Searching the Universe
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Transcript of Searching the Universe
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La_Sketcha
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Searching the Universe
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Chapter One
Craig held Stacy closely to his chest. They
embraced tightly as he shielded her from the outside,
crouching below the window of the cosy brown shed.
Craig was a Xuxlor, a hybrid of a human and a
plant. Stacy on the other hand, was human, his true love,
which he tricked into coming with him back to his home
planet.
She willingly went with him though, taking his
hand on that fateful February day. It was snowing on
Earth; the explosions melting any snowflakes before they
touched the ground. Stacy herself was hidden, away
from the destruction above her.
Back on Earth, she had nothing left. The ThirdWorld War took everything from her. Her family was
brutally killed out in battle, her friends captured by
gangs. Craig knew the only way she survived was by
being beneath the ground.
When he found her, her clothes were stained and
she smelt very strongly of body odour. The smell
protruded into his nose. He saw past this though, seeingher flowing blonde locks and baby blue eyes which
lured him in.
Ever since, he hadnt known a stronger bond.
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The Zenacogs outside chased Villany down the
hill. Craig felt the need to do something, to save her, but
watched helplessly as she tumbled into the lake, the
splash reaching up into the sky. He stared, waiting a few
seconds. She didnt resurface. He lowered his head,
defeated, yet caught a glimpse of bubbles arising to the
surface.
His last friend still had a chance but those
Zenacogs were staring down the barrels of their guns
waiting for her to come up for air.
He looked to Stacy. He thought he had saved her
from Earth, only to bring her to another world of
conflict. It wasnt his fault though; he wasnt to know
that by the time hed return to Cranto - his home world
it would be in as much ruin as hers.
He looked very deeply into her eyes; that doe
eyed expression reflecting his fearful face.
He looked a lot like her, blonde, blue-eyed, but
with green skin.
With his special abilities, he shouldve been able
to conquer the beasts outside, but as he looked at Stacy,
he realised they were both mere mortals. They were
both blonde, both blue eyed, both weak in comparison
to the aggressive enemy that awaited them.
Unlike them, Villany wasnt so vulnerable. She
was an adult, yet they were still only sixteen and
seventeen. Unlike them, she had this mature air about
her, her sleek physique matching that of a models and
with such unique chestnut hair, Villany was a stand out
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from the crowd. She was the one who lead them
forward and managed to survive the war by using her
exceptional hypnotic powers. Out there, she used them
to manipulate the attacking race.
Craig wanted to fight them too, but what could
he do? The three of them against an army of foes...the
Zenacogs mayve looked like half-dog half-human
creatures but they werent stupid. They outsmarted
Craigs race. How could his race, the Xuxlors, be so
blind?
When the Zenacogs first got there they spoke so
eloquently, they had such a pleasant manner. They
made productivity soar. These guys were tactful and
were great in their logic. Everything they did was
calculated and every single gamble they made turned in
their favour. The Xuxlors hadnt seen these dogs as a
threat only as strong, worthy allies, that made them
extremely wealthy. They shouldve seen it though. They
hadnt thought. The Zenacogs were bound to want
something from them.
Cranto.
They were determined to kill off every last
Xuxlor. They wanted Cranto for their own, after their
home planet was destroyed.
When Craig returned home with Stacy, his first
discussion with Villany was all about the development
from friends to enemies.
Even then, Villany couldnt understand why the
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Zenacogs didnt want to share. Cranto was surely big
enough for multiple races; and since the Xuxlor race
wasnt very highly populated, the Zenacogs could have
continued leaving in harmony with them. Of course, the
Zenacogs were a ruthless race and having thrived for so
long as a species, the Xuxlors were merely inferiors.
Craig was proving the Zenacogs right. He was an
inferior, quaking below the window of the compact
shed. He hadnt much choice those vicious beasts were
out there slaying people every day. They seemed to
have endless ammo and being trigger happy only made
them more dangerous, more unpredictable.
