Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Day 0

I sat in a metal chair outside my commanding officer’s office. I hadn’t been there long, but my leg was already bouncing and I fidgeted my thumbs as I sat there. 

‘I know I’ll be ready for whatever my assignment will be, but waiting to receive it is always the hardest part.’

I glanced up at the clock on the wall that sat just above a poster for enlisting in the Space Ranger Unit. It featured a picture of one of Star Command’s top Ranger’s, Buzz Lightyear, on it. 

‘Everyone wants to be in the Universal Protection Unit because of him.’  

I glanced away from his image and focused on a nearby star chart that had been framed. It was a copy of one of the first star maps that was created after we left the Sol System. 

‘I know fighting Emperor Zurg is important…’ I let out a small sigh. ‘…but I’d rather be in the Exploration Unit. There’s so much of our galaxy that hasn’t been explored yet…so much more to see and learn. That’s where I’d rather be…seeing the stars.’ 

I absently began to play with my braid as I continued looking at the charts, the red strands of my hair discoloring slightly under the halogens. After another moment, I let out a sigh and swept my hair back behind me and out of my reach. ‘Don’t want to ruin it before I even have my meeting.’ Without anything else to fiddle with, I began playing with the silver locket around my neck. I looked away from the charts and opened the locket to glance at the picture inside.

‘Our wedding day,’ I thought with a smile. ‘My dear, sweet Andi, you were so beautiful in that dress. It was probably the only dress I’ll ever get you to wear. I can’t believe it’s already been a year.’ I let out a contented sigh before placing the locket back under my standard issue, green work shirt. 

Just as I did, my commanding officer, Lieutenant Lasseter, poked his head out of the door and smiled at me.

“I’m ready for you now, Ranger MacLane,” he said as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose.

I stood up and followed him into his office. He gestured for me to sit down in front of his pristinely organized desk. I glanced around at the posters of tropical paradises that had been discovered on distant worlds and moons. ‘Some of them I’ve helped discover,’ I thought with a smirk. 

Lieutenant Lasseter took his seat in front of me before he clasped his hands together and gave me another warm smile. 

“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I know you were still on leave from your last assignment, but something has come up.” He pulled out an astral projector and turned it on, revealing a planet with a moon orbiting it. “The survey team discovered this planet about a week ago.”

I tilted my head and watched it spin slightly on its axis. “Where is it? I don’t remember seeing a report come through about a new discovery.” I glanced at Lasseter then back at the planet. 

“It’s on the far brink of the Jeb cluster, just–”

“–just on the edge of the Empire,” I gravely stated. 

“Affirmative.” Lasseter zoomed slightly out on the image to show a sun and three other planets. “The planet is located in the Persson system. It will be designated in the catalog of planets as X-A113 when knowledge of the discovery becomes public, but you may refer to the planet as Mojang.” He zoomed back in on it. “We sent out a survey team a week ago to send probes to investigate the planet. Once the probes hit Mojang’s atmosphere, their signals cut short…simultaneously.” 

I quickly looked up at him as I said, “Were they shot down?”

Lasseter shook his head. “All indications from what data could be gathered was that they all malfunctioned at the same time from some sort of unknown interference.”

“And what about the survey crew? Did they send down more probes or a man-made vessel to assess the issue?” I could feel my leg beginning to bounce.

“Unfortunately, soon after that the survey crew and their ship were shot down by an Empire patrol. None of the crew survived, but the data they were able to collect was passed along.” 

We both sat there in silence for a moment. ‘Our jobs in the Exploration Unit are a lot safer than some of the other units, but there are always risks…and we’re at war.’

After the moment had passed, Lasseter zoomed in on the image. “From what intel the survey crew was able to gather before the probes went offline, Planet Mojang appears to be hospitable and meets the Goldilocks criteria. It most likely has breathable air, drinkable water, edible vegetation, and a temperate climate.”

I rested my hand on the control of the astral projector and turned the model of the planet around to look at it from its varying angles. 

“This planet does look promising, sir,” I said as I spun the planet on its axis, “but if it is so close to the Empire’s territory and has some kind of interference happening with technology, why is Star Command so interested?” Lasseter simply folded his arms in front of him. “There are many other planets in this sector that also meet the criteria and need further investigation, so why this one? What makes it so important?” 

Lieutenant Lasseter pulled several pictures from a file on his desk. “Before the probes went offline, they took these photographs.” 

I took the photos and looked through them meticulously. “Visible structures.” I went from one picture to the next. “Even, purposeful lines…symmetry. These were made by intelligent beings.” I set the photos down and looked back up at him. “Are we thinking there’s intelligent life on this planet? That they were the ones that took down the drones?”

Lasseter took the photos back and leafed through them again. “Everything we know is speculation at this point. With the Zurg Empire increasing their patrols of their sectors, it will make sending more probes down difficult.” He put the photos back in their folder before looking back up at me. 

“And that’s why you called me.” 

My commanding officer gave a small nod. “We need someone to go to the planet’s surface and you have the best record of success. You were the most obvious choice. I’m sorry for pulling you from your leave. I know your last assignment was–”

“–It’s ok,” I said as I shook my head slightly. “I understand the urgency.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “What is my assignment?”

He brought out a document from the same folder and set it in front of me. “Star Command is tasking you with going to the surface of Planet Mojang and verify if any of these claims are true. You must find out if the land is not only hospitable, but also livable; if there is any natural resources that can be extracted, and above all, if there is intelligent life on the planet.” 

I glanced up at the planet, taking in its size. ‘It looks to be smaller than Terra, possibly similar in size to the other Sol colonies. If Mojang has intelligent life on it, they will need to be protected from the empire. If not, the natural resources will need to be extracted. I guess, better for us to get them than Zurg’s forces. And, if nothing else, if the world is livable, we can set up a base to keep track of this sector. Best case scenario…Star Command wants all three.’ I looked back at the document as my lieutenant continued. 

“We will beam you directly to the planet’s surface and you will report your findings from there. Of course you will be given your normal exploration equipment as well as our improved oxygenated shelter, in case the readings about the planet’s atmosphere are wrong. We even have our new crafting station at your disposal. It should be able to take the resources on the planet and convert them into usable objects, better than previous models at least.”

From the folder, he pulled out the schematics for both the station and shelter. ‘Hopefully, neither of them explode like previous versions.’ I stared at the shelter with its tanks of oxygen. ‘Those only hold so much and the converters might not be able to convert the atmosphere into usable air.’ I looked back up at Lasseter and something in his expression had shifted. His kind smile was all, but gone. “Who will be on my team and how long will we be there?”

His lips turned up tightly and he wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Alex…” he said my name quietly. “You will have to go alone.” 

I looked down at the document that detailed my mission. 

“There are too many unknowns and too much risk to send more than one person. You are our most qualified and senior ranger…which is why I asked you first.” We both sat there for a moment and I must have been taking a little too long to respond to him, before he continued with, “If you’re uncomfortable with this, I can always ask–”

“–How long?” I asked as I interrupted him.

