He outran the Kamorean blockade that encircled his home world Elia, the last stronghold for his people. He had flown in with the rest of the defense fleet in an attempt to fight off the Kamoreans; they had successfully defeated the initial invasion force. They only returned in greater numbers, dreadnaughts began shelling the planet he jumped the system while battle cruisers tore apart the defending force. The pilot flew a long range reconnaissance ship; he decided warping to his next assignment was better than staying and fighting till the death. It was an undiscovered star system that the Kamoreans had no knowledge of. His mission had been to find a new planet for his race to escape to, within hours he would be the last of his kind. Those who remained on Elia would be systematically subjected to a series of trials to determine their fate. They were the losing side to a war, which the government of Elia had named, noble and just. He had made his mind up to flee when during the battle, hopefully the enemy ships would be too busy to notice his ship slip off. His ship would be traveling at an unimaginable distance as it made its way to one of the far outlying solar systems, in a far off galaxy. It would wreck his power coils traveling this fast through intergalactic space, but he couldn’t chance being discovered. His stealth systems had been damaged during the fight and he could be still tracked, once he warped at least he would be completely untraceable.

He did an inventory of his supplies and gear onboard, finding enough rations for several weeks, more if he entered cryosleep. Also he had with him weapons and reconnaissance gear that was used for planetside exploration. The layout of the ship consisted of a cockpit, cargo hold, and a cabin for himself and a copilot, an engineering crawl space also ran under the ship where the reactor and munitions were stored. He took his pack from his cabin and filled it with clothes tools and other gear that would aid his survival. It also stored food and clothing that had been compressed into a small pouch in the bottom of the bag, half the clothes were for his copilot and her clothes would be too small, but removing them would cause him to be unable to repack what was needed. He also packed power cells for his rifle and pistol into a side pouch and attached the machete sheath to the bag. He holstered his rifle to his pack and his pistol was clipped magnetically to his hip. He set the pack in the empty seat next to him and strapped himself in. After the biological on the colony worlds, all the female soldiers had been called back to be protected on Elia. His helmet had a heads up display that functioned in place of a copilot. The view from his cockpit transitioned from darkness into a system with planets orbiting a singular sun in the center. He deployed probes to the planets around him, avoiding the several gaseous giants in the system. He lacked the supplies to colonize any planet with an extreme environment and he didn’t have the time to probe all of the moons in the system. He fell asleep at the helm as he waited for the probes to return, they would land on the planet and relay information back to the ship. The ship would automatically set course for the planet that showed signs of intelligent life. The probes only revealed one planet with life and the organisms appeared to be early in development. Only two early mammalian species was reported as being of intelligent life. “Here goes nothing,” he exclaimed when he awoke and found the ship plotting its approach.

His radar pinged as he approached the orbital field of the planet. He armed his ships plasma cannons and the HUD loaded the missile tubes for him as he maneuvered towards the object. A Kamorean ship flew towards him, “f***,” he had forgotten they could follow him by flying into his warp path if they found his jump trail within seconds before it closed. His HUD told him that it was a Class V Kamorean Destroyer; he didn’t have the shields to withstand a barrage from the ship. Adverting power to the plasma cannons he hoped he could fly well enough to outmaneuver the series of turrets on the belly of the ship. He pulled the controls upward as the Kamorean railguns fired a salvo of projectiles into the space he once occupied. He emptied the rocket pods at the ship; out of the dozen maybe two projectiles were able to strike the ship doing little damage. He strafed the ship and nearly overheated his cannons. Despite his best efforts the pilot could do little more than cosmetic damage to the enemy ship.
The Kamoreans signaled his ship with a request to board, he couldn’t refuse their request and they knew it. He failed at fighting back and if he managed to escape they would just follow him whether another system of planetside. With only two options left he grabbed his pack and scanned the room grabbing anything else he found useful. He pulled the floor panel in the cockpit and entered the ship’s crawlspace. He ejected the contents of his cargo hold towards the planet; hopefully he would have a chance at retrieving some of it later. He dropped down into the corridor that served as the lower deck of the ship. He planted the clay plastic explosives inside the munitions room, where the reserve missiles were kept. Then holding the detonator he climbed into the drop pod that would land him to the planet they were orbiting.

A large thud shook throughout the ship as it attached to the larger Kamorean Destroyer. He waited until he heard the thud of boots and clicking tongue of the Kamoreans before he sealed the hatch. He pulled down hard on the red lever on the roof above him; the force of the ejection pushed him into his seat. The pilot speed towards the planet counting to himself 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, click. Above him the blast destroyed the two ships; the shockwave knocked the pod off course. He mumbled to himself, “Dammit,” the pod flipped and began spinning off course, and he panicked for a few moments before training kicked in. He closed his eyes and tucked his chin into his chest, his hands wrapped around the handlebars of the harness that held him in his seat. The alarm went off as the drop pod was about to collide with the surface, he braced himself. He had expected the hard impact of ground beneath him; instead he was greeted by a large splash and began sinking.

