A Dark Horizon (PB2): Chapter Three-Part One-Inhabitants
"Are they dead?" Riddick heard a soft, unfamiliar voice ask through
a hazy veil of sleep. "No, they're asleep," another voice answered,
"they have been for two days now. They must've been very tired." Then
a male voice, sharper, more cautious, "Better they were dead, then WE
wouldn't have to deal with them." The first voice again:"Do you think
they're dangerous?" Riddick felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and his
senses soared into action. Swiftly, with cobra-like speed and acuricy, he caught
the wrist of the person who was touching him and pulled her towards him. She was
a dishy blonde with lucid, unfearing eyes and long hair as soft as clouds. She
didn't flinch away from him, she didn't even blink, unlike her companions who'd
backed off and stayed at a safe distance. Imam awoke scowling.
"What are you doing?!" the muslim barked. "These people
are unarmed! Let her go!" Riddick released the young woman calmly and she
stumbled backwards.
"We didn't mean to surprise you," she told them, holding her
hands out infront of her body in a sign of surrender. "We just wanted to
see if you were okay. I'm the doctor here, Cassandra Redding. I'm the doctor in
that I'm the only one left on this planet with any sort of medical
knowledge," she smiled in a friendly manner. When she got only cold, blank
stares in return, she cleared her throat and turned to her companions. "The
tall one on your right with the glasses is Linus and the rather shortish one on
your left is my brother, Morgan. And you would be?" Still no answer until
Imam ventured a cautious question, "And where is everybody else?"
Cassandra shared an uneasy glare with the others, a glare that made Riddick
extremely uncomfortable.They were hiding something, that much was clear.
"There are no others," Linus snapped coldly, narrowing his eyes
behind the dirty lenses of his little round glasses. These people aren't well
taken care of, Riddick couldn't help but notice, thier clothes dirty and
disheveled and thier hairunwashed and messy. Thier whole appearence gave the
impression that these were desperate people, alone or possibly abandoned on this
forsaken planet. That made them potentially dangerous.
"They left about a month ago," Cassandra explained, trying
harder than the others to make a connection with the stangers, to build a bridge
of trust between them. She didn't underestimate Riddick intelligence. He liked
that. "Packed up and jumped planet. There was an outbreak, we're still not
sure what it was but we assume it's gone because we're still alive." She
glanced towards the open doorway at the reddened though decidedly clear sky.
"The storm's gone for now," she stated. "Morgan made breakfast
about an hour ago if you're hungry."
"Do we actually have to eat this crap?" Jackie whispered to
Riddick as she served herself a portion of Morgan's pasty breakfast slop from a
pot resting atop a gas stove in one of the larger buildings.
"We shall eat and be thankful to Allah for providing for us,"
Imam smiled at Cassandra when he noticed she'd overheard. "I'm sure it is
very delicious," he told her.
"Well, actually, it's not," she admitted with a sheepish
grin," but it's all we got so we make the best of it." She spooned
some gruel into a bowl and handed it to Imam. It was then Riddick noticed the
scars up and down Cassandra's arms, thin ones like knife cuts covering her hands
and wrists. Defensive wounds, Riddick recognized them instantly, he was well
aquainted with those though usually from the other side.
"Had some trouble?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, these," she said uncomfortably, self-consciously
trying to hide the scars by pulling her sleeves down over them. "It's
nothing. Things got pretty crazy here before everyone left. A lot of paranoia, a
lot of panic, a lot of fighting amongst themselves. It wasn't pleasant, but we
made it through so everythings okay now."
Riddick eyed her suspiciously. There was something she was concealing,
something important. Daylight on K1-B7 lasted for a mere seven hours and
consisted only of a slightly lighter crimson sky as opposed to night's blood
colored canopy. Just enough darkness during it's eighteen hour day for Riddick
to leave the goggles off his light sensative eyes most of the time. he should
have felt right at home but he didn't. Something set him ill at ease. The planet
had an aura of death surrounding it he observed as he stood at the outskirts of
the abandoned settlement. He heard footsteps approaching him from behind, heavy
in the gravelly clay and didn't even turn before he spoke, "Look at this
place, it's been dead for a lot longer than a month."
"You suspect something?" Imam's low, even voice asked
quietly, ensuring that no one who happened to be passing by could accidently
overhear. Riddick shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "But why would they
lie?" the muslim asked.
"Don't know," Riddick replied calmly and somewhat
disinterestedly. "But I think it's pretty safe to say something is going on
around here, something they don't want us to know about."
"Then they are like us," Imam observed wisely, "for
we too are harboring a secret as well, are we not MR. JOHNS?" For the first
time since thier conversation began, Riddick turned to face the muslim man, an
odd sort of amused look on his face. Say what you will, he thought, but the holy
man is no dupe. He knew he was right, it was really none of thier business, and
Riddick didn't want to get involved. But there was a chance they were in danger
here, alone on this planet with these mysterious people, no way of escaping if
trouble should arise. The skiff had been in pretty bad shape when that frieghter
had picked them up, and the captain had asked t9o salvage it for parts. Riddick
had agreed, after all they had been heading to what was supposed to be and
inhabited planet. Now he was regretting that descision, sorely.
"Come, my friend," Imam said, placing a steady hand on Riddick's
shoulder, "Dr. Redding has asked if we would subject ourselves to a medical
check-up. She is concerned about our vunerability to the disease that caused so
many to leave this land. Jackie is with her now."