“One hundred days,” he stated matter-of-factly as he stared at me. “You will be on the planet for one hundred of their planet’s rotation. We calculated that one of their days is a little more than half of a universal day. There are plans to retake the sector, but the Protection Unit needs time. If I could make the stay shorter, I would, but Star Command needs time…and that planet doesn’t have it.”

I slowly nodded as I ran my own calculations in my head. ‘That’s the longest I’ve ever been planet-side alone. Heck, that might be longest any team I’ve been on has been without direct contact from Star Command. This truely looks suicidal.’ I began to absently touch my locket. “When would I leave?”

Lasseter zoomed out on the astral projector so it showed the solar system as a whole. There was a glaring red dot near the furthest planet. “The patrol that took out our survey team is far enough away now that we could slip a vessel in long enough to teleport you and your supplies without interference, but the window for drop off would be very short.”

I could feel Andi’s kiss on my check before I left for this meeting. It was so warm, so calming, that I didn’t want to leave her. ‘“Whatever happens, know that I love you,” she had told me. Whatever happens…’ I met Lasseter’s gaze. “How long do I have?”

“Tomorrow. We leave tomorrow morning.” 

I looked down at his desk as the weight of what he said weighed down on me. ‘Less than twenty-four hours. So little time…’  

I could feel Andi’s arms wrapped around me, safe and secure. ‘We had talked about possibly limiting the missions we go on now. We’re older and have already left our mark.’ 

I looked up at all the posters in the office. ‘I’ve already saved so many worlds from Zurg’s control. I’ve already done my part, haven’t I? Somebody else can do this one…right?’ 

I looked back at my commanding officer. He waited patiently for my answer, but there was a nervousness in his eyes. ‘No…there is no one else who can do this…That’s why he asked me. I have the highest probability of survival. But…is it worth it?’

I looked away from him as I felt my own selfishness creep in. ‘No…I can’t think like that. Not when we’re at war.’ I glanced at the wall of posters a second longer. ‘We’ve saved many worlds, but not all of them are up there. Not all the worlds could be saved.’  

In my mind’s eye, I could see a beach paradise, but everything was on fire. There were explosions everywhere and the local populace was screaming, trying to escape the invading Empire’s forces. There was a firefight in the sky, but they were wholly overwhelmed. Shots were being fired around me as I tried to get the populace to safety. Andi had been on the same assignment and she was healing and patching up as many as she could ‘But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. The Empire won and Zurg decimated the whole population for their defiance. Star Command was too late. We couldn’t save them.’ 

My eyes shifted back to the astral projector and the image it displayed. ‘Planet Mojang.’ I remembered the pictures of the structures that had been captured. ‘If there are people on that planet…’ An echo of screams reverberated in my brain. ‘…they are worth fighting for.’ 

I met Lieutenant Lasseter’s expectant eyes. 

“I’ll do it.”

Chapter Text

Day 1

I checked my inventory tablet one last time as I looked over the crates in front of me. 

‘They’re sending me with a lot of material, but if I have any chance of surviving for a hundred days, I’m going to need…well, a lot.’  

I glanced up at the other technicians around me who were doing the same thing. 

‘They look nervous, but I guess, they have every reason to be. We’re far from Space Command on a rinky, dinky little shuttle, floating above an unknown planet in which Zurg forces could show up at any second and annihilate us like they did the other craft. I’d be nervous too.’

I lowered the tablet and let out a shaky breath. 

‘No…I am nervous…’

I pushed my braid out of the way before I pulled my locket out from under my uniform and opened it, glancing at Andi’s serene face. In my head, I could still hear her yelling from last night. 

‘She didn’t want me to go. Said it was suicide. That I would never return home to her.’

I smiled slightly as I looked at both of us in our wedding dresses.

‘I reminded her of the promise that we made that day. I told her I would love her for all time and that nothing would keep us apart ever again. I aim to keep that promise.’

I glanced up at the bayport windows that looked out at the blue and green planet, its size intimidating at this distance.

‘I aim to keep that promise no matter what this planet has to offer. I will return to Andi…no matter what.’ 

I looked away from the window before tucking my locket back into my uniform. I held up the tablet one more time for one last check.

“Everything looking alright?” asked a voice from behind me.

I turned around and smiled up at my commanding officer, Lieutenant Lasseter.

“Everything appears to be in order and accounted for.” I passed my tablet off to him. 

He glanced at it quickly and back to me. “Excellent,” he said with a slightly strained smile. “We can begin preparation to have you beamed down then. He looked over at one of the crew members nearby and nodded to them. They nodded back before walking away to the transportation room. He turned back to me before he said, “We will beam you down close to one of the structures we saw in the orbital photos about a kilometer due west of it. There appears to be a large enough clearing by a small lake that’ll fit all of your cargo.” 

We both glanced over at the crates he was sending down with me. 

“We’ll send you down first with the initial load, and once we get the all clear from you, we will send down the remainder,” he continued to say. 

I glanced back at my commanding officer. “And what if there is a break in communication once I arrive? I know you said that there was a lot of electrical interference.”

He nodded absently before responding with, “If we don’t hear back from you, we will send the remainder of the supplies ten minutes later to that exact location. Hopefully there won’t be any issues though. You have one of the most technologically advanced suits Star Command has to offer. It would take an electrical storm the size of a solar system to jam your comms.” His smile changed to a warmer one. “You’ll be ok. You’re in safe hands.”

I glanced down as I nodded. “I’ll be ok.”

He rested his hand on my shoulder before saying, “Now that everything is squared away, let’s get you suited up and out of here before Zurg’s army shows up again.”

I nodded again before he led me to where my suit was being stored and primed for use. It took a bit of finangling on my part to get into it, but I would need to do it on my own once I reached the planet’s surface anyways, so it was well worth the extra practice. I quickly opened the control panel on the forearm of the suit once I was successfully in it.

“Oxygen level…at max capacity. Radiation meter…set. Environment reader…operational. Structural integrity…at one hundred percent.” I pulled up my other forearm where my weapon was located. “Lasers set to…stun. Distress beacon…activated.” 

I glanced up at Lasseter as he held my helmet for me. 

“Not that I’ll need that, will I?” I asked as I began winding my braid into a bun and pinned it in place. All he could do was shake his head no before he handed me my helmet. I quickly put it on and locked it in place. 

“Seal is…fully functional,” I continued to say out loud as I continued my checklist. I quickly opened the glass visor on my helmet, exposing my face. “...and interchangeable.” I pushed the button that sealed the visor back into place before I pressed the comms button on my control panel. “Ranger Alex MacLane to Star Command. Star Command, do you read me?”

“Affirmative,” said a voice back in the communicator in my helmet. “Reading you loud and clear, Ranger MacLane.” I nodded before looking at Lasseter. “And the hand held distress beacon still has access to comms as well?”

