Humanity's Last Song

Chapter 3 - Earth

N'ithya was different looking the last time the creature had visited. A century had passed since his prior visit.

Instead of a blue ring of atmosphere surrounding the little planet, it was a hazy red. According to the ship's scans, as his ship broke through the troposphere, there was heavy pollution clouding the once clean air. Thick white clouds still pocketed the sky, but as he remembered it. Far below he could see a city that was being taken over by the elements, thick green swatches covered the collapsing buildings and crumbling pavement. 

He typed in the coordinates of the signal and flew through the empty sky with a speed humanity once dreamed of.

Within minutes he had found it, a rusting out blocky building with a giant satellite array on the roof. The dish was massive and stained with rust on its grey surface.

Hovering over it, he performed a scan for any living organisms. It came up empty. Devoid of life. Even any potential heat signatures left behind had long cooled.

Clicking a few buttons on the control panel he started a scan of the area within a hundred mile radius.

A blinking red triangle on the projected map alerted him of his target. The alien he sought for was a mere ten kilometers north. Finding the little Earthling had been quicker than he had anticipated. Perhaps it believed itself —her — she believed herself, to be alone. This was the likely case. Thinking she was alone, she would neglect to protect herself from possible danger.

There was also the current situation she was in.

She had little breathable air left and knew of her impending demise, her ending, her welcoming the waiting arms of whatever she believed waited after death. Cetanu, the Black Warrior and God of Death, awaited the creature when it was his own time to pass. One day he would cross over when the time came.

Everyone did.

As he landed his ship and suited up, he sent the coordinates of the alien's location to his wrist computer with a swipe of his hand. He left the parked spacecraft cloaked in the open field not far from his target.

Ascending the various hills along the way he noted how empty the area was with no oomans to fill the void. If it weren't for the sounds of the natural world he would've thought the planet was devoid of life entirely. This was odd, seeing such a once populated planet now being down to one sentient inhabitant. An ooman that had somehow managed to survive six full cycles alone.

Even the most hardened of his kind required companionship. Another being to speak with.

Keeping himself cloaked as he crested the hill, he found who he was looking for.

Various forbidden emotions surged within his mighty breast as he observed the lone survivor. The ooman who had filled the void of the loneliness of space. Seeing her in person was exciting. Excitement filled his veins as his predatory eyes took in every detail of her body, much of it prone to the elements.

Star Schuyler resembled most humans with her scaleless skin and furry mane. She was tall and lean, unlike shorter females from this planet he had observed before. He still would dwarf her with his massive size but he liked how her body was lithe and graceful. Her skin was warm and reminded him of the color of sand; red patches of irritated skin broke up her otherwise perfect complexion. The female's mane was the color black and resembled charcoal in the dying twilight.

The creature watched as she ran her hands over the green grass around her sitting form.

This must've been the first time she had felt it in a long time. Seeing the happiness on her face filled him with warmth. The emerald jewels of her eyes were both sad and happy simultaneously.