Flight

    Barren.

    This is a barren planet. Nothing but an endless horizon of quartz sand. It's a big planet. Even from his altitude, he cannot see beyond the distant dune upon dunes of this wretched space rock. The landscape below stretches on forever. No structures indicating sentient life. No seas or rivers.

    What is this place? Where am I?

    He nose-dives in a frustrated roar of jet engines, shape-shifting just before the ground hits. He lands forcefully, feet-first into the damned sand in an explosion of dust.

    His name is Sky Snake. Or at least that's what his cognitive data drive tells him. But beyond that, nothing. No answers in the ground, and none from the skies. Is he alone out here? His sensors detect nothing.

    He activates his proton rifle, the only piece of working equipment he woke up with. How long has it been? 10 terra cycles since he abandoned the crash site. His ship? Unlikely. He doesn't recall anything about it. Just a huge hulking damaged mess with no other passengers or survivors. An unyielding enigma of twisted metal with no clues.

    In absolute frustration, he fires his weapon - four short blasts in random directions - and screams: "I AM SKY SNAKE!!! WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE? FACE ME!" The echoes of the blasts fade into nothing-ness, and there is only the low hum of his rifle. He slams it onto the sand and curses.

    Waste of ammo. Get a grip. You'll need that weapon to neutralise any threat.

    Threat? He cackles to himself, savouring the metallic shriek of his laughter. There is nobody here but me. Perhaps I should lay claim to this planet!

    Sky Snake eh? How fitting a name. Lodging his rifle, he looks towards the stratosphere. Somewhere up there lies the answer, he has a feeling.

    It's a big planet. He has much of his kingdom to explore. He runs, finally feeling free for the first time, giggling to himself, then bursting into gloating laughter. Jet engines blanket the sound of his glee as they activate, his armour shifts, limbs fold into place as his mass lifts off the ground in one fluid motion.

    The heavens beckon. He is Sky Snake.