He nodded before saying, “Standard protocol.” He gestured to the suit. “How’s the fit feel? We obviously didn’t have time to get one made to your exact specifications, but the female model seems to be holding up well.”

I moved my arms around for a second and then jumped up and down in place before bending at the knees. “A little snug in the legs,” I did a couple jumping jacks, “and the arms are a touch too long,” I ran in place for a second, “but I can work with this.”

“I hope you’re right.” He glanced over to look out at the planet. “Because I’d hate to think of you in that suit for one hundred days if it doesn’t fit right.” 

I popped open the visor on my helmet. “I’ll make it work. I’ve been in tighter pickles before, even without this suit. You just make sure I get home.”

“Aye aye, Ranger,” he said with a smirk. “Then if everything is ready, let’s get you planet-side.”

I shut my visor as we walked the small distance to the transporter room. The room was relatively big, yet empty save for a large platform in the middle and a control panel tucked inside a secure alcove. High above the platform was the tractor beam that could send an entire squadron of troops to a planet’s surface.

‘Or in my case,’ I thought as I got up onto the platform, ‘just me and my supplies.’ I walked over and checked what would be coming with me right away. ‘Two crates.’  I opened one up. ‘A week’s worth of canned food and water, my Ranger bag, excavation tools, torches, flint and steel, crafting station.’ I opened up the other crate. ‘Collapsable oxygenated shelter and spare cot. Everything seems to be here if the worst case scenario happens.’ I shut and sealed the lid on both crates before looking up at the control panel. 

Lasseter was waiting there with a transporter operator, ready to beam me down. He hit a button and I could hear him in my ear.

“You ready, Alex?” 

I nodded before giving him a thumbs up. “To infinity and beyond.”

“I’ll see you in one hundred days, Space Ranger. Go make history.” 

The transporter operator began engaging the tractor beam before I heard her voice in my comms as well. 

“All systems are fired up and ready to go on your command, Lieutenant Lasseter.”

“Then let’s get started,” responded our commanding officer.

“Counting down from ten.” A light illuminated brightly from above me.

“Nine, eight.” A loud hum echoed throughout the chamber.

“Seven, six.” The platform began to vibrate. My body began to vibrate as well through the very suit itself.

“Five, four.” The light above me shone so brightly that it was hard to see anything beyond its rays.

“Three, two.” Now everything was a blur and my body was vibrating so violently, that it would make lesser Rangers puke. 

“One.” The very second after she finished the countdown, my vision went blank and my body became weightless.

In the time it took for me to register this new sensation, my body regained gravitational force and I hit solid ground beneath me. I was now officially on Planet Mojang. 

In the time it took me to open my eyes, a very stark reality hit me all at once.

‘My suit…it’s gone…’  

I immediately clutched at my chest and fell to my knees as the sun overhead momentarily blinded me. I then quickly felt all over my body as I held my breath in, but my suit in its entirety was gone, helmet and all. All I had on was my standard Ranger uniform. My eyes popped open and I looked around frantically until I saw one of the crates not a meter from me. I scrambled on the grass beneath me before opening the seal on it. 

‘Please be the shelter. It at least has oxygen.’ I threw open the lid on it and almost cried out. 

‘No…I need the other one.’ I nearly fell backwards as I looked around the clearing I was in, but the other crate was nowhere in sight. I was about to run out of the clearing to track down the missing crate, but the stress of my situation caused me to fall to my knees and take in a gasping breath that I had tried so hard to keep in. I took in one shaky breath after another until it finally registered in my brain.

‘The readings…they said the atmosphere might be breathable.’ I rolled over onto my back and closed my eyes as I kept taking in breath after breath until my heart rate began to lower. ‘I’m safe…I’m fine…this planet hasn’t killed me yet…’  

Once I had calmed down enough, I opened my eyes once more and stared up at the bright blue sky overhead that had hints of white clouds dotting the horizon. I slowly got myself up into a sitting position before I fully looked around at my surroundings. 

‘Now that I’m actively not dying, let’s actually see where we are.’ My breath caught for a second as my eyes widened. 

“It…it looks like Terra,”’ I said aloud as I stared in awe at the vibrant green grass I was sitting on as well as the lush trees and rocks that surrounded this clearing. In the distance, I could hear the trickle of water from a nearby stream or brook and the soft wind blew through the trees surrounding the clearing, both creating a quiet melody.

‘I…I can’t believe it,’ I thought with a high amount of disbelief. ‘This looks like Terra and all the other colonies in the Sol System.’ I let out the breath I had been holding in. ‘None of the planets I’ve explored have even looked close to this. There was always something foreign or different enough to make each planet unique in its own right, but this place…’ I took a hard swallow. ‘This place feels like home.’

I let out a soft, contented sigh as I took in everything around me. ‘Maybe one hundred days won’t be so bad.’

After another minute or two, I finally got up and began taking everything out of the crate that was next to me.

“Torches, flint and steel, pickaxe and axe, crafting station, canned food, water, but where is…?”

I dug even further until I finally pulled out my Ranger bag. Inside were my maps of the area, a universal translator, a rolled-up sleeping bag, a compass, rope, a flashlight, a pocket knife, and the thing I had been looking for the most…

“The distress beacon…” I pulled out the cylindrical contraption and hit the communications button. When I did, all I could hear was static.

“Space Command, do you copy?” I said through the static as I hit the button once more. I waited a few seconds, but no response came.

“Space Command, this is Space Ranger MacLane. Do you copy?” 

Again, I was only met with static. 

“Space Command, this is Space Ranger Alex MacLane of the Universal Exploration Unit. I have successfully landed on X-A113 Planet Mojang. Do you copy?” 

Static. 

I let out a groan as my head dropped. 

“He said there might be electrical interference,” I muttered as I felt my heart rate momentarily spike. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying desperately to hold on to my sense of control. “He said it shouldn’t be an issue. That my suit is…” I gripped the fabric above my chest tightly, but what I was trying to grab for was gone. “Why…why didn’t it beam with me…?” I asked myself with a slight hitch as panic began setting in. “They always beam with you, so why…?”

I shook my head violently as I let out several calming breaths.

“No…it’s fine…I’ll be fine.” I slowly opened my eyes before wiping away a stray tear that had escaped. “I’ll make this work.”

I stood back up fully and looked around, but the clearing hadn’t changed much. “It’ll be fine,” I murmured before I turned back around to the one and only crate I had at the moment. I brought up the distress beacon, which would now have to be my one and only communication device, even if it was only a one way conversation, and hit the button so I could speak into it. 

“Space Command, this is Space Ranger MacLane. Communication appears to be down on my end. If you are trying to send messages to me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to receive them at this time.” 

I fished through my bag until I found the map of the area. 

“I have made it safely planet-side at the rendezvous point. Only one crate beamed with me and my Ranger suit appears to be missing as well. I don’t know…” 

I cut myself off as the uncertainty in my voice ebbed it’s way in. 

