Wind.

I’m dropping at terminal velocity towards the blue and green sphere the Universe Shanty was being held on. The rushing gusts contorted my face, and I could taste the foul wind on my tongue. The air of this planet had the taste of iron. Like blood.

I needed to think of a plan. The Universe Shanty might have started, but it hadn’t started. I had until I dropped on the planet to figure out my first course of action. From the looks of it, I had no more than 30 seconds before I crash-landed on this foreign planet.

That brings up the first conundrum.

Muhammud hadn’t given me any sort of parachute or slow-fall device. I was falling at break-neck speeds. Normally I’d be scared out of my mind, but due to the pill, I knew I couldn’t die.

Within my left and right hands respectively, were the emerald button and the communicator. Each had its own important functions. Without being within two feet of my emerald button I’d be eliminated from the Universe Shanty. Without the communicator, I couldn’t contact Muhammud.

I was being dropped into a world I knew nothing about. Muhammud’s knowledge was invaluable to me.

I wasn’t afraid of what would happen to me during the drop. The worst-case scenario was that I broke a few bones. Those could be easily healed by the pill I ate. I was afraid that, if I fell the wrong way, the impact would damage the two items I held in such high regard.

Right now I was falling feet first. I didn’t fully care if my bones broke, they weren’t the top priority. Still, I couldn’t be fine with letting my legs break. I needed them the most if I wanted to avoid aliens by running.

I was in a tough position. My arms held the items, so those definitely couldn’t be the limbs to break my fall. However, if I let my legs break my fall I’d be incapacitated for a while.

I tried to reposition myself in the air. I didn’t realize it until now, but with the mix of the wind pressure and nothing to push off of, you’re pretty much a sitting duck while midair. Well, I didn’t have the ability to reposition myself in the air. I guess I’d have to accept losing my legs.

The drop had been taking a lot longer than I’d imagined. Earlier I estimated about a 30 second air time. It had been about 2 minutes.

In school, I remember learning that most meteors never hit Earth. They’d burn up to a crisp before they could ever reach land. By now I had been falling for at least 5 minutes. My body didn’t seem to be burning up. I didn’t know science too well. To be honest, That 30-second estimate came right out of my ass. I just assumed that this was some sort of weird thing with the atmosphere.

I was definitely getting closer to the planet. The sphere was getting bigger and more descript as time moved on. Before, it was first the size of a golf ball. Now it’s at least a tennis ball.

Oh, how to pass the time?

Y’know, there was this really nice pastry shop where I lived. It had this one donut called The Berserker. It had so many fillings. Raspberry jelly, bluebe–

My stream of thoughts had been cut off by a frightening sight. A light white glow opened in the sky below me. Out emerged the head of an alien, I’m assuming another contestant. As more of their body emerged from the white glow, my worst fears were realized. It had wings.

Its head slowly turned slowly around, as if to gather its bearings. It didn’t take it long for it to notice me. Its face didn’t look too inhumane. It looked like a living harpy. A beast humans only could dream oft. Except for now.

“Well looks like I got a lucky placement this year” Its voice had a lisp. Like it was hissing all the words emerging from its mouth. I imagined a more snake-like alien would have a voice like this.

The alien flapped its wings. Once.

Instantly it was in front of me, and it had a right hook prepared with its wing-hand hybrid.

I quickly opened my right hand and pressed the singular button of the communicator.

“Muhu–”

It was too late. The fist of the harpy reached my face. I instantly felt two impacts. One big one on my left cheek and one even bigger one on my back.

Wait, my back?

I closed my eyes after the impact. Now I opened them to gain my bearings. I needed to be ready for the second strike.

I moved my eyes around to realize my environment had completely changed. I was laying on my back in the middle of some forest. I was a little decalibrated at first. Then the reality hit me.

That alien sent me flying from the stratosphere all the way down to the planet. Probably even higher than the stratosphere. The last time I saw the planet it had been the size of a tennis ball. Now it was the size of, well a planet.

The confusion wore off and the pain set in.

Earlier I said I didn’t care about breaking my bones, but now I could see how apparent that bluff was. All kinds of pains could be felt throughout my body. Cutting pains, piercing pains, throbbing pains. There was no end to the pains. It hurt in so many places I couldn’t even tell you exactly where it hurt.