All Craig had access to were melee weapons. He
loved using them, getting up close and personal when
killing the enemy, yet these items werent going to cut
it. He couldnt run at a Zenacog and think he would be
able to slice them up the Zenacog would get him first
all it had to do was aim and shoot.
He glanced around the room, looking for a gun,
a bow, anything where he could harm long distance.
Though Zenacogs had great eyesight they were true
predators and if he even got a hair in the window frame,
hed be a goner.
No, he couldnt think of himself anymore. He and
Stacy were sitting ducks. Letting Villany tackle them
alone wasnt going to be a smart move. There were at
least a hundred out there and once they got her, theyd
come back for Craig and Stacy. Besides, wasnt he as bad
as them if he let Villany get killed? Wouldnt it somehow
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count as murdering his only real friend?
His eyebrows furrowed together, concentrating.
He crawled along the floor, spotting a bow and arrow at
the other side of the room. The bow itself was wooden,
carved from an old oak tree, the bow, metal, a shade of
ruby red.
He clutched the red arrow in one hand, the bow
in the other. He knew it would take down many enemies
the point on the arrow extremely sharp like a sharks
tooth.
Craig only had one arrow, but he knew exactly
which kind it was. If he shot it, it would divide into
twenty different arrows and aim in all directions, seeking
out the first warm-blooded creatures they could find.
What are you doing? Stacy whispered, her
usual soothing voice had an edge to it.
Im going to get them. With this, he held the
arrow up, but so it was still out ofthe windows frame.
He beamed at the arrow. He could help Villany
but from the safety of the shed.
With one arrow?
It becomes twenty arrows. Youll see. He raised
his eyebrows; crawling back to the wall where Stacy
kneeled.
As he got by the window, Craig put the bow in
the arrow, pulling it back. Stacy put her hand on his arm,
stroking it with her soft, ivory skin.
Her touch sent a tingle through his system, a
surge of electricity through his spine. He didnt want to
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look at her though, hed lose his strength. He was
already shaking as his hand held the arrow back and he
wanted to be able to concentrate. All he had to do was
aim at an isolated Zenacog. He knew his only issue was
one spotting him and getting him first, but he had to
push that fear aside, or else hed never do a thing.
Stacy removed her ivory hand from his green
one, placing it on his cheek, Theres a better way.
What way is that? He turned to ask, but in that
moment a flare came their way. Craig heard a shot,
which didnt sound like it went off to the East toward
Villany. Looking up, the red orb flew at them. He
grabbed on to Stacy and they rolled across to the other
side as the flare broke the window and started a fire
within the shed.
Pinned down by Craig, Stacy piped, This way.
She grabbed his face and pulled his lilac lips down to
her plump pink ones. The subtly of her lips caressing his
as they brushed sent endorphins pumping through his
system. It made him jump up and hold his arrow steady,
looking directly at a Zenacog.
Craig noticed how it held the flare gun and
therefore it mustve been the one that shot at the shed.
Craig focused, slowly pulling the arrow back, his arm
aching from the tension, so quickly raised it into the air.
He released it, watching it fly up into the sky and
directly back down, dividing. All the red arrows split, one
aiming for the first attacking Zenacog, the other
nineteen racing down the hill, in Villanys direction.
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Lowering the bow, Craig looked around the half
destroyed shed for more weapons, yet only discovered
more debris from the shed.
Long bits of wood were scattered along the
floor, along with glass shards.
He picked one up, the only item to save him and
sweet Stacy.
She leant up, still on the sheds floor, Now what
are we going to do?
Craig knelt down opposite her, placing his hands
on both her legs, Were going to save Villany.
Holding onto Stacys hand as he raced down the
hill, Craig gripped a glass shard.
So whats the plan? Stacy asked, out of breath.
Were going to hide behind a bush and Im
going to stab every Zenacog that comes by!Will that work?
Uh, I hope so...
Craig had no real idea what to do; all he could
do was fight. If picking them off one by one was going
to help Villany, it was worth doing.