“I’ll make it work. The air here is breathable, so the suit won’t be necessary for the completion of this mission. The crate that is missing has the shelter in it. Also unnecessary given the breathable atmosphere. If you can hear this, I would like a replacement shelter sent as soon as possible though, so I have somewhere safe to stay that is out of the elements. I can always fashion myself a shelter though using the crafting station.” 

I set the map back in my bag as I turned around to face the clearing. 

“I am ready for the rest of my supplies, Star Command. You may beam them down now.”

I let go of the button on the comm link and waited.

But nothing appeared.

I hopped up onto the supply crate and sat there, waiting.

But nothing appeared. 

I lounged on the crate and stared up at the slowly setting sun.

And still nothing appeared. 

After an obscene amount of timing waiting, I finally sat up and let out a very loud sigh.

‘I guess, I really am alone.’  

I lifted up the comm device and hit the button reserved for notes and mission logs as my hand began to tremble slightly.

“Alex MacLane mission log. Day one on Planet Mojang. I am to remain on Mojang for one hundred of the planet’s days. I am to try and see if the planet is hospitable…” 

I let out a small sigh. 

“…which it is. Though it is unclear yet if it is livable in the long term. I will need to see if the planet has extractable resources that Star Command can use and, if I am able, try to see if there is intelligent life here as well.” 

I tenderly patted the crate below me. 

“Only one crate has beamed down to the planet with me. Luckily the resources inside will hopefully keep me alive for the hundred days. A lot of things will need to be resourced, but that shouldn’t be a problem with the crafting station and my other tools.”

I jumped off of the crate and began walking around the small clearing. 

“I can definitively confirm Mojang is habitable as I am able to survive without my oxygenated helmet and protective suit. I’m not sure why my suit didn’t transport with me, but at least I have some of the gear I’ll need to complete my mission.”

I stared up at the sky as the blue gave way to hues of oranges and reds.

“After one hundred days, I will return to the rendezvous point and be beamed back to Star Command to review my findings and figure out a plan moving forward.”

I breathed in the crisp air and closed my eyes, enjoying the serene calmness. For just a brief moment I imagined I was back in the Sol system. Maybe in one of the forests on the Mars colony or standing in a meadow on Titan. Even the sound of rushing water made me think of the beaches on Europa. 

‘But nothing will ever replace Terra.’ I listened to the delicate music of the wind. ‘I miss Terra.’ 

When I opened my eyes, I let out a small shriek as I was now face to face with a woolen creature. 

‘A sheep!’  

I instinctively reached up for my laser on my wrist, only to realize I still didn’t have my exploration suit on. It didn’t seem to matter much though as the sheep, unfazed by my sudden movements, walked past me without a second thought to continue grazing on the grass surrounding us. I whipped around, trying to pull myself from the shock of the confrontation. 

“Alex MacLane, Space Ranger, Universal Exploration Unit,” I said to the creature as I extended my hand to it. 

It stared up at me for only a second or two before walking away as if chewing on the grass was vastly more important. I quickly grabbed my Ranger bag and brought out my universal translator before I slung my bag on my back and ran back over to the sheep. I pushed the translate button just as it let out a long baaing sound in my direction. 

“Language unknown,” the translator said back to me in its mechanical voice. 

I flipped the switch to translate back into the unknown language the sheep was using. “Alex MacLane, Space Ranger, Universal Exploration Unit.”

The sheep didn’t even look back as the translator let out a long series of baas in its direction. I let out another long sigh before I put the translator back in my bag and pulled out my comms. 

“Alex MacLane mission log. I found a sheep-like creature near the rendezvous point, but it doesn’t appear to be able to intelligently communicate in any fashion. I doubt it is intelligent.”

Just then I heard a loud mooing sound and saw a cow that was about my height wandering through the trees. I began following it through the trees with no luck trying to communicate with it as well. Once we were out into a greater meadowy area, I nearly dropped my translator as I saw a small herd of cows this one seemed to be ambling towards. On top of a small hill nearby I saw a black polka-dotted mother horse playing with her foal. Near a small stream, a couple chickens were pecking through the water for something tasty to eat. 

‘Life…there’s life here…’  

I grabbed my comms again.

“Alex MacLane mission log. This area of Mojang appears to be teeming with potential livestock.” 

I could see the sun’s last rays as it dipped below the hill where the horses were. I walked up to each animal in turn and tried to communicate with them with no luck. After bending down and trying to communicate with the chickens, I stood fully upright again.

“I tried to communicate with all the animals I encountered, but none were capable of intelligent conversation. They all treated me with indifference, so either they refuse to communicate or they have never been in contact with a humanoid before through domestication or hunting. Either way…” 

I glanced down at the chicken near my feet. 

“It doesn’t appear like I’ll be going hungry any time soon.” 

I slowly made my way back into the trees to get back to the rendezvous point when I heard a moan through the trees. I quickly turned in that direction and saw a bipedal humanoid shambling towards me. They wore clothes that appeared to be severely tattered and worn and their skin had a mossy tint to it that made them look green in complexion. From what I could see from how far away I was, they didn’t have any hair or fur that visibly covered them.

“Alex MacLane, Space Ranger, Universal Exploration Unit,” I said aloud as the humanoid continued to shamble towards me. Speaking to it only made the person move faster in my direction. 

‘This…doesn’t look good.’

I fumbled for my translator and brought it out, making sure to catch its moans, so it could decipher what language it was using. 

“Language unknown,” was all my translator said. I relayed my same message translating back using its same moans and groans, but there was no recognition once the translation went out, it just kept shuffling closer and closer. 

Once it was close enough, I held out my hands, the universal sign that I was unarmed and was peaceful.

‘Dang, I wish I had my space suit right about now. At least then I could have some protection. Hopefully this will be enough.’  

The creature completely ignored my sign though and kept coming closer and closer, moaning as it did until it was only two meters away, then one. 

‘Years of training at the Academy, they always told us never to back down, hold your ground, never show fear. But…I don’t…think this is going to end well. And I don’t have a weapon on me.’

The creature bridged the gap between us with its outstretched hands and hit me with its arms, sending me backwards by about a meter, landing me squarely on my butt on the soft grass of the forest floor.

I quickly jumped back up and took a more defensive stance as the humanoid continued to approach, its hands outstretched like it had before.

“I am Space Ranger MacLane of Star Command!” I yelled at it. “You will stop your assault immediately or I will have no other choice than to use force!” 

It kept shambling towards me with zero recognition of my words until it was just before me once more. When it reached for me this time though, I grabbed its arm and flung it over me, so it would land squarely on its back. This only seemed to momentarily faze it as it gnashed its teeth and tried to get itself upright. I quickly flipped it over and pinned it to the ground, so it couldn’t continue its assault. My pulse pounded and my breaths came out shallow and ragged.

“You will stop this assault this instant or I will be forced to detain you for my own safety,” I told it as I began rummaging through my bag, looking for the rope that I was sure I saw at the bottom of it. I quickly cut a small section of it and bound its arms together, so it would at least be detained. 

