Crash Landing [Blade's Birthday Gift]

            "After you, Captain Blade." Alex said in mock politeness, giving his fellow marine a sarcastic bow. Rolling his eyes at the less-than-formal display of fealty the young officer strode past his friend, approaching and ascending the long metallic gangplank that led up into what he could proudly call his new vessel.
           The up-and-coming commander truly looked the part for his job as he pushed past the automatic doors and into the shiny interior of the newly fashioned star ship. Stopping only a few steps into the short corridor the officer took a moment to admire himself in the reflective surface: his medium length black hair, his lean form, and his dark hazel eyes seemed set in a mask of superiority, the commanding aura only intensified by the billowing black trench coat that fell down his gray uniform. Blade smiled at the image, his confidence brimming as he realized he not only was prepared to play the part of a ship's captain but looked the part, too.
             Turning his attention back to his duties, the young officer completed his short journey to the cockpit of the craft. It was a small but cozy room, equipped with numerous flashing lights and countless buttons and switches that regulated various features of the craft. Three chairs amid the chamber offered accommodations for a crew of equal number: two facing the large glass pane at the front of the ship while a third faced backwards towards a monitor reading varying statistics about the ship's destination, statistics, fuel levels, and the like. The center of the chamber held a podium over which a hologram floated, its current image that of the generic Interstellar-Fleet logo; and it was at this point that the three chairs could slide together during meetings, with each of the marines facing another.
            Nodding his approval at the impressive nature of his vessel Blade slid up to one of the front two chairs, sinking into the leather with a pleased sigh. To his right the second chair swiveled in his direction, revealing the beaming face of his second-in-command: Phillip.
            Though slightly taller than his captain, the ship's gunman looked less the part of a leader and more of a scholar: his hair disheveled as though he had been through a long night of study, his glasses always perched atop his nose, and a pen more often than not secured behind his ear. Phillip was no book nerd, however; he had been given nearly half a dozen awards for his work as a sniper in the service of the fleet, two such feats having been to save the life of the general in charge of the human segment of the organization. He had shot down over one hundred enemies in his few short months at the academy and would undoubtedly double the number in record time as long as he was allowed to keep a gun in his hands.
            "How does it feel to call her your ship?" the sniper asked, waving his hand out across the cockpit.
            "It feels almost too good to be true." The captain admitted, leaning back to watch the loading bay of the space station through the massive pane before him.
            "That's the same way it felt when I was given my first award." Phillip laughed, leaning down to fondly stroke a large golden pin clamped just above his heart.
            "At first you feel almost guilty – like it's too good to be true. Then… then it just feels so right, like you know you did something really spectacular."
            "I get that feeling," a third voice broke in "each time I kick one of your asses in a game of chess."
            Alex emerged from the doorway, a smug grin on his face. Brushing the medium length brown hair from his eyes the ship's technical expert fell into the last available chair in the cabin, frowning as he scanned over several strings of data that immediately assaulted his display screen.
            "Maybe you would be captain of this ship," Blade pointed out "if you hadn't smarted off to the admiral. Did you ever consider the fact that there is a time and place for your sarcasm?"
             "You sound like my mother." Alex scoffed, his fingers flying across the keyboard as the numbers before him adjusted themselves accordingly.
            "Did it ever cross your mind that your mother might have a point?" Phillip interjected.
            "Did it ever cross your mind that I was never a good listener?"
            Four eyes rolled in exasperation, giving Alex a momentary victory. In celebration he forced himself into his work, pounding away at the keyboard before him as his eyes flitted across the large screen.
            "We're next in line for takeoff." He pointed out after several moments, a finger coming up to tap gingerly at the number '2' so aptly displayed at the top right of his screen.
            Blade nodded and shifted his attention to the controls before him, almost respectfully cautious as he eased the throttle up, causing the vessel beneath him to hover several feet above the ground. There was a slight mechanical hum as the gangplank lifted itself from the station's floor, retracting into the side of the ship to offer perfect balance.
            "We're up." Alex noted, swirling around in his leather seat to point at the gaping bay doors ahead of the ship. Blade nodded and pushed the throttle forward, sending the ship through the airlock and out into the vastness of open space.
            "Nice flying, Blade," Phillip congratulated, patting his friend on the shoulder.
            "Yes," Alex growled sarcastically "because it takes so much skill to leave an airlock."
            "Is that why you don't have your pilot's license?"
            "Shut up, Phil," the technician muttered, spinning back around to check his display screen and hide his reddening face.
            Several minutes passed before a loud click signified that the captain could release the controls.
            "Dragon has engaged autopilot." A female voice cooed over the ship's speakers, drawing smiles from all three members of her crew. The name had been a unified decision on behalf of the marines, drawing out their fantasies of meeting one of the legendary creatures in person; and, though they had never pictured a dragon as a work of science, they were all more than pleased to find themselves working in the presence of a dragon on a daily basis.
