The Second Book of the Alienbutt Saga. The Rise of Mr Fluffy. Part 74.

Alienbutt brought his ship to a stop. The space before him was enveloped in pitch blackness; not a shred of light managed to get through the surrounding bubble of dead space.
Quickly, Alienbutt launched probes and sent out a number of flares, trying to see what was before him. The entire area was empty apart from a small barren planet. It measured about two thousand miles across. Any attempted scan was virtually useless, as the interference from the surrounding dead space distorted all but the basic information. Here on this lone planet, Alienbutt knew, was the location of the gateway that would lead him home and also the temple of the priests of Wantooaninyougo. Picking up no signs of life anywhere else within the area, Alienbutt headed towards the planet.
As he approached it Alienbutt scanned the planet’s surface as best he could, searching for any signs of where the temple would be. After completing a wide orbit of the planet, he chose a site he thought most likely. The entire planet’s surface was a rocky wasteland. In the area he chose to land, the signs of a large circular layout of what looked like ruined buildings stood, with what looked to be a giant pyramid in their centre. Other traces of what looked to be buildings had crumbled into the landscape, but here they looked better preserved.

Buffeted by strong winds in the lower atmosphere, Alienbutt landed within walking distance of the central pyramid. Quickly he found the hostile environment suit, and placed his pistols into the holsters on the belt. Placing extra ammunition into the belt pouches he picked up the assault rifle and prepared to step out into the freezing atmosphere of the planet. Finally he placed the helmet on and tested the spotlight built into the top of it. Satisfied, he pressed the door release and then looked down at his metallic arm.
“Well, I hope you’re going to behave yourself this time.”
Leaning into the wind, he began to walk across towards the pyramid that loomed over him. Its smooth sides towered into the sky, its peak lost in the swirling dust a mile above.
Directly ahead was a dark doorway that he headed for, the only sign of an entrance. Reaching the opening he looked back to his ship, just visible through the dust-filled air. Within a few steps the howling of the wind outside died down, the light on his helmet showing the way ahead down the cramped tunnel. The tunnel slopped downwards, the air getting warmer as he went along, with signs of moisture on the walls. Looking backwards along the way he had come, he saw only blackness and realised the tunnel was curved. From the display on his wrist-com he had descended over thirty feet when the tunnel opened out into a large chamber.

To be continued.
All images are mine.