Jupiter Ascending /Caine Wise

Chapter 13 - The Deadlands

In my first chapter, I started with Caine being in a prison. (He actually spent his sentence in a place called the Deadland(s). I wrote this chapter to give further background to Caine and try and blend my story with the movie to be more accurate.

A/N June 22- Minor edits to formating. No story changes.

Caine lunges at Titus just as Famulus hits a button closing the airlock doors. A gust of wind yanks Caine towards the exterior doors. As the oxygen is sucked from his lungs, Caine struggles against the vacuum outside, kicking one of the storage lockers open. Caine and the contents of the locker are sent hurtling into the void. Caine spins end over end as he tries to grab one of the small packs, ice crystals forming on his skin and his lungs burning from the lack of air. Desperate

Floating in space with only 38 minutes of oxygen remaining, Caine images of Jupiter flash through his mind. Trying to slow his breath he, he can see her as if she is right there with him. She is like the warm sunshine on a summers day. She is like the flowers in the fields, with bees dancing around her. She is everything he has been missing his whole life. For so many years he has been focused on only survival.

As Caine's oxygen levels drop he begins to recall first arriving at the Deadlands, a barren planet leftover from a failed terra-forming project. Not suitable for colonization or seeding, it became a dumping ground for criminals. The weak never lasted very long, preyed upon by vicious men who had all but forgotten they were men.

Sitting in a run down space transport, Caine sat across from two other criminals. Just as it was time to land, one of the officers stood up and started shouting instructions. "Once we land, you have 30 seconds to get out. You will each receive a pack with rations for three days. There's water about a days walk east of our landing site. The transport will no doubt attract attention of anyone nearby, so if I were you, I wouldn't stick around to long." Two other officers stepped forward with guns raised, while the first one began to remove the restraints from Caine and the other two inmates. Looking at Caine, he said, "I had a brother in the Legion," shoving a pack into Caine's arms, he added quietly, "I packed this one myself. Take care out there." Caine only nodded as he and the other two were pushed toward the grav-beam.

Once on the ground the two men, one was a reptillian splice and the other simian, possibly a gorilla splice, opened their packs to see what they got. Some water packets, and purifying tablets for the water they find, a small to medium sized knife, some rations, and a foil blanket for a shelter. It wasn't much by any standards. The two strangers started to walk east, when one turned and spoke to Caine, "Hey, you heard them, nearest water is east. We should stick together, at least for now."

But Caine wasn't interested in teaming up. Besides he knew that going to the only major water source in a days journey or more, was the most likely place to find trouble. No Caine was better off on his own, like he always was before, even when he was with the Skyjackers, he had been a loner. Shaking his head he walked off in the opposite direction.

After finding some cover, Caine opened his pack to see what supplies he had. Like the other two splices, he was given water and purifying tablets, some rations which might last a few days if he was very careful, a foil blanket and instead of a small knife he had a larger one with serrated edge which could be used to defend himself far better than the standard issue. In addition to this he had a rough stetch of the surrounding area, which probably represented a few days journey in each direction from his starting location. He was also given a couple of his personal items, leftover from when he was still in the Legion. An arm band, a pair of gloves and a couple other small gadgets that would be very useful out here.