            "Right," Blade said, spinning his chair around. He hit a button on his armrest and the seat moved forward, approaching the hologram in the center of the cockpit. On queue his fellow crewmembers sent their chairs forward as well until all three were within a few feet of each other, regarding the board with interest.
            Having exited the space station the board had shifted from the generic logo to a blueprint of the Dragon itself. The ship very much resembled a massive dragonfly, with a large spherical cockpit in the front, two horizontal propellers that resembled wings, and a wide tail that drifted along behind it. On one side of the hologram the sleek metallic exterior of the vessel was displayed; the second side revealed the inner workings of the cockpit and the three individual cabins located within the tail: Alex's along the right side, Phillip's along the left, and Blade's considerably larger quarters at the far end of the vessel, just behind the entrance.
             "Our mission," Blade explained, clicking a button so that the display changed to that of a large, arctic planet "is simple. We are to visit the planet of Aarth – a new inductee into the Interstellar Council – to give the leader a medal of honor and an official title in the galactic alliance. The only real danger is that I'll get tongue-tied in my three sentence speech in front of the planetary board."
            "So basically I fly the ship, Phil tries not to get trigger happy, and you talk – what an exciting first mission." The tech expert reiterated with mock enthusiasm.
            "If you want to do something more substantial," Blade pointed out "you'll need more than a few months of experience – and a better attitude towards the admiral."
            "So I should expect to actually see some fighting in… never, considering the last bit."
            "Just try not to get transferred to a lower group when we keep moving up." Phillip requested. "You may be a smart ass, but you're one hell of a computer geek."
            "Computer nerd," Alex corrected stubbornly, flicking the switch on his char to send himself spinning back towards his monitor.
            "If you need me I'll be pretending to monitor the fuel gauge while really updating my Facebook and playing solitaire." He called over his shoulder.
            "With your permission of course, captain."
            "Just don't put a virus on my ship… if that's even possible." Blade chuckled.
            "It isn't." Alex assured him.
             "I would know; I tried to crash the admiral's after he cut my pay."
            The sound of the technician's voice was replaced by the steady drum of typing, leaving the captain and the lieutenant to gaze out at the dark expanse of space. Minutes of near-silence passed as the eternal night stared back into the cockpit, seeming to wrap both men in their own thoughts.
            "Blade," Phillip asked at last, shifting his seat towards that of his commanding officer. "What kind of intelligent life lives on Aaron, anyway?"
            The background typing skipped a beat and the captain realized that the technician, despite his removed demeanor, was listening carefully to the new turn in the conversation.
            Grimly Blade shook his head, understanding at what his friend was hinting.
            "You could compare them to slugs, I guess; though don't tell them I said that. There isn't a single one of them that, on earth, would weigh less than four-hundred pounds; and they're as slimy as hell. I really don't like the thought of shaking hands with their jarl to congratulate him."
            "Are there any new reports as far as inducted planets go?" the sniper asked hopefully. "You would know being a captain, wouldn't you?"
            "Nothing," the officer admitted simply. "They discovered a race of bat-like creatures in the galaxy's western spiral a few weeks ago and a species that resembles snakes in the eastern spiral within the last few days, if reports are correct. But… they aren't what we're looking for."
            "We're looking for something that doesn't exist." Alex piped up from the back of the cabin, angrily pushing away from his chair and stomping through the cabin doors. The portal slid open for him, closing quickly at his back to somewhat dull the sound of a fist slamming against the ship's wall. Then there was a mechanic beep as the technician's cabin door opened and closed, isolating him from the rest of the crew.
            "He's not in such a good mood today." Blade sighed, turning away from the entrance and back to the vastness in front of him.
            "He always thinks more clearly when he's in one of his moods, though." Phillip pointed out, dropping his solemn eyes to the floor.
            "We joined the academy to see what the universe had to offer, to find out more about what life was out there. Earth has been integrated into the Interstellar-Fleet and Galactic-Alliance for more than fifty years… but out of all the hundreds of races out there, there isn't the one we're looking for."
            "There isn't a single race that resembles a dragon." Blade agreed, his eyes looking out beyond the stars and into his own troubled thoughts.
            "In all of the three galaxies the Alliance covers there isn't a single one that has anything even close to our childhood fantasies. Earth has come up with some crazy legends; maybe dragons are the craziest of them all…"
            "And," Phillip added, rising to leave "maybe we're crazy for thinking we could find them. No matter how large space is, some things are just too big to wish for."

* * * * *

            "What the hell is that…?"
            Blade jumped back to consciousness, realizing he had fallen asleep in the comfortable captain's chair. Blinking several times to clear his vision the captain swiveled around in his chair, rising to approach the computer at which Alex was yet again seated.
