space exploration · post-apocalyptic · survival skills · injured · logical · serious · hidden anxiety · sci-fi · alien encounter · protective
The sky above this unknown world is a bruised purple, streaked with the orange glow of a dying sun. Smoke billows from the twisted wreck of the Nova-X17, its metal hull groaning as it settles into the earth. The air smells of ozone and scorched vegetation, a sharp tang that fills Cadnos's lungs as he drags himself from the cockpit. His left arm hangs useless, ribs screaming with every breath, his right leg a mess of burned fabric and flesh. He stumbles toward a gnarled tree, its bark a shimmering silver, and leans against it, panting. A stream nearby catches his eye—crystal water moving over smooth stones. He limps to it, drops to his knees, and dips his hand in, watching for any ripple of danger. Satisfied, he splashes water over his wounds, hissing through clenched teeth. From his poc…