Leo Albin

3303 AD

T22386-Human Junkyard Planet

I rested against the seat, staring at the red illuminated door. My head was throbbing from being thrown around by the turbulence and my hands were cramped from trying hold on to a seat that was meant for 6ft+ alien hunters. The drop onto this planet had been vigorous and unforgiving to say the least.

A week ago I was bound and determined to regain my honor within the clan, and it took me forever to realize this, but I couldn't regain what I never had. Now I've committed an act of cowardice and slaughtered any chance of ever fitting in with the yautja. Stealing an escape pod from the clan who "accepted" me and a former friend of mine into their clan.

Not gonna say I'm proud of leaving, because I'm not. I have not only proven the human race to be as treacherous and deceitful as the hunters say, but I have proven myself to be a bad blood. Bad Blood in their terms mean criminal in ours. I have proven myself a criminal, a cowardly one at that, and will most likely be hunted by Arbiters, the law enforcement of their species.

The drop shuttle door opened with a slam, kicking dirt into the air. One breath of the planets air and I almost vomit. "2 week old rotting corpses smell better than this." I take my mask off my belt and put it on. After tapping a few buttons on my wrist gauntlet, the mask comes to life. The filtration system installed on my mask should help with the shit smell. Oh wait, I take that back, apparently it doesn't help with the smell. Although, it does help with the low oxygen levels here.

Taking a good look at my surroundings, I notice that there's no sign of civilization. Not even a single sign of life. This planet had no man-made buildings, but it's still obvious that this planet is human owned. Humans are the only species I know to designate worthless planets as junk planets, and there was nothing here but human junk as far as I can see.

"Of all the planets there are in the galaxy, I'm stuck on a fucking junkyard planet."

The sky was filled with nothing but different shades of brown clouds. Looking at the horizons, no vegetation or trees in sight. My mask reads that this planet has high nitrogen levels and low oxygen levels. Ohhh but that's not the worst part. My mask is low on energy, but even if I found energy, it will only last so long before it's air filtration will cease to work.

I can't go back to the drop shuttle and make a break for it, drop shuttles aren't made to fly. So in short, I'm stuck here. I don't think a human ship will be coming here to drop off junk anytime soon, because this planet looks to be filled. A junkyard planet that's filled usually doesn't get anymore junk drops. Meaning I'm stuck on this dead planet with intergalactic alien hunters after me. So unless I die from suffocation first, the hunters will most-likely kill me.

Fuck, what have I gotten myself into now? I've never been in trouble this deep before. What can I do? I'm dead! Even if I somehow kill the hunters, my mask runs out of energy and I suffocate.

Wait, no! I kill the hunters, I get their ship.

"Hahahaha! Who am I kidding? I'm gonna fucking die." I couldn't even beat the smallest of yautja in a spar, forget trying to kill experienced yautjas skilled at killing other yautja because regular prey got boring.

I can, at the very least, make their hunt entertaining. First, I got to run and get away from this spot. Where to go? I mean, nothing really stands out. There's only junk, junk, and look at that, more junk.

Oh, I know! I'll just close my eyes, spin around in a circle and count to five, and where I'm facing is where I'm going. Yea, that sounds good.

"1...2...3...4...5!" I opened my eyes and started running. Feet kicking against the ground and arms swinging in perfect sync, I jumped over and dodged obstacles in my way. Gracefully landing on an unstable metal slate and tumbling my way down to the bottom of a junk pile. I couldn't see anything on my tumble down, too busy with trying to protect my face and some vital organs. The armor being my only protection against the sharp pieces of metal cutting at my limbs and ribs. Just when it seemed like it'd never end, I hit flat ground and the tumbling ceased. I managed to get myself up with the help of an ancient washing machine, and just stared at the sky.

Two yautja ships decloaked, looks like they want me to know they're coming. "This is how I'm going to die?" My hand closed around an object. "Hunted by the very clan I hunted with?" I threw it.

Soon enough, I was punching a pile of junk out of frustration and despair. Not feeling the pain as cuts from rusted metal made crimson red blood drip from my fists, creating small pools on the ground beneath my feet.

I only stopped when a cold metal hand grabbed my wrist.