I took several frantic breaths as I tried to push my adrenaline back down, then I brought out my comm.

“Alex MacLane mission log.” 

I stared at the creature that was bound on the ground in front of me. Its teeth kept gnashing and chomping at my feet near its head. 

“I found a possible humanoid, but it appears to be incredibly hostile. Will continue and try to calm it down so I can establish communication at a–”

Just then I heard it in the trees behind me.

‘Another moan.’  

I whirled around only to see another creature like this one ambling towards me. This time I did begin to back away from it and towards the clearing behind me. 

As I backed away, I said “I mean no harm and will free your companion if you–”  The new creature passed by its fallen comrade though, giving it no attention or consideration as it continued to shamble in my direction. I was about to grab something from my bag when another moan rang out to my left, but this one was much louder, closer. I ducked just as another one of the same creatures tried to swipe for my head. I crashed to the ground and saw that there wasn’t just three of the creatures in front of me, but five, in fact, that had come from different directions. 

‘Nope, we’re not doing this today,’ I thought as I bolted towards the clearing of the rendezvous point. 

By the time I made it to the clearing I could hear the moans from all around. Before any of the creatures emerged into the clearing though, I quickly scaled the tallest and sturdiest tree near me. By the time I was out of arms’ reach on a high branch, several of the humanoids approached the tree and reached up to me, but I was too far away now.

I watched them with a high amount of fear and a small amount of fascination as it dawned on me. 

‘They can’t climb the tree.’

I watched as their mouths gnashed and moaned out. They hit the tree over and over with feeble effort, but none of them could get to me. This kept up for over an hour with no signs of stopping. Finally I pulled off my bag and rechecked my inventory. 

‘I do have a small knife in here, but I wouldn’t be able to use it on all of them. Likewise, I have rope, but I wouldn’t be able to detain them all either. I could try a fire with my flint and steel, but I would rather not damage the rendezvous point if I can help it. Other than that…” I hung my head down. ‘I don’t really have a whole lot of other options, but to wait them out.’ I put my bag up against the bough of the branch I was on and leaned against it, getting myself as comfy as I could be. 

While the creatures below me continued to moan and reach and hit, I stared up at the full moon as it crested the horizon. There was a small amount of peace in that too as I grabbed the locket from around my neck. I glanced down at Andi’s picture and smiled as a small tear fell down on it. After another moment or two, I pulled out my comm again. 

“Alex MacLane personal log.”

 I shut my eyes as I felt my tears begin to fall now. 

“My dear, sweet Andi. I know you didn’t want me to come. I know this is a suicidal mission, but I had to.” 

I paused for a moment and took a steadying breath. 

“I still hear their screams at night and I know there was more I could have done to save them. They may be gone, wiped from existence, but it doesn’t change that feeling of guilt, regret. There are people here, there has to be, and if I can save them…” 

The moans of the creatures continued below me. 

“…then maybe I’ll finally be free of these nightmares. Maybe it’ll be enough.” 

I opened my eyes and looked up at the night sky as all the stars twinkled above me. 

“I will come home to you, Andi. I promise you that. I love you more than all the stars in the galaxy.” 

Chapter Text

Day 2

When I opened my eyes again, dawn’s light had finally crested the horizon. I hadn’t slept all night though. 

‘And I doubt I will until I find somewhere safe in this Hellscape, but at least I was able to rest my eyes for a little while.’  

A groan echoed out through the clearing. I slowly lifted up my head from where it had rested on my arms, carefully unfurling myself in the process. 

‘Would hate to fall out of this tree.’  

I glanced down below me and saw two of the green, humanoid creatures still trying to claw their way up to me; arms outstretched, mouths chomping and moaning, never tiring, never stopping.

‘At least a few of them got bored and wandered away.’ More groans echoed in the distance, disturbing what would have been a beautiful morning. ‘They’re not far though.’ I let out a sigh. ‘I need a plan’

I held up my hand, my knuckles white from holding the knife. ‘I wish I had something better.’ The crate on the ground was in eyesight, but on the other side of the clearing. ‘If I can reach it, I might be able to craft a better weapon.’ 

My eyes drifted back down to my captive audience. ‘But I won’t get far with them on my heels.’ Another groan echoed through the forest. ‘And even if I dispatch them, there’s always the ones waiting in the shadows. I don’t know if I’d be able to craft a weapon quick enough…’  

I set the blade in my lap and flexed the muscles in my hand; the tingling sensation working its way up my entire arm. ‘I do also have my excavation tools too, but I don’t want to use them as weapons unless I have to.’ Another moan. A snapped twig. Mandibles gnashing and chomping. Gnarly hands grasping upwards, unrelenting. ‘I might not have a choice.’

I grabbed my small knife and straightened up fully, my spine popping as I did. ‘And I didn’t grab any rations from the crate before I left. I’ll starve if I try and wait them out. I could maybe hold out here for another day or two, but by then I might be too weak to fight them off. I’m better off trying to take care of them now while I still have the strength to do so.’ 

After a bit of finagling, I readjusted the straps of my Ranger bag and slowly began to climb down the branches. The rays of the sun seemed to follow my descent. I made it down to the lowest branch that I could while still remaining out of their grasp and crouched down. I pulled the distress beacon from my pocket and hit the record button on the comms. 

“Alex MacLane mission log, Day two on Planet Mojang.”

My eyes met the hollow voids of the creature just below me as it tried to reach me in vain. 

“The humanoids I encountered earlier appear to be Terran-like in nature, but like many of the fauna on this planet, seem to be devoid of any rational thought or self preservation.”

I reached my hand that held the blade all the way to my left and then to my right, but the empty nothingness I saw in its eyes never wavered or shifted. 

“These…mon– These hostile life forms have been trying to attack me for hours without end…”

Dark green ooze was gushing out of small cuts and tears the creature had all over its arms from where it had endlessly bashed into the tree that had been housing me. 

“…to the detriment of their own health.”

The handle of my knife felt warm in my hand as I tightened my grip. ‘It’s now…or death…’ I secured my footing and made sure that the other creature was far enough away that it couldn’t get to me right away once the one in front of me had been dealt with. I raised my comms one last time.

“I am going to try to get my supplies now. If this device is found–”

Before I could finish my message, the creature directly in front of me burst fully into flames. 

“Holy shit!” I yelled as I scrambled up the tree as fast as I could. I turned my head just in time to see the other one also alight, both still desperately clawing at my tree haven. “How the f–” My head whipped back to the first one, its flames at least a half meter above its head. “They’re going to bring the whole tree down!”

I sheathed my knife and prepared to jump. ‘It’ll hurt, but at least I won’t be roasted alive.!’ I tried to calm my breathing and count down, but before I got to one, the fire was gone and the ceaseless moaning had stopped. 

My breath caught in my throat as I looked over the many branches between me and the creatures, but there was nothing there besides two smoldering lumps on the grass below the tree. I listened, but heard nothing through the forest. It sounded empty when only a few minutes ago it was a cacophony of disjointed moans and groans. 

