Unreal: What did I do to Deserve This?

Three: What a Beautiful Place.

I awoke on a hard stone table. Hadn't I been lying on the grass when I passed out? I opened my eyes and looked around the dingy room, I put my hand to my forehead, it had been bandaged up along with the other major wounds I had, the scrapes on my arm had been covered with some sort of mud.

At that point a figure walked in. He, if it was a he, was almost twice my height and had four arms. I jumped off the table and backed away.

"I will not hurt you." It said. To my amazement I could understand what he way saying.

"What are you? Where am I? Haw can I understand you?" I blurted out in my confusion.

"My Name is Quetal, I am a Nali we have existed on this world for eons. You are on Ne-Pale. As to haw I can understand you, I am unsure, but I believe it to be related to that piece of equipment you have." He gestured to the Universal Translator.

"I thought that it could only translate text." Quetal just looked at me quizzically. "Don't worry. What about the ship, The Vortex Rikers?"

"Your ship? Do you mean the Chariot of the Stars I found you by?"

"Yes, that's the ship, where is it?"

"Just over there." He gestured toward the wall, you can see it if you go out side. I saw what happened to the others." At that he bowed his head as if in shame.

"What others? What happened to them?"

"The others form the Chariot. They set up camp outside, I offered them food, water, and what shelter I could. Some left through the Mines. Then the night came, and so did the Brutes and Skaarj. I did nothing, I hid whilst they were slaughtered or taken."

"You don't need to get so upset about it, they deserved whatever happened to them."

"If you believe that then your heart must be as cold as stone."

"I don't get it, you survived, didn't you?"

"Yes, I am alive, but can I live with myself?"

"What? Ah hell with it. What are the Skaaj?" I tried changing the subject; this was getting to heavy for me.

"The Skaaj, are daemons that came from the heavens in Metal chariots like yours. They enslave us, kill us as they see fit."

"Fine, haw can I get out of here?"

"Leave, you can leave any time you wish."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I need to get off this planate."

"There is another chariot, near the temple on the other side of the mountain, the others form you 'ship' went to try and find it. There have been rumours of other metal chariots crashing to earth. Go to the temple, and follow the path you are shown."

With a final greeting I left, taking the U.T. and laser. Outside I saw the bodies of the others. I walked over to McMorgan he had been supervisor of my section. He had been an overbearing bastard. I pulled the Automag from his belt and noticed a log entry. Out of mere curiosity I pulled it out and read it.

"We have set up camp for the night, one of the indigenous species brings fruit and water on a regular basis, night is falling. These things they have come, they are attacking us, they are massive and weald some kind of rocket launcher. Oh my god. That thing, its massive we are all doomed."

The rest was covered in blood. I dropped the report, and walked over removing Automag ammo form the bodies of the others. As I did so I thought about what Quetal had said. "If you believe that then your heart must be as cold as stone." Was that it, had years of prison hardened my hart, could one six limbed alien soften it again in five minutes. I didn't understand it, couldn't, but there it was, I felt sorry for them, for Iverx, even for McMorgan. What the hell was wrong with me?

Fully loaded up I set out for the mines.