Discoveries

Harold stood on the sandy beach of the alien planet Proxima Centauri B, still reeling from the crash that had brought him and twelve other female survivors to this unfamiliar world, thinking to himself.

"I hope there are other survivors."

He wanders back to the others, where him and the others have managed to construct a temporary shelter to protect themselves from the elements together. As night fell, they huddled together, their hearts heavy with uncertainty, while Harold would periodically wake up in the middle of the night, to check up on the wounded who are recovering, so that Dayjanay can a good night rest.

After a tireless night and with their lives in disarray, morning came, and they all gathered together for breakfast, Dayjanay gets everyone's attention.

"Listen, I know it's a bit early for it, but I believe we should vote for a leader."

They chatter amongst themselves unsure of who it should be.

"None of us know each other. There is no telling who would be a good leader."

Dayjanay looks at Harold and saidwith a confident smile.

"I believe the man that saved our lives is the right man for the job."

Harold was taken aback since he wasn't thinking about being a leader.

"I appreciate the endorsement, but I don't think I should be the leader."

Dayjanay continues after the others chatter amongst themselves.

"He has shown that he is willing to put his life on the line and jump into action to save people, and we need someone like that more than ever."

The survivors agree amongst themselves and unanimously elected Harold as their leader.

Harold didn't have proper speech prepared and just said.

"I'll do my best and hope I don't disappoint any of you."

As they continue eating their breakfast, Harold approaches Dayjanay and shakes her hand in an appreciative manner.

"Thank you, but I believe you would make a good leader."

she shakes her head.

"I'm just a doctor, and besides, there is something about the way you carry yourself."

he reveals to her.

"I used to serve in the military during the second civil war."

she smiles.

"Even better than I imagined."

Feeling like there is something more to her smile, he replies.

"If you want, we can sit down and get to know each other better."

she gives him a flirty smile.

"Sure, I would like that."

He then focuses back on what he wanted to do and went to check on his friends Sarah and Amber, who had both been critically injured during the crash. With relief, he discovered that they were stable and merely in need of rest. With his companions in good hands, Harold resolved to explore the dense beach forest that lay ahead, feeling a responsibility to find a way to ensure their survival. Before setting out, he urged Dayjanay to take charge in his absence and to continue doing so should any unfortunate events occur during the night.

"You keep looking out for these people, I want to do a little recon and see if there are any more survivors out there besides us."

They exchanged nods of understanding, their mutual trust strengthening their resolve, and she responds.

"Be careful out there."

With cautious steps, Harold ventured into the alien forest, its foliage reminiscent of the trees and bushes that were abundant in the old pictures of Earth before it became the dying planet it is today As he pressed on, he encountered a peculiar creature—a hybrid of a rhinoceros and a deer - it has antlers, a long horn on it's snout, a scut at the back, and seemingly thick grey skin. Unsure of its nature, Harold adopted stealth, keeping a close eye on the creature's behavior, ensuring it remained peaceful and non-threatening. Continuing his exploration, through the foliage, Harold's eyes widened as he stumbled upon a lifeless body just outside a dark and mysterious cave. The deceased individual wore the security uniform of the Endeavor. Curiosity mingled with caution as Harold approached the body, feeling the weight of danger pressing on his shoulders.

Searching the body of the fallen crew member, Harold discovered a pistol with a few rounds to spare. Picking it up, he secured the weapon, aware that it could prove essential in the face of unknown perils. His attention then turned to a helmet cam that lay nearby, Intrigued, Harold picked up the helmet and stopped the recording. He knew that analyzing the footage might provide some valuable information, perhaps even clues about other potential survivors. Playing back the video, Harold witnessed the last moments of the security officer named Martin, who had been patrolling the Endeavor to ensure the civilian population didn't cause any trouble before being put into cryogenic sleep.

Harold fast-forwarded through the footage, hoping to find something useful. Suddenly, the scene shifted, and he found himself watching Martin and five other security officers who had crash-landed in an escape pod. Instead of succumbing to panic, the group promptly left the safety of the pod, hoping to find other survivors. Unfortunately, their search yielded no results, leading them into the dense beach forest, and to their surprise, the group encountered the same alien creature that Harold had stumbled upon earlier. It seemed docile and harmless, showing no reaction to their presence. The group cautiously left the creature undisturbed and continued their exploration.

Their journey led them to the entrance of a cave, the very same one Harold was standing outside. While some members of the group hesitated, unsure of what dangers might lurk within, another survivor suggested that potential survivors could have sought refuge inside the cave.

"Caves are great natural shelters. It wouldn't hurt to check it out."