‘It can’t be empty…’ I murmured to myself as I let out my shaky breath. ‘There were so many.’  

I slowly made my way down the tree again and, with each new branch reached, I would listen for any sign of life, but it was as silent as a funeral. When I reached the lowest branch once more, I stared down at the lump below me where the creature had been. ‘Could that…be it?’ I pulled out my comms from where I had shoved it in my pocket.

“Communication log update. The two creatures that had actively been trying to attack, they…” I continued to hold the button down, as I stared at the lump. “…they spontaneously combusted. There is no accelerant visible or any nearby culprit. I will have to investigate further to find the source of the ignition.” 

I glanced around the clearing once more, but it was still vacant. I gripped the branch tightly before slowly lowering my body down to ground level. All was still and quiet. ‘I don’t know which one’s more disturbing: the cacophony or the silence…’ I had landed close enough to the first lump, so I bent down to get a closer look. 

“Where the creatures had been standing are now lumps of what look to be…” I picked up a stick and poked the charred, dark green substance and ooze seeped out of it where the stick had made contact. “…burnt flesh. The fire happened so quickly and it looks like it was snuffed out just as quickly.” I used the stick and nudged the flesh pile one way or another, but it didn’t move. “The piles of flesh don’t respond to outside stimuli and are generally unresponsive.” My face scrunched slightly as the smell of it finally wafted up to me. “I think I can thoroughly conclude…” I glanced at the other pile of flesh a couple of meters from me and it appeared to be in the same state. “…the creatures have expired.”

‘But how?’ I reached out and moved my hand over the grass where the creature had been standing. ‘Slightly warm, but not for how intense the fire had been.’ I craned my neck to look up at my tree haven, but the only mark on the wood itself was from where the creatures had clawed into it. I stood up and walked over to the other side of the tree where the other creature had been. 

“Although extremely hot and destructive, the fire seems to be localized…to just these creatures, adding further evidence to my spontaneous combustion theory.”

The sigh that escaped my lips felt almost deafening in the encroaching silence. 

“Guess I’ll go take inventory again” I began walking across the clearing to my crate of supplies. “And maybe rustle up some breakfast.” 

A moan finally broke the silence as I neared the crate. I paused and listened, fearing taking even a breath would send another horde at me once more. After another moment or two, another moan quietly echoed to my right. I felt a chill run up my skin and all the way down to my shaky hands. ‘And here I thought I finally had luck on my side.’ I unsheathed my knife and crouched down before I began to carefully follow the sounds of my lone counterpart. 

I had passed many trees before sudden movement on my periphery to my right made me jump and nearly slam into a nearby tree. I shakily held my knife, ready to strike, when I saw a large black and white cow pass by a fallen log, directly behind it was a baby cow that was softly mooing after its mom. 

Just as softly, I said, “So they didn’t eat the nearby fauna. They were…just after me.”

Another moan echoed much closer to my left, pulling me back to my original task. I continued to follow its call through the trees until I neared the edge of the forest and there it was…

‘Exactly where I left it.’  

Before me, laying against the moss covered forest floor, was the same creature I had tied up with rope. As I approached, it continued to try and pull against its restraints. Its moans became louder and more needful as it saw me. Though I had tied it where its clothes were, it had shifted and writhed so much that the rope had begun to dig into its exposed, green biceps. Dark green ooze covered the rope where it hugged its skin. 

“Such a pitiful creature,” I whispered as I crouched down in front of it. Now that I was closer though, I saw a slight amount of smoke emanating from it, but only near its feet. 

“I managed to find one of the creatures alive,” I said into my comms. “It was the same one I had managed to restrain early. I don’t…I don’t know why this one didn’t catch fire, but there is a small amount of smoke coming off of it. The only thing near it is…sunlight…”

I pocketed my distress beacon once more and stood up. I glanced back into the woods, but there was nothing there. I turned back and looked past the creature and into the nearby meadow. There were now several animals up and about in the morning light. 

“Bees, chickens, even a…pig, but not you.” I looked back at the creature, its pure black eyes staring only at me. “One sole purpose…violence.” I tipped my head slightly as we continued to stare at one another. “You won’t stop, will you?” A groan was all it gave as a reply. 

The morning light was just on the cusp of its muddy boots and smoke continued to waft through the still air. My eyes drifted back from its boots to its eyes. 

“On Terra,” I began to say to the creature, “there are legends of creatures, Terrans, who have died and have come back to life.” Its fingers endlessly reached for me, though it was still securely bound. “Their sole purpose is to infect others, turn them into creatures like them. They are violent, thoughtless, and…relentless.” The creature gnashed its teeth as a moan left its throat. “I thought they were only a story until now. But here you are…” I sheathed my knife and stood up. “...a zombie.” 

I glanced once more at the sunlight as it nipped at the creature’s heels. 

“There were several ways the Terrans recommended dealing with your kind, but I’m guessing one of them is more effective than the others.” I looked back in its direction. “Let’s put it to the test.” 

I grabbed the rope that bound it and, with great effort, pulled the zombie upright. It tugged and twisted, trying to break from its restraints, but my grip on it was stronger. I guided it with extreme force to the edge of the woods, its boots smoking more as they broached the edge of the light.

“If you had been cognizant at any point in your existence, please find peace in death.” 

I pushed the creature out into the full sunlight and it instantly caught fire, bursting into flames as the other two had done before it. It fell to the meadow surface and continued to writhe and struggle as it was consumed. Its mouth opened, but instead of a scream like I expected, a silent sound left its lips as its lungs collapsed. My eyes met its eyes, but even in an all consuming death, it didn’t show pain or fear, just an endless yearning. 

I continued to watch it as the fire took its body whole. In less than a minute, it had been reduced down to nothing, but a mound of smoldering flesh. Even my rope could not escape the fire’s destruction. The forest was quiet once more, save for the soft animal noises that radiated through the meadow. I brought out my communication device and held it up to my lips.

“The humanoid creatures are zombies.” I looked away from the fleshy mound. “Sunlight destroys them.” I swallowed hard as I tried to calm my heart down. “Further tests are required to see if that is their only weakness.”

Chapter Text

Day 2 (cont.)

As dawn’s light continued to shine over Planet Mojang, I made my way back to the clearing I had teleported to. 

‘My new home for the next ninety nine days.’

Once in the clearing, I gazed at the scorched grass and meat chunks that lay near the large tree across the way. I quickly looked away as a shudder ran through my body. 

“If I’m going to stay here, I’m going to need a shelter.” I turned my attention towards the crate of supplies. “Preferably before more of their buddies show up.” I glanced at the items next to it, my eyes finally resting on the crafting station. “And without the collapsible oxygenated shelter in the other crate, I’m going to have to build one.”

I sat in front of the near cubic, metal piece of equipment and booted up the flat screen interface.

‘Now hopefully I can remember how to use this thing.’

With a bright flash, the station came to life and the display rested on the home screen.

