Page 8 of When Eden Falls

We were quiet as we searched the area, hunting for any clues of what may have happened. There was no way of switching any of the data screens on, no way of accessing any information. Even with the absorption of the hot sunshine outside, none of the bridge computers worked. Looking in the cupboards and under the floor panels, the wires were singed, broken, or missing. Again, the missing part baffled me.

None the wiser, we left the bridge and headed towards the captain’s quarters. All long-range ships were the same. The personnel quarters were a level higher than the bridge and main monitoring stations. The captain’s quarters always sat at the rear of the ship, usually with an outward facing window.

We struggled up the battered staircase but found the room easily enough. The door was closed without any sign of missing panels or gnawed metal edges.

Rooke opened the door vigilantly. Slowly, he scanned the room, then seemed to relax. Strolling in, he made for the average sized bed in the corner. The bed was made, the room was pristine, nothing like the devastation downstairs.

Above the bed, stuck to the wall, was a brown envelope with the words,For anyone who comes to rescue us, written in large black writing. Rooke stood on the bed and peeled away theenvelope. “I get the impression the captain knew they were going to die.”

Still eyeing the room cautiously, I said, “What the hell killed them?”

“I don’t know.” Rooke peered into the envelope. “Maybe this will shed some light on the situation.” He pulled out two hard drives and a digital signature chip. “This must be the captain’s records.”

Oz’s voice rang through our earpieces. “Boss, we found a grave up on the clifftop.”

I glanced out the window and realised the shipwreck was located in a crescent shaped bay. Sym and Cora were digging graves out on the sand below; Oz and Kobe were strolling back from the cliffs.

Rooke headed for the door, clutching the envelope. “I’m on my way down.”

We exited the ship the same way we came in, passing Zamya, who was still examining the mutilated bodies. The red smear appeared far more disturbing now that we knew what it was.

“The grave was over there.” Oz approached us, pointing to a lower section of rockface nearing the edge of the cove. “It was definitely one of ours. We found a Nux necklace dangling around a star made of sticks.”

“How many graves?” Rooke asked, as we stepped off the ramp onto the beach.

“Just the one.”

“So, we’re still missing one crew member.”

“There could’ve easily been two bodies in that grave.”

“Or one could still be alive,” I suggested.

Rooke looked at me pensively. “How could anyone survive out here on their own?”

“We could see a large forest to the east,” Oz mentioned. “If these forests are anything like ours on Allura, it’ll be full of food and shelter.”

Rooke scoured the uneven clifftops surrounding us. He didn’t look convinced. “I don’t think we should stick around muchlonger. It’s not safe. We don’t know how swift the sun sets, and I don’t want to be stuck out here after dark.”

“Good point.”

“We head back to Parvos, get airborne, and redock with The Orka. Kobe can leave sensors on the ground to give us more insight into activity in the area. It will pick up on any human lifeforms in close proximity. We can return tomorrow to scout the area from the air.” He glanced over to Sym and Cora, who were still digging the graves. “But first, we put those lost souls to rest.”

Within the next hour, the mutilated bodies were moved, the graves filled and covered by small rocks to keep the light, fairy dust ground in position. Standing in a circle around the graves, holding hands, we paid our respects the Alluran way. Kobe’s voice filled the radio wave, “We honour your sacrifice of living the life you’ve endured. May your flesh and bone help replenish this land. May your soul scour the endless night and find its way back to the home where you belong.”

This was an ancient verse Allurans recited at funeral services. The sacred words came from the time of the Nux Warriors. The phrases were to thank the deceased for their courage and hardship during life. In death, they would continue to support our people by nourishing the Alluran soil with their body. The last part was to encourage the immortal soul to find its way back to where our ancestors originated from…Earth. I couldn’t help thinking how fitting the last part was for the two people laid to rest at our feet. But I hoped their souls found their way back to Allura, because even though this world was beautiful, it wasn’t home. Allura was.

After a short, reflective silence, we packed up our belongings and headed to the edge of the cove, back towards the stretch of coastline where our ship awaited.

“Do you think the fourth crew member could still be alive?” I asked Rooke as we walked side by side.

“I doubt it. If they are, they would’ve seen our ship earlier. They would’ve found us by now. And if they are injured, they’d hold no chance against whatever mutilated their crewmates. I justhope the hard drive we found gives us some insight to what’s happened here.”

Cora caught my attention from up ahead. She stopped and slowly turned. “Has…has anyone else noticed that the sea has shifted considerably?” Her voice sounded nervous, hesitant.

“What do…you…?” I glanced along the shore, starting to understand her comment. The sea water was now lapping at the ground far closer than before. The waves were choppier, stretching further inland.

“How did that happen?” Rooke said, looking at Cora for an explanation. “It was at least ten metres out not so long ago.”