Cosmic Tales 11: Star Child

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  Wingclipper dusted the dried mud from his clothes and banged his weighty boots together to remove the soil, sending bits of undergrowth everywhere. He mounted the ramp and went inside the ship, settling himself at the grand comfortable chair by the command room table. He slid the prize across the surface, flipping it up and down, spinning it and waiting for it to fall, watching the low lighting reflect against the sheen. He turned the coin around between his fingers, shaking his head at the wonder and magnificence of the find, trying to fathom how fortunate he had been to come across a genuine source of platinum.

  "Where have you been hiding all these years?" he said across an empty room. Just as he was about to venture into the field to discover more treasure, the doors from the corridor flew open and in came Elwood and Rodeena swinging a creature by each arm. Wingclipper recoiled in his seat when he saw what appeared to be a miniature monster covered head to toe in black hair. He toppled over and drew his pistol. He looked to Elwood, then Rodeena, then at the pink ears and the button nose. The creature sensed Wingclipper's panic and unease at the situation, bit into Elwood's thumb and broke free. Elwood howled as the creature hopped high, defying gravity, catching the ceiling and gripping a bunch of loosened wires for support. It crawled along the overcrowded wiring like a giant uncontrollable tarantula. As Wingclipper took aim and prepared to fire, little sobs were heard.

  "Don't shoot, it's a baby," said Elwood.

  "I'm not going to have pity for the thing. I want it dead!" said Wingclipper.

  "Don't shoot it. Give it breathing space. It is just as terrified as we are. Now let's all put away our weapons and take a few steps back, catch our breath and be rational here."

  Wingclipper and Rodeena retracted their pistols, but Elwood kept holding his.

  "Why aren't you putting your pistol away?" said Rodeena.

  "I'm not taking any chances."

  In the blink of an eye, a hairy hand swooped down and scooped Elwood's pistol clean from his hand when he broke eye contact. The creature gurgled and sighed inquisitively at the complex design. It seemed to be asking questions out loud. Then, following a moment of calm, the creature accidentally pressed the trigger and shot through a bunch of electric cables, sending sparks across the ceiling in a domino effect of shorting the electricity supply and plunging the command room into darkness. Unable to process what it had done, the creature dropped the pistol right back on to Elwood's head.

  "Let's walk away very slowly," said Elwood, collecting his pistol. "No sudden movements. Give it time, and it will come to us. Ro, I want you to fetch the salvaging net from the engine room."

  "Hey, you sound like you're in charge this ship or something," said Wingclipper. "We're not using the salvaging net. It's too small and lightweight. I have a better idea. Come with me."