Just grasping Stacys hand reassured him that it
was worth it. Every second with her was another secondof bliss, even if there was the threat of death.
Craig halted at the edge of the lake. He squinted,
looking carefully for any sign of Villany. There was no
way she wouldve held her breath that long but he
couldve missed her because of the flare.
Looking around him, he knew the fight mustve
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moved elsewhere or the alternative, no. He wasnt
going to think about the alternative.
Clutching Stacys hand even tighter, Craig pulled
her around the lake, farther East. He was going to take
her into the woods. If there was any possibility Villany
was fine, shed probably have headed in that direction.
In the woods, Craig heard shuffling.
Suddenly, a Zenacog jumped down from a tree,
bending its knees as it landed. It stood before them, a
whole nine foot. Craig could feel Stacys hand wrap
tightly around his as she stared up at it, frozen.
Craig thrust Stacys hand away and as the
Zenacog clumsily got out a ray gun, Craig managed to
jump up in the air and stab it directly in the heart.
Aroo! It yelped, dropping its gun as it fell to
the floor.
Turning around, Craig watched as Stacy shielded
her eyes, shaking.
Stacy, he cooed, gently removing her hands
from her face, one after the other, Weve got to do
these sorts of things to survive. You know that.
Mm-mm, she nodded, not making eye contact
with him. She could only look to the floor, but not where
the Zenacog fell.
Craig watched as Stacy placed a hand over her
face and so he took hers, guiding her around the bodies
with red arrows lodged in their backs.
He made sure to step around, so Stacy wouldnt
have to feel the sensation of stepping on bodies. He
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really thought she wouldve grown accustomed to
seeing death surrounding her, but this proved that
maybe she hadnt seen as much as he originally thought.
If he really took things into consideration, hed have
seen the obvious - she had been sheltered from the war.
When he found her in that underground bunker, she
seemed too pure a soul. There was no way shed been
exposed to the atrocities he faced.
After stepping over the bodies, Craig wondered
where the other Zenacogs were. Theyd chased after
them and yet they werent here. In all the woods and
even down here to the expanse of the lake, there was
nothing to be found. He halted for a moment, trying to
listen out for any shots.
Whats going on? Stacy asked, her voice hitting
an octave higher than normal.
Shh. Craig stayed absolutely still. For a few
seconds there was silence, until he heard a squeal. He
waited a few more.
Bang!
Lets go!
The bang came from the other side of the
woods, way off to the other side of the lake. TheZenacogs normally used silencers on their weapons to
try and sneak up on the Xuxlors. Craig made sure to
look around, hunched over as he and Stacy scurried
across the landscape.
He knew they wouldnt have much chance of
spotting just one or two Zenacogs alone in the woods
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they were animals, masters of disguise. Though Craig
was green and much smaller than a Zenacog, he still had
a distinct smell that would stand out even among his
cousins.
It was a peculiar thought really, that he could be
98% related to a tree and yet it stayed so still, whilst his
body was extremely flexible.
The flexibility gene came from rubber trees. Most
Xuxlors possessed it, but what very few of them had was
a hypnotic power.
That was his theory that Villany survived so
long because of her hypnotic powers. She could
hypnotise the enemy into going insane. It mostly
worked in her favour, but if so much as a drop of water
touched her, her powers were temporarily suspended.
Thats what made Craig afraid when she fell into
the lake that the Zenacogs had her in a position of
weakness, where shed be unable to make them shoot
each other or run around in circles; and that instead
shed be trapped. The image of her resurfacing crossed
his mind the horror on her face as those Zenacogs
raised their guns at her face.
He hadnt wanted to think that Villany wouldnt
have any choice. He didnt want her fate sealed. Not if
that was her fate.
No, he had to look on the bright side. It wasnt
that Villany was dead or anything she mustve still
been alive if there was still a fight going on off in the
East.
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Are we there yet? Stacy piped, still covering her
face with a hand.
No but you can look now.
She followed his direction, running along with
him with confidence. She could see things for herself
now, leaping over logs, avoiding dips in the floor. Even
one trip couldve been the difference between Villany
living or dying.