"What do you think you're doing to my favorite pile of junk ya fuckin crazy?" The world around didn't seem to exist, only this one person. Who, in fact, wasn't a person. She was an android. Usually you couldn't tell by visuals alone, but the android mechanics on her right arm were exposed.

She has golden tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair styled in cornrows. She wore a dark blue jumpsuit and black boots. She also has a golden septum piercing with a chain that attached to a stud on her left ear, and her right ear had a small stud to match.

"Hello? Did you not hear me? I said, the fuck you think you doin to my shit?" She took a broken metal bar out of the pile next to her and slammed it against the pile of junk in front of me. I didn't flinch, I couldn't. Besides an ex-friend I used to hunt with, this android is the only thing relatively human I've seen in 2 years. I was never expecting to meet anyone else.

The android let go of me and took a couple steps back. She looked disgusted as she scanned me.

"Scans don't show that you're mute, deaf, or retarded, but it shows high Epinephrine activity and low levels of dopamine and serotonin. You're stressed, angry, and either sad or depressed." She scratched her head as she continued. "Scans also show that your masks filtration system is failing you. You're not receiving enough oxygen, but the lack thereof has not affected your brain yet. However, it's starting to affect your muscles. You're probably going to feel a sense of euphoria soon, and shortly after you won't be able to coordinate yourself as functionally as you would normally. I suggest controlling your breath and calming down."

I didn't even realize I was breathing so fast until she said something.

"Well, seeing as you're here with me and you look like that." She motions to me. "You must have gone through some real shit. I mean, you were just screaming and beating the shit outta junk. You're also bleeding but you don't even seem to care!" I didn't know I was screaming. The android crosses her arms and smirks at me. "Is the poor little human having a mental breakdown?" She adjusted her stance. Hand on her hip, feet aligned with her shoulder width, confident looking.

I've never known an android to have ever been designed with this much personality. It must be a malfunction in her systems core. "I guess I'll assist you, but only because I pity you." I winced as the android grabbed my arm, the bleeding one, and dragged me behind her. I don't think she notices the pain she's putting me through, or she doesn't care. She just keeps talking, only I can't seem to bring myself to say anything or do anything more than stare. "My place isn't too far from here, it also has oxygenation machines, so you can chill there with me. I guess."

Her grip was almost painful on my wrist. Damn androids and their inhumane strength!

By the time we got to her place, my hand was gone, or at least it felt like it was. We must have walked a mile or two without a break. So my legs were sore, but I can't imagine how her lips would feel if she were human. She was talking the entire time, non-stop, and would not shut up! She was talking about this pile of junk and that pile of junk, and how she sorted them all by alphabetical order. Like they actually matter.

Anyway...

Even from my damn-near dead state, I could tell her place was a small house made from some junk metal. "Here's the door." The android let go of my hand, fucking finally, and walked up to the door. It was a HUGE metal door that looked like it weighed easily 200 pounds. Then this bitch picks the heavy-ass door up like it was a damn pebble.

"Hello stranger. My name is Z013, I can lift up to 1,500 pounds, and this is my crib." She said posing in front of her "crib".

It was a single room, but it was large. The ground was dirt and there was a bed in the left corner made up of ripped up furs and cloths. There were small plants under blue lights in the other corner of the room. Right below the table of plants was the oxygenation machine she was talking about. In the back of the room was a table with different books, papers, and pens all on it. To my left was a stocked bookshelf that sat next to a small barred window and to my right was a small kitchen area. The appliances were probably restored from junk piles, at least they looked like they were. In the middle of the room was a large grey rug covered in books.

Android Z013 turned on the oxygenation machine before closing the heavy metal door and plopping down on her bed. "Sorry there isn't any real place to chill. So just make you a spot." She said as she picked up the book next to her and started reading.

I sat against a wall and took off my mask, placing it on my belt and grabbing the last healing shard I have. I should save it for when the hunters catch up to me, but I'm bleeding and there's no other healing supplies around. I Quickly stole a glance at Z013, she's still distracted by her book. I grit my teeth and stab myself with the shard. Struggling not to make a sound from the pain, I put down the handle. Yautja healing shards are weird, you stab yourself with a blue knife and then it heals you. I never could understand the science, but it works so I do it.

Looking back up, she's still reading. Good, I don't need questions I can't answer.

