Prodigy Returns (book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Amid the battlefield lay more than a dozen smashed droids. Alex walked up close to some of them and analyzed their distinct design and intricate features. With a thirst for knowledge and discovery, she wanted to know so much more about this race of alien robots than was available to her. Perhaps she would never know.

Making her way back to the ruins, Alex crouched down by her brother's side. She was having a really hard time accepting the fact that he was gone. Only moments earlier, he was leading her through the tunnels and bravely facing danger to keep her safe. His bright and charming personality was something she would cherish forever. Even though she had only known him for less than a day, she felt connected to him and was deeply saddened by his death.

Studying the console that she had removed from Kyodin's suit, Alex brought up the GPS coordinates of his camp. He had been pretty secretive about it thus far, but Alex was determined to bring her brother back there for a proper funeral. According to Kyodin, it was only a few hours away.

Alex dragged Kyodin's body out of the darkness and placed it next to the pitdador. Once she reactivated the reverse force field, they were contained together for easy transport. Alex then activated the anti-gravity scramblers and lifted the large cargo off the ground. Using the rope, she began to pull them both across the plain.

The journey took Alex across many varying landscapes. After leaving the dense jungles, Alex navigated across a barren tundra, through several rivers, and into a spiky mountain range that was larger than anything she had seen. She trekked on, towing her brother and the pitdador, never once stopping for rest.

Alex kept an eye on the ever-changing weather conditions. Dark clouds loomed overhead, suggesting a rainstorm was imminent. Under ordinary circumstances, one would want to seek shelter and make any necessary preparations before the storm set in, but Alex knew she would reach camp if she pressed on.

Several hours into the trip the weather took a complete turn for the worse. The dark clouds had long since replaced the lavender sky and caused rain to pour down relentlessly, but Alex was protected by the force field. It was a strange feeling to be in the middle of a storm with nothing visible overhead and not get wet.

Exhausted from the day, Alex maintained her pace, continuing to place one foot in front of the other. She kept checking the GPS as she knew she was getting close. Trudging through sand and mud, down a rocky ravine, and through a pasture of tall grass, she eventually emerged at the bottom of an exquisite natural valley formation covered in trees. There was breathtaking beauty at every turn, but still no signs of civilization.

Approaching a creek that ran between two tree-covered mountains, Alex saw the first indication that she was on the right track. Large flat stones were embedded in the creek bed, allowing her to walk across. The calm and clear waters looked to be only waist deep and even in the darkness and pitter-patter of rain drops, she could see brightly coloured fish swim by. She was tempted to dive into the water just to see what would happen with her force field, but opted not to.

The stones in front of her were evenly spaced and clearly put there by someone who crossed the creek often. Walking at her natural pace, each foot landed on the raised stones and she crossed to the other side with ease. Her large cargo hovered along and so far hadn't been too much of a hindrance.

"Hello!" she called out, but her voice didn't carry very far. The downpour was too loud, drowning out the waves of her voice.

To her left, she spotted a long wooden walkway that stretched down the middle of the valley. It elevated up the side of one of the mountains and ran parallel to the creek. Sticking to the path, Alex followed along, hoping that some kind of building or structure would stand out, but there did not appear to be anything of the sort. Now high above the creek, Alex looked to her right and peered through large bamboo-like stalks that grew around the pathway. The area was so serene that on several occasions she just had to stop and admire the beauty.

On the other side of her, the steep mountainside extended so high that she could not see the top. As she listened carefully through the noise of the storm, she could hear the indeterminate squawks of local wildlife. She thought she saw some little monkey creatures, but her visibility was too limited to fully make them out.

Since Kyodin hadn't disclosed any details of the camp, she had no idea what to expect. She thought there may be a chance that she would arrive to a bustling community full of workers from the Pegasus, or at least their offspring. Alternatively, Kyodin and Maxim could have lived there alone, and now that they were both dead, Alex could be walking into a ghost town.

She had been trudging up the wooden walkway for over a kilometre. The further up she went, she started to see other non-natural structures. There were a couple waterwheels and what appeared to be some kind of fishing nets. In the distance, the winding walkway merged into a beautifully constructed bridge that arched over the creek. The bridge was several metres above the water and when Alex finally reached it, she stood in the middle and gazed out over the landscape. She could only imagine how beautiful it would be on a clear sunny day.

Her stomach growled so she continued on. Convinced she would bump into another human and present them with the offering of the large pitdador, Alex envisioned a large feast waiting for her. If there was no one left on the planet, she would bury Kyodin, say a prayer for her father, and head back to the transporter, assuming she could find it.

As soon as Alex left the bridge and proceeded up the other trail, a large beast leapt out in front of her. Caught off guard, Alex dropped the cable and stumbled back. She immediately reached for her sword and activated it. A soft humming sound emanated from the sonic blade as it powered up with reverberation.

In the hazy fog of night, Alex could barely make out the towering creature that stood before her. When her focus narrowed, she identified it as the same species of beast that had carried her father away. She wasn't sure if it was the same one from the ship. Perhaps it followed Maxim's scent back to camp and ate whoever else lived there. The beast snarled and Alex snarled back. With her force field and weapons, she was confident that the second fight would have a very different outcome than the first. Even though she was hungry and exhausted, her adrenaline was now surging through her body and she was ready for battle.

From behind the beast, a tall dark figure emerged with a familiar voice. "Hello, Alex," the voice spoke. "Welcome to Eden."