Craig could hear a growling between the trees;
but as he kept twisting round, he couldnt spot a
Zenacog anywhere. He broke out into a sprint,
squeezing Stacys hand. He wasnt going to let it end
like this not when hed used the only shard of glass he
had.
Without a weapon, it would be extremely foolish
to confront a Zenacog. Even if they were both unarmed,
Craig was pretty sure a nine foot tall creature with thick
claws and razor sharp teeth would take him down. He
wanted to avoid that at all costs; and the only way to do
that was to run faster.
They finally came out the other end of the
woods, out into the battlefield. It was less of a battlefield
now, but in the clearing ahead of them Villanys hairstuck out from behind a boulder. She was hiding in a
cave, trying to stop the Zenacogs from coming in.
They were pawing at her, their claws scratching
the boulder, leaving white strips on the grey stone. The
eighty of them tried to lean their body weight against
the rock; and Craig even noticed one running the other
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way, fetching a cannon.
As Craig stared on, a Zenacog came from behind
them. He heard its panting, as if it were crouched on the
floor. He turned round with haste, shoving Stacy out the
way.
The beast smirked, opening its jaw. It snarled
ferociously, the grumbling growl rising as it stood,
arching its back.
Here! Stacy yelled, catching Craigs attention.
She tossed him a Light Blinder.
He switched it on, aiming it in the Zenacogs
face. It screeched and howled, its body twisting
unnaturally to get away from the light. It was blinded
and found itself scratching at the air trying to get
Craig.
Stacy, Illdeal with him, you get Villany!
Stacy stared over at the cave. She hadnt any
weapons. What was she going to do? Take a rock and
chuck it at a dog persons head?
No were staying together! She stomped her
foot, alerting the Zenacogs to hers and Craigs presence.
They yipped in a high pitched tone, all getting down on
their four paws. They hopped, almost bounding over like
rabbits.
Craig heard the yips too, so spun on his heel, the
bright white light blinding the Zenacogs in its path.
A few managed to bound away, blinking when
they saw the Light Blinder coming at them. They werent
going to give up that easily that had a Xuxlor to kill.
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And since Stacy was with it, she would be killed by
association.
All Craig could really do was blind as many as he
could. It wouldnt affect them long term the one from
behind him kept blinking and he could hear its low
rumbles again.
Stacy, howd you find this thing? He asked,
raising the Light Blinder, but still facing it at the
Zenacogs.
It was under this twig, She pointed to a thin
twig on the floor, right in front of her feet.
Craig stared off to the cave, Villany mustve
dropped it.
Light Blinders were powerful things to wield. In
Stacys terms it was called a Torch that simply lighted
darkened places.
Yet here, it could blind a whole army without
hurting them long term. Its rays were like that of the sun
and could burn your eyes if you looked long enough.
The light from it was battery powered, but only by the
best energy source in the whole planet Lightning bolt
rainbows.
Lightning bolt rainbows were rainbows that
captured the shock of a lightning bolt as it struck. The
mix of colours from the rainbow such as yellow and
orange and the bright flash of the lightning bolt had the
power to keep a quarter of the planet running on
electricity for months.
Yet all that was gone now. Most homes on the
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planet were smashed, or obliterated. Or one way or
another, caught fire, just like the shed.
The Light Blinder carried on blinding the
Zenacogs, and though some avoided the rays, Craig
noticed more of Villanys hair coming from the boulder.
He saw it edge open a bit more, a small gap where
Villany stuck out her purple arm.
She shook it about, as if trying to wave, though
Craig realised she was shaking off the last droplets of
water, so she could use her powers.
There was another catch though as both she
and Craig knew she needed a visual of the Zenacogs
before she could invade their minds.
All it took was a couple extra pushes of the
boulder and she was out.
For a moment, Villany chanted, that white
glazing coming over her eyes.
It was starting.
