with a sonic bow when I was six," Danec said softly.
Slek looked impressed. "We should hunt some Parvoran boar some time. Good eating, but a bitch to shoot."
