This is a rough draft I did just now. I just sat down and started typing whatever came to mind off the top of my head, no plan or anything so it's pretty crap but if you are at present as bored as I am then give this a go and see what you think.
With his index finger he gently wiped the sweat from his brow. Once again he peered through the scope of his high power hunting rifle. Down range, the shimmer of heat reflected off the sandy desert ground like a ghostly blanket. He frowned, squinting in the glare of the midday sun. On top of a large sand dune, he had a clear view of the settlement that lay before him. A cluster of makeshift shacks and a few concrete bunkers forming a crude work environment, He moved his gaze across the installation. Sifting through the personnel, picking out the marines, ignoring the workers. Each armed man he found, he analyzed vantage points, ideal positions to engage the unsuspecting soldiers from above.
Focus. He thought this to himself as the sweat once again ran into his eyes. He could not let something so miniscule distract him. He had already been out in the searing sun ever since the perimiter was breached 20 earth hours ago. The 42 hour days on this desert planet were a killer, but the soaring 45' temperatures were something that could not be climatized to, livable but barely. The worst part about the heat though, was the monsters it attracted, and this is why he was stuck out in the middle of the desert, wrapped in thermal cloth head to toe, standing out like a sore thumb to anyone who cared to look. Yet perfectly camouflaged to that which he was hunting... that which was hunting him.
His prey, his ever elusive target and he were no strangers. He prodded and rubbed the scar on his neck thoughtfully as he continued his search. The scar which his target had given him. He thought of the scars he had given it. He glanced at his tablet, the screen riddled with sand. The heart beat monitors of the personell below consistent, the sound turned off not to attract attention. He hesitated thoughtfully. It should have made a move by now. He wanted to move, he wanted to get up and take a different vantage point. But he knew he was probably being watched himself, something out there waiting for him, searching as intently as he was, both waiting for each other to make the first move.
Suddenly his tablet flashed silently, he peered at it. He had placed a network of motion sensors around his location, hooked up to his tablet. He didn't dare move anything but his eyes, peering at the tablet he saw the white blip of movement coming from his left, behind him, in his blind spot. Not knowing if this was his foe, or a wondering worker, and knowing the slightest noise could attract it, he did not even try his radio, but lay motionless, helpless, as the blip approached. He dared not breath, as it came within 10 meters, moving across the screen, it suddenly vanished. It was not gone though, he knew this. It had merely stopped moving. An eternity passed agnoizingly slowly.
Suddenly in the distance there was gunfire, he could barely see it through the shimmering heat, but he could hear it well. The action was in a location that would require him to shift his position in order to focus his rifle on. His blood boiled in frustration, but he waited. Finally, the blip reappeared and with astonishing speed streaked across the display and was out of range. He suddenly whirled around, crouched, looking down the scope into the direction the beast had went. Nothing. In the open plain there was nothing to see. But there was something. He knew it. Perfectly blended with the desert heat. He searched. He sighed. Knowing he had missed his opportunity. He quickly focused back on the installation.
Looking for the signs of gunfire. He found it. A small group of marines stood around a carcasse of a freshly killed tarantodon. A scaly eight legged beast native to the desert. Like some gruesome blend of a spider and lizard, the size of a horse. Very aggressive, very carnivorous. The marines were employed to keep the workers safe from these creatures. Unfortunately whenever they engaged, they attracted a much more dangerous monster.
He searched intently, knowing the attack was coming. His crosshair darted from rooftop to rooftop, searching every crevice, every ledge, searching for the glimmer of the creature. He was so focused he almost missed the faint clicking and purring directly behind him. His eyes suddenly widened. He had been fooled! He knew it right away. Every muscle in his body was tense. His crosshairs still pointed at the marines, they casually walked off. No signs of hostility. It was on him. But how? How had it known he was there? He had been completely concealed when it ran off... then it dawned on him.