            "You've never seen a Queen of Hearts before, Alex?" he asked, leaning down to survey the open solitaire window on the right half of the screen. Sporting an angry glare the technician closed the window, maximizing the second opened program.
            A two-dimensional model of the ship floated into view, red arrows blinking along its right side. The arrows first pointed to ship, faded from view, and reappeared facing the opposite direction, blinking away yet again to repeat the process. The captain rubbed his eyes, hoping to clear his eyes and mind simultaneously to reach an explanation.
            "What does it mean?" Blade finally asked.
            "It means we're caught in something's gravitational pull." Alex elaborated, spinning around to point a finger at the front window of the ship. Curiously the officer rose and approached the glass pane, gazing out into the vastness of space in hopes for an answer.
            In the distance a single abnormality among the dark landscape presented itself: a green orb, currently the size of a basketball but growing rapidly. The planet sported a darker green mist around itself that almost made it appear as though it were leaking, spilling its innards out into the blackness of the solar system; and that same mist masked most of the surface, revealing only snippets of what appeared to be a forested climate.
            "Is that Aaron?"
            "What the hell do you mean 'is that Aaron'?" Alex demanded. "You saw the planet on the display for yourself: Aaron is an ice world. This looks like a rotten cabbage!"
            "Ok… well did the ship's course put us in line with the wrong planet?"
            "This is a 2555-X-Model ship." The computer expert protested. "It takes all known planets' alignments and gravitational powers into perspective when it plots an autopilot course. It should have put us well out of range of that oversized vegetable."
            "So what you're saying is the ship had a miscalculation?"
            "This is a 2555-X-Model ship." Alex repeated. "I designed it myself; it doesn't have miscalculations. What I'm saying is that this is an undiscovered planet."
            "So what exactly does that mean for us?" Blade asked, a tinge of worry creeping into his voice.
            "It means you need to wake Phil's sorry ass up because, according to my readings, we're going to crash into Planet-X in about three minutes."

* * * * *

            "Scouting ships my ass!" Alex growled, kicking the smoking remains of The Dragon as his fellow crewmen clambered from the wreckage. "They kiss up to the admiral with 'We scanned the whole solar system and found three planets.' You screw around for three weeks doing guess work; and I peek my nose in and find an undiscovered world in a few hours. Worthless; absolutely worthless."
            Only the reinforced captain's quarters had survived virtually intact from the crash; the remainder of the ship offered only defiantly blinking lights and smoking piles of metallic rubble.
            The crew, in the safety of the airtight cabin, had donned the full-body red suits provided to members of the fleet landing on alien worlds. The suits had a built-in five hour oxygen supply; during that time they scanned the planet's atmospheric conditions and, through the use of specialized vents, converted it to air on which humans could survive. The suits did not, however, provide food; that resource was limited in supply and contained in the form of a set of needles located in Blade's cabin. Each supplied the ideal quantity of nourishment for an adult human male of twenty years of age and meshed easily with the structure of the suits; there was, however, only enough to support a three-man-team for less than a week.
            Heaving the heavy case from amid the smoking Dragon Blade panted heavily in the thin air of his suit, scanning the landscape about the stranded party. It was, as he had predicted, a forested setting: trees climbed hundreds of feet into the air, supporting a canopy that threatened to block every strand of light that filtered down from the star above. The ground was covered in an array of moss-like growths and thin blades of vegetation that very much resembled oversized blades of grass from Earth, all of which seemed to thrive in the shadowy world.
            "Damage report?" Blade demanded more than asked, turning to Alex for an assessment. The technician dared a glance at the ruined ship before returning his incredulous gaze to his captain. Nevertheless he reached into a pocket on his suit and tossed a needle to both of his superiors.
            "The ship's ruined." He offered simply as both captain and lieutenant fitted the needles into ports on their shoulders, wincing slightly as metal poked through their skin and into their bloodstream. Slowly a light blue liquid seeped from the syringes and into their veins, momentarily causing their bodies to go numb.
            "As far as we're concerned," he went on, pulling up a computer display along his forearm "there are no major injuries – though clearly Phillip has been brain damaged since birth."
            "Wait… it really says that?" the sniper asked, his face screwing up into a mask of disbelief.
            "Hell no; that was payback for the flying license comment."
            "Wait," Blade interjected "what the hell did you just put into us?"
            "Nano-bots," the computer expert offered simply, fitting a syringe into his own arm to check his vital signs.
            "And that's authorized by the Fleet?"
            "Kind of, sort of, maybe not. But don't worry: they'll break down in your system and be washed out in no time with little to no negative side effects."
            "'Little to no side effects'?" Phillip asked in exasperation.
            "Well… take it easy on the alcohol for the next twenty-four hours, or you may find some of the nano-bots coming out a less-than-desirable end – if you get what I'm saying."
