They ran for the sand cat as soon as they saw it. Riddick was no where to be seen and when a bald Jack pointed this out Paris suggested they leave him. The sudden sound of boots on metal alerted them to an ever present Riddick and Paris was quick to take back his previous statement. Carla watched as Johns came out of a nearby building carrying a small red box she recognized immediately. Riddick held out his hand for Johns but they were lost in a stare that said neither of them would back down when the time came.

They plowed through the canyon and speed to the ship. As soon as they got there Johns, Riddick, and Fry went for the cells while the others stayed near the sand cat. That was until Paris jumped down and went to the cargo hold.

"Where do you think your going?" Shazza yelled after him.

"I'll only be gone a second," Paris yelled over his shoulder, "You wouldn't leave without me would you?"

Shazza just shook her head and Paris continued on his way. Carla watched as the ringed planet crawled closer and closer to the sun and the light got dimmer and dimmer. Jack and Shazza were trying to clean the solar panel but the light was fading fast and the engine quickly died. As soon as the last crank turned in the cat Carla heard a horrible shriek and saw thousands of animals fly from the tops of the mounds she had seen earlier. 'There the same ones that killed Ali oh shit there coming for us.'

"People, just a suggestion," Paris yelled from the cargo bay, "Perhaps you should FLEE!" With that Carla jumped from the sand cat and ran as fast as she could for Paris. She could hear them coming, the flapping of their wings were so loud she could barley hear her own breathing. As she reached the rut the ship had made in the earth a force knocked into her and she fell hard against the ground. She couldn't breathe all the air was knocked from her chest and she was unable to stand. She heard the cry of the animals as they flew over her and felt the wind from their beating wings. When they were past she lay there a moment and started to stand but stopped quickly when she heard Jack scream and she saw Shazza start to run. Suddenly hundreds of animals were on her and she was lifted into the air only to be torn in half and carried away. Carla's throat was tight and she bit back the urge to vomit. She heard something stir behind her and when she looked she saw Riddick stand and dust off his hands. She waited a second longer and pushed herself fully to her feet. The others stood staring back out into the desert and when Carla turned she saw the last remaining strands of light go from the sky.

She could hear the sounds, they were much louder than the others had been and when Fry asked Riddick what he saw his only reply was "Beautiful." They all crammed into the tiny cargo hold and began to cut their way deeper inside. Once they felt they were safe they sat huddled around the torch, each one waiting for someone else to come up with a plan. Carla glanced around and saw Riddick was gone, as if to answer her thoughts she heard a scream. In seconds everyone was on their feet and headed in the direction. Johns shined his light down a black hallway and right into the eyes of a running Riddick. He fell to the ground with a cry of agony and then the creature leapt for them. Two shots rang out and it dropped dead to the floor. Johns shined the gun light over it and its skin popped and bubbled showing that it was hurt by the light. Soon the sounds of the creatures outside lead them from their thoughts and they went back to their circle of light, without the company of Imam's middle child.

No one could come up with a plan for survival. Fry wanted to take the cells to the skiff as originally planned but Johns said it would mean their death. Carla was off to herself in a corner while the others argued. She was still replaying the recent events in her head. Three people were dead now and she knew more were sure to perish. She looked around at the remaining few and tried to settle on which ones were to meet their demise. The most obvious was the kid. He was scared to death and had good reason to be. If one of those things wanted a quick lunch he would make the perfect appetizer. Then there was the holy mans last kid. He was bigger than Jack but he was still an easy target. Paris she was sure would never make it. He didn't fit the persona. The holy man himself Carla couldn't see making it out but he'd make it longer than the kids. Fry, she seemed like she was a fighter, she'd at least make it to the canyon. Johns, that fucker was full of luck so she figured he'd get out on a technicality. Probably use one of the others as bait, probably one of the kids. The only one she saw with a real chance of survival was Riddick. She watched him across the room. He was listening quietly while Johns and Fry argued over what to do. When Johns made a move on Caroline Riddick was up in a flash with his shiv against John's groin. Then there was her. She couldn't look forward and see her own demise but she knew it was gonna happen. Luck didn't run her way and she wasn't skilled enough to make it out, at least not without some help. She watched intently while Riddick stood between Johns and Caroline. She felt something stir inside her. What was it about her? What made her better than Carla? She wondered how Riddick could despise her but went out of his way to help Caroline. What did she have that Carla didn't?

Riddick couldn't take the fighting anymore. Johns and Fry were acting like 13 year old kids. When they tried to attack each other he intervened only to make the clatter stop. After they were both calmed down a little more he turned his goggled stare to Carla. He had been watching her earlier, the way she surveyed the others. She was seeing who was gonna make it out alive. She was smarter than he gave her credit; he was the last person her gaze fell to. So she knows I'm the only sure shot of getting outa here in one piece. Wonder where she put herself on the list? When he had to get between Fry and Johns her face hardened. He thought he saw a look of jealousy but it vanished and her furrowed brow showed inquiry.

The decision was made; the plan was to go as before. Take the cells to the skiff and fly off this heap. They gathered all means of light: booze, flares, and the generator lights. Carla looked out at the blackness before her and realized there was no turning back now. Only two things lay out there beyond the light, death or salvation.

They started out fast, Riddick in the lead with the light on his back and everyone else in tow. It wasn't long before they slowed to a walk and then the problems started. The flare wouldn't have mattered but Jack wasn't gonna let any precious light go unused. She only took the lights off for a second but that was all it took for the beast to attack. She didn't know what was happening until she felt Imam throw her to the ground. Then she heard shots and Fry yelling and then there was darkness.

