Prodigy Returns (book 3)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The couple had been living in the cave for a few weeks without incident. Aside from their initial encounter with the large beast, they had yet to see it around, or any robots for that matter. They had started to settle in, making repeated trips throughout the day to transport all the necessary equipment from the Pegasus to the cave. Jacey handled most of the tasks around the cave such as remodeling and planting seeds for a garden. They had nearly everything they needed within a short radius and had yet to do much exploring beyond their immediate surroundings.

With just the two of them, it would have been a good life, salvaging what scraps remained of their old lives and rebuilding anew. With the equipment to aid them with child birth, naturally they had discussions about starting a family. They thought perhaps bringing children into this new world would be unfair to them.

"Do you need anything while I'm out?" Maxim asked.

"Yes, we need milk and some eggs," Jacey replied.

"Very funny. I'll try to be back as soon as I can, but as you know, these hunts can be unpredictable."

"No worries, there's plenty of things for me to do around here. I'll hardly notice that you're gone."

Maxim suited up and set off into the woods alone. He returned to a spot he knew well — a forested area just beyond the riverbed near the Pegasus. It would be an ideal location if it were not for the noise of the running water, which made it difficult for him to hear the animals, even with the enhanced hearing capabilities of his suit. Nevertheless, wherever there was water, animals were usually not too far away.

Settling into some bushes, Maxim remained still for several hours waiting for the perfect shot. Growing restless, he stood up to stretch. That's when he revealed his position. Just as he was about to get comfortable again, he was attacked. The first creature pounced on his back and smashed him down to the forest floor. Maxim was in all kinds of pain and had no idea what had hit him. Unable to get up and feeling as if his bones had been crushed, he managed to activate a switch on his suit that emitted a jolt of electricity. The creature on top of him received a nasty shock, which was enough to cause it to release Maxim from its clutches.

Using his forearms to do a military crawl, Maxim dragged his body through the dirt and fallen leaves, and positioned himself so that his back was up against a tree. With the wind still knocked out of him, Maxim took several deep breathes and prepared to do his best to defend himself. In his ear and heads-up display, his suit had scanned his body and was relaying the extent of the damage that he had sustained — three cracked ribs, a bruised lung, and a spiking heart rate. So far, he was doing well all things considered.

Before Maxim could aim his weapon, a claw snatched him from around the tree and began to drag him across the forest floor by one leg. While being bounced around, Maxim did his best to steady his aim long enough to blast the creature. It was a direct hit that immobilized the beast instantly. Maxim scrambled back to his feet, but soon after was tackled to the ground and mauled by yet another beast. This time, the beast tore at his armour and managed to penetrate it, lacerating Maxim's soft flesh. Again, Maxim aimed his blaster, but it was quickly swatted out of his hand.

Pinned down and defenseless, Maxim knew his time had all but come too soon, much like the untimely deaths of his crew. In those final moments, he thought about Jacey waiting for him to come home — wondering what had happened and spending the rest of her days alone. He thought about the legacy left behind on Earth, his family, friends, colleagues, and supporters. No one would know the truth of how the once most powerful man on the planet would die alone, succumbing to a pack of large space beasts. Unwilling to go down without a fight, Maxim desperately tried to kick and punch at the beasts. He fought as much as he could, but without a weapon and being badly wounded, there was little to no chance of survival.

With his last defeated breath escaping his lungs, Maxim saw the grim flashes of a savage and abrupt attack. As his eyes struggled to remain open, a dizzying whirlwind of fur and dirt clashed around him. Eventually his eyes closed and he was consumed by the sounds of thunderous thuds set to the distant flutter of birds and squawks from tree-dwelling critters. Maxim was slipping into a blissful state of peace as he felt the pain leave his body. He fought off death as best he could, managing to inhale a one last breath. Soon after, his world went dark.