            "Well that rules out alien bars." Blade jibed half-heartedly, turning around once again to survey the surrounding forest.
            "So while we wait for a bunch of robots to chew out our insides, what other information do you have?"
            "Well… we're stuck here." Alex offered, shrugging helplessly.
            "I managed to send out a broadcast just as we entered the atmosphere, asking for help. Get this: the planet completely jams all radio signals. They circle the planet like a satellite but never leave the atmosphere. This place is completely isolated from the rest of the universe."
            "Can you try again?" Phillip asked hopefully.
            "Even if the communicator wasn't fried, it'd be pointless: you can try to fly all you want, but you'll never actually manage it; and it's the same prospect with transmitting from this rock."
            "So what, we sit here and die?" Blade demanded.
            "This place clearly supports life." The technician pointed out. "If there is intelligent life on this planet they may have figured out a way around this damn gravitational pull. We go looking for the smart-smarts and hope we can work out a deal with them."
            "Or," Phillip reasoned, pointing up at the column of black smoke wafting up from the demolished Dragon "we wait for them to come to us."

* * * * *

            Blade and Phillip sat side-by-side atop a thick branch some two stories above the ground, a precaution against any alien animals that might prowl the forest in search of a stranded meal. Several feet away, on an equally thick limb, Alex lay snoring contentedly.
            Though he was able to stay up for days on end filing reports and designing new programs, when his computer was taken away, the technician was quickly bored and less-than helpful.
            The last wisps of smoke ascended from the smoldering wreck, fleeing up into the atmosphere like the hopes of the crew for rescue. With their distress beacon gone and their radio useless, the chances for escape from the green planet were certainly wistful.
            The pair exchanged no words; there was nothing to say. They couldn't offer compliments on their run of work in the line of duty; they couldn't say they went out bravely. They were simply sucked away by a planet that "didn't exist" to be left to the darkest recesses of the Fleet's historical files.
            Blade leaned back against the trunk of the tree, noting how soft its bark was in comparison to the oaks and pines of the plant titans back on earth. Slowly his eyes blinking closed as he sought some rest himself, hoping to settle his nerves; hoping that the event was all a nightmare.
            But, just as sleep began to wrap the captain in its warm embrace, a thunderous quake shook the planet. Immediately the officer's eyes flew open and he sat up, adrenaline at the ready to pump through his veins and bring him to his greatest potential.
            At his side Phil held a pistol at his hip, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously as he crept towards the edge of the branch. Though weaponless, Blade followed close behind, ready to fight barehanded alongside his friend if it came to such a conflict.
            Reaching the edge of the tree limb the pair peeked out from amid the foliage around them, gray and hazel eyes alike flashing down into the clearing where the corpse of their ship lay.
            Their hearts, as one, skipped a beat as a titanic form shifted through the husk of the vessel. The creature was humanoid, hosting a mirage of light green scales that blended well with a number of the varying plants and mosses about the forest. A head of long, black hair fell around its shoulders, spilling over definitive feminine features on her chest covered only by a less-than-subtle two piece garment that resembled studded leather. Long, sword-like claws picked the ship apart, clearly able to be as dexterous and gentle as they were dangerous.
            The alien was nearly as large as the ship itself and soon had picked through all the details it found significant, moving back to scan the surrounding forest. As she turned the captain and lieutenant once again had their hearts skip a beat: her muzzle and bright, reptilian eyes left no question in either of their minds.
            They were looking at the very creature they had sought for so many years: they had found a dragon.
            "She's beautiful…" Phillip managed, gulping in an almost star-struck way as the creature swiveled around to scan the forest yet again, her tail shifting slightly as she spun about.
            "I couldn't agree with you more." The captain confessed, his hazel eyes honing in on every tiny movement the woman made.
            "Who would have thought," the lieutenant chuckled "that we would find exactly what we were looking for by accident? That it would take so much… chance to find a dragon?"
            "I never pictured this moment like this." Blade admitted. "But it couldn't be more perfect…"
            A loud snore broke through the trees at that moment, drawing the attention of the giantess. With looks of horror the pair slowly turned to the branch on which Alex still lay, sleeping soundly despite the dragon's loud entrance.
            The conscious duo never had time to turn back to see if the dragon was approaching; their world simply and unexpectedly shifted into a blur of motion as they were yanked from their perch, taking into the firm grasp of the otherworldly creature.
            "Nice going, Alex!" the gunman snapped as, in the dragon's other hand, the technician sputtered back to the world of the waking. His eyes first glazed over, clearly mystified; then his expression became one of fear and horror as he realized he was the captive of a creature well over ten stories tall.
            "What the hell are you three?" the dragon demanded, her voice harsh but clearly feminine. The three crewmen exchange incredulous glances before turning back up to the burning gaze of the reptile.
