Something was lying on him when he woke up, something heavy. He pushed it away, trying to, it was so heavy and his arm hurt like hell. With a grunt, he managed to get up on his hands, the box sliding off to the side. The ship´s light wasn´t working properly anymore, flickering wildly and hurting his eyes. There was stuff lying around everywhere, but the console looked more or less whole. No holes in the wall. Maybe it wasn´t all that bad.
He slowly got up, pain shooting through his right ankle when he tried to put weight on it. It didn´t feel broken, probably sprained. Still, he couldn´t tell the damage and he shouldn´t push it. Maybe he had to stay for a while after all. He hobbled over to the console, it was tricky getting by the clutter. His arm was fine, just a deep cut, it hurt but he could ignore it. Some ribs broken, breathing was painful, his head was throbbing. He felt just like the ship, a giant mess.
The console was fine, but it was powerless. No matter what button he pressed, it just showed him a low energy warning and that something with the reactor wasn´t right… Taking a deep breath, he tried to think. It probably hadn´t been such a great idea to fly away spontaneously, but since Kakarott was out there, he had no need to stay on the damn planet. Somehow he hadn´t thought about the fact that there was no one who would take care of his flights, who would check his equipment, who he could contact. He could try, but since Freeza was dead and he had no idea in what state the rest of the galaxy was now, he didn´t want to try his luck. Everyone would´ve taken a shot at killing Freeza if the opportunity presented itself, being one of Freeza´s favourite fighters though was quite something else. It was better he fixed this without help from someone else. Not that he knew if the communications system still worked.
He sighed, sliding down the console and trying to ignore the stabbing pain. It didn´t feel too bad though, no internal injuries, not from some falling debris. That would be ridiculous, to die like that. He didn´t even notice when he slid back into unconsciousness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The headache was worse when he woke up again, skin wet and clammy with sweat. He must´ve fallen on his side, his cheek felt the cold, dirty floor. He had to stay awake, he had to find out where he was. Blinking a few times in an attempt to focus, he pushed himself up again, just like before, how long ago that might´ve been? It was a good thing the Earthlings just left everything as it was, building around it and adding their own hardware. Probably couldn´t figure out what it was good for, but the ship had been functional before, they stayed safe leaving everything in place. The star maps where still there. And it was a removable piece, no need for the dying energy.
“You are on planet HI074, called ‘Brightstar’. Three star system in sector 23W. Planet not inhabited, 1.5g, low oxygen, low water. Pressure 1.8 atmosphere, temperature 71 degrees medium. Survival possible, recommended visit should not extend 3 to 5 days.”
“Awesome…” Vegeta let the little piece of plastic slide out of his hand, falling down on the rest of the crap on the floor. No wonder his head was killing him, Earth had had way too much oxygen, he probably had started getting used to it. And the higher gravity explained why he felt so exhausted, it was so long ago that he actually spent time in Vegeta-sei gravity and Earth had made him weak… No need to wallow in self pity. Hobbling again through the crap on the floor, trying not to hit his foot against anything and failing badly, he eventually reached the airlock. It opened from the inside, the outside hatch was dented and didn´t move willingly. If he just kicked it out he would never get away. Rolling his eyes, he got to work, slowly pushing it to the side .
Every twitch made his ribs hurt, his arm pulsated around the cut and some blood started dripping down again. He hated the fucking planet. He HATED IT!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There was sand everywhere. Green-yellow sand, looked like crystalline vomit and it had made the door stuck, getting into every little hole, every little scratch… He thought it would be brighter, ‘Brightstar’ right, with the three suns, but it was too windy. Too much sand and dust in the air and the dust was definitely bad. He started coughing the moment his boots touched the ground, trying to cover his nose with his arm, the coughs hurt like a bitch, but it just made the dust easily get into his wound, burning like a bitch. He had no idea what that dust was made of, but it was definitely something he didn´t want to be exposed to too much. Stumbling backwards, he staggered back through the airlock.
He couldn´t get a look at the engine like that. He needed to go out, he… with a sigh, he started rummaging through all the luggage. He hadn´t packed anything, he could just hope that there was something he could use.
Two hours later he had found some protective glasses, probably for welding, and some spare clothes he could wrap around his face and ears and his wound. He considered making a bandage for his ankle, but he didn´t want to run around on the hot sand on his bare foot and his boot was tight on its own. It had to be enough.