Carla yelled for Paris but he continued to crawls pulling the generator off the sled and the lights began to fade. The sound of tearing told her Paris was dead and then a green light flooded her vision. Johns had hit a flare and the group stood staring at each other. The looks of panic told her that things were falling apart and fast.

They continued on, the only light now was the soft glow from Paris's booze. Fry yelled to pick up the pace and Carla saw the look in johns eyes he was pissed. Then she looked down and saw that they were crossing their tracks. What the fuck is he doing?

"Why did we circle are we lost?" Imam questioned.

His voice was low, "Listen."

"So you even know where we are?"

"LISTEN?" Everyone turned to face him. :Canyon ahead, I circled once to buy some time."

"I think we should go now."

"Oh, I don't know about that. That's death row up there." He turned to look at Jack, Caroline, and Carla. "Especially with the girl bleeding."

"What the fuck you talking about, neither of them are cut?" John's sounded annoyed.

Carla followed Riddick's gaze where it landed on Jack. Holy shit, he's a girl. "You're fucking kidding me?" Everyone turned to look at her, it was one of the few sentences that came from Carla and her voice was slightly amused.

Jacks face fell and she went to the ground hugging her knees. She rambled about being taken better as a guy and Carla guessed she was right. Girls don't usually travel well alone, too many sickos out here.

"They've had their nose open for her since we left. If you haven't noticed they go off blood."

"Look this ain't gonna work." Carla and Johns both turned to look at Fry. "We gotta go back."

"What did you say?" Carla noticed the venom in John's voice and she felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

"Look you were right ok. We should go back to the ship."

"I don't know Caroline, wide open spaces, nice breeze, I'm starting to enjoy my fuckin' self."

"What are you high again?"

"No, your right Caroline, my life's just a meaningless pile of shit anyhow. So I say mush on. Now why don't you butch up, shove a cork in this kid, and let's get a move on. Canyons only a few hundred yards."

Imam cut in and Carla knew a fight was coming. "she is the captain, I say we listen to her."

"Listen to her? When she was so easy to sacrifice us all. During the crash she tried to blow the passenger cabin. Tried to kill us in our sleep." He started to go on but Caroline attacked but Johns threw her to the ground without effort.

Johns got a shit eaten' grin on his face that made Carla shudder. "Ooh Caroline, how much do you weigh now?" He grabbed a flare and lit it. "Verdicts in, light moves forward."

They stared to move again and Carla found herself at the front of the group between Riddick and the others. She couldn't see him and she thought he was ahead of her but when she felt the air change at her side she glanced and saw him in stride beside her. "Seven of us left," his voice was low and mocking. "Think we'll all make it?"

She didn't look at him just stared ahead into darkness. "Probably not."

"What about you, you gonna make it?"

She waited awhile before she spoke. "Not likely. I'm sure my times almost up."

He stared at her for a long while after she spoke. She was honest, she knew her chances were slim but she kept going. Never slowing down, never giving up even when all the signs pointed to death. He started to speak again but Johns was by their side.

"Not all of us are gonna make it out alive." His southern drawl made Carla cringe.

"Just figure that out?" Riddick was blunt.

"Seven of us left. If we could make it through the canyon and lose just on that would be quite a feet."

"Not if I'm the one." They talked as if she wasn't there.

"What if your one of six?"

Riddick paused and then continued on. "I'm listening."

They continued on while Riddick and johns talked about how they would drag the body. Pull it behind and keep it off their sent. Carla was pale with realization as they walked next to her. "So," Riddick drawled, "which one caught your eye?" He started to turn but Johns put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Carla also felt his hand squeeze on her shoulder.

"Jesus Riddick, don't look." He pushed them both forward and continued. "At first I thought the kid, I mean they already know her blood but then again it's a kid and even I'm not that sick."

Yeah right, Carla thought, you got a bigger piece of meat in mind. Suddenly realization dawned on her and she felt sick.

Johns smiled when he felt her tense and pulled her closer so she couldn't run. "So, you're not as dumb as I thought are you darlin'." He turned and looked to Riddick. "You do her and I'll keep the others off your back, I mean she's a convict to, they won't be to upset." He stopped and held her out in front of him to Riddick. She stared up into his goggle less eyes and waited. No tears came, no pleas for mercy.

Riddick paused to look at her. Her big blue eyes stared into his but he saw no fear, she was ready. "What's wrong Riddick?" Johns smiling voice interrupted. "Not to much of a job is it?"

"No, just thought we might need a bigger piece of meat." He took his eyes off Carla and stared at Johns.

They were both silent and suddenly Carla felt herself thrown to the ground. They were on each other in a heart beat. They countered blows and landed a few punches. Carla watched as Johns gun was knocked loose and he was on Riddick with a shiv to Riddick's neck.

Riddick was thrown off balance after knocking the gauge away and then John's was on him with his own shiv against his neck. Before Riddick could recover he heard shot and a fraction later he felt the warm trickle of blood on his stomach. He looked up and saw the bewildered look on John's face. He slumped off Riddick and turned to look behind him. Carla stood holding his gauge, her face both happy and frightened.

"You fuckin' bitch," blood was sputtering from John's moth now. "What the fuck?"

She stared at him a while longer and then threw the gun down. "That's for thinking you could touch me you sick fuck, that's for pumping that shit inside of me so that my body needed it, and that's so I can sleep at night knowing you're rotting in hell."

He stared a while longer but soon his body slumped in death. She stood staring at his lifeless form, she should be happy but she felt weird. She had killed before but she left before the idea set in, now she stood staring at the shell of what was a man. She didn't notice Riddick till his body obstructed her view. He said nothing only looked at her and then turned to find the others. She stared a moment longer at the body and then she turned to follow. As soon as the light was gone she heard the beasts pounce on him. Finally she felt relief.