Prodigy Returns (book 3)

Chapter Four

Leaving the lighted area of the ship, Alex lit her torch and made her way through the various rooms, looking for anything to salvage. With a little creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking, any random object could be the key to keeping her alive for one more day.

Her first instinct was to go to the exploration bay, which was where all the mini exploration pods were docked. Although she didn't expect to find anything, she remained hopeful. She knew the pods very well as she had used one as a makeshift shelter when she was on the island. The pods were designed for self-sufficiency, where a small crew of four could detach from the main ship and conduct various missions. She had been thankful they were equipped with plenty of survival gear as it was what had kept her alive long enough for rescue to come for her. She had relied heavily on the food packs, a utility tool, and water purification system, but doubted if any of those items would still be there after all these years.

The bay door was already open. When she stepped through, a wave of memories came flooding back. She walked over to the empty docking bay and stood in front of it, replaying the last events that had taken place there before she departed. She recalled getting into the pod, closing the hatch, and seeing her father one last time. She looked down at the floor where Agent Archimedes had been lying face down, desperately trying to thwart her efforts. She never imagined she would ever be standing in those same footsteps.

Aside from the one she had taken back to Earth, all the other pods were accounted for. Approaching the first pod, Alex stepped inside and looked around. The flickering flame illuminated the way. She soon discovered the first pod had been completely gutted — all the essential survival gear had been taken out. Fortunately, there were dozens of pods.

Making her way around the dark warehouse-sized space, Alex went to the next pod. Her torch only provided light within a narrow proximity around her and kept the rest of the room dark. As the soft light danced around the room, it created a plethora of ominous shadows. The vibe was more than a little creepy, especially with the lack of sensory input. The insulated walls made the room dead silent and the lack of visibility convinced her some blood-thirsty creature was about to jump out at any second and take her out. She tried to make some noise every so often to alert any animals of her presence. That was something the survival data had instructed her to do when entering dark and unknown caverns.

She had secured little bits from each of the pods such as numerous pieces of scrap metal that would come in handy for cooking and making weapons, eating utensils, a container for carrying water, a short piece of rope, and some wires. Wires were good for making traps and for binding objects together. Alex was thankful to find a multi-purpose tool wedged underneath one of the seats. There were also some leftover food packs, the kind astronauts use. She wasn't sure if they had an expiration date, but she also didn't care. She took them as well and added them to her stash. For breakfast, she was looking forward to eating a sixty-year old packet of dehydrated beef stew.

Alex entered the last pod just as she had done with the previous pods. However, unlike the others, this one offered something more. Her face lit up with delight and she cheered out loud at the sight of the portable water purifier. She attempted to lift it, but was immediately reminded of her broken arm. The smile on her face was quickly replaced by a grimace as she winced in pain. She decided to leave the purification system where it was for now and see what the rest of the ship had to offer.

Leaving the exploration bay, Alex entered her father's old living quarters. This too brought back memories from her first tour. She remembered her father and Agent Archimedes standing by her side, discussing all that the room had to offer. The bar and entertainment area was gutted, and the sofa, chairs, and mattress were also long since removed.

With her torch in hand, Alex made her way over to the bed. Above the bed remained an old flag that symbolized global peace and the unification of Earth. It was mounted on a wall in the same spot where she had last seen it. She wondered what it was still doing there and was surprised that it was still in good shape.

Stepping onto the bedframe, she pulled the flag down from its mounting pins and shook out the dust that had collected over the past sixty years. She then wrapped the flag around her neck like superhero putting on a cape and tied it in a knot. The cape flowed down and ended just below the back of her knees. She felt proud to be an ambassador of Earth on a strange and distant planet, and wore the flag like a badge of honour.

Now heading into the bathroom, she stood in front of the dirty mirror and wiped away the grime. She stared at herself for a moment as she was about to embark on one of the most perilous and foreboding challenges of her life. In those moments of solitude, she gave herself a much needed pep talk. After a short speech, she closed her eyes and visualized the mantra in her head.

'You are a warrior. You are strong. You are unstoppable.'

Alex opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror one last time before making her exit.