Planet of Savagery

James Abraham Carter

Story created using Toolbaz AI story generator

Illustration created using Magic Studio AI image generator

Preface

This is the second story written with the assistance of AI as an experiment to test its capabilities. I used what Toolbaz created, based on the plot I fed into it, as a rough draft, and then added to it considerably, as well as altering various elements such as dialogue, descriptions and correcting obvious mistakes that the software had made. What follows is the final result of this process.

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When I took on the job of transporting Dr Nova Lauren to the infamous world of Thanis 4, I was reckoning with more than just my own courage. I, Captain Richard Drake of the space-freighter Star Maiden, had built a reputation among the planets — a man still in his early thirties, known for being tough-as-nails and fiercely honorable. I was one of the very rare captains who owned the ship they commanded. It had been an inheritance from my father, Jason Drake, also a starship captain from whom, at an early age, I had learned the trade. He had also inherited the ship from my grandfather, Nicholas Drake, the legendary shipping magnate and owner of Drake Interstellar Shipping, now long gone, bought out by a rival corporation.

Like my father, my ports of call were primitive worlds, planets such as medieval Biscar, with its ominous black towers and sinister reptilian humanoids - places the more risk averse shipping lines shunned. I had a lot of experience operating in archaic conditions - the primary reason the young woman had sought my services. But even a man like me had reservations about landing on a planet notorious for swallowing exploration missions whole.

Two expeditions to Thanis 4 had disappeared without a trace, along with the rescue team sent to look for them, leaving nothing but wild speculation as to their unknown fate. As a result, an exploration moratorium had been placed on the planet until the mystery was solved, and anyone who went there in an unofficial capacity did so at their own risk and without government support. Still, I was a one-man operation, struggling to keep the ship’s drive systems humming and the outdated robots I used as crew in working order. The prospect of a well-paying job was too good an offer to ignore.

Of course, it didn’t help that the haughty and determined doctor, daughter of a prominent family, had dismissed my concerns as mere cowardice. I could sense some of her arrogance the moment she walked through the door. It was in her patrician features and determined stride. Her ruby studded close fitting apparel advertised her wealth and displayed her slim figure to advantage. And the slight bluish tint to her skin and hair, which added an exotic touch to her bearing, showed one of her forebears was a native of the planet Torillus. I could feel her judgmental gaze weighing heavily on me as we sat in my cramped and somewhat dingy office, surrounded by old star charts and the dusty curios I’d collected from a dozen primitive worlds.

“Captain Drake,” she explained after I’d expressed my worries. “Nature is one vast laboratory. Many drugs have been developed from the extracts and secretions of plants and animals. As I’ve explained: I’m a member of the Institute of Xenopharmacology engaged in private research. Who knows what cures are awaiting discovery on Thanis 4.

“I know it’s a dangerous enterprise. I’m not naive. I’ve chosen a small island as our landing site. It will be free of large animal life as islands are. it’s nowhere near where the other expeditions vanished, and all I need is an hour at most to gather specimens. I’m brave enough to risk life and limb for the advancement of medical science. But now I see your courage has been exaggerated. Indeed, you’re as timid as the director of the Institute who rejected my exploration proposal.”

My room, cheaply rented, was located in the seedy quarter of Alpha Space Port on Pavis world, and my expression upon hearing this accusation was certainly just as rough as I met her unfazed insolent gaze. But like any man with an ounce of pride, I wasn’t about to let her win that argument. So, despite my reservations, four ship-days later we set the Space Maiden’s spherical descent module down on Thanis 4 amidst an alien jungle draped in twilight and danger.

I wasn’t a reckless fool, however. If I was, I wouldn’t have survived the hazards of the rough and primitive frontier worlds. I’d insisted that one of my robots do the sample collecting, and so I sent No. 5 off to complete the task. But after about ten minutes that clanking hunk of junk broke down, and I would have cursed like a space marine if it hadn’t been for the presence of a lady.

Nova gave me a resolute look. “That’s it. We’re going out,” she said in a tone that would brook no contradiction. “Remember, captain; no samples, no payment.”

The module's door hissed open, and we stepped into an atmosphere thick with humidity and exotic scents. The island’s jungle unfolded around us like a vibrant tapestry — lush vegetation with deep purple foliage marked by golden striations, and vivacious flowers radiating opalescent hues. Vines with gorgeous blooms hung from the trees like verdant necklaces. The fantastical but melodious sounds of alien creatures echoed in the distance, a strange siren call inviting us deeper into the luxuriant foliage. Dr Lauren, with her collecting kits and scientific curiosity, was already engrossed in cataloging samples as if the jungle were just a playground for her research.

