Traitor of Sunshine

Random Generated Title: Traitor of Sunshine

Random Generated Names: Gavin Elroy Seaver, Rachel Savannah Morin

Random Generated Genre:

Time: 35 Minutes

Warning: 99% Chance of being completely scientifically inaccurate XD

Go!

Within minutes of bouncing on the planet’s surface, Gavin determined that what he was looking for was here. The large goggles fastened tight to his head whirred with each eye movement in order to add layers upon layers of artificial light. Shapes were blurred, and the colors were likely inaccurate, but it was the only way he, or anyone else, could see outside now that the sun was gone.

It happened about 7 months ago, give or take a week–It was hard to be precise with the main method of time-keeping now erased–and the event annihilated not only Earth, but the black hole it created sucked up all planets up to Neptune. Luckily, there were colonies on other moons, other planets, and those remaining were going strong.

It was no accident, however. And the one who caused the fall of 96% of the human race was somewhere, hiding. There was only a handful of places that the culprit could have reached before the star was exploded. Having been a bounty hunter before then, Gavin was fairly good at predicting where his prey would flee to.

The small furnace on his chest was keeping him nice and warm, but he had only a few hours before he had to return to the ship to recharge. It shouldn’t take that long.

Rocks littered most of the planet–on his screen they were a bright white–but there were thickets of what resembled trees with branches permed into tight curls. These appeared dark gray, with long streaks of burnt orange running around the trunks like an out-stretched slinky. And since they appeared to be ‘alive’, there was likely some form of water or food to scavenge.That, and the fact that he couldn’t see far into the forest itself, made him certain that his target was here.

He entered into the embrace of the misshapen trees, the nozzle of his gun leading his every step. Certainly they were expecting someone to have been sent, and it was likely there would be traps. When he was a few yards inward, the goggles on his face scanned the earth, the trees, for any sort of markings. One hand instinctively reached upwards to stroke the thick, dark beard within his helmet. Instead his hand rammed into the thick glass, “Son of a–” He flicked his gloved hand outwards, cheeks burning. Luckily there was no one around to witness his idiocy.

With a huff, he stomped further into the woods, itching to shoot something to regain his honor. His heavy boots stomped atop one of the protruding roots.

He was upside down.

One of the curled tree branches was now wrapped firmly around his ankle. “You cant–be seri–ous–“ His free foot was kicking at the branch, body flailing. After perhaps a little too long, he finally remembered his gun. Looking downwards, he made the unfortunate discovery that it was about ten feet out of his reach. “Of course.”

Moving his free knee towards and away from himself in order to get the curled branch to bounce, his hands went straight forward, back, forward, gaining momentum– he was slowly advancing upon it. Eight feet. Six feet. Five feet. Five feet. Five feet. Gavin pushed himself harder, fingers clawing at the emptiness above the gun.

“You are never going to get it,” a voice remarked with heavy amusement. He tried to still himself, but his body was still bouncing up and down like a yo-yo. With a couple whirrs from his glasses, he spotted a figure swagger into his view. It a thin, form-fitting armor beneath a dark green cloak; The folds of which were floating in wave-like ripples.

Pressing a button on his suit in order to be heard, “Well, that’s not a very positive attitude.”

“If I had a positive attitude, I’d believe that you weren’t here to kill me.”

He grinned, shrugging as he continued his slow bounce, “‘Kill’ is such a harsh word… ‘Putting down’ is much nicer,” He chuckled, “So you really are the Traitor of the Sunshine?”

She–it was definitely a she, with that sweet timbre–cackled, “Is that what they’re calling me?”

“Considering you shut down the station that’s been feeding the sun the carbon dioxide it needs to keep burning… It’s a pretty accurate title.”

She crossed her arms, and though he couldn’t see her face under the hood, he was sure she was smirking, “It was long over-due, anyway.”

“So… what, that’s it? ‘It was long over-due’? I was expecting… more.”

“A diabolical villain?” She circled around him slowly, the cape trailing behind her–but not touching the ground, as if she had invisible minions holding it up for her. Gavin watched her approach closer, closer, before her head tilted downward.

“No no no no no–” He tried to grab at her head, but she dodged him easily before kicking the gun away from him. It floated away helplessly until it hit the nearest tree. Gavin shot her a glare underneath his thick frames, “That was diabolical.”

“Oh, well, might as well keep it up.” She shrugged, “Do you have any puppies I can kick?”

