Wanderer Chapter 5: Story Of The Unseen. (Patreon)

Jack could barely believe his eyes as his spacecraft, the one he had invented himself, began to break apart, sparks flying and burning the protective space suit he wore. He looked outside and held his breath as he saw the gigantic, monolithic fingers closing in. The deep trenches of the giant creature's fingerprints and her massive nail, so strong it seemed capable of ripping apart an entire planet, filled his view.

He felt on the verge of losing his mind at the sight. His surroundings were bathed in an orange light from one of the massive spacecraft he had seen earlier, involved in a war he didn't understand. Now, to Jack's surprise, these bronze steel ships were trying to save him. He didn't know if this was a good thing or bad, but as he looked at the massive brown landmass of living flesh racing towards him, he knew it was probably the better option.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"What is that?" Jack asked as his craft began to rumble and shake violently, something that had stopped a few minutes before.

He could barely see them as they raced through space: dazzling spacecraft that looked like silver jets, shining with an ethereal glow.

"What is that?" Jack repeated, trying to focus on the silver streaks created by the crafts' lightning-fast movements.

Jack felt confused as he watched small explosions erupt from the bronze ship's frame. He witnessed with concern as explosions and black smoke surrounded the device that had activated the orange tracker beam around his ship—the same beam that had saved his life.

"I guess I'm not out of the woods yet," he muttered, realizing the danger was far from over.

***

Exe Borlag stared at the massive screens showing the smiling face of the colossal creature that had turned their war into chaos.

"How long until we can jump into hyperspace?" Exe Borlag asked, panic evident in his voice. He watched helplessly as their elite force, the Imperium, and the Gelmud empire's Torvakatas, were swallowed by the immense being they were now desperately trying to escape.

"We need just 3 eons (minutes), then we should be able to make a short jump through space," one of the Krugars responded, typing furiously at his computer.

Torvant looked at his captain, trying  to stay calm as the ship shook around them. "Sir," he said, stepping closer to Exe Borlag, "do you think we can hold out for that long?"

Exe Borlag didn't respond immediately. He stood with his arms crossed, staring at the screens. "Use the Gorfraks," he said simply.

The room fell silent as the Krugars absorbed Exe Borlag's words.

"You've heard your commander! Use the Gorfraks!" Torvant yelled.

"Yes, sir!" came the unified response.

The crew sprang into action. The Gorfraks, their most powerful weapons, had been reserved for a moment of absolute desperation. Now, with the immense being closing in and their ships being swallowed one by one, that moment had arrived. Exe Borlag watched as the preparations began, hoping the Gorfraks would buy them the time they needed to make the hyperspace jump and escape the monstrous creature's relentless pursuit.

***

I looked ahead, struggling to comprehend what I was seeing.

I had already destroyed so many of these little ships that dared to get in my way, swallowing and devouring countless smaller crafts that threatened my prize. Now, right before my eyes, tiny red glowing objects sparkled in the endless darkness.

They were almost beautiful as they approached my face. My eyes focused on one that flew closer to my right eye. I closed one eye, trying to focus my gaze on the tiny speck in front of me.

"BOOM!"

A flash of red light expanded outward, forcing me to close my eyes.

"AAAHHH!!!" I yelled as my right eye felt like it was burning.

I closed my eyes and began to rub it, shaking my head from the pain.

"Damn you!" I shouted in anger. More and more explosions erupted all around my body. They didn't hurt as much as the one that exploded in my eye, but with each blast, I felt my body being pushed in the opposite direction from the impact.

"You will not escape!!" I screamed as my vision began to return. Right before my eyes, I could see the bronze crafts growing smaller and smaller in the distance, with the much smaller craft still held in the orange beam. "You're mine," I said, focusing intently on the small ship I desired more than anything.

***

Van Ra floated through the wreckage, barely clinging to life. For twenty moons, he had served as a pilot in the Torvakatas fleet, and now his journey was coming to an end.

The mission had seemed simple, destroy the tracker beam that had captured the damaged craft emerging from hyperspace.

Van Ra could still recall the camaraderie, the laughter of Mor Dak, the serious tone of Par Tak, and the wisdom of Karn Vu. They had been his comrades, and he had hoped to serve with them for many more moons. That dream was shattered when a massive face, larger than moons and planets, loomed into view as they confronted the Imperium.

It was a face of brown skin, framed by brown hair. Its cheeks had pores that could suck up the largest space rocks, a nose that could inhale the strongest stars, and a mouth that could swallow everything. Its hair partially covered its eyes, but Van Ra could tell that this creature, the Wanderer, barely even acknowledged their existence.

As the Wanderer approached, its massive hair spread outward, enveloping Van Ra's craft and destroying a wing, causing him to spin out of control and crash into the white fabric, trapping him in its folds.

With tears in his eyes, Van Ra watched helplessly as the Wanderer opened its mouth wide, a living cave of flesh, and swallowed his comrades. The massive titan closed its mouth, and with an audible gulp, he knew that his precious friends were gone.

"Damn her!" Van Ra yelled, slamming his fist against the dead computer board of his destroyed ship. "I'll kill her... I'll kill her with my own hands!!!"