1

post apocalypse begins

Kelwarin stood at attention, arms crossed over his chest as he awaited instructions from his superior.

"As you know, your new task is to be a part of the expedition that has been sent out to scout the area. If all goes according to plan, we will be on our way back within three days to rejoin with the rest of the fleet. You are dismissed, Kelwarin." The captain spoke coldly. "If I find any reason to believe you've failed your mission, there is a chance you may be demoted." The man added as an afterthought.

The soldier bowed before making his leave. He knew it was true; every time he had been given a mission, it was due to a lack of proper resources or supplies, or both. His previous missions had never gone well either. He made sure not to fail another one, even if it meant getting a lower rank than he already held, something he would gladly accept to keep his position aboard this vessel.

He quickly made his way through a hallway that led to an exit into an open air courtyard. It was late afternoon, meaning most of the base was asleep. A few soldiers were still out patrolling, but most were busy doing their assigned tasks, leaving the courtyard to be completely empty save for him.

There was one person standing near the middle of the courtyard, who did not seem to notice him yet. Kelwarin was about to call out to someone when a voice startled him from behind.

"Well, well, look what we have here! It seems like the little princeling isn't too afraid to speak to me now." The boy's voice rang across the entire yard.

Kelwarin's heart pounded against his ribcage. The child was only ten years old, yet had an attitude that put many adults to shame. This boy was known around the base as a bratty child, always causing trouble and getting into fights without warning. He was notorious among the soldiers for being an ass and causing trouble, and his actions were always seen by many as a disgrace to the military and its officers. Despite these traits, this kid was also one of the best soldiers Kelwarin had ever worked alongside, much more so than Kelwarin himself. They had served together during many operations over the years.

His first instinct was to run, but he didn't want to draw more attention to himself in case he ran into any other soldiers in need of assistance. Besides, Kelwarin had no choice if he wanted to live through the next twenty-four hours.

Slowly turning around and attempting to appear unaffected, Kelwarin attempted to keep a neutral face. "I beg your pardon?"

"Yes. I'm quite certain we haven't seen each other since our graduation. What brings you to this forsaken planet? Do you work for someone? Do you need my help? I can give you anything you need." He continued to ramble.

"My apologies, but I am not currently employed or involved in any capacity that will require my services."

The boy tilted his head, looking puzzled. "How strange. Then how do you come to be wandering the halls of our base, dressed in rags while being chased by some kind of wild dog? Or perhaps you're an escapee from some sort of refugee camp, trying to make your way to your home world. Whatever it is, it seems unlikely you'll be able to continue to survive in such conditions. Come to think of it, I'm surprised you managed to get as far as you did. Most people don't last this long in space."

Kelwarin remained calm. Even though it was becoming increasingly harder to remain collected, he did manage to hold back his temper, even if it took all his willpower. He simply needed to play along until he could find a way to extract himself from the situation, preferably without revealing too much information. "