“Captain Drake! Look at this!” she gushed, pointing at a surreal plant that Mother Nature must have created whilst on an acid trip. Her excitement was palpable, but my instincts were screaming danger, so much so that I put off examining No. 5. I gripped my hand-held sensor tighter as it beeped ominously and curled my other fingers around the hilt of the diamond-alloy machete I’d grabbed from the module’s survival gear.

“Doctor Lauren, we might want to reconsider…” I tried to interject cautiously.

“I can’t stop now, not after just ten minutes,” she replied, her jaw set in a determined line. “Your equipment is old. It's probably malfunctioning just like that robot. Look around. No one’s here but us. It’s just a false alarm,” she scoffed, a dismissive wave of her delicate hand brushing away my warning, her tone a mix of condescension and encouragement.

I bit back a sharp reply and followed her, albeit reluctantly, keeping a watchful eye on the crowding vegetation, every shadow sending my heart racing. I felt like a father trying to guide a rebellious teenager through a maze full of pitfalls, all the while wishing desperately for a Disruption Pistol, or even an antique automatic. But I respect the law. Gun regulations were pretty strict on Pavis, and only the police and military were permitted to handle firearms. Normally, government approved expeditions were assigned a security team, but this being a private venture we weren’t entitled to one.

Then it happened. Out of nowhere, savage forms violently erupted from the lush undergrowth — purple camouflaging fur, sharp teeth, and spears gleaming dully under the muted jungle light of an alien sun.

Nova didn’t panic. Somehow, unbeknown to me, she’d smuggled a weapon passed spaceport security and into my ship. She whipped the concealed Disruption Pistol from her utility belt and confidently fired. The ray hit one charging savage squarely in the chest, but he kept on coming as if the nerve jamming radiation was nothing but a flashlight beam. I leaped in front of the shocked doctor, deflecting the primitive’s stabbing spear with my bush knife.

“Run!” I shouted, dodging another thrust and countering with a kick that sent my attacker reeling backward. My world devolved into chaos; we were surrounded by a mad cacophony of war cries, primal screams and leaping savages. Despite my best efforts, one of the natives slammed a spear into my chest with all the force of a battering ram. Nova screamed my name. Pain exploded through my body. I fell.

When I came to, I was lying on the ground at the base of the fern clad slope I’d tumbled down. Blood, now congealed, staunched a scalp wound where my head had come up hard against the rock that had knocked me out. Groaning, I gingerly pressed a hand to my chest, surprised to find the communicator in my pocket had taken the brunt of the blow, saving my life. I pushed myself up, fighting through the mild concussion muddling my thoughts. The savages had left me for dead. But Nova — was she alive?

Drums thundered in the distance, a sinister harbinger of impending horror. My heart raced as the ominous sound propelled me to my feet. Pushing through a throbbing headache I stumbled up the slope. Nova was nowhere to be found. Had she been captured by the savages? I assumed so.

I saw her Disruption Pistol lying nearby. My lips thinned in anger at the sight of it. If customs had discovered the weapon both of us would have been bound for a prison asteroid. But despite the doctor’s cleverness and risk taking it had proven useless against the savages. Their biochemistry must be truly alien for the ray to be ineffectual. Now I knew what had happened to the earlier expeditions. They’d been ambushed as we had, and without effective weapons they’d been massacred.

Quickly putting aside these thoughts, I frantically looked around for my reliable machete and spotted the glint of diamond-alloy in the undergrowth. Grabbing the bush knife from where I’d dropped it, I followed at a mad dash the deep thumping of the alien tom-toms. The booming led me to a deep ravine spanned by a primitive suspension bridge, made from twisted vines and rough-hewn wood, my focus narrowing to the rhythmic pounding echoing through the jungle as I raced along the way towards its source.

The drums grew louder as I hurriedly climbed a rise, fighting through dense undergrowth. I was very close. Peering cautiously through thick foliage, I gasped. Below, in a jungle glade, a horrific scene unfolded: Nova, stripped of all apparel, was bound hands above her head to a tall wooden pillar, primitively carved with hideous leering demonic faces. Around the post danced six savages in wild abandon as they furiously beat upon their drums. A grotesque shaman, his face hidden by a mask even uglier than he loomed over her, flint dagger raised to plunge between her heaving sweat slick breasts - a foul sacrifice to alien gods. A rush of rage surged through my veins, clear and unwavering.

