Most of the group spun around, Trance included. Another barely living body was behind them, this one corpulent in the abdominal area. The rest of the body was emaciated. Sunken in cheeks were tear-streaked. The bulge in the abdominal area stirred, moving in a circular fashion. The passengers nearest to the body jumped back.
"What in the hell is that?!?" a shocked man asked.
"Magog!" Trance said with urgency. "We need to get out of here!"
"Shut up, girl!" the haughty woman from the transport that had commented on her skin said.
Trance watched as one of the more curious passengers apprehensively poked the infested human with their suitcase edge. The movement increased, and several passengers leaned over the body. Trance realized these people wouldn't listen until someone was hurt. She cared about them, regardless of how they treated her, but didn't want to die.
The remains of a tree was approximately thirty meters from where she stood. It was twenty or so feet tall and seemed stable enough. She sprinted very quickly to it and climbed it with the skill of a monkey, using her tail as a third arm.
From perched in the highest bough, she watched as the infant Magog ripped themselves from the shell that had once been a human with razor sharp claws and teeth. They followed their instincts and attacked the closest passengers, causing slow painful death as they consumed their first meals. Those who were farthest away from the Magog ran for their lives, seeking refuge in the barren area.
Fifteen or twenty out of fifty escaped the initial carnage. They ran into the distance, where Trance spied a partially deforested area. Several Nietzscheans emerged and captured the remaining humans. As the Magog approached the Nietzscheans, they were either shot down with modified Gauss rifles or eviscerated with the Nietszcheans' sharp bone spurs.
Trance cringed at the slaughter, hiding out of the Nietzscheans' range of sight. She had no desire to join the other passengers, who would most likely be sold into slavery from what she had heard about this particular group of Nietzscheans in the past. The passengers were bound and led away towards the deforested area.
Trance knew exactly where the transport had carried her. "Harper went through this for twenty years?" She fought the tears that wanted to well in her eyes, tears for herself and for her friend. Earth wasn't a pleasant place, and no description could do what she had just witnessed justice.
She knew it wasn't safe to remain in this area and cautiously descended the trunk of the tree, following her own instincts. They sent her away from the deforested area, in the direction of the area the shuttle had once occupied. She lifted her bags from where she had discarded them, quickly shoving her most important possessions into her knapsack. She drew the Gauss gun from the knapsack and ventured forward.
She felt fortunate that she hadn't encountered any Magog or Nietzscheans after a long while of walking. Her instincts indicated she neared an important destination. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a small dilapidated refugee camp of humans in make-shift tents. Several humans, as emaciated, malnourished and unkempt as the dying one she had seen before, emerged from the tents. Fear was in their eyes. The small children hid behind the adults, trembling and clutching to their worn clothing and filthy exposed skin. Trance was rendered speechless.
"Who are you? Why've you come here?" the male that seemed to be in charge asked. He was shorter than Trance and walked with a limp. His glare burned with the fire of hatred.
Onward To Part 3!
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