Shine On, Space Cadet (Pt. 15)

The shuttle was noisy and Omar had to shout to his technicians, so they could hear him. When he turned back around to make the final adjustments for landing he seemed startled. Cal leaned over and saw something on their scanner approaching at rapid speeds. He looked up out the window and coming straight for them was a surface-to-air missile. By the time they noticed the projectile, it was too late to make evasive maneuvers and the missile made impact with one of the shuttle wings, sending them into a tailspin. Cal gripped onto his seat as the ship spun violently, and he heard Omar screaming before everything went black. 

Cal opened up his eyes, smoke filling his lungs and he could feel blood running down over his face. He scrambled to undo the buckle of his seat as he looked around the cabin of the shuttle. Omar beside him had been impaled by a piece of shrapnel from the impact, and he wasn’t breathing. The two technicians in the back were barely visible through the thick smoke, but they didn’t appear to be moving either. Cal threw off his helmet which had been mangled in the crash, and he crawled along the floor to avoid inhaling more smoke. His eyes burned and lungs felt as if they were filled with glass, but the bulkhead of the ship was nearby and was partially open. He managed to pry the door ajar and stumble onto the rocky ground outside the shuttle. Cal took a deep breath and looked around, then back to the smoldering wreck of the shuttle. He took a moment to grasp the situation and tried not to let panic settle in. In the distance Cal could see the Exxon headquarters, which was mostly a ruined heap by now. Around the building were a few drones, darting in and out of windows, the dull sound of gunfire being carried over the air. 

Cal got up to his feet, limping from a serious gash in his leg. He checked the rifle which was still strapped to his chest and appeared functional. Cal looked around, remembering the little field combat training he’d been given. Nearby was a rocky outcrop which would serve as cover, and he slowly hobbled over. Wincing in pain every time he took a step forward. Cal pressed on knowing that every moment he wasted could be another second the enemy had to track him down and finish him off. He made it to the rocky outcrop and took up position, aiming his rifle in the direction of the Exxon building. He looked around for a moment, eyes scanning the horizon, but he saw nothing but rocks and dirt. Cal breathed slowly and started to let the tension ease. He then heard someone coughing nearby. Cal turned around to face the source of the noise.

Cal met eyes with a girl who was leaning back against a nearby rock. She was young, maybe seventeen years old at most. She was wearing combat armor and a red bandana around her neck. The girl’s abdomen was full of bullet wounds and blood dripped from her mouth. She looked back at him with an empty expression in her eyes. Cal brought his rifle up and aimed it at the girl.