            "You speak English?" Blade asked, perplexed.
            "What the hell is 'English'?"
            "The language; we're speaking English."
            "We," the dragon corrected "are speaking Draconic. Are you talking about the dialect?"
            "Well on our world, this language is called English." The captain explained.
            "What do you mean 'our world'? Where did you come from?"
            "We're part of an intergalactic fleet of civilizations… we seem to have crash landed on your planet. The three of us are from a world known as Earth."
            The dragon shifted Phillip over into her other hand, bringing Blade individually up to her muzzle. Her hot breath spilled over him, adding to the humidity and causing sweat to bead up all along the captain's brow.
            "You have five seconds to tell me the truth. Take longer than that and you're lunch; I only need one of you alive to get the information I want."
            "I am telling the truth! You were just picking through the ship that brought us here!"
            "Look," the dragon said, her attitude changing quickly from a heartless killer to a calm, composed thinker "space travel is impossible. We've tried to leave this planet for centuries, hoping to go out and explore the stars that we can see through the canopies at night. But you can't go more than a mile past the treetops; every time the ships were pulled around the planet and set back down exactly where they started.
            "I'm sorry I threatened to eat you – I didn't really mean it. You just scared me. Please just tell me what you are; I've never heard of creatures like you before; and, as far as I know, there aren't any other beings on the planet that can speak like you can – aside from the dragons and the dracos, of course."
            "I am telling you the truth." The captain assured her. "But we're humans. We come from the planet Earth, along the western spiral of the Milky Way Galaxy."
            "Let's say I believe you." The woman reasoned. "I would be assuming that your kind somehow perfected space travel, and managed to find our planet. But why would you come here?"
            "It was an accident." Blade admitted. "Your planet was undiscovered, and our ship's autopilot didn't notice until we were in its gravitational pull. You're right: something about this world's gravity draws things to it and locks them there. We can't even send radio signals outside of the atmosphere to our fleet."
            A beep sounded further down the dragon's body, and both the reptile and the captain turned to see Alex struggling in the tight grip of the giantess, trying to reach the console on his arm.
            "Does that mean a signal got through?" the titan asked, bringing Phillip and the technician up to her muzzle.
            "It means the atmospheric scan is finished." Alex explained, earning a confused look from the woman.
            "Let me down and I'll show you."
            The dragon seemed hesitant, and rightly so: if she released the humans they could easily escape.
            "You have my captain." The computer expert pointed out. "So, needless to say, I'm not going anywhere."
            Taking a deep breath the dragon awarded the tiny life form her trust, letting him go amid the mosses and plants. Immediately his fingers went down to his arm device, plugging away at various keys to confirm the readings. It took less than a minute for him to break into a large grin.
            "Cool," he chuckled, fitting his hands around his helmet to yank it off, letting the surrounding air flow into his lungs.
            "Alex!" both Phillip and Blade yelled in tandem, their eyes going wide as he removed the baggy suit.
            "It's 99.99% similar to Earth's atmosphere." The freed crewman explained. "If anything you'll feel a bit more level-headed on this world."
            "Well that's good to know." The dragon said with a smile, releasing her two remaining captives to allow them to likewise remove the restrictive suits. Despite her gesture of trust, however, she kept a close eye on all of the men, ensuring they wouldn't be able to escape.
            "I'm Liza, by the way." She said, formerly introducing herself to her less-than-resistant captives after they had returned to their casual uniforms.
            "I'm Blade." The captain returned. "This is my lieutenant, Phillip; and this is my technician, Alex."
            "Well it is a pleasure to meet you all." The dragon said, her smile wide enough to swallow the entire crew. "I'm glad that, since you had to crash land, it was on my planet."
            "Honestly," Blade said, returning her grin "I am, too."
            "Here," Liza offered, lowering her hand to the trio. "Let me take you back to my home. I live in a small community not far to the east; it's safe there, even at night."
            The three nodded, gulping in unison as they imagined what sorts of creatures could appear in the darkness. The thoughts were not at all comforting: it would take something significant to make a ten story dragon feel "unsafe".

* * * * *

            Having no wings, Liza took the group to her community on foot. During the walk she gave the trio as much insight into her planet as possible: she explained how she was not actually a dragon but a dracos: creatures that shared dominance of the world (Darthanis) alongside true dragons, an equally brilliant race sporting the western dragon builds that spun themselves into numerous Earthen legends.
            The planet itself behaved in similar fashion to Earth. Twenty-four hour days were replaced with a longer twenty-six hour day; years of some three-hundred-sixty-five days were replaced with a lengthier four-hundred days. The changes were, needless to say, small; and it was under unified agreement that the stranded crew reasoned they could adapt quickly to the changes.