Actually, I guess I could. It hurt everywhere.

From the looks of it, my spine was completely shattered. I couldn’t voluntarily move anything. Not that I’d want to. It would probably cause more pain. I was stuck looking up at the sky. My eyes were about the only thing I could move. I didn’t let out I scream because I couldn’t even talk. I no idea how my body looked, but I would guess not too good.

This was the difference between a Stable and Gambit species. Aliens and Humans. I knew there had to be a gap. I just didn’t expect it to be this huge. That alien had wings. Most of its evolutionary strength had to be put into flight. Even without most of its “stats” in strength, the harpy had been able to leave such an impact with a normal punch. If that was an average punch….

I’d need to avoid other aliens at all costs.

5 minutes had passed. The harpy hadn’t come back for the “kill”. I assume it didn’t think its punch would have this effect either. Luckily in 5 minutes’ time, my body had become usable.

I guess there was a benefit in being a “Gambit” species.

I’d watch enough survival shows on television, I needed shelter, water, and food. I guess didn’t need food and water, I couldn’t die after all. But I felt the same way about the fall before I felt it. I couldn’t let the fact I couldn’t die get to my head. The hunger and thirst would maim me. The priorities were still shifted due to the healing pill; however. First, if I was to survive against the aliens, I needed a hideout.

I got up and was ready and determined to start the plan. First I needed to get a firm grasp of the area. I lifted my right hand to my mouth and opened my palm. My heart sank.

It wasn’t there.

The communicator wasn’t there!

It must have got lost when I was launched to Earth.

I quickly opened my left hand and let out a sigh of relief. My emerald button was still there.

Welp, I’ll have to make it out here on my own.

It was cold, and I could only think it would get colder. I looked at my PJs.They were torn and bloody. They definitely wouldn’t have enough warmth to tough out the night. The first course of action was to create a fire. I needed to scavenge materials.

I walked through the forest slowly, calculated. With every step, I made sure that 100% of my surroundings were known. I needed to run at the first sighting of a foreign creature.

A few hours went by. Nothing foraged.

This world was seriously unfair. I spent 6 hellish hours foraging on a foreign planet. There were no twigs nor leaves on the ground. There was nothing to start a fire anywhere to be found. At one point I got desperate and tried to break the twigs and leaves straight from the trees.

I couldn’t even do that. I swear the twigs on these trees were as hard as steel. The leaves were like tiny razors. They cut my hand with ease as I tried to harvest them.

Why hadn’t I thought of it before?

If aliens evolved with abnormal strength, their environment would also evolve along with them! It’s as obvious as day!

I was hungry and tired. I was running on 3 hours of sleep. There was no thirst, thank god. The pill must’ve gotten rid of the want and need for water.

I was struggling through the forest. I didn’t have the energy to take it calculated anymore. I needed food. I needed a safe place to sleep. I had neither.

I wish I hadn’t lost the communicator. Muhammud would’ve known what to do. He was an alien. He was a proctor. He was supposed to help me! I had no help. What the hell was I supposed to do. How can I win with these standards? Could I win anymore?

No.

It’s impossible.

I wanted to quit then and there. I couldn’t. Humanity might have done atrocities. But even they deserved someone who tried their best.

I bargained with myself. I would try my best until I meet my inevitable loss.

I stopped walking. I saw a slight glimmer of hope in this hellscape. A bush. Full of plump, ripe berries. Berries as big as apples.

There was still good in the universe. I could continue. There was hope.

I went up to the bush and pulled on a berry. With a little bit of elbow grease, I was able to yank the berry straight off the bush. My mouth was salivating. I was so hungry. I never knew what true hunger ever felt like. Meals were always set on the table back home.

True hunger feels like you’re going to die. It’s you’re body telling you you’re dying. If you don’t have food you’re forced to agree with your body and die. Except I can’t die, via the pill. I hadn’t eaten since before the initial car accident. Who knows how long I was at the facility before I woke up. It must’ve been days because the hunger hurt so much. The pill wouldn’t let me die. If I didn’t eat, this hunger would last forever. I wouldn’t be able to move on. The pain would be too great.

