Arrakis is quite a harsh and unforgiving planet. Any mistake could lead to loss of water and most certainly death. Where simply walking across the dunes could get you eaten alive by sandworms. A terrible fate no doubt.
One day I was called in by the Reverend Mother to put my hand into a box. She then pulled out a weapon and put it next to my neck. Telling me if I pulled my hand out of the box she would kill me.
The next thing I knew I awoke to a loud explosive sound. I was somehow on a ship that was now on fire. It vibrated violently in the night sky as it came crossing down on the sand world of Arrakis.
From the best I could gather I must have been on some kind of prisoner transporter. Whatever my past was I now must conceal it. Everything in this universe that I woke up in seemed almost right but just not all there.
While I had a million questions. That no longer mattered. I was still being hunted down by something. I barely escaped the burning wreckage alive. I then passed out again not to awaken for quite some time.
This time around I found myself in some kind of cave. There was a dead person in there and it was not my greatest hour but I looted them. I also went around gathering any resources I could.
That feeling of being near death from thirst would be a fate I would seem I could never escape from on Arrakis. I noticed against all odds some flowers were growing in the cave and I licked what little water I could get off them. The dew was so sweet that it would keep me going for a short while longer.
I ended up finding a backpack and some other somewhat useful items. I was even able to make myself a little dagger. It seemed almost like my luck was starting to turn around. At least as much as one's luck could while you are stranded on a desert planet.
The dagger just felt right in my hands. I’d later come to enjoy the kind of combat style using a dagger would bring me. I’d dance around the battlefield making lots of quick slices to take out anything in my path.
For now, however, I was quite a distance away from that future self. I was lucky to not trip over a rock and impale myself with the dagger instead of an enemy. I was not quite two-left-footed, but you would not be wrong in thinking that.
I slowly ascended out of the cave I was in. Just outside was a strange named Zantara. I’d later find out there was a 1,000,000 Solari bounty for that person of interest dead or alive. For having such a bounty I was shown nothing but kindness.
It seemed however we both were yet out of danger. Some enemies flying overhead were looking for us. Zantara came up with a rather clever plan that if we could fake there still being a noble alive on the ship the ships above would have to disengage their hunt.
I was told to go into the wrecked ship I had crawled out of the night before and pray I find a device to do just that. As I made my way back towards the wreckage I looted some tools off a dead person. They won’t be needing it anymore.
Despite how much damage the ship had suffered. It was clear it still had internal power running. Some force shields were restricting my access to certain parts of the ship.
It also would turn out I was not the only one to survive the crash. There was still some crew alive and lurking around the ship. With the crude dagger I had fastened together I lunged towards one of the crew members and killed him.
As luck would have it there was some stored water on the ship. I drank as much of it as I could trying to get that desert taste of Arrakis out of my mouth. While the taste remained at least my tung was no longer stuck to the roof of my mouth. I even felt somewhat cooler for a short period.
The ship was like a small maze. Lots of areas were blocked off from collapsed parts of the ship. Other areas would have chests that would catch the edge of my eyes and lure me to them like a Siren.
While the loot was hardly worth my time. My pockets up to this point were mostly filled with sand. So, anything I could find was almost better than nothing. I took whatever I could find not knowing if it would be useful at some point or not.
After finding some ID cards to get me past some forcefields that were blocking my access to the helm of the ship. I found myself searching the captain's chair and control console. Thankfully Zantara has been communicating with me still at this point and found what I was sent after.
Once the signal was that the captain of the ship was still alive. The scouting parties that were closing in on Zantara and myself departed. We quickly left the area and Zantara for the time departed. I had a feeling I'd be seeing Zantara again at some point. I was hoping however it be a while since my first encounters were a little more action-packed than I'd have liked after just arriving on Arrakis.
I should have known asking for a life of silence just trying to survive on a desert planet was just asking for way too much. After about a day of travel, I walked over to what seemed like a safe patch of desert sand. What popped up that was lurking beneath almost gave me a heart attack.
It was a sandworm. While it was massive compared to me. I’d later discover it was not even one of the big ones. I would later find out the locals would refer to these sandworms as “Shai-Hulud.” I was hoping to never see one of them for the rest of my life, but I'd be quite wrong on that front as well.
I started coming across little camps and clearing them out of any loot I could find. It seemed better to be moving at night. That however would not always be an option. At least for now, the nighttime felt cool on my skin which was so dry I could use it as sandpaper.
My quite long journey was just starting. The dangers I had already faced would be nothing compared to the horrors I'd later discover. Between all the backstabbing and thieving by the political elite and just those trying to survive. It seems anyone on Arrakis would be willing to kill you over a drop of water or a couple of Solari. All of which would never quench the thirst of those always wanting more.
Screenshots were taken and content was written by @Enjar about Dune: Awakening.