It had found his general area, but could not pinpoint his location, so it had fooled him into thinking it had run off, to get him to move and reveal himself. Clever bastard. He should have known better. They had played tango plenty of times before, neither one managing to secure the victory over the other. Can't say it didn't have plenty of opportunities to try different strategies, looks like it finally found a pearler. He could now feel it's presence bearing down on him. He had no choice. He had to make a move. He was frozen with fear. Make a move now or die. He whirled around. There it stood. Clear as day. A leathery batlike bird. Not the monster. It gargled an eerily reminiscent sound of the creature he was searching for. This scavanger was no threat.
He chuckled slightly, turned back to see his combat tablet... several heartbeat monitors flashed red. He quickly peered through his scope. He could already see the chaos. Several marines strung up, workers running in random directions... any directions, just trying to get away. He searched frantically. He could see nothing. Nightfall. He stood before his superiors as they had screamed and roared at him. They had entrusted the lives of these men to him. It had been his idea to
continue operations as normal, to attract the predatory being. The had declared him incompetent for the job. They declared themselves foolish for thinking his tracking it here from several other worlds to be a good sign, if he was so good, why had he not yet succeeded in killing it?? They did not listen. They did not consider that he was the only one so far who had managed to survive this creatures attacks, let alone equal it. He was to be locked away, charged with the deaths
of these marines and he did not blame them. They were his responsibility and he had failed. Yet, he had made every attempt to warn them of the risks involved. He had told them exactly how dangerous this creature was, yet they had not taken the recommendations he had made. He sneered in frustration as they moved in to restrain him.
Sunrise. In his cell, he had only a small window to look out at nothing but golden sand for kilometeres and kilometres. This giant planet was so big the curvature was unnoticed by eye, the ground seemed to fade endlessly into the distance, like a perfectly flat blanket of dust. He did not even have the wavy dunes to admire from this angle. Nothing. He looked at his shirt hung up. The symbol was still there. The shocking discovery he had made when they stripped him of his thermal clothing, it had been there. It had found him. On top of that dune, it had cut with surgical precision a symbol into the clothes on his back. This symbol, this demoralizing symbol, this representation that it was better then him. That this was all a game. He was done. He just wanted to go home now. But he knew that was not going to happen any time soon. here was a new monster in front of him. The legal system. Even if he could point out the incompetence of his superiors and have the charges acquitted, it would be months, maybe even years before he could get back home. f**k IT. He should have been a miner like his twin brother Dallas. Memories flooded his mind of he and his brother. Jason and Dallas Arthur. Two fearless teenagers, most feared kids on the block. Mainly because of Jason and his short temper. Dallas was the smart one. Jason always knew Dallas would be a strong leader and wasn't surprised when Dallas became captain of a starship!
It was only years later after Jason had made a name for himself as a big game hunter that he had his own corporation funded private starship all for himself to trek to all kinds of wy installations and take care of wildlife problems.
Suddenly his attention snapped back to his presence in the cell. Not because of a noise, but the lack of it. There was absolutely no noise at all. He stood up and approached the cell door, to call the guards and ask what was going on. As he leaned against the cell door it groaned and swung open. Unlocked... He stepped out, looking back briefly at his shirt... he shuddered at the thought of the thing being so close to him... he ventured out shirtless. His seasoned body worn and battered yet sinewy, ripped and strong from years of combat. Suddenly he froze, corpses. Corpses everywhere. Dread washed over him. Marines. Strung up, gruesomely butchered. A fear tactic. He knew it. It wanted him. He had proven himself too great a foe for it to just ghost yesterday, too great a foe for it to just let go in the custody of these helpless men who had no idea what they had got themselves into. He took a deep breath and walked over to the nearest marine. He recognized who it was, this was the man guarding him all night. He had the keys to the cell... had. The keys were also for the armory. But the keys were gone.