‘Not that these things are supposed to be terribly hard to work,’ I let out a sigh, ‘I’ve just never used them before…or at least one of the newer models. Hopefully it’ll be less pyro prone.’

I clicked on the Craft setting and was brought to a whole new page that resembled more of a catalogue of sorts.

‘From what they told me in training, you can put up to a cubic meter of raw material into the opening of this and the machine will be able to craft things using that.’

I sat up on my knees and pressed the button on top that opened the meter-wide, metal hatch. Inside it was empty, but it looked like it could indeed fill a cubic meter of materials in it. I glanced around the clearing.

“Raw materials, huh?” I mumbled, before my eyes finally rested on my Ranger bag next to me. “Nothing more raw than dirt.” I unhooked the latrine shovel from the side of the bag and reassembled the pole before I stood up and began to unearth a large heap of dirt. When I had what I guessed to be about a meter’s worth, I began dumping it into the station, making sure to fill it without going too much over or too much under. Once finished, the lid slid shut and a message popped up on the screen.

“Cannot complete action. Heartbeat detected.”

“Heartbeat detected?! What do you mean ‘Heartbeat detected’?!” I quickly pushed the hatch open and glared inside. “There’s nothing in here, but dirt!” The lid slid shut once more.

“Cannot complete action. Heartbeat detected.”

“You piece of shit!” I yelled a little too aggressively. “There is nothing in here, but…” It was then that a small, fleshy body wriggled its way to the surface. “…worms.” My head fell down as my voice lowered to near a whisper. “Of course there are worms on this planet too. Why wouldn’t there be?”

The next several minutes I spent meticulously sifting through the machine, pulling out every insect I could find until I had a nice pile on the grass below, though they quickly fled once the opportunity arose. I wiped my brow before I pushed the button and the lid closed once more.

“DIRT detected. Here are the items that can be crafted using the material, DIRT.”

Below the message was only one item.

“Dirt…” My lip curled slightly as I glanced down at my dirt-caked Ranger uniform. “No, really? I had no idea that dirt would make dirt!”

I pushed the button anyways and, after a couple of seconds, the machine gave a soft ding and the lid slid open. Inside was a ten centimeter cube of dirt. I carefully lifted it out and was relieved it still held its cubed shape.

“Hard to believe this machine can compress something to one one-thousandth its original size.” I stared at it a moment longer. “It’s heavier than I thought…dense.”

I turned it around in my hand until I saw the little red button on it that lay in the center of one of the sides.

“There you are.”

With a small smile, I turned away from the machine and took several steps into the clearing before setting the dirt cube down on the grass. I pressed the button on it twice in quick succession before backing away slightly to allow it to decompress. Within the span of a blink of an eye, the small cube was now a cubic meter in size, but retained its same shape.

“A cube…”

I walked around the shape, inspecting it as I did so. Although the object itself felt very unnatural.

“It’s going to be my key in surviving this beautiful hellscape though.”

I brushed a few loose and frayed strands of sun-kissed bronze hair away from my face and kept checking the cube until I found it again.

“The button that compresses it and decompresses it.”

I found it in relatively the same spot on the cube, but its size had not changed and was dwarfed by the object it was attached to.

“Helpful if I ever need to move it.” I let out a sigh as I rested my hand on my hip. “Going to need a lot more of these if I’m going to build a shelter.” I nudged the dirt cube with my foot and small flecks of earth fell down. “Probably going to want to build it outta something stronger though.”

I walked away from the strange shape and came back to the crafting station, kneeling just in front of it, so I didn’t have to bend over. I clicked on the crafting icon on the station’s screen once more and a more detailed list popped up with six options.

“Raw materials that almost every habitable planet has.” I sneered once more as I looked at option one. “Dirt. Of course there’s dirt.” I glanced over at the cube. “Unless the computer added it to the list after I cubified it.” I shrugged slightly before looking at the list. “Wood…mhm. Stone…makes sense. Metal, minerals…” My eyebrow raised slightly. “Textiles?” I hit the button for it, but there was nothing in the catalogue for it. “Cool.” Another sigh. “So much for changing my threads any time soon.”

I glanced at the blank screen for far longer than I had intended before the thought that had been brewing under the surface finally made itself known. 

“Most planets have some form of textile capacity, but they all vary in what can be made into textiles.”

A soft bleat echoed through the nearby trees, reminding me of how unalone I actually was.

“Luckily for me, this planet has sheep…for some reason.” I chuckled ever so slightly. “A shelter made entirely of wool cubes is kinda ridiculous though, so let’s go back to something a little more reasonable.”

I backtracked to the options and clicked on wood instead and groaned when that category was also empty.

“Guess, I’m gonna have to do some experimenting.”

My eyes glanced over to the box next to me. 

“Is a thought, but I’d rather keep it for storage.” 

Then I shifted my gaze upwards at the tree directly behind the crafting station. An exhausted sigh escaped from my lips before I rolled my shoulders and my neck. I stood up fully and my bones creaked in their exhaustion.

“Why’d I think a suicide mission would be easy?”

I grabbed the axe from where it rested, the weight of it familiar in my hands. I walked around the clearing, and found a tree that would be tall enough, but not so wide that it would need to be trimmed down to fit in the crafting station. After I had cut out a notch in the tree facing the clearing, I went to the back of it.

‘Five hits.’ My eyes drifted down to the metal tool that had traveled with me through the vast expanses of space. ‘The best Star Command has to offer…let’s get to work.’

I hoisted the axe back and let out a calming breath, preparing my muscles for the eventual reverberation. With one heavy swing, the blade met the bark of the tree, sending a shockwave not only through my body, but also through the very air, slicing through the silence of the woods.

With each whack, the quiet around me was shattered, but sure enough, after five strong hits, the tree and I were both groaning and I backed away from its path of entropy. Gravity won out and the old giant aggressively crashed into the clearing.

I took in a sharp breath and listened, the pounding of my own heart a minor distraction. There were no groans or shuffling of underbrush. The silence had been restored and I let out my shaky breath. I walked around the fallen behemoth and finally took stock of my yield.

“Fourteen…no, fifteen usable meters.” I leaned against my axe and gazed up.

‘Sun’s farther on its rotation than I’d like.’ I wiped my brow with my arm and looked back at the downed tree. ‘It’s half of a universal day. Gonna have to work twice as hard then.’

I spent the next several minutes stripping the tree of its branches, then I chopped the log into meter chunks, fifteen sections like I had thought.

I was in the process of rolling one of these logs to the crafting station when something skittered quickly through the trees in front of me. My hand slipped in that brief moment and I face planted straight into the semi-soft grass below. 

I could hear the skittering now and I scrambled to get back to my feet, only to see a large, black mass scampering towards me. My head whipped around to look for my axe, realizing too late that I had propped it against the crate and this creature was between me and my only available weapon.

There was no time for anything else, but to take several steps backwards. It was moving too quickly to be able to outrun it, so with only a couple seconds to spare, I raised up my arms to block the incoming attack.

