It's been four days.
Four days of dreams.
Dreams of ships crashing through the sky.
Dreams of death and despair.
It's so cold on the planet, of which she doesn't know the name of. The planet that sucked her ship into it's gravitational pull, ripping it to shreds as it flew out of the twinkling mass of stars and into it's atmosphere.
One minute, she's standing on the bridge, watching the stars twinkle about. The next, she's being thrown around, watching the black sky turn blue.
She doesn't remember how she made it out of the wreckage, except for the pain that ripped through her entire body. She remembers the screams, the moans and begging for help.
Help! Help! Don't let me die here! Lieutenant? Oh god, wake up! Wake up!
Out of 720, only 8 escape the wreckage, moving deep into the woods to hide. From the trees they watch, as they come, searching through the wreckage for prisoners. Silently, as the skies grow dark and the temperature drops, they watch as precious items are taken. Parts of the control panels. Communicators. The chairs. They strip whatever's left of the bridge, carrying it off from where they came from.
Once they're gone, the 4 of the "strongest" in the group, head back into the wreckage. Everything is so badly damaged, as the bodies lay about on the floor. The impact caused most of the decks to collapse, making it hard for them to move. Eventually, they find what they're looking for. Locked in a bin, hidden in one of utility closets, they find enough blankets, rations of food and water, and a radio.
It's not enough, but they hope it'll get them by before Starfleet knows they're missing.
The first night is the hardest, as they weep over the ones they lost. Friends, lovers, rivals. She sits the furthest away from the group, staring through the trees at the still smoking wreckage. The blanket is wrapped tightly around her, up over her head. Her eyes are so wide, that they start to burn, straining to stay open in the darkness. They can't stay this close, knowing that the scavengers would be back at dawn.
The next day the move, heading what they think is South., moving away from their ship. By nightfall, only 6 remain. They take the blankets from the ones that died, falling victim to hidden injuries. Their bodies are covered by the foliage of the planet's plants, as they say a few words, before moving on. That night, it's cold. Freezing. They all huddle together, trying to absorb enough warmth to make it through the sunrise. When she wakes up, shortly after the sun hits the horizon, 4 bodies lie stiff under the blankets.
On this planet, the temperature continues to plummet. It's cold enough that ice begins to cover their skin. Her hair, which was once rich with volume and curls, now lies flat; matted with dirt, blood and grime. Bits of ice form along the strands, sticking against the blankets that she and the others have divided amongst each other.
On the third day, it's her and another woman. They huddle together against the base of a tree, wrapped in blankets.
"D-do y-you think the-they're c-c-c-oming?" the woman, Sally she thinks her name is, stutters.
She listens to Sally's harsh breathing, the whimpers and gasps, as the pain rips through her. There's no more food or water, leaving them hungry and tired. Between the lack of nutrients and the possible internal injuries, it's obvious that Sally is the next to die. And after that, she will follow. It's the only way off this hell hole.
She shakes her head, "N-n-n-o."
Later that night, Sally dies.
And she is alone.
The exhaustion takes over and she falls asleep, dreaming of ships crashing through the sky. Clouds rippling past the large window on the bridge. The sudden appearance of the forest, pine trees coming into view. All wrapped up in a blanket of white.
By nightfall on the fourth day, she hears it. Then she sees it.
Shuttles.
They've come to save her.
She slowly sits up, turning to wake Sally up, having forgotten that she is dead. A few shakes make her realize this, and she gets up and walks back in the direction they came from. It hurts to walk, each step burning as her bones creak and crack.
"Do you see anything?"
"Negative, Captain. I don't see anything."
She wants to scream. Shout. But she can't.
"Dammit, I found two bodies here."
"Someone take them back to the wreck. We need to ID everyone and wait for the next ship to come."
She leans against a tree, breathing heavily as the exhaustion takes over again.
I need to keep moving. I need to be saved.
She opens her eyes and continues walking, reaching out to touch each tree that she passes. Marking them with the count in her head of how many steps she has to take in order to find them.
"Three bodies here."
"Shit, do you think anyone survived this?"
"With these weather conditions, I would find it impossible, Captain. "
Shut up! Shut up! I'm right here! I'm alive! Is all she wants to scream.
Finally, she can see them. They're dressed for this kind of weather, wearing having coats of white, black and grey. They're holding what seem to be tricorders and communicators. They have lights too, the old fashion flashlights, ones that she's seen in the history textbooks.
"Do you hear that?"
"Yeah, it's coming from over here."
She can hear the rustling of leaves and the crunch of snow, as they move closer. Suddenly, the lights shine down upon her, and she thinks it's god.
"You saved me," she says, before everything tilts forward, the cold and darkness consumes her.