I’m a fan of the Space Orcs stuff around here, I absolutely adore it, and have been wanting to write a story for a while now, but the exact story never really came to me. Then the idea of mind over matter came to my mind, and this small fragment came to me. It’s only part of the larger puzzle that seems to be stuck in my head, but I do hope to expand on it in future. I hope you enjoy it.
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A smoldering wreck laid out before the crew of the USS Scarlett, a battlefield torn asunder. Gruesome sight of decimated lands, building, and the corpses that line the streets of the city. A grey sky was all that could truly envelope the emotion of such a sight.
Lieutenant Gw’ilds, an Arckeen solider that was placed into this human battalion as a symbol of trust between the two races, stood in awe and horror. Xey had known that humans fought with strength unimaginable to others, but the destruction in that street, in that city, in that country, on that planet was something that xe had thought died out many eons ago. Xe recalled stories of the Arcke battling with projectiles, much like the humans, but those were now stories of ages far past in the history books, legends covered with a layer of dust that might make the ashen ground look as though it was clean.
‘How can a race so advanced, so smart still be so violent and barbaric?’ Was the only thought that could pass through xer head as xe surveyed the area, looking for survivors, if any at all. Xe tallied the bodies xe passed, the number weighing down as the count passed double digits, hope fleeting that will be all xe could accomplish.
A voice jolted xer out of the stupor sadness and woe that had enveloped xer. Xe turned xer head and saw a human, one in civilian clothing, carrying another human, one with its eyes closed, and not even moving also dressed as another civilian.
Xe pitied the human carrying a comrade who must have perished during the fighting that had occurred just hours before, xe thought that it was probably a loved one, and that this is their way of respecting their memory. Xe rushed towards the still standing, and only survivor that is burdened not only with the weight of death and war, but of a loved one.
‘Yes,’ Gw’ilds answered the cry of greeting the human called out to xer, ‘Do you need medical assistance? I can get you to the ship if you could let your loved one rest on the ground. I’ll tally them into the body count.’
The human looked at xem with a look of confusion, almost as though Gw’ilds told them that their hair was actually snakes waiting to attack them. Xe recalled that humans do not like to take death lightly, and that what xe said must have been construed as rude. With an almost bashful turn of face, xe chose a different wording, as not to offend the human.
‘I apologize, I shall take your departed one, and respectfully lay them down. Once that is done, we can get you to the ship for medical assistance.’ Xe hoped that this would calm the human down, and be able to get them the help they need, if any at all. After all the one carrying the body seemed only slightly bruised and battered, but was able to stand and take on the dead weight of a lifeless body, which should be an incredible hinderance if the teachings of Arcke were correct. However, the looked at xem, still baffled, and finally spoke out.
‘No, we need to get him to the ship, he’s hanging on barely, but we need to get him assistance bad.’ The human indicated to the body on his shoulder, and Gw’ilds pitied the creature, believing that a dead body could… it was then that xe noticed the small undulations of the back muscles in the body, almost like breathing.
‘How could this be,’ xe thought, xe had seen it have no indicators of life at all, and yet here it was breathing, even though it was small breaths this human was breathing. Xe rushed the two humans to the ship, and hoping that xe could help the last two survivors of that war, but now a concern grew in xer head, one that followed xer all the way to the med bay to assist the medics on duty.