“S***, it’s just not my day today.” He flipped the harness up and put on his pack, thankfully the pack and its contents were waterproof. Hopefully, he could still use his rifle or pistol if he dried them, at least his flight suit was airtight. He pulled the lever by the door and the hatch blew off, water flooded the pod and it began to sink at a faster rate. The visor on the helmet allowed him a clear view though the water in any direction. Around him schools of gigantic fish swam in any which way, gigantic sea creatures swam round him, one of the huge sharks began moving towards him with a jaw as big as he was tall. Elia was completely absent of any oceans due to the climate change, the ocean here was full of life. From fish the size of his arm to larger than his ship, it was like the creatures out of the museums he saw when he was a child. A large fish with a pod like body and long tentacles attached itself to his pod and pulled it towards the oceans floor. He clicked his boot heels together, as the propulsion system in the boots launched him towards the surface. He was fairly close to the shore, once he reached the shelf where the ocean slumped off he would be able to wade his way to shore. The ion canisters on the boots got him to the edge of the shelf before they were emptied. The weight of his suit, mostly the boots, pinned him to the ocean floor. He had to walk a distance through the reefs before his head even broke the surface of the water. Under the water all types of plants, coral, and reefs filled the floor. Reptiles, smaller fish, and eels moved in and out of reefs and plants completely oblivious to the man’s presence. Around him he could see an explosion of color and life; it reminded him of his home planet. The planet and its life forms were similar to the species of Elia before the war. The refugees and war industry completely reversed the climate of the planet. It had been a wasteland since he was a child.

Ahead of him lay the arduous task of trudging through the water and muck until he reached the coast. It wasn’t a sandy beach that lay ahead of him, but a rocky shore with a forest behind it. After a few more minutes he managed to take his first step on land. His HUD told him that the air was safe breathable and absent of contaminants. A button on his temple retracted his visor allowed him to see without the visors tint. He was blinded by the brightness, as his eyes had to adjust to the clear bright sky. He would wait until it was safe before he would remove his helmet; he was alien to everything in the woods and beyond. He didn’t want to expose himself to any predators; the intelligent life may not be friendly. Before he continued he checked the rifle and his pistol to make sure they were still functioning, once he was satisfied he holstered both. He drew the machete that was tucked between his pack and back, and began to cut away brush and thickets obstructing his path.

He could see the trails where animals traveled through the forest, but otherwise it seemed to be relatively untouched. He had yet to see any signs of a civilization; the planet was ruled by nature and her creatures. He made his way deeper into the forest looking for a source of water; his plan was to build a shelter nearby. It was several hours before he finally found any water and the sun told him that it was nearing midday. He had to walk through a narrow rocky pass before entering a large valley with a clear lake. Beyond the lake sat a forest thick with trees. Without an axe he would have a hard time cutting down any logs, he would have to get creative if he wanted a log cabin. He set down his pack and removed his helmet; he had to brush his brown hair back off of his face. The man set about removing his flight suit, using a series of buttons he removed the armored suit and placed it on the ground with his helmet. Underneath the armor he had his flight jacket, a shirt, and pants. He tucked his flight pants into the boots, wishing he had cargo pockets to store items for quick access. He had a few extra sets of clothing compressed in the pack plus some food, half of the clothes would be useless though. His HUD told him the cargo landed nearby; he had set the drop pod on course tracking it. What varied with the contents of the hold troubled him however, he could only hope that it would be useful. Either his tools for reconnaissance would be available to him, or it would be the samples he had excavated from his last planet.

He managed to find comfort in the bed of grass and fell asleep after taking stock of all of his equipment. Most of it he left untouched, when it decompressed he would be unable to fit it all back in the bag. The next morning when he awoke he decided to go for a swim in the lake, it was refreshing and he didn’t have to worry about toxins like on Elia. The planet had become vastly overpopulated; the survivors of the war all compacted to a single place. They had long since stripped the world off all its valuables and ruined the ecosystem of the planet. It had become an inhospitable, overcrowded refugee camp. An easy target for the Kamoreans, he was certain that he was the last of his kind. Nobody could have escaped the invasion and he wished his copilot was still with him. He walked out of the water and lay down in the grass letting the sun warm his body and dry him. He had never seen a sky or clouds before, most of his expeditions took him to fallen or developing worlds. For the first time he saw birds, the smog on Elia had long killed off any animals. It was still unusual to him, that he could breathe freely without a filter on. Dry now, he stood up and placed his clothes on. For his trek it was necessary to wear the armor and take everything with him. With a few quick button presses the flight suit aligned the armor plating and became sealed. Today he decided that he would venture to the drop site to recover his cargo hold and its contents, if any survived the crash. He drew his blaster rifle and checked the power cell on it; satisfied he brought up the coordinates on his HUD. He left through the same rocky pass, in which he came. Oblivious to the strand of blonde hair caught in thorns growing from the face of the rock.