He shuddered again. A chill going through his entire body. The creature had taken them, had unlocked his cell. And gone. He searched the floor, the weapons were all gone. He was alone, unarmed, half naked. No other option. He looked at the door leading outside. It was waiting for him out there. No doubt. He backed away. He walked over to the door to the armory. It was probably pointless... CRREEAKKK!!! The heavy door swung open, also unlocked! He stepped into the room... empty.
He slumped in frustration. How the hell had this thing stripped out the entire building and taken everyone out without him hearing a thing?!? Then sighed in frustration. This thing was a goddamn master of stealth, yet with the strength and speed no man could match. He entered the armory, searching frantically for anything to defend himself with. He found a light armor vest, he threw it on and clipped it in place, a start... he needed weapons, a plan, anything! He searched some more... found something useful... in a bottom locker was a bandolier of special grenades. He grabbed at these precious items when suddenly the door to the armory slammed shut. Jason whirled around, startled. He was so shocked he dropped the grenades... and here it was, clear as day. A stong wave of anxiety washed over him as he desparately tried
to think of a plan but he could not. There it f**king was! In the doorway. Bigger then the door. It walked towards him casually. As it drew closer it's imposing build seeming to increasingly tower over him. Easily a foot and a half taller then his 6'2 frame. The humanoid hunter casually removed it's utility belt and discarded it. Jason recognized some of the items on it, some of them he did not. It continued to remove it's body armor. Then it's mask, slowly removing it from it's face, and casually tossing it over it's shoulder. Jason was not prepared for the sight he saw. It' face was severely scarred. The bullet hole where he had plugged it's lower jaw from side on could be seen. What appeared to be mandibles, one of
them blown off by the bullet wound, burn marks up the side of it's face, claw marks on it's crown. These scars were nothing compared to the scars all over it's exposed body riddled with bullet wounds, deep cuts, burns...
Jason knew what it was about to do, and he knew he had no hope. They were about to fight and there was nothing he could do about it. The door had been pulled shut, locked, no way of opening it. No doubt this creature could, but with everyone most likely being dead... even if he killed this creature he was probably locked in this room like some prison until he starved to death... The predator was almost on top of him now. Searching around frantically, no options. He stumbled backwards as it approached, tossing chairs, lockers, tables... anything in between he and it. The predator palmed away these objects effortlessly, like a calm slow unstoppable bulldozer barging it's way towards him. He stumbled over the security desk behind him. Careening onto the floor. Looking up he could see under the desk... a handgun! Bolted to the underside of the desk. He grabbed it and stood up, pointing with an outstretched arm, the predator is right there! On top of the desk, in a menacing crouched position, both arms outstretched to the sides, snarling menacingly. Jason pulled the trigger, right as the predator grabbed his wrist. The bullet skimmed past the predator as it threw Jason with one arm, grabbing the handgun with the same hand and ripping it away.
Jason landed harshly, skidding across the floor. Looking back, the predator once again marched him down, easily snapping the handgun in two within the fingers of one scaly hand. Jason got up. There was no option left. He balled his hands into fists and clamped his jaws shut, but he knew nothing could prepare him for the pain that was coming.. it threw the first strike, incredibly fast. Jason ducked under and landed a beautiful right uppercut, left hook and moved away. It felt like a tyre. The predator reacted like it hadn't even been touched. It walked forwards and threw another strike. Fast but not disguised. Jason recognized it easily. In his years of fighting experience he knew how to read an opponent. He might just do this! He thought. He had the skills, this thing was fast, and strong, but he could see it coming... then it happened. Like a flash the predator had grabbed him by the neck in it's deathly grip like nothing he had felt, it's arm had shot out with speed he had never seen. It raised him with one fully outstretched arm... incredible strength, he dangled helplessly, clutching at the scaly arm.
With one massive effort, it booted him in the chest, sending Jason flying across the room. He landed violently against some lockers and tumbled to the floor, but the impact of the landing was nothing compared to the kick itself. His body, although hardened from years of conditioning was not ready for such a physical blow. He crumpled to a heap on the ground, barely able to move from the pain. He watched helplessly as the predator approached... paralyzed with pain, he felt himself hoisted up into the air and throw effortlessly against another wall. His entire body crippled from the blow. He barely managed a gulp of air when he could feel his ankle grabbed, and he is suddenly swung around. The world spinning around him as he is slammed through the furniture strewn across the floor, like some demented game of bowling.
