CHAPTER 1: B E N DY
The dark void of space stretched out into infinity, dotted with so many diamonds of stars. It resembled nothing less than a luxuriant tapestry assembled long ago by a greater being. Yet, it held little majesty for Marcus. There was no joy in it- no wonder; there was simply space. Mundane, monotonous, forever unchanging, cold and empty, it's icy countenance left Marcus yearning for the days of his youth, when stories of his father's voyages had thrilled him and filled his imagination. He sighed and backed away from the controls, allowing the ship's autopilot to take over. He heaved himself from the pilot's chair and made his way toward the rear of the ship. The door slid open and closed soundlessly as he moved.
He sat tenderly on the bed, cradling his head in his hands, his mind clattering like a runaway train on twisted tracks. He gingerly moved one of his hands to his face, taking in the shape. The slender nose, the thin lips, and the plate which housed his prosthetic eye. He cringed as his fingers made contact with the metal, a permanent reminder of the unfairness of existence. It would have been one thing if he had lost his eye in the line of duty. No, he had lost it in an accident. He sighed again, letting the sound of his breath fill the room. He should consider himself lucky. He had only lost an eye, his friend had lost his life.
Marcus couldn't remember going to sleep, he could only remember the screeching alarm pulling him from his slumber. What the- he thought, cut off by an explosion that rattled the ship. He toppled forward before catching himself on a nearby shelf. "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t." The expletives flew through gritted teeth as he rushed back to the cockpit. Seizing the controls, he worked to ascertain the source of the alarm. The ship rocked again as lasers rammed into the shielding. The mystery of the alarm solved, Marcus pulled into a somersault and put himself in position behind his assailant. He quickly locked onto them and opened a patch to their vessel.
"Attention, this is Marcus McCloud of Starfox, further attacks on my ship will be met with hostility." His voice had come out hoarse, cragged from lack of use. He remained locked on the enemy ship and waited for an acknowledgement of his warning. Just as he reached the end of his patients, a static came over his speakers, accompanied by a feminine chuckle.
"Hiya," said the voice, coyly. "How's daddy?" Marcus grunted, but did not immediately respond. He wouldn't take the bait. "You there, kiddo?" the voice inquired.
Marcus had reached the end of his rope. Maintaining his silence, he accelerated, getting as close to the enemy combatant as possible. He released his grip on the trigger and the laser made a beeline for the rear of the ship in front of him. "Don't call me, 'kiddo'," he growled. He watched as the shot made contact and spat out a dazzling explosion.
"You bastard!" cried his speakers. He simply smirked, pleased with himself.
"That's what you get for being belligerent," Marcus replied. The voice continued as if Marcus had said nothing.
"My fuselage! You d*ck! I swear to God," Marcus began to laugh, cutting off the complaints. This time, the voice heard him.
"You think it's so funny? Well guess what, you're going down, too." Marcus' laughing stopped as the ship in front of him pulled into a dazzling dive before disappearing underneath the viewfinder. Marcus remained tense, scanning the space around him for the wounded craft. Suddenly, his whole ship lurched violently and began to stall. His onboard computer alerted him to the fact that a foreign object was now lodged firmly in the primary fuel line.
"What the hell?" asked Marcus.
"I told you," sneered the voice, no longer coy. "You're going down, too." Suddenly, his entire ship jerked backwards, and both crafts began to fall. The last thing Marcus remembered was white planet below getting bigger and bigger.
Author's Note:
Amazing how a couple weeks turns into a year! Sorry about the wait!
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