The pyramid-thing didn't roar. It just took a breath. It somehow could tell the thing in front of it was insukting it.
From the hollows in its carcass came a wet, rasping sound that turned into a chorus of tiny, insectile clicks. The white gas puffed from the holes like sighs, each puff carrying the scent of iron and rot. The multi-jointed legs flexed in a desecrated ballet; they weren't legs so much as folding spears, each foot ending in a disk that smeared the black grass into slick stains.
Rolan spat. His plastic pistol felt ludicrous in his hand. This was the most generic and mass-produced piece in his part of the dominion. Regardless of that, he had to shoot the thing, and he did.
Splat!
The creature was hit as the laser made a small hole in the bump on its head. Small amounts of green blood burn out. The creature, however, was unfazed. It sped up as its legs moved in an eerily fast manner.
"Shit!" Rolan cursed as he ran straight toward the creature. He wasn't going to run away like a coward, not like he could outrun this beast that was 3 times his height. He might as well go all out and attack it directly. If the laser gun did nothing, he had other plans.
As soon as the creature got within 3 feet of Rolan, it lunged its spear-like leg at him, probably hoping to turn him into a kebab. So Rolan jumped too while loosening his sleeve.
Slick!
A blade glowing a dull white and made of solid energy was created by a thin bracelet that hugged his wrist, almost invisible on a normal day. Rolan swung his blade and chopped the leg in half. Green blood spurted out and splashed him as he fell to the ground and rolled to land safely.
That mandatory military training really did help after all. Maybe I won't argue about it with grandpa next time. I should buy him something as thanks.
Roland smirked in pride as he remembered how his grandpa had forced him to undergo training with the squad of his military buddies. He had tossed a bag over his head when he was sleeping at 4 am one day, and then left him at the camp unprepared. Those oldies had made him train like a horse for 3 months before he was deployed on his first terraforming task. Whenever he goes home for a break, this grandpa makes sure to kidnap him every time so he stays on his toes.
Screee!
The monster was passed as it made an ear-piercing noise from who knows what hole. Rolan certainly didn't know, and he didn't want to find out. Before the creature could react, he ran underneath its underbelly and started slicing up its legs.
Monster: All I wanted was an easy meal...
The creature made some more aggrieved noises before its thin legs, or what remained of it could no longer hold it up. It fell on its side. Its holes released more thin white gas. Rolan jumped on its pyramid body and started hacking away.
"I'm nobody's meal, you damn monster!" Rolan yelled as the monster just screamed in protest as it started to bleed out, its voice slowly fading. Meanwhile, Rolan just stood there, his white captain's suit marred by thick vomit green blood.
He looked at himself. Why does it look so much like my vomit from earlier!
It was a strange thing to care about, given that he needed to get out of this place. All he cares about right now is that he'll need to have this suit incinerated by the ship's boosters. And maybe a full scrub shower and decontamination were needed.
"At least it doesn't smell bad..." he said after sniffing himself.
He retracts the energy blade back into his bracelet and takes out a small smartphone device from his pocket. It contained a small AI interface that was built on a mini database of emergency protocols and information given to most people who worked away from the dominion's populated areas.
"Give the method to reopen the portal out of the Zantara Realm," he asked the AI, which quickly presented him with the data.
Given how common (1% of the population is quite common, you know) it was to be chosen by the Zantara Realm, it was well known that every chosen could open and close portals to their last locations between the realms at will. However, most people, when first dropped into the realm, didn't know how to get back. That's why the Sol Dominion's authorities created a common method to connect to your ability to control the portals.
*So I just hit myself in the abdomen with my full force a couple of times and then eat some soil?" Rolan was shocked at the absurdity of this method. "Which lunatic created this?"
The description was almost like some strange cult ritual. Like drink the blood of your enemies to join type shit. Then again, it wasn't his place to argue against the dominion's experts. So he did exactly as it said.
He kneeled on the ground. Punched himself in the guts a couple of times. Each time he writhed in pain as his stomach was still empty. He felt hungry, tired, and in pain. Then he touched the ground with his forehead and rubbed it against the soil. He opened his mouth and went for a big chomp of the dirt.
Only when he tasted the familiar flavor did he realize he had already eaten dirt and rubbed his face against the ground once, when the portal dropped him here.
Eating dirt twice in a day...if my brother saw this, he would mention it every day for the rest of my life.
Good thing his brother would never see this. And he wasn't going to tell anyone either.
Tick!
