The Largest Fangs He Had Ever Seen—Introducing Grassland’s Hyper Snake
The Recon Class StarScout roared into its descent, its reverse thrusters turning sharply as the ship approached the vast open plains of Grassland-08183. Dawn was just breaking as the debarkation ramp extended onto the planet's surface. Heavily evaporating morning dew mixed with the steam of the ship's cooling vents, creating a low swirling fog that scattered and wove in between the thicker brush.
The expedition crew moved quickly but cautiously down the ramp taking their first steps into the untamed grass that gave these worlds their name. As the team spread silently into formation, their visor HUDs were already scrolling new data in the upper right corner of their fields of vision. The winds around them hissed softly through the kilometers of rich, bluish-green vegetation in every direction. This was still classified as a hostile touchdown, but there was an assuring peace to the steady rhythm and sound of the swaying fields.
Captain Van Dien looked at his team standing in the knee-deep grasses, recalling for a moment the ancient tales of Gulliver arriving on the shores of an empire of tiny people called… now what were they called again?
A green light flashed in his HUD, interrupting his thoughts to indicate that the air quality was safe. At the front of the formation, Ensign Flores turned around and called out excitedly over the coms, “It's like we're giants standing in an ocean!”
The Captain smiled. Had the new kid read his thoughts? Then he heard the familiar click of a helmet being removed and his eyes darted up at Flores.
Flores’s hair rustled in the breeze. “I mean really, Cap! This is just like back home in Kan—”
His words were cut short as a long, green body darted at his face like a thunderbolt, knocking him down into the swards and out of sight. As combat reflexes kicked in, Van Dien fell onto his left knee and pounded his right fist into the ground. A dazzling flash of light erupted and a blue dome materialized around his team.
THUD! THUD-THUD!
Several more masses slammed into the energy field before slithering back into the brush. The Captain caught a glimpse of Flores’s spacesuit a few meters outside the blue wall, rising above the grass line like a capsizing ship before a large, scaly form coiled over the body and pulled it back under.
Van Dien stood up, intending to assess his team but his eyes locked on the figure rearing up at him from just beyond the bubble. For the first time in his career, he froze.
A pair of deadly, yellow eyes framed a mouth full of the largest fangs he had ever seen. Fresh blood dripped from them and down onto the ground below. A brightly colored, webbed hood unfurled around the serpent's head, twitching menacingly as it looked to the left and right. Captain Van Dien followed its gaze, already knowing what he’d see.
They were surrounded.
His crew looked to him feverishly for guidance, as his face twisted into a battle-hardened scowl. He punched his fist into the center of his chest plate. His armor began to hum and glow. The sound of five other suits powering up around him mixed with the shrill hisses of his enemies as he faced their leader and drew his battle saber. He hadn’t come this far to be taken down by a bunch of damn snakes.