Craig switched off the Light Blinder as he
witnessed the Zenacogs around him drop to the floor,
falling to their sides. They all started running, looking
like sleeping dogs. A few of them were strong minded
spirits, and fought against some of Villanys hypnotic
power. Around ten of them managed to get up, only to
run around in circles. One was obviously the Alpha, the
one closest to charging at Craig. It was up on its feet, its
body unbalanced on its toes as it rocked from side to
side. Craig saw the struggle it was put through and
thought Stacy would be hysterical if she saw it.
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He looked around for her, but wasnt there.
Hed to look for her later, as he and Villany still
had to deal with the remaining Zenacogs. As Villany
concentrated, staring straight ahead, Craig made his way
around the pack, taking their weapons from their belts
and using them against them.
When he was finished, the bodies laid still. He
put them down in the most humane way possible, all
with a simple slit across the throat. He wouldnt fire
anymore even the scent of two Xuxlors close together
could trigger one or two Zenacog noses to twitch. For all
they knew, there couldve been more Zenacogs around
the corner. Thats how it always was. Even the previous
night, just when they finally snatched two hours alone,
Craig and Stacy couldnt do what teenagers do best.
They were in an abandoned ship. Craig and
Villany came across it when they were out searching for
water. Being half plant, he and Villany could easily make
their own fruit and vegetables, but they couldnt grow
them without water. Though thered been many trees
around during the battle, the night before theyd
roamed out to the middle of a desert.They found a cactus and Villany used a knife to
slice it open. She and Craig drunk as much as they could
get before returning to Stacy who sat in the ship.
Craig burst through the door, growing a couple
apples. At that point, Stacy was extremely thirsty and
seeing food grow from his body made her jump up and
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down with excitement. He found it hysterical how she
slowly approached like a cautious animal, poking the
fruit as it dangled from Craigs arm.
Later that night, Villany was on the lookout for
enemies- whilst Stacy and he snuck of to the ships
bedroom.
The whole ship itself was slanted, pushed up
against a large sand dune. Of course, that made itdifficult for Craig, since he was already struggling
romantically lifting Stacy up and carrying her to the
bed.
When he laid her down, she scooted back, all the
way up to the pillows. She went up to the right side of
the bed and patted it, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
He crawled onto the bed, hovering above her.He gently stroked Stacys arm, making his way
down to her hand. He leant over, kissed it; taking in her
scent, the flowery perfume.
Her skin was so smooth, like a marble surface on
a statue. In the cold room, her skin radiated heat, the
way it always had when they touched.
Craig cupped her oval face, her mouth a gape,staring at the horrors outside. His fingers gently rubbed
against her cheek. That desire to lean in and just forget
about everything else rose from within him. He watched
her profile as she turned her head, wanting him to kiss
her neck.
That little button nose twitched, her breaths
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becoming louder, longer. Her face seemed blissful, her
eyes closed.
Stacy, he whispered, turning her head to face
him. Those plump pink lips parted, as if she expected
him to kiss her, expected a rush of adrenaline.
Craig leant into Stacy, pushing her down. He
drew her in; as she had the day they met.
Stacy ran her fingers through his hair then pulled
his head down so that their lips met.
As his purple lips touched her lavender pink lips,
he felt them brush lightly against each other.
Stacy wanted more, wrapping a leg around him.
She pushed her lips harder against his. The sound of
their lips smacking, opening, gasping made Craig grab
anything he could. He wrapped his arms around her
back and pulled the fabric of her shirt; whilst Stacys
hands slipped from his hair to his cheeks.
Stacy cupped them, pulling him even closer, so
his tongue could grace hers. She leant into him more,
pushing her tongue farther, pushing her body against
his. They groaned, Craig tightening his grip on Stacys
back.
Guys! Villany yelled from the roof, Theyre
here!
Craig pulled himself from Stacy, sitting upright
on the bed.
Cheering him up, Stacy placed a hand on his
shoulder. She placed the other beneath his chin, lifting it
up so their eyes could meet.
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Stacy smiled coyly, Enough playing,its time to
go.