Here is one of the most exciting contests on the Hive blockchain. It is a challenge to write about 50,000 words in a month.
You can decide what you wish to do with the 50,000 words. Do you want it to evolve into a novel or just some exciting story series or something that you like? You decide.
So, a words/day rate of 1,700 should take you over the 50,000 words mark in thirty days. There are rewards too.
Check out most about the contest here.
The contest is exclusively available on Hive.
Today’s Maynia Prompt: Cucumber Wine
Today’s Daily Freewrite Prompt: None
Writers can choose to use one of the prompts, both the prompts or not use the prompt at all. It is all up to you!
I wish to make this into a sci-fi novel. Let’s see how it progresses! 😊
Continued from Day 2. You can read it here.
“I am ready, Commander,” Sarvi put on her sight-enhancer and tapped on the side of her eye. The hopper powered on and reinforced itself into the planet’s crust.
The aperture grew wide enough for them to see another hopper approaching. As soon as it grew in size, Sarvi pressed a button on her arm, and the reinforced hopper latched on to the other hopper. What appeared to be streams of lightning between the hoppers, started to solidify. The new hopper’s thrusters switched off, and it landed on the planet.
“I could kill you, Zarqui,” Olyint rushed to the hopper. He touched a panel on the vehicle, and it depressed, letting out a loud hiss. The door panel opened half-way but got stuck. “It’s of no use Zarqui. You can’t get away anymore.”
Sarvi stood baffled that Zarqui didn’t attempt to attack them. It was unlikely that the one who killed the commander’s brother was unwilling to kill him too.
The commander, on the other hand, was too focused on revenge to see what Sarvi was already witnessing. All did not seem well. “Sarvi, use the transducer power to disengage the door.”
“But commander that may compromise our hopper’s power.”
“Do it.”
“Yes, commander.” Since the two hoppers were connected from the latching, all Sarvi had to do was to divert power from their hopper to open the other one’s door. Streaks of lights passed through the solidified parts and sparked around the doorway. The panel opened with a click.
“Stay here,” Olyint entered with the least respect for the enemy’s defences. As he reached the control bin, it was apparent that the defences were the least of Olyint worries. There was no enemy to apprehend.
Olyint frowned and gazed out of the nearest window looking at the solidified latch and the blue planet on the background. It took a moment before he figured out what was happening. “Decoy.”
Sarvi heard her commander loud and clear, and she knew the next set of instructions. She got working on it even before the instructions were called out.
“Scan past hops from the time we left our planet. I want to see every single of Zarqui’s hops.”
Sarvi did not bother responding, nor did she think that Olyint would be awaiting her affirmation. As she furiously tapped into the control console, the screen on the left and the console behind her, strings of non-descript letters started filling a holographic display on Olyint’s and Sarvi’s arm panel. Sarvi checked her readings and when satisfied, stepped out of the hopper and walked towards Olyint.
“Commander, on your panel,” Sarvi pointed to Olyint’s arm. As Olyint looked at it, she explained. "Zarqui had completed three hops by the time we initiated the chase sequence. At hop twenty-eight, we diverged to pre-empt his hops and capture him.
“Here, hop seventy-one,” Olyint noticed. "He stopped."
“Yes, commander. We missed that earlier. Probably, there is where he switched his hopper with this one,” Sarvi scrolled down the holographic letters on Olyint’s arm panel. “Now, all other hops of this particular hopper is consistent until we found it here. Whereas….”
“The second hopper after hop seventy-one was the one in which he took-off.”
“Yes, commander.”
“Damn. I was blind not to have anticipated that move,” Olyint punched his fist on the hopper.
“But, he is not far.”
“What do you mean?”
“I traced the second hopper after hop number seventy-one. It is expected to land on the other planet.”
“The one from which we came here?”
“Yes, and we may still have an advantage on him.”
“Then let’s go. Let the other hopper be latched on. We will take both to the other planet.”
“Commander, I think we should let the other hopper remain here. That fungus may drain off both the vehicle’s transducers.”
“Hmm. Disengage. Let’s go.”
Sarvi complied. The other hopper was left-back while both of them hopped to the blue planet. Sarvi didn’t bother telling the commander that they would have no way back, as their hops would be used up, nor did she believe that he wouldn’t be already knowing that fact. Their only hope was to catch Zarqui and take his hopper back.”
The touchdown of the hopper was enough for Olyint to rush to the exit. He didn’t wait for Sarvi. But what waited outside was not a pleasant sight.
Sarvi joined him within moments, and she froze too. “Commander, this can’t be.”
“He is anticipating our moves. We fell for the decoy.”
“But that does not explain how he could make it here before us,” Sarvi said.
“I wouldn’t be too worried about the sequence as much as his intent.”
“I didn't follow, commander.”
“He came here before us and did not just carry on hopping. Why is the hopper abandoned?”
Sarvi realized that there was more to it than what they understood. The hopper appeared stable, but the doorway was open. It wouldn’t be prudent on his part to stop so close to Olyint.
“Should I check, commander?”
“You can only run diagnostics. Zarqui is not there,” Olyint said with a sigh through clenched teeth. To not only be deceived but also be unaware of the adversary’s move was like a dagger pierced through this chest.
“Zarqui wouldn’t have left the hopper unless he too was a victim of the fungus,” Sarvi said as she walked to the hopper. Olyint knew better.
Sarvi punched on the control panel and the hopper powered up. Her readings showed that there were seven hops still left. “Commander, there are hops left.”
“There is something on Zarqui’s mind. He was not running from us but rushing to this planet,” Olyint said. “Lock the hopper. Even if he tries, he shouldn’t be able to leave."
Sarvi followed orders but was unsure of the next steps.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