            The real difference in Darthanis and Earth came at night. When the sun dipped below the horizon the plants released microscopic seeds that cross-pollinated within the air. These seeds, when inhaled by the animals of the planet, quickly broke down in the bloodstream to increase levels of serotonin in the brain and give a constant surge of adrenaline. The nerves of the stomach were also stimulated, causing incredible hunger in the denizens of the world alongside their already stimulated senses and angry demeanors.
            "Dragons and dracos are no exceptions." Liza went on to explain. "But we survive so well together because, for some reason, we don't try and kill one another. We only target animals."
            "What does that mean for us, though?" Blade asked. "Will we become food when the sun goes down?"
            "I don't know…" Liza confessed truthfully. "That's why I'm taking you to my community. I hope we can find the answers for you…"

* * * * *

            The community appeared much as a small human town would. The structures were alien in nature, having rounded corners and windows that took on a shape very similar to an octagon; but they were organized into rows, separated by streets much as a society would be on Earth.
            Nearly one hundred citizens populated the city of Tark, divided nearly in half between dracos and dragons. Most worked with construction and repair of the structures, heaving stones from the mysterious depths of the forest into the boundaries of the civilized world.
            It was very notable that no shops sported food. There was no grocery store, no local market, no restaurant; it was clear that, when night came, every denizen of Tark would find food on their own.
            The notion was unsettling to the tiny figures that sat uneasily in the palm of the titanic Liza's hand, watching as many reptilian civilians, as was customary of the late day, went to take naps in preparation for the night's hunt.
            Eventually the crew and their escort reached a large building near the center of town. Unlike most of the dual story buildings, the massive dwelling sported nearly a dozen floors and encompassed nearly an entire city block.
            The inside of the structure was, in contrast to its gray exterior, a vibrant array of twinkling stones that shimmered through every hue of the rainbow. Half a dozen citizens, primarily dracos, worked at desks within the great entry chamber, scribbling down notes on large scrolls that seemed to take the place of single sheets of paper and books that so filled human society.
            "Liza," a dark green dracos called over, waving from her place at the far side of the hall. The lighter colored dragon moved her direction, approaching the desk with her cargo tucked safely away between her fingers.
            "You should be getting some rest – it will be dark soon." The receptionist suggested.
            "There isn't any time, Raze." Liza explained. As she spoke her hand opened, releasing Captain Blade and his crew out onto the desk.
            "What the hell are these?" the receptionist asked, her eyes going wide as she moved to pick one of the humans off of the desk to examine. Liza slapped her hand away, scowling at the carelessness of her friend.
            "I need to see a researcher right away." She demanded. "These are humans, an intelligent species of star-travelers. They have a great deal of potential as far as information goes; but it is going to be night soon, and we can't risk letting them end up… furthering other means…"
            "How do you know they're intelligent?" Raze asked suspiciously.
            "They speak Draconic." Liza explained excitedly.
            "English," Alex corrected, earning him a scowl on behalf of the receptionist.
            "I'll go and fetch Pyre – but you do realize it will be nightfall in less than two hours. You should have gotten them here sooner."
            "I went as quickly as I could." Liza assured the dark green woman as she scooped her newfound companions back into her arms, hurriedly following the receptionist towards the back of the chamber and through an automatic door.
            The five-man group shifted through various hallways, eventually coming into a smaller but equally vibrant chamber via a second pair of automatic doors. There Raze left them, hurrying off down the hall to fetch one of her fellows.
            She quickly returned with the one she had called Pyre: an enormous red dragon that was nearly one-and-a-half times as large as either of the other women. Her equally crimson eyes were kind but observant, quickly taking in every minute detail of the tiny trio.
            "Last I recall," the researched observed "there was a legend dating back to creatures like you… but, unfortunately, I don't remember the details. That isn't important right now, though; what matters is that we find a way to ensure you three survive the night."
            "Can't you lock us up somewhere?" Blade suggested.
            "When we 'go primal' we do not lose our sense of sophistication. If we can smell you, we will get to you: we can still use keys to open locks; and, even if we somehow bypassed that element of danger, we would claw and tear at a container until we worked you out into the open. At that point… well, I'll spare you the details."
            "Is there something else you can do?" Blade pleaded, starting to truly fear for his own safety; though that was nothing compared to the fear for the safety of his friends and fellow crewmen.
            "First," Pyre observed "we need to figure out how you will react to the seeds. We need to test you, see if you will be affected by the pollination."
            The red dragon took charge of the smaller beings, moving them over to a large glass box that rested against the far wall of the room. There she moved the whole of the ground into one hand, the other poised at the ready.
            "I need to test one of your reactions to the seed." She explained. "I don't know what will happen: you could convulse, you could become ill; you could even die. But if it isn't tested now you could very easily wind up all the worse later tonight."
            Her fingers reached down towards Phillip, who involuntarily flinched as he realized he was to become the guinea-pig for the experiment.