Something clicked in Rolan's mind as something foreign became instinct. Now, with just a thought, he could summon the portal back. He sighed in relief at the thought of being able to head back. He needed to petition for maximum paid leave after this debacle. He quickly summoned the portal, and the purple thing appeared once again; this time, it didn't seem to wiggle and squirm. It seemed lifeless and stable, as it should be.
After checking his surroundings one last time, he quickly memorized as many features as he could, and then he walked through the portal.
*****
Inside his quarters, Leira was pacing back and forth, her hair in disarray. Her face was pale, and her worries had flooded her expression. Her heart was pounding, and her throat was closing up from fear. She could barely breathe, being suffocated by he own thoughts. Her stomach felt like caving in, she wanted to curl into a ball, but she couldn't.
Zip!
Thankfully, the portal reopens as the room is lit up by its light. Leira looks toward the portal with a look of peace as Rolan exits. She sees his uniform slobbered in green liquid and breathes a sigh of relief. It's not his blood.
Without a care for the blood, Leira runs to Rolan and wraps him up in a tight hug as she buries her face into her chest.
Rolan was stunned at this spot. No training had ever taught him to deal with situations like these. Yes, he once dated a girl, but that relationship could hardly be considered normal.
"Leira, the blood-" he couldn't even finish before she hugged him even tighter and turned to face him. She looked up as the dam of stress from early broke free and poured out of her eyes.
"Sob..sob.. I'm glad you're okay!" She didn't say anything else. Rolan just shook his head and started patting her on the head.
"Sorry..." That's all he could really say, even though it's not his fault. He always knew that she saw him as more than just a boss or a friend. She had been at his side for the past twelve years. He would be as dense as a black hole if he didn't notice at some point.
After calming her down and placing her on his bed, he stared at her, covered in the same filthy blood as him, and eeked out a smile.
"Do you want to meet my parents?" he asked her softly. He would be lying if he didn't feel the same for Leira as she did for him. After all, he had once imagined what life would be like in later years, and he couldn't imagine one without her. After having the largest scare in his life, he has decided that he should take it to the next step.
His heart pounded strangely as he waited for his response. He was scared. He was scared that she might not be ready herself to move forward. But his worries were unfounded.
Leira tapped her fists onto his blood-covered chest and said, "It's about damn time. If you didn't ask me today. I would delete your leave applications for the rest of your life."
She joked about deleting his leave applications. If it were anyone else, I would make them clean the kitchen for months.
Rolan chuckled lightly as he hugged her. "Well then. Let's steer the ship back home."
"Hmm"
*****
Planet Juniper-K1 was an Earth-like planet which is surrounded by arrays of space stations, warships, and towering cargo ships. A veritable hub of operations for the expansive Mitra star sector. In one of its towering spires of glass and steel sat an old man with wrinkly skin and a goatee down to his chest. His eyes were sharp, and his gaze firm and filled with wisdom. His head still had sparse bits of thinning hair.
He wore a white military suit with colorful badges and medals adorning his left chest. He was sorting through hundreds of papers on his databad. He was having a normal day cycling through monotonous documents and sipping his favorite tea. That was until he came upon a strange request.
"Why is that kid already asking for a leave? He just left only 3 months ago." the old man murmured as he saw the familiar name on the document.
He quickly ran through the details on the document as his eyes started bulging. His face went from shock to confusion to joy. His withered face sported a kind smile that seemed to radiate bliss.
"Barney...your grandson has been chosen just as you hoped. I can't wait to see the look on your face." The old man smirked as he started laughing maniacally in his office.
"Are you okay, General Chen?" a young man, the old man's secretary, came in. The young man was stunned as he hadn't seen the old head this excited in forever. The last time was when his granddaughter was born.
"Hahaha! Bary, cancel all my schedules for the day. I'm heading to the Newstar residence." The man laughed as he got up from his chair. Entered 'approved' on the leave document for Rolan and then rushed out the door.
*****
One week later, a fleet of ships exited FTL (Faster than Light Travel). Then approached the planet and got past the guarding warships, who already knew of their arrival. The ships docked at their designated port as some miniature passenger pods approached them. They attached to the docked ships, and the crew from them boarded. The crew headed down to the spaceport on the surface.
Out of one of the pods came Rolan and Leira holding hands. A convoy of black cars waited for them. Even though it's been over 15 thousand years since hovercrafts were made, the energy demand is too costly. Land vehicles powered by the same amount of energy are so much more efficient and worth the money. In front of these vehicles was Rolan's family, his parents, siblings, and grandparents. He also saw General Chen, his direct superior at the Terraforming institute.