Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

I don’t know what you are, but I hope you taste better than you look.

Gripping the twisted piece of metal tightly in her hands, Ace shifted her position in the tree. C’mon Porky, just a little closer. Her focus locked in, she swallowed and leaped from the tree. Base of the skull. Quick and clean.

As she hit, her knees slammed into her chest, crushing the air from her lungs. She convulsed and fought to regain her wind. C’mon Ace, breathe! Finally, she managed to gasp, then again. Feeling her hands covered in something warm and sticky, she rolled over, unable to stop herself from crying out as the tearing pain in her ribs engulfed her entire torso. The carcass lay on the ground next to her, a pool of dark viscous liquid growing under the strange animal. She smiled and whispered, “Dinner is served.”

Filtered through the swaying tree branches, intense light danced across the ground. She moved and winced, her ribs refusing to let her forget they were broken. I hate broken ribs. They just hurt so much more than other broken bones. Her stomach rumbled. Taking a steadying breath, she pushed herself to her feet.

The alien was a unique specimen. No eyes she could find, but it had long, thin tendrils protruding off its trunk and all four legs. It must feel vibrations. Why it never reacted to me. Pulling the twisted piece of metal from the creature, Ace started field dressing her kill. The bile that spilled over her hands was different than the blood she was used to; it felt like oil and smelled like rotting metal. Or rusting meat. She carefully removed what she hoped were the liver and heart. High in nutritional value in most creatures, Ace hoped the pattern would hold on this moon. I can’t count on anything for sure. She looked up at the green gas giant the moon revolved around. What did Smith call that planet? She did not think about it long; it hurt too much.

After she hung the creature over a branch, she gathered debris she could use to make a fire. Ace could not stop staring at the red leaves of the plants, yet another stark reminder this was not home. The trees were not nearly as strong as the wood on Earth—here they were a more fibrous material—but they were still flammable. Breaking up a smaller branch into twigs for tinder, she wondered why the plants were reds and purples instead of greens. I learned how to break someone’s arm in twenty-seven different ways, but why plants might not be green? Wasn’t covered in basic.

As the fire bloomed, Ace added larger limbs until the flame was steady. The smell of the fire was sharper, more acrid than with normal wood, like an electrical fire.

With the twisted piece of metal, she had dug two holes in the ground and connected them with a small tunnel. The fire burned in one hole and the beast would cook in the other, reducing the amount of smoke that would be drifting up. Less chance of drawing attention.

After finishing her prep work, Ace placed a chunk of the creature in the ground oven, wrapped in a piece of her uniform she had cut off,. She looked over the rest of the carcass. If she could preserve the meat it could sustain her for weeks. No telling when or if Command will come looking. Need to eat and keep up my strength. Give myself a chance.

Holding her side, Ace sat and leaned against a tree. The pain was getting hard to ignore. Three days on this rock and no one’s come looking yet. I should go to the crash site, see if I can get the beacon to broadcast. See if I can’t find some more supplies. Maybe a nanoshot or at least some painkillers. Dinner was going to take a few hours to cook. Get to the site and back before it’s finished. Ace prepared herself mentally for the pain before standing. She knew this was going to be a hard push.

In her mind’s eye, a hard and grizzled face loomed out of the darkness. A square jaw and thick chin, with dark eyes hidden deep in shadow. His silvered temples contrasted with his dark hair. His brown skin had a leathery quality. “What are you gonna do, Ace? Sit there and die?” Narrowing his eyes, Mick added, “What is pain?”

Ace answered, “A sign that you’re still alive.” She stood up. Using the tree to steady herself, she scooped up her backpack. Her only tool, the twisted piece of metal, tucked at her waist. Her eyes settled on the remaining meat hanging in the trees. Ace hadn’t seen many organisms bigger than the one she killed. But if animals like Porky live here, animals big enough to hunt them probably live here too.

She inspected the branches she had gathered. She hoped to attach the twisted metal on the end of one to make a spear, but none of the sticks were strong enough to withstand any real impact. Most of the trees here were short, twisted, and flexible. The ones that were straighter and taller splintered into shards under even modest pressure. I might get one good thrust in. But if it broke and didn’t kill the target I could lose the metal point. She tossed the stick down. Better to keep the weapon, even if it means I have to get close.

Ace left camp heading north. Moving slowly and carefully, she never stopped. The pain felt like heated metal being poured on top of her bones—impossible to ignore. She focused on the ground. Just one more step. Pain. Step. Just one more step. Pain. Step. Just one more step.

&

“C’mon Hart! Just quit so we can all go back to the barracks!” Commander