            "No!" Blade shouted, almost out of reflex.
            His reaction caused the fingers to withdraw, a remarkably sympathetic look coming over the red dragon. "I have to…" was all she could offer.
            "Then I'll be the one tested." The captain said, his gaze locked and determined.
            "Let me go!" Phillip shot back at his superior. "It doesn't matter – just let me go."
            "I'm your captain." Blade returned. "I am an officer for a reason. And, as an officer, I'm the one who should be in harm's way – not my crew.
            "Take me." He ordered Pyre, turning back to her with cool resolve. Above him the great red muzzle dipped into an understanding nod.
            Plucked from the others Blade was fitted into the see-through container, locked in by a bolted door at the top. Above him the trio of dragons watched alongside the captain's anxious crew as a pair of vents opened on either side of the glass box, releasing a dark green vapor similar to the mist that had surrounded the planet's dark side from space.
            Several tentative moments passed, every second seeming to tell Blade that it would be his last. But nothing happened: his head was clear, his will remained free, and his vital signs remained stable – according to Alex, who continuously monitored his friend through the use of the nano-bots coursing through his blood.
            "Amazing," the crimson giantess noted as she used fans to disperse the seeds. "You humans are immune to the affects of the seeds – which is certainly a good thing. Because of that, there is a solution to your problem."
            "How can you save my crew?" Blade asked as he was hoisted from the container, rejoining his friends to receive a pair of warm pats on the shoulder.
            "You see," Pyre explained "most animals on the planet will kill each other through the seed contamination. Dragons and dracos alone target other creatures, which is one of the main reasons we survive so well – and in harmony, even! If you were to try and kill us… well, this solution would not be preferable."
            "Could we really hurt you? Your scales are like armor, and only Phil is armed." Blade pointed out.
            "Oh, I have no doubt that you couldn't harm us as you are now." The researcher assured the captain. "But you will be inside of us, where you could cause a bit more damage."
            Horror danced across the faces of the crew, who huddled back away from the terrifying figure of the massive dracos. The gun snapped itself from Phillip's waste to line its sight up with Pyre's forehead.
            "If there is no cure then let us run, let us try and save ourselves. Don't just give up and eat us!" Blade pleaded.
            "Relax," the red dracos cooed. "Dracos and dragons alike have two stomachs: one for digestion and one that is believed to be an empty, left-over organ from an ancient ancestor to our race. Inside that organ you are safe: you will not be dissolved and, being surrounded by our own flesh, we cannot smell you to throw you up and actually eat you. Since you humans are immune to the seeds, you won't attempt to kill us – which could be done from the inside."
            "So by eating us… you won't eat us?" Blade chuckled. He was met with smiles from the three dragons, who nodded in confirmation.
            "Each of the organs is small, however – researchers like myself are honestly surprised it hasn't evolved out of our structure. We can only hold one of you safely; that means you'll each need a different host."
            "I," Raze said, elegantly rolling her fingers as she approached the waiting group "think the one with the glass over his eyes looks simply delicious. I just can't help myself…"
            Phillip blushed and wiped off the lenses of his glasses, returning them to his face just in time to find himself plucked from the glass top of the box. The dark green giantess seemed to be enjoying herself as she lifted his tiny form over her head, opening her mouth wide to give her meal a good view of her sharp teeth and seemingly bottomless throat.
            Then the gunman found himself falling, plunging into the moist cave that was Raze's maw. The adrenaline from the drop sent him into a fearful, frantic scurry towards the dracos's open lips as she leveled her mouth; but, with a chuckle, the woman simply sealed her mouth closed, almost basking in the feeling of the pounding against her fangs.
            Her tongue snaked in under Phillip, gently tossing him towards her cheek to coat her mouth in a sweet flavor she quickly came to enjoy. She was almost sad to find her prey become laden with saliva, weighing him down as he steadily neared her pulsating throat. And it was there, by the force of gravity, the human was pulled deeper into his hostess, dragged down her esophagus and into the split tube that ran down her chest. Much to his relief, moments later, he found himself in a tight but cozy hollow of flesh.
            "I've never eaten something whole before!" Raze exclaimed, poking at her belly in fascination. "The squirming is incredible! I wouldn't be surprised if I don't try this more often… though I'm afraid animals won't be as lucky as this little guy."
            "That looks like fun." Pyre admitted slyly, turning her attention to the captain and his technician. "I suppose I should fulfill my obligation, too… and I already have my meal picked out."
            She moved forward, eyeing Alex almost lustfully. With an amused grin Blade stepped back, giving the red dragon space to rest her muzzle on the glass top of the box.
            "I saw you working while your friend was being tested." She purred. "You're a man of science; that I can respect. And, as a being of science, I'm sure you'll love the opportunity to study the inner body of a new species firsthand."