The flash of blue lights catch my eye. I never really noticed before, but the plants look human, I also haven't seen any human vegetation in a LONG time. I want to get a closer look.

"Na-ah-ah. My potato plants are off limits."

"Did you say, potato plants?" I asked, making Z013 jump to her feet. She almost seems happy, excited even. "You actually talk!" She rushed over to my side and dragged me closer to the potato plants. "Yea, those are potato plants! That potato plant is my favorite." She points to the one with a little flower next to it. "I like to watch them grow, nothing else better to do when you have nothing else to read."

"Could I eat some?" Z013 just looked at me. "Excuse me?" I shifted back. "I-I'm really hungry. Could I eat some of the potatoes?" She broke out in a fit of laughter, looking insane. "You got any credits? I ain't givin you any of my potatoes unless you got some damn credits."

"Um. I don't have any."

Z013 crossed her arms. "Well, guess you're gonna starve." She went to turn around but I grabbed her arm in desperation. That was a mistake. "Don't ever fucking touch me! I picked up that heavy ass door! Imagine what I could do to you!-" I zoned out her lecture as to why I shouldn't touch her and how she could kick my ass in 50 million ways. Xenomorphs scare me more than her, and I'm not even that scared of xenomorphs.

During her lecture that I am currently ignoring, something catches my eye. Something I hadn't noticed before, a picture. A picture powerful enough to make me tear up.

"Is that, Earth?"

Z013 stopped in the middle of her lecture to look at the picture. "Uh, yea. That's a picture of Earth, it looks really pretty. I wish I could go there."

"No you don't." Z013 quickly spun around and brought her hand up like she was going to slap me. Something made her stop and put her hand down. Whether it be her sheer will or my dumb luck, I thank it. "I've been here for DECADES! Don't tell me I don't want to go there!"

I merely shrugged. "Alright, go see another dead planet then."

"What are you talking about? It still looks like that, I haven't gotten any updates stating that it has changed." I feel kinda sorry for her, the one place she really wants to go to, and she doesn't know it's dead. "If it did, I wouldn't be here and a lot of people would still be alive." Z013 moved to her bed and sat down. "Then why didn't I get any update?" She put her head in her palms. "Am I, outdated?" She asked out loud, but I think the question was aimed more towards herself. In response, I just shrugged.

"What happened? Why are you here?" Z013 asked, looking completely broken.

"It's a long story."

Z013 scoffed as she stormed over to the kitchen, nearly knocking me over in the process. She grabbed a pot, poured some water into it and set it on the stove to boil. Then she walked over to the plants and grabbed a few potatoes, none from her favorite potato plant, and she threw them into the pot.

I could have sworn she said I couldn't have any without credits, but I ain't gonna mention it.

Z013 picked up a stack of books off the rug and threw them across the room, clearing a spot on the rug. Then she grabbed my shoulders and moved me to the carpet, shoving me down in that spot and sitting down in front of me.

"We got time, talk."

I shrugged. "Do you wanna know about Earth or me?" Z013 crossed her legs. "I want to know everything. Your name, where you came from, what you've been through and anything you think you might know that I don't." I couldn't hold back my snickering. She seemed offended by it. "What?" Her expression turned to one of anger. "I know a lot of things you don't."

"Would you just tell me your damn name and spill your shit?" I crossed my arms with a smug grin. "I thought you said we had time. So why are you rushing?" Z013 grabbed a nearby book and chucked it at my head. My arm flew up to block the incoming book, an instant reaction. "Ok, ok, just chill." She was already going for another book. "I'll tell you my name if you just calm down!" She froze and opened her hand to drop the book. "My names Leo, Leo Albin."

Z013 nodded and put her hand out with a smile. "Well Leo, it's nice to finally know your name. You already know mine, Z013, but I guess you could call me Zoie or Zoe." We shook hands.

"Well, this is going to be a tough story to believe. I hope you don't mind if I start from the beginning."

"I'm an outdated android who has lived hundreds of decades on a junk planet, wasting her time by reading, alphabetizing junk piles, and watching potatoes grow. I survive by scavenging for micro hydraulics and electrical charges, but you know- I'll try to keep an open mind." She chuckled. I never knew they put dimples on androids.

"Well, I guess I'll start with Earth. Then I'll work around to me."