Classified Planet: Turongal (The Darvel Exploratory Systems Book 1) Read online

  Sighing, she rolled her neck to loosen the strain and jerked a thumb in the direction of their cabin. “Let’s go get our gear and crap together. Shithead is going to expect us to be ready to put feet on the ground the moment we land, knowing him.”

  Doug grunted, his footsteps thumping loudly behind her as they pushed through the crowd. At the corridors, Jace and Ben broke off to head to their own cabins, leaving Charlie and Doug to continue alone. As they got farther from the common square, the air became darker and more oppressive.

  “I hear gravity is lower on the planet we’re going to,” Doug said. “At least the air is breathable, unlike this swamp.”

  “I hope so,” Charlie replied. She was tired of breathing in the damp, recycled air.

  Doug’s footsteps seemed to echo more in the silence of the corridor. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him shifting, looking in one direction and then the other. His voice was quiet, carrying just enough to be heard from where she stood.

  “I’ve got to tell you, Charlie—I think the sector head was lying. I don’t think those men are waiting for us. He smiled like he does when he’s lying out his ass. We don’t know anything about this planet outside of a few vid clips that took years to transmit. My brother works as part of the guard staff for Darvel Exploratory, and he tried to buy my number out of the lotto when he heard that we were going there. Said he saw the full vids firsthand and that the wildlife gave him nightmares. It’s raw in ways that Earth hasn’t been for generations, even after re-establishing the perfectly contained wildlife parks.”

  She glanced up at him with a grown. “What are you saying?”

  “This place is dangerous. Just stay on guard. This planet won’t like us intruding,” he said.

  Wiping her sweating palms on the pants of her TRS, she grimaced. “I sure hope your brother was exaggerating.”

  “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

  That answer didn’t comfort her.

  Chapter 2

  It was hard to move on the planet’s surface. Despite the lower gravitational pull that should have made walking easier, the weight of Charlie’s gear felt crushing.

  The environmental protection suit was made from thick synthetic materials that covered every inch of her body, the gloves and boots magnetically sealing to the suit. Her standard-issue rifle was heavy as fuck, and the helmet and filtration unit added even more weight. The air was breathable on Turongal, but everyone was required to wear them as a safety precaution. Altogether, it made for one heavy fucking load. It wasn’t quite as bad as it had been during drills on board the colony ship, which had kept its artificial gravity set to Earth standard, only adjusting to Turongal gravity in the final weeks before landing, but it was still a bitch.

  At least it was warm on the planet’s surface. She couldn’t feel the temperature of the air, but between the sunlight and her TRS, she was no longer freezing like she had been for the last three years on the lower deck. Instead, she felt uncomfortably hot, sweat gathering between her skin and suit, making it stick in places. She almost missed the wretched cold.

  Squinting at the dome reflecting light in the distance, Charlie cursed. She swore it was no closer than it had been over an hour ago. The miles between the safe landing zone and the colony settlement seemed to stretch on forever. She didn’t know what sadist decided that all the non-gratas would walk to the colony, but she wanted to kill them.

  The land vehicles had already disappeared into the distance carrying essential personnel, leaving them to catch up or fall over and die where they stood on the alien world. The sector head wouldn’t give a shit. He would merely cross them off his list. No doubt somewhere eyes were watching them to keep count of how many made it to the colony alive and who wasn’t walking fast enough to garner full rations when they finally arrived.

  A drone flew by, and she groaned. And there it is. She resisted the urge to raise her middle finger at her superiors watching at the other end. She shouldn’t antagonize them, not when she was already going to get chewed out for what she was about to do.

  Fuck it. She needed to rest for a moment. She wasn’t killing herself for anyone.

  Ignoring the people passing by, Charlie leaned against a rocky outcropping, dropped her rifle to her side, and tilted her head back in disgust. A low groan worked its way out of her.

  How much hotter was it going to get?

  She was tempted to disobey direct orders and shuck the EPS off. Sure, there might be some toxin in the air that might kill her, but the first touch of air on her skin would almost be worth the poisoning. Come to think of it, she would happily peel herself out of the damn TRS and walk the rest of the way nude if they would let her. She examined the rocky ground. Ok, she would keep her fucking boots.

  Doug grunted as he stopped at her side, shouldering his rifle. “Home sweet home,” he muttered, scanning the gray landscape. Everything was just miles of gray rock and blue-gray brush with scattered trees of similar hue that had the faintest green tinge to them.

  Jace dropped beside her, pulling at the neck of his EPS, allowing his weapon to fall loose at his side from its strap. “Feels like I’m being suffocated. I can’t believe they’re making us walk all the way to the colony wearing this shit.”

  “Probably think it’s good practice for when we’re out there working,” Ben replied. The strap of his weapon hung from one shoulder as he braced his hands on his hips and glared at the distant colony dome. “We’re going to be expected to be out here for hours every day laboring. Besides, they probably didn’t want to expend the gas sending the land rovers back and forth to transport us all.”

  “Of course we would be worth less than the fucking gas.” Jace sighed. “Sadistic motherfuckers.”