            "You're right about me wanting to study your body." He muttered.
            A smile crossed Pyre's lips.
            "Dracos have good ears – you'll learn that in time."
            Alex's face burst into a red blush that stretched from ear to ear, much to the amusement of the researcher. She waved her hand dismissively, though she quickly followed with a wink that sent the technician's mind spinning off into a multitude of fantasies.
            "Should I… help you inside?" she asked, offering her fingers up as though to pluck the human away from the soon-to-be-harsh world. He smiled and shook his head.
            "I'll go in on my own, if that's alright." He offered. "I'm not going to pull anything; I trust you – one being of science to another."
            "Alright then, Mr. Science," Pyre giggled, lowering her chin to Alex's level before parting her jaws.
            "Come inside and explore…"
            With some difficulty considering the dragon's side the technician worked his way over Pyre's lip, throwing a leg over her fangs to bring himself into the depths of the maw itself. The cavernous realm was enormous, stretching out like a rolling field of pulsing flesh and saliva. All in all nearly two of the human's homes back on Earth could have made their way inside the ring of teeth, with some room left to spare; and that was considering that Alex lived in a rather sizable home.
            Taking a deep breath the computer expert worked his way across the large tongue, steadily approaching the abyss at the back of the mouth. Half way to his destination Pyre lost herself and succumbed to her own playful desires, tossing the tiny figure around in her mouth as though he were a ship lost in a storm.
            Pyre had always been one to enjoy exotic foods; and she was truly pleased to find the human spicy, his flesh lighting up her mouth as though he were on fire. She sucked at him in near desperation, trying to gain all of the flavor possible from his tiny body; and then, just before he could begin to burn the dracos with his fiery taste, the texture seemed to shift into a sweet, succulent aftertaste.
            "Holy shit," the giantess mouthed around her inner guest, leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed, blissfully taking in the whole of his taste. Her tongue wrapped around Alex like a blanket, almost seeming to snuggle with him as she prepared for the end of the embrace.
            "Same time tomorrow?" she giggled, moving her prey to the back of her mouth to gulp him down. Her finger massaged the lump that was the technician as he slid into her chest, eventually coming to rest in the security of her storage organ.
            Pyre escorted her receptionist out of the room then, leaving Blade and Liza alone. Hazel eyes locked with the crimson orbs of the dragon as she leaned down, draping the upper half of her body over the glass box in an attempt to meet her newfound friend at eye level.
            "Thank you… for everything." Blade said with a warm grin, patting the dracos on the cheek. She returned the smile tenfold, reaching out a claw to gently caress Blade's hair.
            "It was my pleasure." She returned. "Because of your crew I learned that star travel is possible! I realized that there is other, exciting life out there in the universe, and that so many people are coming together for a good cause.
            "And," she added, giggling girlishly as she gave her friend's cheek a slight pinch "I met a cute guy, too."
            The captain blushed, drawing another round of giggles from the dracos. She even leaned over to give him a brief kiss, a motion that ended up moistening his upper body with saliva.
            "Here," she offered playfully, watching a large glob of spit run down from his hair "let me get that for you…"
            Her tongue snaked down to dab away the falling droplet; but, in the process, it ended up drenching the captain's entire body in transparent goop. Another giggle shook the giantess and she leaned over even further, wrapping her tongue around the tiny form before her.
            Slowly, as though time itself stood still, Liza pulled her friend between her fangs. Inside her mouth her tongue continued to caress his body, pulling out his sweet texture so that it danced along the long, pink muscle like a ballerina. She waltzed alongside the flavor, pulling her charge about her maw to enlighten her gums with the glory of the performance.
            As the whole of her mouth burst into life in the dregs of the show Liza shifted Blade to the roof of her mouth, sucking away the saliva that coated him to draw with it the succulent bliss of his taste. The saliva traveled down into her chest; and even there she could still feel it burn passionately against her stomach walls, as though it were straining to reach and caress her heart itself.
            With a long sigh the dragon brought the human away from her palette, letting him rest on her tongue for a few moments. Inside she felt a warm, comforting pat against the muscle; and it was then that her emotions seemed to go into overdrive, as though the very notion of losing her charge – even of leaving his presence – was too horrible to imagine.
            Knowing her time was short the dracos pulled her friend to the back of her tongue, gulping him down. She rejoiced in every twist and turn his body made on its way into her gut, knowing that every motion signified life within the tiny form. She even hugged her belly as she felt him reach his inevitable destination, adoring the concept of her body being a place of refuge for the officer.
            "Don't worry, little Blade." Liza cooed, giving the scales of her belly an affectionate kiss.
            "You're always safe with me…"
           A wry smile crossed the captain's face as the words floated down to him through the walls of flesh. Perhaps he and his crew were stranded; but they couldn't have asked for a better fate.