Chapter 12: Lost, Soaked, and Still in Trouble
Max lay on the damp, alien shoreline, completely soaked, exhausted, and questioning every life decision that led him to this moment.
He took a slow breath, staring up at the strange purple sky above him.
I just got force-choked by a space wizard, trapped in a bubble, and flung halfway across a haunted moon.
This is fine. Everything is fine.
B.O.B. beeped in his earpiece. "Captain, your current status is: wet, disoriented, and increasingly unlucky."
Max groaned and covered his face. "Bob, if I had the energy, I would strangle you."
"I have no neck, Captain."
"Exactly."
He sighed, sitting up and wringing water out of his jacket. His body ached all over, his lungs still burned from nearly drowning, and his mind raced with questions.
Who the hell was that guy?
He had seen powerful people before—hell, he'd just spent an entire week dodging bounty hunters and warlords—but that masked man?
He was different.
The way he moved, the way he spoke, the way he just stood there and let physics ignore him?
That wasn't normal.
And now, he had the data drive.
Max sighed. "Well. That was a massive failure."
B.O.B. beeped. "Your first mistake was attempting deception."
Max rubbed his face. "Bob, I swear—"
"Your second mistake was throwing the data drive at his face."
"I was panicking!"
"Your third mistake was existing in this universe."
Max groaned and face-planted into the dirt. "I hate everything."
---
Assessing the Situation (A.K.A. How Screwed Am I?)
After several minutes of self-pity, Max finally sat up, taking stock of his situation.
1. He was stranded on an uncharted moon.
2. His ship was half-buried in an alien forest somewhere.
3. The terrifying masked guy had the data drive.
4. He had no idea who the masked guy even was.
5. He was still slightly slippery.
Max groaned. "Alright. Let's focus on not dying first."
He dragged himself to his feet, his body stiff from exhaustion. The alien moon was eerily silent except for the occasional rustling of wind through the trees.
A distant howl echoed across the landscape.
Max froze.
"...That didn't sound friendly."
B.O.B. beeped. "Analysis: That was the sound of a large predatory creature. It is likely that—"
Max immediately started speed-walking toward the treeline. "Nope. Nope nope nope."
The ground trembled slightly.
A second howl, closer this time.
Max's pulse spiked. "Oh, come ON! Can I get five minutes of peace?!"
Then something moved in the shadows.
Max stopped dead in his tracks.
A pair of glowing red eyes flickered to life in the mist.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the darkness.
Max slowly reached for his weapon.
Oh wait.
He didn't have one.
He exhaled sharply. "Bob, what are the odds of me surviving this?"
B.O.B. beeped. "Approximately 12%, Captain."
Max sighed. "Wow. Those are better than usual."
Then the creature charged.
---
Running for His Life (Again)
Max sprinted into the forest, crashing through twisted branches and overgrown roots. The beast barreled after him, its enormous form crashing through the undergrowth like a freight train on steroids.
Max didn't stop to look back.
Mostly because he didn't need to.
He could hear the damn thing getting closer.
His lungs burned, his legs ached, but adrenaline shoved all complaints aside.
I am NOT dying here. Not today.
Then, because his luck was garbage, the System beeped.
[RANDOM POWER ACTIVATED: TEMPORARY SUPER-SPEED]
Max barely had time to process that before his body launched forward at Mach speed.
"OHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRAP—"
He instantly overshot the path, slammed into a tree, and ricocheted off like a human pinball.
The creature skidded to a halt, clearly not expecting that.
Max, now spinning uncontrollably, bounced off three more trees, hit a boulder, and landed flat on his back.
Everything hurt.
The monster slowly approached, growling.
Max groaned. "Ughhh… Bob… am I dead yet?"
"Not yet, Captain. But it is highly likely within the next few seconds."
The beast reared back, its fangs bared.
Max's heart pounded. "Crap. Crap crap crap—"
Then a massive energy blast slammed into the creature's side, sending it flying.
Max's eyes widened.
"What the—"
Then he heard footsteps approaching.
And he already knew who it was.
The masked man stepped out of the mist, glowing weapon in hand.
Max sighed dramatically. "Oh, for the love of—CAN YOU STOP SHOWING UP LIKE A HORROR MOVIE VILLAIN?!"
The masked man ignored him. He approached slowly, staring down at Max.
"You are persistent," he said, his voice calm and unreadable.
Max groaned. "Trust me, it's not on purpose."
The man studied him for a moment, then tossed something at Max's feet.
Max blinked.
It was the data drive.
"...Wait. What?"
The masked man crossed his arms. "I have no use for this."
Max stared. "THEN WHY DID YOU CHASE ME FOR IT?!"
A long silence.
Then the man said, "I was testing you."
Max's brain short-circuited.
"Testing me?! FOR WHAT?!"
The masked man tilted his head. "That… is something you must discover yourself."
Max buried his face in his hands. "Oh my god. Not the cryptic mentor nonsense."
The masked man turned. "We will meet again, Max Miller."
Max froze.
"...How do you know my name?"
The masked man didn't answer.
He simply vanished into the mist.
Max sat there, completely baffled.
Then he picked up the damn data drive and sighed.
"I need a vacation."
B.O.B. beeped. "That is not statistically possible."
Max groaned. "I hate this universe."