Outside again he noticed that the wind had gotten stronger, the air hotter. Just what he needed. Shielding his face with his arm, he walked a few steps away from the ship, trying to figure out how it landed and where he had to look for the motor. It was insane, he could hardly breathe, the air was so hot and dry and the dust settled everywhere in seconds. But he couldn´t stay. There was nothing here, the air would get into the ship and suffocate him, so he just had to suck it up.
He had fought in worse conditions. Though he tried to push the thought away that he had never been completely on his own.
The ship had landed more or less on its legs, most of them buried under the sand, probably broken. He slowly walked around it, no real damage, just some black burn marks and dents and… the door to the motor was slightly open. He flew up a bit, shoving the door to the side, the screeching sound making it clear that the sand had claimed another mechanism. Everything was dusty inside, a million lights blinking, lots of red warning signs. He should clean it up, maybe that would help, but first he had to seal it against the fucking sand!
Back inside he peeled out of his clothes, sand in every little crevice, the wound on his arm sticky and painful with it, already starting to ooze out pus. A space suit would help. Couldn´t quite remember when he wore one the last time, but there was no way he could go out like this again.
He spent the rest of the day trying to organize what he found. He couldn´t read the Earth labels which didn´t make it any more easier. In the end he found some canvas and epoxy adhesive. Should work for the motor. Maybe it was enough to get through the atmosphere, he couldn´t imagine the motor would stand the departure without a door. Some fresh clothes, for inside, he needed something clean. And the shower was still working. Awful waste of water, but he didn´t care. At least he had to get his arm clean. There was no spacesuit though.
The next morning, he guessed it was, the time when he woke up he felt like dying. Breathing became even more painful, his lungs rattling with every shallow breath, his throat thick and swollen. His eyes were hurting and watering, but worst of all was his arm. The ends of the cut were swollen, yellow pus was oozing out of it when he poked it lightly. Fucking dust. There was no way he could go out like that, it would only get worse.
Vegeta remembered having seen some pills he had put aside, not sure what they were for. Hobbling over to the plastic container, he decided it didn´t matter and took one of each. If it didn´t help, it wouldn´t get much worse either. He eyed one of the round windows, the storm seemed to be even stronger, howling and scratching on the ship. He felt the slight vibration, maybe it would pick up even more and roll the ship around. He shrugged slightly, nothing he could do about it. There was a futon somewhere, he was sick of lying on the floor. It took him some effort to tie it between the console and the command chair, his arm was hurting horribly and he could barely move it without it feeling like it would be ripped from his shoulder. At least the ankle felt somewhat better.
He should just eat something and sleep. The dust couldn´t get in and it´s not as if he was in a hurry. Just … sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Two days passed in a blur, every time he woke up he felt disoriented and weak, barely able to get up to go to the toilet, eat something, he just wanted to lie down and sleep, he was so tired. So exhausted. Maybe he just dreamt it, the crash, the sand, he was hallucinating, it all seemed so unreal. But the blinking lights were not, the red alarm beeping all the time, relentlessly, reminding him that he had to get away. He couldn´t be defeated by a planet full of dirt!
If Radditz could see him now. He would just laugh, always pointing out that Vegeta was too full of himself and now it would actually save him, being too stubborn to just lie down and die. It would be so easy, the wound on his arm already swollen so thick that he couldn´t get his jumpsuit back on. Easy wasn´t good enough. Easy was for mediocre people, not for him.
Grunting with the effort he managed to get up, wrapping himself up as good as possible, the goggles still dusty from the last time. How long had it been? The storm hadn´t stopped for a second, he barely heard the scratching sound anymore, as used to it as to the flickering overhead lights.
When he opened the inner airlock, the sand had already piled up to his knees. He should´ve closed the hatch properly, now… now it took him almost too much effort to even stomp through it and wedge the outer door open again. His breathing was so ragged, he thought his lungs would explode and bloody snot was running freely from his nose. It was disgusting. Even more reason not to stop, no one should find his body mangled like that. With a final shove, he got the door open wide enough to press himself through. The wind was blowing insanely strong, almost sweeping him off his feet the moment it got hold of him. He screamed, digging his heels into the sand. No way, not now!