He could see the cargo; it had crashed through the trees and created its own clearing. He scanned the area looking for any threats. Seeing none, he moved towards the container and entered the code to open its contents. He couldn’t be more pissed with what he found; extra supplies like food, clothing, and other items for an exploration camp filled the crate. After all the s*** that had happened, he had he could have at least had the verticopter with him. From behind him a growl sent chills down his spine, the visor dropped as he spun around. The HUD scanned the area; it picked up a large cat crouched in the brush. The scanner revealed it to be nearly 15 feet long, two huge razor sharp fangs protruded from its mouth. It skirted where he stood; it lay with its body close to the ground and moving slowly towards him at an angle. He raised his rifle and pulled the trigger, a burst of lasers flew into the side of the beast. It would have cut any man in half, but it only seemed to enrage the beast. It leapt at him; out of reaction the pilot drew his machete and leaned into the direction of the leaping beast, putting all his weight behind the blade. A loud growl and then a whimper, then the creature lay still. It had fallen into a staked pit dug near the container; he man hadn’t been heavy enough to break through the false floor. He was unable to relax for something; rather someone had put that trap there. For him or the beast, he wasn’t sure but he’d rather not know. He quickly resealed the compartment and accessed the panel controlling the thrusters on the package. The crate would hover above the ground and he could pull it back to the valley. It would be hard work but it beat the hell out of a log cabin. The HUD told him how many hours he had till nightfall. It would acquaint to the planets time for him, it was his best asset on all of his expeditions. He pulled the container to the tree line and turned it to face the lake and then he deactivated the thrusters. Between his backpack and the cargo from his ship he had enough supplies to establish a home, even a tarp to cover the entrance of the container. He ate a quick dinner and went for a swim before settling into his new home; he liked to be able to call this place that. A Home. He slept peacefully, content with his new life and kept the thought of who made the pit out of his mind.

He lived like this for several weeks, spending each day with exploring and hunting, in the afternoons we would go swimming in the lake and enjoy the cool, crystal clear water. The sun at times could get unbearable hot and bright and it was nice to submerge himself in the cold water. It was such a beautiful place; he had never imagined something like this could exist. In the back of his mind the question was always there. Was he alone? He had seen no signs of intelligent life but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. At this point it would take divine intervention for him to meet another intelligent being. Since the large cat he had encountered plenty of animals, it was only a matter of knowing where to look. He had yet to devise a way to catch the fish in a manner besides staving them. He especially enjoyed gazing at the stars before going to bed each night. On Elia there was too many lights for him to be able to see the stars and while he flew through space he could never fully appreciate them as he could laying down in the grass. Each night the beautiful landscapes of the planets filled his mind before sleep took hold of him.
She sat across from him as he woke up, he thought he was dreaming. She was too distracted in her own thought to notice he was awake; he spoke to her in a soothing tone “Hello? Who are you? Where am I?” No sooner had the words left his mouth than she ran off frightened. Hopping off of his cot he ran after her, running across the field barefoot and in his underwear. He was filled with a sense of comfort as he felt soft field of the clearing beneath his feet, he had found someone else. He started laughing as he chased her, she was fast but he would eventually catch her. Oddly enough she ran towards the water, as if that was a means of escape from previous predators. He caught her and brought her to the ground a few feet before the lake. She struggled, yelled, and beat at him for several seconds before she finally realized he wasn’t going to harm her. He realized that she was completely nude, he began to feel embarrassed and tried to avoid looking anywhere besides into her eyes. Her took her hand and held it till he felt she would not run away from him, he then stood up and half dragged, half walked her back to his cabin. He sat her on the bed, rummaging through his belongings looking for clothes that would fit her. She was tall like him, but thin whereas the man was very broad. “I’m so sorry; I chased you down like that. How rude of me, I must have scared you half to death just then? I apologize that I have a reputation for being rather forward.” He handed her a t-shirt and a pair of underwear that belonged to his copilot, her clothes would fit the woman. “You don’t understand a single work of what I’m saying do you?” His question was met by her staring at his lips, clearly puzzled by the sounds he was making. Her large blue eyes, wide open as if she was in shock over him, not so much of his being but of his appearance. Like she had seen others like them, but somehow differed. As if she was just as alien as him and now she had found another.

