Malcolm Brand woke up from his nap, which turned into a good eight hours of much needed sleep. Stirring he got up, fully dressed when he had laid down initially. Rolling his tongue around his mouth he still tasted the fruit on his breath. He had a light sweat but choked that up to the humidity. When your ship is stuffy and without air conditioning it was a natural aspect of the situation.
"Damn it's hot in here." He murmurs hearing his stomach rumble.
Deciding to go get some air he accidently trips in the darkness over his waste bucket. Stumbling but catching his fall he kept on his feet. However the facsimile trash can toppled over spilling it's contents. Growling he knelt down to pick things up.
"What the hell?" His hand comes across an apple, "Where did you come from? I only had that one apple stashed away. Ate that before snoozing." He stands up bewildered then shrugs, "Lucky day I guess. Wait a minute. There's no apple core in that mess."
His eyes wince at the thoughts running through his head, "Did this thing grow back while I was asleep? Huh! The never ending meal. I can live with that. Saves me battling the vine beast to grab more of these."
Puckering he decides to eat it. His stomach was growling and the taste for it pursued his thoughts. Damned delicious he admitted to himself.
Cameron Scott was still awake. His drunken state was easing up but he couldn't sleep. Sitting up in the cockpit for hours playing Solitaire. After a long turn sitting his bladder needed relieved. Grumbling he stood up and stretched before looking out the window at nothing but a dimly lit moonscape. Fidgeting he decided to step outside the ship to take a piss. As the ramp opened up he trudged down the steps into the sand.
The cows were quiet mostly. As was the horse. So, he moved east of the pen to a spot he decided was good enough and out of the path of foot traffic. Whipping it out he stood with his back arched looking up at the stars. As his stream steadily flooded the dirt below he felt a chill go down his spine.
The chill made his gaze lower to pierce out into the darkness. Something caught his eye.
In the shadows maybe 60 yards away stood what appeared to be a woman. Her flesh ghostly white and in a dress that drifted in the gentle breeze off the plain.
"That you Maddy?"
Squinting as he shook off his pecker and zipped up, he realized something.
"Can't be Maddy. Her ghost is naked. I see a dress. Awww fuck."
He stammers in step deciding if he needed to run or see if this woman needed help. Maybe she was stranded here as well. He opted to risk the unknown.
"Are you lost here like we are?"
The woman merely stares and appears distraught. Her reaction made Cameron assume she was terrified.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. If you got lost in this crazy place like we did you must need friends. Come on over I'll introduce you to everyone."
She shy's away and steps toward the cow pen. In the static charge of the fence there was a gentle illumination that cascaded outwardly. In her stride Cameron matched it after swallowing hoarsely. He attempted to get closer to her. Her attention was more on the cattle than him. This gave him the nerve to approach her.
"Surprised to see those? My friend Jack rescued them from the desert. You must be hungry."
She folds her arms over her shoulders and shivers.
"Cold? I think it's balmy myself. But, that dress might not be that warm. You look as if you just came from a wedding or something."
No words spoken, nor does she look at him.
"Umm! My name's Cameron. What's yours?"
Finally, she tilts her gaze toward him at an angle. There was a softness yet needy glint in her vision. Her eyes were amazingly beautiful. As was she. Yet, her flesh was pale white. That alone gave Cam the chills.