But nothing happened.

After a few seconds of waiting, my wild eyes gazed down at the intruder and slowly widened once I realized what it was.

‘A spider! A really freaking enormous spider!’

The black arachnid had stopped a couple meters away from me and, since it only came up to my waist, it was staring up at me with eight, beady red eyes. It made soft chittering noises as we observed each other.

‘We definitely don’t have anything like you near Terra.’

I slowly lowered my hands after a minute or two passed. And then, just like that, it scampered around me, giving itself a wide birth, and continued on its path through the forest. I stared at its retreating form for longer than I would have likely ever wanted to admit to, picked up my jaw from where it metaphorically hung, and walked back over to the log I had been pushing.

I was finally able to finish rolling all the logs over to the crafting station, with several small breaks in between to look over my shoulder for any more giant arachnids. And then my stomach growled so loudly I thought I was in the presence of a Terran bear.

With a deep sigh, I stretched my arms and back, relishing in the small joint pops, then walked the short distance to the supplies crate. My face dropped slightly with disappointment when I saw the pouches of food that had been packed.

“Only thirty…ten days worth.” I picked one up and inspected the label. “Chicken Alfredo, my…favorite.” I glanced over at the liter-sized bottles of water next to it and pulled one out as well. “Only ten.” Another heavier sigh. “At least these ones can be refilled and filtered.”

When I sat down on a nearby log to enjoy my prepackaged sustenance, a rooster perched itself on another log, the farthest one away from me. I gave it a few side glances before twisting off the cap to my food and taking the first swig of lumpy, nutrition-packed sludge.

“Yup,” I gave a small grimace, “definitely the way mama used to make it.”

The rooster mocked me with a loud crow. My eyes slanted in its direction as I took another swig.

“Can always make it from scratch.”

Once my “food” break was finished, I got back to work by heaving one of the logs up the side of the crafting station and into the machine itself. When the lid slid shut, another message popped up onto the screen.

“WOOD, OAK detected. Here are the items that can be crafted using the material, WOOD, OAK.”

Like before with the dirt, there was only one option, but unlike dirt making dirt, it looked like wood made planks.

“And four of them at that. Helpful.” I glanced at my axe, before looking back at the screen. “I would like to not become a part-time lumberjack.”

I pressed the crafting button and pulled out the four miniature cubes that looked like slated planks of wood. I brought them over to the dirt cube I had made before and rested one on top. I double clicked the button on this one and, just as instantly, a much larger version of the planked cube was in its place. But not only did it rest there without falling apart, but it was perfectly lined up with the block underneath it. I briefly inspected it, but it seemed more than structurally sound.

“More than I can say for you,” I said to the dirt block below before I gave it one passive aggressive kick. Unfortunately, my kick was a little too aggressive as the entire cube completely crumbled into a pile on the grass. I rolled out of the way of the crashing wooden block now that it didn’t have anything holding it up.

But nothing happened.

The grass caught my fall as I tumbled and when I turned back to look at what had caught the wooden cube, I could only stare in complete bewilderment.

The wooden block was suspended in midair.

With a heavy amount of struggle, I got back onto my feet, then hesitantly pulled out the distress beacon and hit the button for comms.

“Communication log update on day two on Planet Mojang.” I started down at the dirt pile and then back up at the free-floating block. “I remember most of what was taught about the new crafting station.” I waved my hand under it, but still it did not move. “I don’t remember our instructors saying anything about it producing antigravity creations.”

I walked around the block, tapped on it, nudged it, flicked it, and finally pushed on it, but it refused to budge. My efforts caused minor scratches and minuscule dents on the surface, but otherwise it remained unscathed.

“I know the Protection Unit claims to be able to fly, but they ain’t got nothing on this.”

I pressed the small button on the wooden cube, causing it to instantly shrink into its miniature size and drop onto the dirt pile below.

“More like falling with style”

I pushed my copper-tinted braid out of my face as I picked up the cube. With a new sense of intrigue I began to experiment with the new feature, but no matter what configuration, including placing it adjacent to a block with nothing underneath it, it still stayed put.

After a weary glance at the midday sky, I began to work with a little more urgency. I first came up with a shelter design, a five meter by five meter layout.

‘And since the zombies couldn’t climb higher than about two meters,’ I thought as I lugged another log into the crafting station. ‘I will make my shelter three meters high.’ I pressed the craft button, then took out the four mini wooden blocks, to continue building. I glanced at the remaining two logs. ‘Will need fifty-seven blocks. Good thing that tree had just enough.’ I glanced at the forest. ‘Would hate to waste all my daylight on chopping trees.’

The sun was just beginning to set by the time I had my shelter mostly constructed. I lit one of my torches and stepped into the shelter. My crate and crafting station were on one side and my sleeping bag was on the other.

After the torch was secured to the wall, I dug out the final two cubes I would need to finish off the front wall when a twig snapped in the woods close to the clearing. A moan echoed out just as I pressed the button for the bottom block. I saw the creature, the zombie, emerge with one more close behind it.

I placed the second mini cube in its spot, but before I could push the button, green, gnarly hands were reaching through the opening, but the zombies themselves were too big and too uncoordinated to make it all the way through the gap.

Completely frozen in my spot, I stared as yellow teeth gnashed and void black eyes hungered. They would never stop.

‘Not until the sun burns them to ash…’

I exhaled a shaky breath before I plunged forward, pressing the small cube’s button before the zombies could grab me. The decompressed cube filled the space entirely, pushing out my voracious attackers.

I stood in complete silence as I listened to the banging, and scratching, and gnashing, and moaning. It really was ceaseless, but still, my shelter endured.

After I catalogued the rest of my day's findings into the communication log, I walked over to my sleeping bag and got in. With a deep sigh, I glanced over at the crate next to me.

‘Could have slept in there, for added protection I guess, but I think it would feel like a coffin.’ 

I got more comfortable in my bag on the grass-soft earth and stared up through the one opening I had left in the middle of the ceiling. I gazed in wonder at the night sky before I hit the comms button once more.

“Alex MacLane personal log.”

I smiled for the first time that day, though it felt heavy and strained against my lips.

“My dear, sweet Andi, despite this planet’s efforts, I’m not dead yet. Even though the neighbors aren’t really that welcoming, it’s not all bad, I guess.”

The softness of the bag was warm and inviting, my ragged body almost instantly melting into it from exhaustion alone.

“It’s not the same without you though. We traveled the stars together.” 

The starlight overhead distorted slightly as I blinked away a stray tear.

“I’d like to think that you are at one of the ones I can see right now.” 

I pulled the sleeping bag close and imagined for a moment that it was her arms wrapped around me, holding me tight, keeping me safe.

“Andi…” I whispered out. “I love you more than all of them combined. I…” 

My voice cracked and I could no longer contain my tears. I dropped the distress beacon and rolled over onto my side. The sound of my quiet sobs intermixed with the moans and wails in that clearing almost seamlessly.