“Okay, listen here–” She turned around, clearly not caring and gave him a wave,

“So long, bounty hunter.”

“WAIT!” He felt his heartbeat rise, “I–Listen, I don’t have to kill you. I can bring you back alive.”

She twisted around, laughing once more. Clasping her hands, she stepped forward, “Oh, golly, that’s so kind. Formal execution is so much more appealing. Listen to this, there is no way I–AGH!”

They were now side by side, upside down.

Gavin burst into laughter so loud that it seemed to echo across the planet. He couldn’t even see, his vision blurred from the tears forming. She snarled,

“Hey that’s not–” He kept laughing, “Will you–” More laughing, “You know what–”

“No, no–” He tried to speak through his giggles, “I’m sorry, what were you saying? There was no way–what?”

He noticed then that her hood had fallen from her helmet. This silenced him. She was Neptunian. If his goggles were off about her blue skin, those gold eyes were unmistakable. Even through the burn marks that covered half of her face.

Her expression went from flustered fury, to deathly stillness. He didn’t understand, she escaped the blast–but even if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have just escaped with being barely scathed.

“What… happened?” He asked.

“Nothing.” She bared her sharpened teeth, “Focus more on the present, please. How are we to get down?”

Gavin reluctantly bit his tongue on the subject, “Fine. Well, Miss… What was your name? In the report… Rambo Martino, was it?”

“Dr. Rachel Morin,” she curtly corrected.

“Well, Rachel,” His grin was wide, arms outspread, “You–so brilliantly–kicked away our only weapon that could possibly get us down.”

She sneered, “Do you always focus on the past?”

He wanted to drag his palms down his face but just barely saved himself from ramming his fingers into the glass again. “Okay. Alright. Let’s see…” His goggles scanned the surroundings, hoping that perhaps guns and knives were a natural formation on this planet. Nothing but roots and rocks.

“Hmm… Rachel–”

“Dr. Morin–”

“Dr. Moron, is your cloak made of normal fibers? Not some weird Neptunian armor-cloth?”

She hissed,  “Just cloth.”

“Okay, good, take it off.”

“What?”

“Just trust me, please.”

Her yellow eyes narrowed, but she ripped it off with the attitude of  a grumpy child. The metalic suit underneath hugged her body very well, and was very much more advanced that the baggy, bulky thing he was wearing. Gavin took the offering with a smile, “You think you’d have more faith, Dr. Mormon.”

The dark streaks under her eyes were growing red, “If I get that gun, Bounty Hunter, I’m going to shoot you with it.”

“Hush, darling, Daddy’s working.” His fingers twirled the material into a thick rope, then tied it into a slip knot. With a great heave, he tossed the knot at a protruding root. It did not miss…technically.  It was floating a couple inches above the target.

“Are you kidding me–“ Gavin took a deep breath, ignoring the laughter beside him, “That was just a warm-up.”

He reeled back, tossing it with all of his force, but, again, the gravity wouldn’t let it fall. It isn’t heavy enough. He patted himself down, searching the nooks and crannies of his suit.

“Dr. Martian, did you bring anything you wouldn’t mind me borrowing?”

She scoffed, “Like what?”

“Something to weigh down my knot.”

Rachel crossed her arms with a dry smile, “No, I keep most things on my ship.”

“Well that’s just peachy,” he continued to search himself. There was some ammo, but it was all jelly, and even lighter than her cloak. His hand rested on the buttons on his chest, pondering.

“Oh! I got it–” He stretched out his lasso to where it was again hovering just above the target. As gently as he could muster, he pressed on the oxygen burst button-An explosion of air shot from his back and pushed him forward enough to wrap the knot around the root. “Woo!” He shouted victoriously, “Did you see that–?”

The force that brought him forward was counter-balanced by the tree’s curls, and the branch pulled him upwards. He held onto the cloak, to prevent his springing.

He ripped it in half.

“Oh, yes,” Dr. Morin growled, “That was magnificent.”

He stared at the torn cloth in his hands with wide, hollowed eyes. The up and down bounce he was once again trapped in didn’t lesson the horror slowly overcoming him.

We are going to die.

His eyes flickered down to the band on his wrist. Oxygen: 1 hour 15 minutes. Heat: 2 hours 11 minutes. Gavin looked back at the cloth in his hands. The ship was half an hour’s journey from here.

I am going to die.

 

 

 

— To Be Continued!–

I just about went over my original 35 min mark, and I think i’m only halfway done, so this will have to take up two coffee shop visits 😀