The cargo hold was dank and dark. Nothing could be seen except for the dim purple glow of Lunairan eyes, flickering as they blinked. Serix leaned against the back wall of the hold. His own eyes shifted between the faces of the others. He had never met any of them before, as the higher powers had selected the Scouts from an unusually large pool of volunteers. Everyone wanted a chance to prove their bravery and help pave the way for settlement in this new planet, however only the “best fits” were chosen to actually take on the mission. How the best were picked, he was not sure. All he knew was the higher powers thought he was one of them.

Serix drew his legs to his chest and closed his eyes. The cargo hold wasn’t properly insulated, and he was beginning to feel a bit cool. He gauged the hold to be at a temperature where water would freeze, as he had to make a conscious effort to keep his own temperature from dropping by this point. There were plenty of other, better ships the higher powers could have let the Scouts use for the trip, but they didn’t want to “waste resources.” That was their excuse for sending the Scouts on their mission in the old cargo ship. Supposedly, the military-grade crafts were currently being used to protect the Lunairan mother ship. None could be spared for such an anecdotal assignment. Serix suspected that in truth the higher powers didn’t believe all the humans were dead yet, and they didn’t want to risk losing an armed ship to the Earthlings if the Scouts came under attack. Of course, they would never hint at such a possibility to the Scouts. It would cause some unwanted setbacks if anyone tried to abandon the mission.

Serix opened the bag of equipment he was provided with before he boarded the ship. He couldn’t see very well in the darkness, so he used his hands to figure out what the objects were by touch. He reached in and picked up one at a time, tracing his fingers carefully over each item. From what he could tell, he had been given three small, empty containers, a visual and audio recording device, and a few packs of dehydrated food. There was another object at the bottom of the bag, but he was still unsure as to what it was so he left it alone.

The ship began to rumble and groan. They must be entering the atmosphere of the planet. Serix looked to the eyes of his still unknown companions, which were alight with a mixture of emotions like fear and excitement. It was the first time in many years that a Lunairan set foot on the Earth. None of them knew what to expect. Serix was even more enthralled by the idea of exploring the new planet than the others were. Since his father was among the last group to travel to the Earth – he was one of the soldiers assigned to spread the Plague – he had told Serix stories about the humans and their home. Now it was Serix’s turn to see the mysterious place with his own two eyes, and he couldn’t wait.

The ship lurched as it landed and Serix could hear shuffling as the others stood up. The door to the hold slid open, momentarily blinding them with a flood of light. Serix squinted and shielded his eyes with a hand. Their pilot stood in the entryway, silhouetted against the sunlight. After taking a moment to adjust to the brightness, the Scouts moved to stand in a line and the pilot addressed them.

“As you already know,” his violet eyes swept over them. “We will only remain here long enough to verify the extinction of the humans, and then we will return to the Base. You have each been provided with enough food for two days, containers to collect physical samples if you find it necessary, a recorder for visual and audio samples, and finally,” the pilot’s expression turned cold. “In the rare event that you encounter any living humans, you have been provided a Silencer to exterminate them on site.” Serix adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder. So that was what the unknown object was. He had never wielded a weapon like this before. Silencers were about the same size and shape as a ray gun – small enough to fit in one’s hand – but they used high-voltage electroshock projectiles that were powerful enough to knock a Lunairan unconscious… or stop a human’s fragile heart.

“You will all be working separately to cover more ground,” the pilot continued. “Record any significant findings with your devices and collect samples along the way. Report back to the ship every other day to replenish your food supplies. You will repeat this process until I receive orders to fly us back to the Base. Are there any questions?” One of the Scouts raised his hand and the pilot nodded at him to speak.

“What if the humans overpower us?” he asked. “We are at a disadvantage if we travel by ourselves.”