Now, I had a way out. This berry bush. This bush would be my source of sustenance. My livelihood was determined by a bush. To me, this bush was more important than any teacher, any politician, or even any lover.

The bush directly decided if I would have the strength to carry on. This bush was my god. If anything happened to this bush, I’m dead.

I caressed the luscious berry I had been holding and took my long-awaited bite.

CRACK!

That’s funny, white rocks just fell out of my mouth.

I bit again.

CRACK!

I’m not tasting anything here!

I bit again.

CRACK!

Tears started flowing from my eyes. I kept biting, and biting, and biting, and biting!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

I fell to my knees. Blood running from the gums of my mouth. My human teeth couldn’t even eat the foods of this planet.

Why was I here? There is no point in being here! I’m going to have to suffer this for how long?

CRACK!

Why was there another crack? I didn’t bite anything.

I slowly turned my weary head towards the direction of the sound. My day couldn’t get any worse.

There was a brawn alien. He wore nothing but the semblance of shorts. He had a shiny metallic coat of armor for skin. Over his right shoulder was an alien that I think appeared to have a more feminine physique. I’m not sure because everything below that alien’s torso had seemed to be violently torn off. An odd green ooze leaking from the remains.

The brawn alien stood over a broken tree. I assume that’s what made the sound. He stomped his right foot over the remaining tree trunk and let out a monstrous roar.

“My hunger isn’t satiated!” His eyes focused on me. Green ooze was dripping out of his mouth.

He smiled revealing his sharp fangs to me. “Will you be my next meal?”

Hell no.

I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I was no longer tired. The hunger was only an afterthought. I needed to run. I clutched the emerald button within my left hand tightly. To get off my knees, I pressed my right hand to the ground and pushed off. Fortunately, I was able to launch myself high enough to pivot my legs onto the ground and turn in the opposite direction. I thrust my legs off the ground for a mad dash.

WHAM.

I bumped into something and stumbled back a bit. The impact made me flinch and close my eyes. I’m not stupid. I knew what I had bumped into, but a small silver of me hoped it was a tree. I opened my eyes and looked up.

Yep

The metallic alien loomed over me like a titan.

When a human is afraid they have 3 courses of action. Fight, flight, or freeze. As I had just seen, flight was impossible. I’m pretty sure freeze would cement a painful defeat in my future. There was only one option left: Fight.

I needed to be smart about this. Obviously, I couldn’t win this with brute force. His reaction time and speed were off the charts. Thinking of it, the best way to beat him was to distract him and get a cheap hit. In the best-case scenario, his button breaks. I just needed to think of how.

I got it!

I cleared my voice. I tried to make sure it was stabilized.

“Y’know, there was this really nice pastry shop where I lived. It had this one donut called The Berserker. It had so many fillings. Raspbe–”

He cut me off. Perfect

“My food doesn’t talk. I hate when my food talks. Stay quiet so I can…..”

He continued on with his spiel, but I was too focused on my next move. Just as he cut me off a few moments earlier with his words; I too was going to cut him off. But with my fist!

I didn’t know the optimal way to punch, but the usual answer for physical activities is “it’s all in the hips”. I planted my feet on the ground, and with the power of my hips, I created a mean left hook.

His eyes darted towards my fist and he ended his tangent. Before I knew is the woman on his right shoulder was on the ground. He easily caught my left hand with his right.

Crap, I thought the woman on his right shoulder would slow down his right side’s reaction time.

He took his left hand and placed it on my left pectoral. His right hand held a firm grasp on my left arm, and his left hand was on my chest.

He shifted his gaze from my arm to my face. Our eyes met. Right then I could tell he wasn’t human.

In a sinister voice, he said “Mine”

He rapidly jutted his right arm back, while using his left arm to keep the rest of my body in place.

With relative ease, the metallic alien had just ripped off my left arm.

I didn’t let out a scream. Believe me, I’m not a tough guy, it hurt like hell. Another feeling overwhelmed the pain.

I guess I was too afraid to think about it back when I first made the punch.

How could’ve I been such an idiot.

My emerald button was in that arm.