After some deliberation, they all agreed to enter. At first, the atmosphere inside the cave was eerily quiet. But as they ventured deeper, the sounds of otherworldly clicking began echoing throughout the cavernous passages.

"What the hell is that?"

One answered.

"Might be the cave."

Another one responds.

"I never heard of a cave making clicking noises."

The group's fear and apprehension grew with every step, and soon, they found themselves running for their lives, screaming and uttering bloodcurdling sounds as they were hunted down by a pack of unforeseen creatures. The creatures growled and clicked, their terrifying presence haunting the cave's dark depths.

The video footage abruptly ended with the last survivor collapsing just outside the cave, right where Harold now stood. But the recording didn't stop there. It continued rolling, capturing Harold's hand and face as he picked up the helmet cam.

Terrified by what he had witnessed in the video, Harold dropped the helmet, with his heart pounding in his chest. He decided to heed the warning of this video footage and avoided entering the treacherous cave. He knew he didn't want to encounter the same horrifying creatures that had mercilessly attacked the group in the footage.

Leaving the cave behind, Harold mustered his courage and resolved to continue his search for other survivors.

"Even though they were killed off, at least I know that there is a chance that there are other survivors."

The weight of the cause of their deaths still carried on the back of his mind as he continued to press forward, even in the face of uncertainty. With determination in his eyes, Harold ventured deeper into the alien forest, praying to find someone who would share his burden and bring hope to their stranded group.

After hours of careful exploration, Harold stumbled upon more of the strange and docile alien creatures he had encountered earlier.

"There is more of them around."

Initially cautious, Harold soon realized that they posed no threat and were simply peaceful creatures living in harmony with their environment.

"The one I encountered earlier didn't show any signs of aggression, and it was the same with the group I saw in the video footage."

He stood in awe of their majestic beauty, appreciating the rarity of witnessing wild animals in their natural habitat. On Earth, overpopulation and the toxic air quality had deprived most people of such encounters.

As Harold continued his search for other survivors, he stumbled upon a cluster of tents set up in another section of the beach, away from the temporary shelter that he and the twelve female survivors made.

"This is great, I can't believe I'm already going to encounter more people who survived."

Hope surged within him as he approached the tents, hoping to find additional survivors who had managed to establish their own camp. However, his hopes were quickly shattered as he discovered a grim scene. Inside the tents lay ten lifeless bodies. Their lips were swollen and red, and dark purple marks marred their throats. Shock and confusion washed over Harold as he tried to comprehend the cause of their deaths.

"What the hell happened here? did they eat something poisonous? did they get bitten by some venomous creature?"

Despite his military training, he knew he lacked the medical expertise to determine the exact cause, he then thought to himself.

"What if they came across a deadly pathogen? I shouldn't touch their bodies."

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Harold decided to return to the others, particularly Dayjanay, who possessed medical training among the survivors. He needed her expertise to understand what had led to the demise of these ten unfortunate individuals.

"She might be able to determine what caused their deaths."

With a heavy heart, he left the tragic scene behind and made his way back towards the temporary shelter.

As Harold retraced his steps, his mind buzzed with questions and concern.

"Fuck, if they died by some airborne illness then all I'll be doing is spreading it to the others."

The fate of those ten individuals weighed heavily on his conscience. He knew that unraveling the mystery behind their deaths was crucial not only for the survivors' safety but also for their collective morale. The journey back to the shelter felt longer than before, but Harold pressed on, determined to find answers and share his discovery with Dayjanay.

"If they ate something poisonous, then at least we be cautious about consuming anything that grows here."

With each step, he contemplated the immense challenges they faced on this alien planet and the importance of their unity in the face of adversity.

Dayjanay, a trained medical doctor among the survivors, was his best hope for unraveling the mystery surrounding the deaths. He found her tending to the wounded and recounted his discoveries, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Dayjanay listened attentively to Harold's account, her expression growing more concerned with each passing word. The symptoms described—red swollen lips and dark purple marks—suggested a potentially lethal condition.

"Can you take me there? if we can determine what caused it, then at least we ease our minds and act accordingly."

Harold led the way back to the tent site to investigate further and determine the cause of their deaths.

As they arrived at the tent site, Dayjanay gave Harold a surgical face mask and a pair of nitrile gloves.

"We don't want to catch whatever they have if it is an illness."

Dayjanay meticulously examined the bodies, searching for any signs of poison or venomous bites.

"I don't see any visible bite marks or stings."