“Overpower you?” the pilot echoed with a slight chuckle. “If a disease-ridden, physically and intellectually inferior being overpowers you then deserve to die. But,” he gestured at a small electronic device on his belt. “There is a system in place in the event that this does happen. If you ever find yourself in any danger, just press this button. The rest of us will be alerted of your position so we can come to your aid. Are there any other questions?” No one moved. “Very well then. I will be in the ship. You may begin scouting.” He stepped aside to let them file out of the ship and went back to the cockpit, closing the door to the cargo hold once they were all out.

Serix didn’t waste a moment. As soon as the pilot finished speaking he took off, heading for the nearest city. He wanted to see it for himself: the accomplishments of the humans. Up until this point all he had were the descriptions his father gave him as a child, but now he finally had an opportunity to view them firsthand. He quickened his pace.

--

Serix spun around in a circle, his eyes lit up with childlike wonder. He was surrounded by large, blocky constructions that seemed to reach up to meet the sky. Perhaps the Lunairans created things like these back on the home planet, but he would never know. He wasn’t old enough to remember those days. He wandered through the city, which was now overrun with wild plants. But perhaps the plants were already there to begin with? It was another curiosity he doubted he would ever solve.

He crouched next to one particularly interesting plant. It was spotted with small yellow and orange things. What were they called? Oh yes, flowers. He leaned closer to get a better look at them. The petals were frail but colorful, and the plant smelled of something sweet. The bare chrome walls of the ships could never compare to such beauty. He reached for one of the empty containers in his bag and popped the lid open. He gingerly plucked three of the flowers and dropped them inside, sealing it shut again. Surely the others would want to see these as well.

As he was stashing the container back in his bag, Serix heard a noise behind him. He turned to see an odd four-legged creature standing behind him with its head down and its legs splayed. It emitted a deep rumble from its throat. While he had never encountered such a beast, Serix instinctively knew it was dangerous. Even so, there wasn’t much it could do to harm him. He stood up and dusted off his pants, then retrieved his Silencer, taking aim at the creature’s head. It wavered for a moment at the sight of the weapon. Strange. How did it know the Silencer was a threat?

Serix didn’t have time to puzzle over the thought, as the beast leaped towards him, overcoming its brief hesitation. There was a bright spark of blue from the barrel of his weapon and the creature tumbled to the ground, either dead or unconscious. As he approached the body, he heard other noises around him. There must have been more of the beasts lurking nearby, but they were fleeing now. He knelt down next to the creature and ran a hand over its side. It was covered in something soft like short hair. He almost felt sorry for killing it, as he was sure now that it was dead. He took out his recorder and captured an image of the creature for the others to see.

Serix rose to his feet and continued exploring the city, leaving the corpse of the beast behind.

Crow rolled over on the hard mattress of his prison bed. The chains around his wrists and ankles clanked noisily, and he winced. Usually, he tried to practice moving silently, but today he was feeling careless. Why? Well, today marked the one year anniversary of his confinement in this wretched place. He had yet to come up with a feasible escape plan, and the guards had started to poke fun at him about it on their daily rounds. “Oh, you’re still here?” they said; “Do you really like us this much?” they said; “Can’t take the embarrassment of facing your ‘admirers’ after you got arrested?” they said. He was tired of their attitudes.

Crow rolled over again to face the wall, his chains rattling obnoxiously, when he saw the dim glow of a lantern outside of his cell. He really didn’t want to see the guards. Not today. Their prodding had been frustrating before, and he dreaded to think what they would say now that he had been locked up for an entire year. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he just ignored them, they would go away.

If only it were that simple.

Crow heard a loud grating sound as the door to his cell slid open. He opened one eye slightly and glanced back. Two guards stood in the entryway, looking irritated. Crow sat up curiously. This was different. The guards never entered the cells of the prisoners. Even food was delivered through a small opening in the bottom of each door. Why were they here now?

“Lockton,” one of the guards said stiffly. “Your presence has been requested.”

“Oh?” Crow raised a brow. “I didn’t know I had admirers in such high places. Who shall I thank for this opportunity to see daylight again?”

“You will see when we get there,” the guard spat. “Now, come with us.”