Epoxy adhesive sealed quickly, but the canvas was tricky to hold in place. Just focus, just … focus…
What would he give to have that noisy engineer with him. He could´ve used her as a shield, maybe, sure thing she was faster than he was at repairing stuff. Probably would´ve died during the entry, with the high gravity, but the thought was nice. She was tiny and fragile, she would´ve fit nicely into the engine, wiping it clean, making it all new and shiny and working again, while he could rest and heal. He felt the sand slowly peeling the skin from his head, not sure if blood was running down his face or if his irritated eyes watered again. It helped, though, thinking how she would stand in his spot, all protective gear, strong against the storm, fearless, like on Namek. What a weird Earthling.
How he missed tech support. He never wanted to take care of a ship ever again!
When the last bit was taped into place, he almost cried out of relief. He just wanted to sit down and lie there, content in knowing that everything was good now and that he would be fine. The immense pain from his raw head brought him back to reality. Grunting, he pushed himself away from the wall, trying to keep the rest of the canvas together and made his way slowly over to the opening on the engine room. At least he left the door open. It was a mess inside, but he didn’t care. A little jump to get in, almost kicked him over. Hadn´t anticipated the force of the wind when he jumped. Cursing to himself he tried not to scream when he hit a cable with his arm, the infected one. There was not much sense trying to shovel the sand out as long as the door was open, so he started to tape the rest of the canvas over it. It was so much easier from the inside.
Some hours later he managed to swipe the sand together and started wiping the machinery clean. It was tedious work, he barely saw any progress and he was so tired… He was safe now, inside, he should just… crawling through the tight space, he managed to shed off all the protective layers, useless crap, and collapse on the futon. Sleep sounded good. So so good.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The blinking of the lights became his clock, blinking so rapidly it became a blur in front of his eyes. Or maybe it wasn´t all that fast and he just couldn´t see anymore, his eyes swollen and teary. He couldn´t remember when he laid down, a week ago, a month? Shouldn´t he be better by now? He tried to get up, tried to swallow some water, so thirsty, it hurt so much. His throat was raw and thick, his lungs burning.
He would die here. Here on Brightstar, it sounded so cheery. He grinned, the corners of his mouth open and bleeding. That was nice. Awkwardly he tried to wipe the sweat from his forehead, it had become so hot in the room. His arm was blue and black and thick, he didn´t even want to look at it, but his ankle was fine. He could walk.
With some effort he managed to get on his feet. The ship had started rocking back and forth, the wind probably picked up. It was tricky getting to the toilet, more tricky getting the glasses on with one arm, he almost cried when he tried to use them both to get his mouth covered. Didn´t bother to put something on the wound, if he really should survive this he doubted he could save the arm. If he felt somewhat better he would´ve ripped it off already. Shrugging slightly with one shoulder, he opened the door to the engine room. Wiping wasn´t easy with one arm and it didn´t take long for him to end up with snot running fast over his face and his throat swelling up badly that he just stopped. He lay down and stopped. It was futile anyway.
“You always thought everything should be handed to you, don´t you?”
He looked up, trying to figure out who was speaking. His head was hurting and it was so hot…
“No way you should put some effort into something!”
He laughed, loud, too loud. He knew the voice.
“It´s just wiping, Vegeta. Or is it below you, my Prince?”
He bowed down to his level. Radditz. He hadn´t seen him in a while.
“I could help you.”
Yes. Yes please, he really needed to get away from this planet!
“But you let me DIE!”
He jerked away, hitting his head hard on the console behind him. Radditz was gone, he had just arrived and he was gone… he was good for nothing after all. Dragging himself along he crawled back to his futon. He didn´t even close the door. What difference did it make? He was as good as dead anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Vegeta. Vegeta. VEGETA!”
He opened his eyes, as wide as he could, someone had called him. Someone… he saw Nappa standing at the end of the room, in front of the open door. He looked fine. Why wasn´t he sick?
“Don´t you have something to do? You never wanted the boring work. It was beneath you.”
Nappa kicked a pile of sand, it didn´t budge. “Nasty stuff. You look like shit. You wanna die here? I´m not around rescuing you anymore. And you…” He came nearer, looking cheerful. “Are responsible for it.” He grinned. When Vegeta blinked, he was gone.
Maybe… maybe he should go back. Eventually he had to finish wiping everything, getting rid of every bit of dust, and if he had to inhale it… just make it off the planet, he would be safe then, safe…
“You´re so weak. Pathetic. I always liked that about you, the way you thought you were in control…”
Vegeta didn´t want to look. He crawled over to the engine, dragging his injured arm behind him. The puss had started leaking again.