Harold does his best to document what she is saying, and she continues. Their investigation uncovered no clear evidence of any venomous bites or stings. However, when Dayjanay closely examined a food particle that was stuck in between the teeth of the deceased person using tweezers, she shows it to Harold.

"I don't want to jump into conclusions, but this holds a possible clue."

She slowly puts it inside a sealed plastic bag and continues.

"I'll analyze this later."

Harold asks.

"Should we tell our people about being careful about consuming any wild fruits that grow here?"

To ensure the safety of the group, she nods.

"For now, until we can properly confirm what is safe to consume for us."

Dayjanay resumes examining the bodies and finds similar food particles in their mouths.

"It might not be definitive, but it safe to assume that they ate something that poisoned all of them."

She wraps things up and says to him.

"Let's go home."

Returning to the temporary settlement, Harold and Dayjanay gathered everyone together to relay their findings. They warned the group about the dangerous creatures lurking within the caves and urged them to avoid entering them at all costs. They also stressed the need for caution about consuming any edibles that are grown on this planet until their is a proper way to ascertain that it is safe for consumption. After another day on this strange world, and finally making time to relax for a bit, Harold sits by a makeshift campfire, with Dayjanay joining him.

"Your friends Sarah and Amber they are much better now."

Harold sighs.

"Good, and thank you for taking care of them, Doc."

She teases him with a playful push on his shoulders using hers.

"You don't need to call me, doc. I'd rather have using my name."

He apologizes profusely.

"Sorry, Dayjanay."

Dayjanay leans her tired hear on his shoulder, with her warm smile, and begins to share her story.

"You know, Harold, I worked so hard to become a doctor. Countless nights of studying, pushing myself to my limits. I was handpicked by the United Nations of Earth for this voyage. It was a dream come true, but it meant leaving everything and everyone behind."

She sighs.

"But look at us now, this whole ordeal still feels unreal."

She then asks.

"How'd you end up getting stuck here with us?"

Harold listened intently, captivated by her determination.

"That's impressive, Dayjanay. Your dedication and passion are truly inspiring. As for me, I worked as a farmer in one of those dome farms. We were trying to feed the ever-growing population. When the civil war broke out, I enlisted in the United Nations of Earth army to protect our resources."

Dayjanay's eyes widened with interest.

"You served in the war? That must have been incredibly challenging. What was your role?"

"I was stationed at a water treatment plant and were tasked to prevent the forces of the United Confederate Coalition from taking control of it."

Clean drinking water became one of Earth's most precious resources. A rising faction of nations called The United Confederate Coalition attacked the United Nations Of Earth out of nowhere and tried taking away resources that gave them power

over all of Earth. Dayjanay nodded, a mix of admiration and concern in her eyes.

"You risked so much to protect something so vital. I'm grateful for your service, Harold."

Harold blushed slightly.

"Thank you, Dayjanay. But honestly, I feel lucky to be here with you now. After the war, I entered a lottery, hoping for a chance at a new beginning. And somehow, I won this one-way trip to Proxima Centauri B."

Dayjanay couldn't help but smile, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm glad you won, Harold. Fate brought us together here, in the midst of uncertainty."

Harold couldn't but feel like Dayjanay was sending

him strong signals that she is into him, he didn't want to disappoint her and continued their conversation which flowed seamlessly, transitioning to their families left behind on Earth. They both shared stories of their loved ones, reminiscing about the warmth and love they had experienced.

Harold admitted, a touch of sadness in his voice.

"I miss my family so much,"

He continues.

"But knowing they're still out there, somewhere, gives me hope. I just wish I could be with them."

Dayjanay placed her hand on his, offering silent support.

"I understand, Harold. I miss my family too. But right now, we have each other. We can find strength in our shared journey and build something meaningful together."

Harold swallowed nervously.

"Okay, she is basically telling me right now that she is interested in me, I would be an idiot to miss this obvious signal."

Harold's eyes met Dayjanay's, and a flicker of understanding passed between them. As the night grew darker, the cool breeze gently wrapped around them. Harold and Dayjanay found themselves sitting closer, seeking warmth and comfort. They leaned against each other, feeling a newfound closeness. With the campfire's soft glow illuminating their faces, Harold and Dayjanay looked into each other's eyes, their connection deepening. In that intimate moment, they shared a tender and passionate kiss, feeling the sparks of something beautiful unfolding.

She pulls away slightly.

"We should get some rest."

Harold agrees nervously, unable to come up with additional words, but he keeps it simple and short.

"Yeah."

They whispered goodnight, and just as they were about to go to bed, Dayjanay gave him a flirtatious wink, giving him another reason, to look forward into the future.