Take Me home...

Zac moved slowly, dragging his weary body to the door of the craft that had been skilfully camouflaged among the foothills and looked up at the great vastness of space as he had done on so many nights before. He had lost count of the nights, just as he was losing control of his body and many of his natural skills since landing on this beautiful blue planet.

Zac’s sigh was deep and a little ragged with fear, an emotion seeming as alien to him as were other things that had begun to happen since he and his comrades had been assigned to gather samples to take back. He glanced half heartedly down at the slightly bulging bag that held various articles he had managed to gather together that day, far less than his required quota, but the energy it took to perform this simple task was becoming more and more testing. He was the only survivor of the scouting party, the others had perished from this strange sickness that had struck them down so swiftly, and he began to wonder if it was any use him carrying on.

It was Zac’s only experience of death that he could remember, he had heard of the phenomenon but had never witnessed it.

Zac knew he hadn’t much time left to him and he wished with all his being that the mother ship would return soon. Perhaps their wise ones could cure this strange malady that left him feeling so weak and frail.

Zac looked down at his hands, previously so strong and dextrous, now gnarled and painfully stiff. Though his sight seemed to be diminishing he managed to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the shiny surface of the craft’s walls, the vision staring back at him sent a shock shooting through a now failing body that used to be so sturdy and capable, his skin wrinkling and loose about his once bright intelligent eyes and his lush blond hair now sparse and white.

Zac turned and shuffled back inside confused and trying hard to remember what all the control panels were for, if only someone would come and take him home…

Again Zac heard his voice, cracked and raspy asking the familiar question.

“What was it about this beautiful planet that turned a strong and vibrant being into a gibbering wreck ?”

As if in answer a strange being appeared, wearing some kind of transparent guard with a metal frame over it’s eyes, at the end of it’s arms it pushed a kind of device on wheels. It began to speak.

“Come on Mr Zachery, sit yourself in the chair, I knew I would find you by the coffee machines again. Whose bits and pieces have you been pinching this time?” looking down at the pillow case dangling from his dressing gown cord.

“Come on old fellow let’s get you back to the ward where it’s warm, it’s so draughty in the foyer here”

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