The predator chuckles as it approaches him. Jason finally feels something other then blinding pain... he looks around, desparately and sees... the grenades! He tries to make for them, pulling himself hand over hand towards him, when he is suddenly picked up. The predator, holding him by the vest with both taloned hands, holds Jason close, so they are face to face... Jason can see... this thing is smiling! He can tell. It's enjoying every second of this merciless beating. Suddenly
Jason's anger flared. His biggest problem, his greatest strength. His anger. He felt the wave of adrenaline surge through him, his fists clench, his muscles flex. The predator throws him. This time he is ready. With catlike reflexes not even he was aware he had, he manages to catch his fall, and although not yet able to move his body properly, he charges forwards, dragging himself across the floor. The predator stalking him now. It's had enough. It extends it's wristblades. Preparing for final blow to draw to an end their lengthy game of cat and mouse that spanned many years, many planets, and many hunts.
Jason reaches the grenades, his body slumped over them. The predator reaches him. It turns him over. It wants to look into his eyes when it thrusts it's blades deep into his chest... There they are. The grenades. Lying between Jason and the predator. Pins removed... Jason clenches his eyes shut as he anticipates what happens next.. the predator hesitates, curious about these things in it's prey's hands, when suddenly they go off... a blinding white light and wave of heat penetrates the predator's vision harshly... the heat blinding it. These flare grenades do not explode, but emit an intense light and heat, used for quickly illuminating environments at night. Jason's hands protected by the bandolier, he discards them as the predator roars in fury, holding it's hands to it's face in rage. Jason tries to move away, desparately looking for something to use to capitalize on the predator when it suddenly whirls around and snarls at him. He freezes. It grunts, fuming with rage. It wipes it's face, roars again, and swipes at air... Jason gazes... then it hits him... It's blind! He grins a bloody grin.. Finally he has the upper hand.
He moves away quietly... looking through the debris for anything. He glances back. The predator is still roaring. Jason knows there is something in the room he can use... He makes for it, careful not to make any noise. He limps forwards, holding his battered body with his good arm, his other arm dangling by his side, badly damaged. He grimaces from the pain as he hobbles. He dares to shoot a quick glance at the predator... it's gone. He freezes. Where the f**k?!? It's nowhere to be seen. He slowly turns searching the room. He cannot find it. But he knows it's here. Blended with the shadows. He searches the floor finds what he's looking for... only a few feet away, the predator utility belt! He goes for it! He charges the last few feet, when suddenly the predator explodes from the side in a wrath of fury, uncloaking as it charges, barging Jason to the floor, but not before he grabs the utility belt, and the precious contents within...
The predator knows where he is now, despite it's blindness. It lunges at him, wristblades raised high... it's not playing games now. IT thrusts down and impales Jason with lethality. Jason's eyes bulge wide at the impact. But his goal is secure. It thrust through it's own utility belt and ruptured the canister of blue liquid.... the liquid that melts anything... it sprays out all over the predator which roars in pain and wild fury, as it's face is melted away, it's chest, it's arms everything. It collapses to it's knees, screaching in fury until it finally slumps over, it's flinching pain fading wiht it's cries of death.
Jason sits up, his body armor took the brunt of the glow from the wristblades, yet they still made it through. He groans and staggers to his feet, looks at the fallen predator, almost completely disolved now. A distant thumping can be heard... banging.... getting louder. In a daze, jason looks over to see the armory door buckling on it's hinges. He frowns. Were there two? He doesn't know. He takes a step backwards away from the door when it suddenly busts open, and there stand the workers... unarmed civilians, survivors, people not worthy of hunting. Jason laughs manically and succums to his injuries, collapsing to the floor.