“You really thought one day you could be strong enough… for me. You weren´t even strong enough to take my place when it was handed to you!”
He didn´t cry, his eyes were watering in pain, no way. He just grabbed the rag where he had left it on the floor, wiping the nearest tube.
“It´s your own fault, it always was, you will never be good enough!”
He saw the white tail wiping over the floor, the sand perfectly still. The voice pounded in his head, he just wanted him to go away!
“He´s right, Vegeta. Kakarott would´ve already be gone.” Radditz was behind him again. Had just hidden that bastard.
“Kakarott is a super saiyan. You will never be as good as him!” And Nappa. He started wiping faster.
“He killed us all when you were just lying in the dust!”
His throat clenched up, he felt himself hyper ventilating. “Why don´t you just kill me then? If I´m that weak, why don´t you just do it? DO IT!”
Freeza bent down, holding his hand out. “Why though? You´re doing it yourself just fine.”
Vegeta stared at him, eyes wide in shock and fear. He was right. It was all his fault. He would never get away. And he didn´t deserve any better for being so…
“Hey there Vegeta. What are you doing? You look so bad. Still cute.”
He looked to his left, the voice… it was the engineer. She had safety goggles on, but besides that no protective gear at all. How was she still fine?
“Do you have a fever? You´re burning up!”
He wiped over his forehead, sticky with sweat and dust. Maybe. He didn´t know.
“What… what do you want?”
She smiled, nice and calm. “I don´t know, I just wanted to look at this.” She blew some loose strand of hair from her face. “Quite a mess. Good thing I left that epoxy adhesive in the ship. That was brilliant of you, you know?”
He didn´t. But he was glad.
“I think… I can´t really help you.”
Why not? It was her ship! She knew what he had to do to fix it!
“But Vegeta… you are doing great.” She looked up, at Freeza and he started crumbling like sand. More sand. “You will be fine. Sometimes, you just need to look properly.” She smiled and Radditz and Nappa blew away. “See you soon, darling.”
She was gone. He closed his eyes, taking some shaky breaths. It was good to know that at least some Earthling believed in him. When he opened them again, he noticed that one of the vents she had been standing in front of was slightly off. Pushing himself on his feet again he walked over to it, three agonizing steps. He pushed it back in and after a few seconds all the emergency lights stopped blinking. He smiled, wide and happy and collapsed on the floor.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When he woke up he was covered in a thin sheet of dust. He coughed, spitting out blood and bits, his lung probably. It didn´t matter. He had to get up, he had to get the ship started! The engineer had saved him and he couldn´t die now, he couldn´t let it be in vain. Maybe he would be fine. Maybe he would get out of this hellhole and heal again and then he would go back to Earth and fucking make sure that he saved the damn engineer´s life. He owed her that. He owed her that with every painful step he made.
The ship… had stopped shaking. The loud scratching of the sand… maybe she fixed that as well. Maybe she fixed the planet. He dragged himself upright on the console, pressing the button to remove the blinds from the window. There it was, perfectly still, horribly bright world. Calm. He squinted, something was moving on the horizon. He looked more closely, it was some kind of an animal. So there was something living in this place after all. He felt content, having met a Brightstarian. Same moment the creature lifted its leg and pissed on the sand.
With a sneer Vegeta looked away. Fuck this planet. Fuck everything on it. He would get away now.
Vegeta pressed the start button and the ship was swaying, moving slightly before the engine kicked in with full power. It was better to lie down again. The ship started shaking violently, he hoped the canvas outside would survive the exit through the atmosphere. He hadn´t closed the door to the engine room, stupid, so stupid... He lost consciousness before it was over.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hey Jen-So, the radar picked something up! Looks like a weird ship.”
Jen-So walked over to the main control panel, curious. “Yeah, but where does it come from? It´s a mess.”
Num-Gi-Te shrugged. “You think it´s from Brightstar? Get caught in one of those sandstorms…”
Jen-So raised on of her scaly eyebrows. “Who would want to go down there? But look, the engine´s broken. We should pick it up, it´s not far from home, maybe it got some spare parts.”
“Should get it clean first, that damn sand is toxic…”
“Num-Gi-Te, for fuck´s sake, no way it was on Brightstar! You can get down, but you can´t get up again!”
“I don´t know. Oh, hey, there´s a life sign!”
“What? Then move it, we need to help!”
Fin