  Charlie leaned forward, allowing her upper body to sag over her knees. Turning her head to the side, she gave Jace a tired grin. “Look on the bright side. Apparently after we get our quarters and assignments, we’ll have the rest of the remaining daylight hours free.”

  Jace snorted. “Do you suppose they have a tavern? If so, I’m planning on getting plastered and trying to forget I was sent to this wasteland.”

  “It ain’t so bad,” Doug said as he slapped Jace on the back. “Reminds me of the small laborers’ town I grew up in near the Badlands in South Dakota. Color is off, and this place has more trees, but it reminds me of home all the same. A lot of open terrain, a lot of possibilities.”

  “Whatever, dude.” Jace sighed, bracing his hands behind his head. “I don’t see it. Everything just looks gray, like something from the old twentieth century Twilight Zone vids. I expect someone to start telling me all about a fifth dimension beyond light and shadow any second now.”

  Ben rolled his eyes and shoved Jace, upsetting his twin’s balance. “I keep telling you those old vids are gonna rot your brain. They’re on the restricted list for a reason.”

  “All the fun shit is. Anything that makes you actually use your brain.”

  Charlie never had the nerve to download forbidden content from illegal servers. Only approved programming was allowed to non-gratas. Anything outside of the approved vid streams that were all from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries were also illegal. That didn’t stop people from accessing them, but not Charlie.

  At thirty-two, she had spent her entire life playing by the rules, hoping that she wouldn’t get sent to the colonies. Kept her head down and worked her ass off. It hadn’t done a damn bit of good. Her name had still been entered in the Lottery, and no one had been willing to write her a recommendation to get an exemption.

  “Do you think they’ll have uplinks ready to the planetary data system?” she asked as she pushed off the rock. She was curious just how cut-off they were in their corner of the galaxy. The one good thing about living in a colony was that the media restrictions were looser on the colonies. She could watch current programs from Earth that would have been restricted before, as well as those from other parts of the galaxy that she’d never seen.


  “Yeah.” Doug sighed, wrinkling his brow. “They have key satellites orbiting designated planets and a few space stations between here and there. Newest ones set up were scheduled to go live a year ago. Earth isn’t going to let us do anything without their stamp of approval. But the filters won’t be up yet so we should have wide access for a while. No doubt the sector head will be in contact with them once they decide to lift the communication blocks.”

  “Planning a little illicit viewing, Charlie?” Jace grinned as he rose to his feet. “I hear on some of the remote stations they broadcast some really freaky alien-human porn. Illegal as hell, but I bet I can find it. It would be a way to while away many lonely nights.” He chuckled with a gleam in his eyes. “They let it slide on the colonies because they would rather everyone just be wanking in their quarters instead of stirring up trouble. What do you say? Planning on rubbing one out?”

  “After three years shut in with Doug, probably more than one,” she said, falling into the easy camaraderie she enjoyed with the men.

  “I would certainly volunteer to be used,” Ben offered with a flirtatious grin as he walked at her side, a little swagger in his step—but both brothers were good for that. She wasn’t so easily taken in. Especially when she knew full well that he didn’t mean it in any way that mattered. He offered his services widely.

  Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Are you built like an Aturian and didn’t tell me?”

  “Damn, that’s a low blow.” He laughed. “I’m only human, Charlie. But we could have some hot, sweaty fun. Haven’t had any complaints.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Thanks, but I seem to recall how you got around on the ship. I’ll be quite happy with my legally purchased vibrator and some illegal tawdry visual stimulation.”

  Charlie felt a tingle between her thighs thinking about it. It had been a while since she had enough privacy to rub one out, and even longer since she had sex. The thought of watching Aturian porn in the privacy of her own quarters, even if it was literally a hole in the wall, sent a hot lick of desire through her, leaving behind a needy edge that demanded satisfaction. Like many human women, Charlie was attracted to the beautiful aliens and their exotic dicks. It was a shame that they were nowhere near Aturian space.

  “What about you, Doug? Any plans for a little R and R—recreational release, that is?” Jace asked impishly as he skirted around their larger friend and swung his weapon over his shoulder once more.

  Doug leveled him with a hard glare. “None of your damned business, fuckhead. Keep your mind on what you’re supposed to be doing. You can go waste brain cells later when you’re alone. We need to catch up to the group. The sector head isn’t going to like the fact that we’re lagging so far behind intentionally.” As if to lend weight to his words, a drone zipped overhead and circled low before heading back toward the colony.

  Yeah, they had fucked around long enough.

  Picking up their pace, they trod after the rest of the colonists, silence stretching out among them as they focused on their destination. It took all that Charlie had just to keep going. Gritting her teeth through the suffocating heat, she continued to put one foot in front of the other, her attention locked on the colony settlement. One foot in front of the other and eventually she would get there. It became her mantra. Even when sweat slicked her entire body and her breath came out in miserable pants, she forced herself to continue walking as she watched the settlement grow nearer.

