Further Adventures In No Man's Sky

extie-dasilva (67)in #story • 7 years ago

FURTHER ADVENTURES IN NO MAN'S SKY

My journey took me to a planet ravaged by volcanic activity. Even from this far off vantage point I could make out vast rivers of lava and islands of cooling magma. Huge clouds of steam rolled across the skies, and if any rain fell on that hellish landscape, there was surely no life to witness it. I therefore decided to make for a neighbouring satellite, which was showing some signs of being habitable.

As I descended toward its surface, I could make out lakes at the foot of mountain ranges, each one covered with pristine snow and ice. The atmosphere scattered the sun's rays and took on a brilliant blue colour.

Settling my craft down, I climbed out and surveyed my surroundings. There were trees here, trees with huge leaves, each one dusted with frost and ice as though somebody had gone to the bother of creating a winter wonderland. In the distance, some way past a tranquil lake that lapped small waves upon its edge, I beheld some flying creatures, their winged bodies utterly dwarfed by the planet that dominated the skyline.

I set off on my exploration of this world, making my way toward the lake. When I eventually got there, I discovered that I was not alone. A group of animals- most likely belonging to the same family by the look of them- had come to the lake as well. They were brown, stocky looking animals with four legs, each as thick as pillars. Each had a formidable looking mouth, huge and bony and so strong in appearance that I supposed it would be quite capable of biting through rock. The creatures seemed quite passive, though, and hardly bothered by my arrival. Instead they just slowly plodded along, occasionally pausing to lower their mighty heads to the ground and shovel snow and ice into those powerful jaws.

I left that family of benign creatures and carried on, making my way along the edge of the lake. After a while I came across a dried river bed and decided to follow its course. Many a strange plant grew along its path. One species looked somewhat like a bromeliad, with waxy leaves tinged with red. And, further away a treelike species that looked for all the world as if somebody skilled at topiary had carefully sculpted its crown. Onward I walked, following the dried river bed, and always that planet filled the horizon with its mighty presence.

As I got closer to the tree that looked as though it had been carefully shaped, I became aware of a disturbance. Something...no, several things, were crashing through the small cluster of trees. By the way the noise was getting louder, it was obvious that whatever was responsible for the ruckus was heading my way. And then, I saw them. Bipedal creatures, charging toward me on powerful hind legs. Their heads were...nightmarish, having the appearance of great anvils. Their swiftfootedness and their purposeful charge left me in no doubt that these were predators, and in fright I took off, not knowing where I was running to.

I ran and ran, not daring to look behind me lest I should trip on some unseen root or rock and be done for. I could hear the predators in hot pursuit, bellowing sounds unlike anything I had heard on Earth. And then....yes! Ahead of me there was a building of some kind. I knew not why it was there nor who had built it, and in the circumstances I did not care. All that mattered was that it could provide shelter from my pursuers. I ran for the door and all but fell into its interior.

The door shut behind me. For a few seconds I listened to the muffled thump of the anvil-headed monsters as they repeatedly ran at the door. But it was solidly built and more than capable of withstanding their onslaught. After regaining my breath and letting my heartbeat slow down somewhat, I turned around to take in my surroundings.

It turned out that I was not alone. There, in the room with me, as an alien being. It was obviously a technologically-capable species, for it wore a suit of fabric and metal. Although its head looked to me just like that of a walrus, I beheld in its eyes the unmistakable light of sentience. The alien began to vocalise and gesture, and although I could not understand anything it said I nevertheless got the impression it wished me to follow it. Together, we walked down the corridors of this facility until we reached a room. Inside, there was something that the creature wanted me to have....