Chapter-9

<p>Aiden scanned his surroundings, attempting to identify the source of the growling.<br/><br/>The moment he turned to his left, Aiden was taken aback by the sight of a massive creature standing about 5 feet away.<br/><br/>A rhino-like being, this creature lacked eyes but possessed two large ears. Its skin, entirely black and sturdy, covered its six-legged form, and it emitted a menacing growl.<br/><br/>"Fuck..." Escaping Aiden's lips, this expletive coincided with the creature's charge.<br/><br/>Aiden bolted toward his team, hoping for assistance and salvation.<br/><br/>He ran at full capacity, necessitating heightened exertion due to the planet's gravitational force.<br/><br/>After some distance, a motion sensor caught his attention.<br/><br/>"Help! Anyone, please help me!" he yelled, but received no response.<br/><br/>Exiting the forest and entering the landing field, he was greeted by a more gruesome scene.<br/><br/>Most of the mercenaries lay dead, their bodies torn apart, intestines exposed.<br/><br/>The remaining mercenaries waged a fierce struggle against colossal green vines that mercilessly took lives.<br/><br/>They fired their weapons in an attempt to halt the vines, but the gunfire only fueled their growth.<br/><br/>"Everyone to the ship, now!" Ajacks's voice boomed, rallying those left standing.<br/><br/>Scientists and mechanics had perished; only five mercenaries remained, running for the ship. Aiden followed, the pursuing monstrosity in relentless pursuit.<br/><br/>"Oi, don't follow us! Head in a different direction!" a mercenary shouted, noticing the creature trailing Aiden.<br/><br/>"I can't! It's after me! It'll kill me!"<br/><br/>"Hey, look, the ship... Let's go!" one of the mercenaries pointed, the distant vessel offering hope.<br/><br/>"Yes, I'll be saved," Aiden thought, pouring on more speed.<br/><br/>"Where's Captain Ajacks?" one mercenary inquired.<br/><br/>"He's staying behind, urging us to escape," another answered.<br/><br/>"If he—" The mercenary's sentence was abruptly cut off as a vine swung from the side, bisecting all five of them.<br/><br/>Aiden, trailing behind, evaded the vines' reach.<br/><br/>"F-FUCKKKKK!" Aiden's shout echoed as he raced toward the ship.<br/><br/>Then, he spotted a figure on the ship's gate.<br/><br/>None other than Zara herself stood there, observing the chaos.<br/><br/>"Zara... Wait for me!" Aiden's desperate cry rang out.<br/><br/>Observing Aiden's approach, with the creature close behind, Zara stood her ground.<br/><br/>"I can't risk it. This is the only emergency pod. I can't jeopardize it. I'm sorry, Aiden," Zara whispered, pressing the seal button as the spaceship's doors began to close.<br/><br/>"No, no, no... She's sealing the doors! Zara, stop! Wait for me! You can't do this to me, bitch!" Aiden's voice grew frantic.<br/><br/>The emergency pod detached and shot into space, activating a red flag as it separated.<br/><br/>Pop-pop<br/><br/>Pop-pop-pop<br/><br/>Ajacks continued firing at the vines while his radio hummed.<br/><br/>[This is Mike... Mercenary Ajacks. If you're still alive, please respond to my call.] Mike's voice crackled on the other end.<br/><br/>"Yes, I'm still alive, Mike, over."<br/><br/>[Good. We've received a red flag signal from your planet. Is everything alright there?]<br/><br/>"No, Mike. It's chaos here. My squad's gone, and I think the survivors have left. This is Code: RED, Mike. I repeat, Code: RED. This planet is hostile to humanity. We can't settle here, and I don't trust the other planets either. Leave and never come back—" Ajacks's voice was abruptly silenced by the vines.<br/><br/>Aboard the ship, fear gripped everyone as they listened.<br/><br/>"What do we do?"<br/><br/>"We're going back."<br/><br/>"I won't set foot on those planets."<br/><br/>[Please remain calm, everyone. You're trained for this situation. I'll compare this planet's environmental data with that of other planets in the solar system. If there's a match, we'll depart. If not, we'll investigate further.] Mike's words aimed to soothe the panic.<br/><br/>"What's this 'environmental data'?"<br/><br/>"It outlines the conditions required for life to flourish on a planet. If this planet's data aligns with the others', it suggests similar life forms."<br/><br/>"And if it doesn't?"<br/><br/>"Then we'll need to investigate."<br/><br/>"What? We could encounter different life forms, possibly dangerous ones?"<br/><br/>"That's a possibility," the scientist admitted.<br/><br/>"Are you serious? We're not going down there knowing the risks!" the mercenary leader protested.<br/><br/>"That's protocol, and why we're here."<br/><br/>"No more lives will be lost for this. I won't allow it," the mercenary leader asserted.<br/><br/>"But—"<br/><br/>[I have the results of the Environmental Code Search... All planets share the same Environmental Code. We're leaving this galaxy and returning to Nexus Prime. Please return to your quarters.] Mike announced as the ship's engines roared to life.<br/><br/>"That's a relief."<br/><br/>Suddenly, an emergency pod emerged from the planet and attached to the spaceship.<br/><br/>"What's that?" a scientist queried.<br/><br/>"An emergency pod. Let's investigate who's inside."</p>