  At midday, when the sun beat down on them with a blistering, ceaseless heat and the horizon wavered in and out like a mirage, their group passed between two tall, rocky cliffs. The relief as they entered the shade was instant. Captivated by the rugged beauty of the cliffs, Charlie slowed her pace as she stared up at them, an awareness skittering over her that made her muscles tighten with apprehension. Small trees and brush bent as a hard wind blew through, beating at her helmet, and several loose stones tumbled down the side of one slope. Her mouth went dry as her gaze drifted over the incline.

  She felt watched.

  Her heart sped up as she slowed even more. Her head turning as she kept the cliff to her left in sight. What the fuck was out there?

  Doug turned and glanced back at her. Hoisting his rifle onto his shoulder, he walked back to her side and nudged her gently with his elbow.

  “You okay, kid?”

  Charlie whipped her head around and swallowed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just freaking out for a second. I could have sworn something was out there.”

  Her friend narrowed his eyes as he looked at the same cliff she’d been staring at, his lips tightening. He shook his head slowly as he grabbed her arm, pulling her ahead of him. “Dunno. Let’s keep moving. We don’t have much further until we are at the settlement. Just stick by my side.”

  Nodding, she dropped her head against another burst of wind, eager to get away from the cliff. Whatever was watching them had felt distinctly threatening, like a predator eyeing its next meal. Perhaps intelligent? She let out a humorless laugh as she clutched her rifle tighter.

  Had all those years in the dark of the lower deck succeeded in fucking her head up? She must have been imagining it. Darvel Exploratory would have known if this world was inhabited, and they would have told Earth’s government. There was nothing to worry about.

  Sighing, she focused on Doug’s steady, reassuring steps behind her as they breached the canyon and made their way over the flatter landscape that led to the settlement. Although the sun still beat down on them and the wind was sharper in their exposed location, the terrain was easier to walk over, and they made good progress. The dome loomed over them as they passed the large field droids grinding deep furrows into the soil, the blades of the dangerous machines whipping at high speeds. They gave them wide berth, none of them wanting to get too close to the machines and risk losing a limb—or worse—should they fall near one.

  When at last they arrived at the entrance, Charlie sighed in relief. The guard peered at them disdainfully as they stumbled through the gates. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as the antechamber air was scrubbed. A green light flashed, and the gate opened, permitting them entrance to Delta Stargazer colony.

  Charlie stared at the uniform gray buildings. Everything was cold, gray, and sterile… but, for better or worse, it was home.

  A lone male glared from where he was crouched among the rocks, his four long limbs braced with tension as his tail curved around him, aiding his balance the side of the cliff. His nostrils flared, and a low growl rattled from his chest. He felt his long, blade-like claws slide out from his four paws and the fingertips of all four of his hands, wanting nothing more than to bury them in the flesh of the aliens invading his planet. Lips pulled from large fangs as he issued his warning, his angry roar echoing through the canyon.

  Let the strangers hear it and tremble. Let them cower in their settlement.

  They would find no mercy or kindness on this planet. Inara Tahli would destroy them if he did not.

  Chapter 3

  It was as she feared. It was just barely a step up from a closet. Charlie grimaced as she stepped inside her assigned quarters. The bed filled most of the space, with barely enough room for a small wash station on a wall in one corner. Throwing her pack on the bed, she turned around to get a feel for what she had to work with. Without a closet or trunk in sight, there had to be storage somewhere.

  Facing the opposite wall, her eyes ran along the empty space as she followed what appeared to be the outline of several flat panels. Charlie leaned forward and brushed her fingertips over one in the lightest of touches. She flinched as a drawer slid out abruptly.

  That’s… different.

  Craning her head, she peered into it. Empty. It was nothing more than a long, narrow drawer for storage. Her eyebrows flew up as she examined the drawer. Her accommodations on Earth never had such seamless and sensitive tech. Tapping the drawer, it slid shut once more. She counted a total of four panels on the wall. That was more storage th
an she had expected, although the drawers weren’t particularly spacious. Turning around again, the foot of the bed had a similar panel that was much larger. She could only assume it was for her to stow her gear.

  Looking around the sterile gray room, she tried to look on the bright side. At least it was warm, and she wasn’t squished into it with Doug. The powers that be had decided to allow them to have the remainder of the day to get settled. Charlie spared a passing glance at her pack before plopping on the bed beside it. She would unpack later.

  Allowing her eyes to roam the walls, her attention settled on the darkened smart glass on the wall beside her bed. Her eyebrows rose. The quality of technology throughout the entire colony seemed to be top of the line. The smart glass on her wall was small, but she couldn’t complain. It was still larger than anything she had on Earth. All she had been able to afford was a fifteen-year-old mounted viewscreen that had eventually replaced the ancient smart TVs when developers could go no further with them.

  Reaching up, Charlie tapped on the glass and was rewarded as it immediately cleared, showing the scenery beyond the colony dome. No doubt there were surveillance units on the colony walls recording the outside view. Probably from a vid feed near her location. She recognized the steep rock formations of the nearby canyon.

  The gray and white stones and the bluish-green plant life weren’t what that most would call particularly inspiring, but as she watched shadows play along the cliff, Charlie decided that she liked it. With the muted color of the landscape, shadows seemed to bleed into each other and take a life of their own. She knew it was all an optical illusion of course but…