Drake poked his head into the captain’s quarters of the disabled spaceship. After tending to the injured captain, he choked down some food and then ventured outside for another look around. In the distance he noticed a small mountain, about an hour’s walk from the wreckage, or so he thought. Drake reasoned that he might see a town or settlement from the mountaintop.
He double checked the water and snacks that he had gathered from the galley, and then started off for the mountain. He found walking difficult right from the start. With each step his foot sank into the soft ground. Only a short distance from the ship he found himself breathing heavily. Soon his forehead was dripping with sweat from the intense desert heat. After an hour he paused to check his progress, and found he was only halfway to the base of the mountain. When he finally reached the mountain, he had to force his weak legs to carry him. He sat down for a short rest and was alarmed to find he had drunk all but a few mouthfuls of his water.
The climb upward was challenging but at least his feet were now on solid rocky ground. Drake wished he had exercised during the space flight. His muscles had grown weak to where he didn’t think he would reach the summit. With his lungs burning he pushed himself the last few steps to the top where he collapsed to the ground. After catching his breath, Drake scanned the landscape for anything that looked like civilization. His spirit sank when he found nothing except the spaceship wreckage. There were more mountains in the distance, but it would take several days to reach them. Even if he survived the trek, he might find nothing.
Halfway down the mountain he finished off the last of his water. The trip back to the ship would be brutal, but he had no choice. Back on flat ground Drake dreaded every step. Each one seemed to be more work than the last. His mind wandered. Images of his home and family filled his thoughts. Then, off to his left he noticed the sky changing. A column of black clouds billowed upward. This meant a storm was on its way. If he was caught out in the open, he would be in big trouble. The young space traveler picked up his pace. With each step the sky grew darker as the fierce sandstorm rolled across the desert.
Before he could reach the safety of the ship, the wind picked up, hurling sand and dust into his face. Drake gasped for air, unable to keep the thick dust from his throat and lungs. Even though he was almost back to the ship, he lost sight of it. The swirling sand blocked it from view. With all the strength he could muster, he raced for the ship.
Then out of the storm the spaceship wreckage reappeared. Drake stumbled through a door and fell to the deck panting and coughing.
With the storm blocking the sunlight and no working lights inside the ship, he had to feel his way to the galley. He gulped water and then washed the caked sand from his face. Again, he checked on the captain and then collapsed on his bunk.
The next thing he knew, harsh morning light streamed through the porthole onto his face. Drake squinted and then swung his stiff legs off the bed. He felt like he had aged several years from his trek through the desert. He shuffled his stiff legs to the captain’s cabin.
“Good morning, Drake,” the captain sat propped up in his bed. His eyes were now clear and focused for the first time since his injury.
“Captain Buff, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“I’m weak and my head hurts, but I think I’ll be okay.”
“I’m so sorry that I caused so much trouble…”
The captain interrupted, “Please get me some water and a nutrient drink.”
“Oh, of course,” Drake rushed to the galley. A moment later he returned with two bottles.
The young space traveler pulled a chair up to the captain’s bed. Buff sipped his drinks while Drake explained all that had happened while he had been asleep.
“I see,” the captain said. “We must have landed on one of the planets of the Axon system. The people here keep to themselves and speak their own language. That’s probably what you heard on the radio before the crash.
“Are they dangerous?”
“It’s hard to say,” the captain explained. “Since they don’t want to interact with our people.”
“How long do you think it will be before we are rescued?”
“To be honest, it could take weeks, even months,” Buff looked down at the drink in his hand. “The ship veered way off course, and it’s a big universe. As far as the Space Rescue Teams know, we could still be speeding off into deep space.
Drake could hear the captain’s voice growing weaker, “You should rest now. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Drake helped Buff get comfortable in his bed, “I will check on you in a little while.”
Back at the comms station, Drake put the headset to his ears and listened. He switched the radio dials even though he had no idea what he was doing, he figured he had nothing to lose. After hearing nothing for a half hour, Drake gave up. He sat staring ahead, deep in thought. Then, a banging sound woke him from his thoughts.
On his way to investigate, he again heard what sounded like pounding.
“It’s coming from the cargo hold,” he said to himself.
Drake opened the door a crack and peaked out. A commotion of strange voices sent a chill up his spine. This was followed by more banging and what sounded like arguing. It was coming from the part of the ship that had broken off. Drake tiptoed through the door and inched his way to the ladder and then up to the catwalk. Still out of sight of the intruders, Drake crept along the walkway. Stepping softly as he went, he stopped when he spotted a strange animal near the ship. He had never seen anything like it. The four-legged creature was something between a horse and a camel. And it had a saddle strapped to its back.
Drake inched along the catwalk to find the creature had several companions. He didn’t know who was there or what they wanted, but he knew how the foreigners reached the wreckage. Breathing as quietly as he could, Drake waited. Then a person appeared from behind a shipping container. The stranger wore loose clothing covered with a leather vest. A wide-brimmed hat hid the person’s face. The desert dweller tugged at a shipping container latch until the locking bars let loose.
The invader called over his shoulder, and a second person rushed to help swing the heavy metal door open. Soon five more raiders were rummaging through the cargo. He couldn’t count them all because the containers blocked his view, but Drake guessed there were about ten.
“I have to tell Captain Buff,” he thought to himself as he snuck back to the ladder and into the ships living quarters.
“Captain Buff, wake up,” Drake shook the sleeping man awake.
Buff’s eyes struggled to focus, “What is it?”
“There are raiders out there. They found the ship and are searching through the cargo.”
The captain tried to crawl out of bed, but he was too weak. Drake heard the cargo door open. Panic gripped him as the sound of footsteps drew closer. He was outnumbered and the captain was too feeble to even stand. “Would this be the end for himself and Captain Buff?”