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TAERIC

“WARNING WARNING WARNING!” the computer blasts, the ship flashing red. I urgently flip switches and press buttons, trying to stabilize the ship.

The screen continues to blare at me, letting me know that nothing I am doing is helping. A loud thunk joins the chaos as my hand slams down onto the dashboard. My fingers rake through my hair.

Five long years...“Those damn Veliqux, I would kill you all over again if I could,” I growled under my breath as I clenched my jaw. They had hoped to wipe out our race from the base. No females, no new generations to worry about. Those sick bastards even seemed to take pleasure in the pain that they had felt before they died. Curses fell from my lips as I continued to do whatever I could to stabilize the ship. I still have a mission. The metal of my Kosar flashed my eyes, and I grabbed it from around my neck, clenching it, the ends of the crescent digging into my palm.

Almost every able-bodied male readily signs up to help the search for females once they reach the age of 20, and I had been one of them, but it is not enough. We are running out of hope, and hopelessness kills quicker than illness.

“Computer, damage report.”

“Damage Critical. Emergency landing suggested,” the screen replies in a methodical and monotonous voice.

I cursed the asteroid belt that had come out of nowhere under my breath. Shaking my head angrily, I turn to the array of screens again. “Where is the nearest habitable planet?”

“The nearest habitable planet is,” it pauses as it scans the database, “Earth.”

Earth? I have never heard of that. I pull open the planet’s history and run my hand through my hair again, propping my elbow on the dashboard. “Requesting emergency landing.” I flip through Earth’s records. Nothing stands out besides the fact that they seemed to have an affinity for wars within their own species, practically wiping themselves out with the last one. They have not even come into contact with another race yet.

“Configuring emergen-” THUNK!

The ship rocks as another asteroid hits the side. I fall to the ground, my head slamming into the corner of the dashboard. I hold my head in my hand, rubbing the spot.

“Computer, report!” I shout frantically, making sure that the emergency landing is still on track.

“Emergency landing in progress, jumping to hyperspace now.” I scramble to get back into my seat as the ship jumps through space at the speed of light.

The ship slows down, and I look out the window. “Ready for descent.” The small blue planet seems peaceful, swirling clouds filling the atmosphere.

“Descent stabilizers broken,” the computer replies flatly.

“Broken!?”

“Readying for descent now.”

Then the ship starts falling. Falling very, very fast towards an unknown blue planet. I grip the handle and let out a string of curses before praying that I survive the crash.