“No,” Crow lay down on his bed again.

“‘No?’” the guard stared at him, wide eyed. “What do you mean ‘no?’”

“I mean,” Crow said. “I’m not moving until I hear the name of the person who wishes to see me.”

“You little—” the guard took a step forward, but his companion stopped him.

“We’re under orders, remember?” the second guard said quietly, thinking Crow couldn’t hear him. “We can’t hurt him.” He turned to the thief and directed his next words to him. “Your presence has been requested by the king, himself.”

“Thank you,” Crow said casually, trying to hide his surprise. The king wanted to see him? He climbed down from the bed and followed the guards out of the cell. They remained silent as they led him down the dark corridor, each one standing on either side of him in case he made any sudden movements. He ignored their tenseness. They had no reason to worry. He wasn’t stupid enough to try and run away while they were still within the boundaries of the prison. The place was crawling with guards. He would never make it past the first floor.

Eventually, they came to the doors that led out of the building. Crow felt his heart speed up. He was so close to freedom, yet so far. The guards pushed open the doors and Crow’s excitement was replaced with a sharp wave of pain. After spending a year in complete darkness, the sun was blinding. He cursed loudly and shielded his eyes against the light. The guards snickered unsympathetically and dragged him along the road. In rebellion, he dug his heels into the ground, making their task as difficult as he possibly could. They then proceeded to pick him up by either arm and carry him down the road in a completely degrading manner.

“Alright, alright,” Crow protested, struggling against their grips. “Put me down. I can walk on my own.”

“Stop fighting with us, or I swear, I will personally carry you into the king’s palace,” one of the guards growled, setting him down again. Crow shot him a venomous look and dusted himself off.

After a while, they arrived at the palace. The guards led Crow through the hallways until they came to the king’s room. His Majesty himself stood by the window, looking out over his kingdom. He glanced at the doorway when the trio entered and wrinkled his nose slightly at the sight of the thief. Well, one thing hadn’t changed. The king still hated him just as much as he did before.

“Your Highness,” the guards said in unison, bowing deeply to their ruler. One of them elbowed Crow harshly in the ribs when he failed to do the same. He winced and dipped forward in a curt bow, then straightened again.

“You wanted to see me?” he said bluntly. The guards glared at him icily for his blatant lack of respect.

“Yes,” the king replied, ignoring Crow’s obstinate tone. “I have a task for you.”

“Lovely,” Crow said with a false note of cheerfulness. “What can I do for you today? Would you like me to steal some bread from the poor? Or perhaps you would prefer me to steal a brooch from your mistress?” If it was possible, the guards looked even more taken aback by his disrespectful words.

“You would be wise to hold your tongue,” the king said sharply. “Do not misunderstand. I do not require your abilities to complete this task. You are merely a tool to make the job easier. I can find another thief if you are not willing to cooperate with me.”

“But you still requested me specifically,” Crow pointed out.

“Yes,” the king growled. “As much as I hate to admit it, your skills are… hard to come by, and the object I need is not easily accessible.”

“I will accept your compliment,” Crow nodded. “Now, what is it you need me to steal?”

“I will have you go to our neighboring kingdom, Younis, and take the king’s staff. For generations, that staff has been a symbol of divine right in Younis. They believe that only a man who had been hand-picked by their gods was able to hold it. This man was in turn made their leader. If I can get my hands on it, I can annex Younis without a war.”

“But,” Crow said. “What if they’re right and only the rightful king can touch the staff?”

“Then I only lose one worthless thief,” the king shrugged. “I can still take over Younis by force if need be.”

“Wonderful,” Crow muttered.

“I have also assigned a group of knights to accompany you on your journey,” the king went on. “I can’t risk giving you an opportunity to escape, now can I?” He gestured at a table at the back of the room, where the knights were seated. They had been so quiet that Crow hadn’t noticed them until now. There were two men and one woman.

The king smirked at Crow’s look of disappointment, “These three will go with you to Younis.”