She looked at his clothes for a long while before realizing what to do; he nearly had to help her put the shirt on properly. He averted his eyes and looked down until she had become clothed. Women were a rarity on Elia as the Kamoreans had targeted woman and children on colonies instead of meeting in battle, effectively eradicating his race. His home world wasn’t much more than a huge military base, all the women left stayed with the haves, not the have-nots like him. Now he felt comfortable enough to study her physical features; she had long blonde hair and a prominent jaw line that complimented her high cheekbones. Her blue eyes seemed to welcome him and added to her overall beauty, she gave off the appearance of being friendly. Her body was beautiful, as if shaped in the image of something divine. She was thin, nearly as tall as him and her skin felt soft to the touch. She put her hand on his face and tried to communicate something through a series of facial expressions, he figured she must be thanking him. He looked her in the eyes, and kissed her on the lips like he had with another so long ago, she seemed startled as he did this, unaware of how to react. He kissed her once more and again and again until she finally caught on and understood the simple display of affection.

Captivated by her and the thought of having a companion he had an idea, “I know how to fix you, stay here.” He rummaged through his medical supplies until he found what he was looking for. Taking a pill from a capsule, he handed it to her and tried to mimic the action of swallowing. The pill was given to soldiers who had been affected by severe brain trauma; it restarted their brain and repaired parts of the brain controlling fundamental concepts such as speech and motor skills. Maybe the pill would be enough to kick start her brain and allow her to become completely competent. He finally convinced her to take the pill; she fell fast asleep as the pill worked its way through her system. He waited by her side, she kicked and tossed in her sleep as her brain was being rewritten. He held her hand affectionately as he remembered how terrible the effects of the pill had been.

Across the valley three figures made their way towards the container nestled against the trees. They were large and brutish as they moved under the cover of the trees, hunched and carrying sticks or rocks. They had been tracking the blonde one, who came from somewhere else; she looked different than rest of the tribe. And there was the man, the one who looked like the blonde one, the one who had been able to carry the shiny box for miles. They approached the box and began hollering and beating their chests, making a huge commotion as they prepare to fight.

The man startled by the sudden noise let go of the woman’s hand, and looked out at the source of the commotion. Three humanoid figures approached the man who had taken the blonde one. They reared up on their legs and awaited the man to respond to their challenge. Taking the pistol and his machete the man prepared to fight and stepped outside of his cabin. The first ape like creature lunged at him thrusting his spear, the pilot swung and the first of the primitive men fell, its throat slashed open. He fired four rounds into the chest of the next one, by the time he was ready to face the third it was already on him. The creature was much stronger than he was and brought him to the ground, it seemingly forgot about the rock in its hand. The cold hand of the creature wrapped its long fingers around the man’s neck crushing his throat, the other beat at his body after letting go of the rock. He managed to use the humanoid’s own weight against it and rolled on top of it. He began repeatedly striking and striking the creature’s face until it stopped twitching after every hit, he picked up his pistol and fired a round into its face. He stood over the humanoids, battered and bloody, behind him a quiet voice called out to him, “Who are you?”

The man slowly turned around and looked at her, taking a minute to reply he answered, “Adam.”

She looked intently at him, and began walking towards him. As if now she was more certain that she could trust him and desperate to have him as company. Once more, in a more worried tone she asked, “Who… am I?”

His mind went blank, he had never even thought about her having a name, he thought back to his ship. The thing that had been with him all these years and had brought him here, would be by his side once more, “Eve,” he answered.

She seemed confident in his answers and asked him one final question, “Where are we?” By this time she reached his side and now held onto his arms above the elbows, looking directly into his eyes. He felt a comfort in the woman’s touch and in her voice, as if after all these years half of him had been missing and he finally found what he been gone. The look the woman gave him was as if all that mattered in the world, was his answer to this one question.

He looked around and tried to remember the beauty of the land, how stunning everything was to him in those first weeks here. He remembered a word from long ago, it referred to a special place supposed to be beautiful. Contrasting the past images of beauty were now the broken and mangled corpses that lay around the couple. He looked at all the dirt that had been torn up by the creatures as they yelled and hollered at them. “Where we are was once Eden, now it’s just earth.” He dropped his gun and brought her in close, hugging her tightly. Afraid as if some force was going to take her from him. He began crying, and she started to cry with him. She wasn’t sure what she was crying over but felt as a piece of her was missing. As if all her innocence and naivety suddenly had been taken from her, she felt ashamed.
They hugged one another tightly, “I’m scared,” was all she could manage before a silence overtook the both of them. Around them they could hear the yells and uproar of other humanoids. The peacefulness and innocence of the valley had been shattered, its perfection cast down. The two walked quietly back inside the cabin and sealed the door. Inside they held onto one another throughout the night, afraid at what events might occur. Yet they held onto one another, and in that embrace they found hope.