Without a second thought, I sliced through the thick vine overhead with my machete and swung down from my vantage point like an avenging trapeze artist, boots slamming into the shaman’s head with a sickening bone smashing crack. He crumpled, and pandemonium erupted as the savages turned murderous and vengeful eyes upon me. A battle ensued, wild and brutal, driven by instinct and desperation. I fought hard, my senses alive in the surging chaos, taking down all but one attacker — who fled into the jungle shadows.

“Dr Lauren. Nova!” I yelled, rushing to cut her bindings. Loose strands of rope fell away, but she was slumped against the pillar, ugly welts across her breasts, buttocks and thighs where her brutal captors had fiendishly whipped her. “We need to get out of here!”

“Drake, I .. I think I’m going to faint,” she murmured weakly before collapsing senseless into my arms. I hoisted her limp form over my shoulder, adrenaline surging to give me strength and masking the pain of my injuries. I turned at the sound of strident war cries. The escaped savage had summoned the entire tribe from his nearby village, and they were now wildly bearing down on us.

I ran. Tearing at breakneck speed through the jungle, I darted towards the bridge, the rhythmic chant of war cries frighteningly close behind us. A cast spear barely missed my head, and I quickened my flight, my instincts screaming for survival. The bridge creaked beneath our weight as I pounded across, desperation clawing at my throat.

Fighting the relentless pull of the unconscious girl, I gained the other side and with a frantic swing of my machete, I attacked the bridge’s suspending vines. Sweat streamed down my face as a spear grazed my arm. In mere seconds the desperately racing savages, who were too far across to turn back, would be close enough to accurately strike. With an effort fueled by wild fear I madly struck again. The crude cable parted under the second blow of razor-sharp diamond-alloy. The savage warriors, curses on their lips, plummeted into the ravine below as one side of the bridge gave way, their terrified cries echoing like the haunting screams of the damned.

Finally, we reached the descent module. I hauled open the hatch, carried Nova inside and slammed it shut. Now secure from attack I leaned against the cool alloy, gasping for air. My pulse raced not just from exertion but also from relief as I turned to Nova. She gazed dully up at me from the floor where I’d lain her, hair matted and sweat streaked body trembling from pain and shock. Having caught my breath I moved with purpose, treating her wounds with the ship’s first aid kit and offering my shirt, something warm and comforting to cover her nakedness. 

I sat with Nova, my arms around her, reassuring her the nightmare was over. Soon, her pain faded, and her mind calmed under the beneficent influence of the medications. Her body no longer trembled, and she was able to speak coherently.

“Thank you — truly,” she said, her expression reflecting the deep sincerity of her words. “And... I’m sorry for all I said, and for dismissing your warnings. You’re not a coward. You risked your life to save me.”

I met her gaze, something shifting inside me. “We got off to a bad start, Nova. But I like you. You’re a brave woman, risking the perils of Thanis 4 for what you believe in. I’d like to get to know you better. May I take you out to dinner?”

Her lips curved into a wondrous smile, a bloom of warmth I hadn’t seen before which transformed her. “I’d like that, Richard,” she said, using my first name for the first time. “You’re a good man to have in a bad spot. There are other worlds I’d like to research, and I need a man with your experience. Would you care to join me in this enterprise?”

I pondered the generous offer for a moment. The profession of space captain can be a lonely life, especially with only a clanking robot crew for company.

“Let’s discuss that over dinner,” I smilingly replied. “But before we go, I’ll get the robot and your samples aboard. I know how much those specimens mean to you.” Then sternly: “But the Disruption Pistol can rust where it lies. Being captain I’m as accountable as you. It’ll be a prison asteroid for both of us if customs find it on my ship.”

Nova looked suitably abashed. “I know. It was a foolish risk to take. I’m sorry about that, too,” she admitted.

Later, as I worked the module’s controls, lifting the lander from the lush, dangerous world we had barely survived, Nova’s enchanting smile was in my thoughts as she stood beside me, one hand resting companionably on my shoulder, and I had a feeling that the future was filled with new and better things for both of us.

THE END