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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Flash Fiction--WEP: Footprints


It's that time, a little early this month because of the holidays. I put off writing my story to the last minute, hoping for inspiration. You get to decide if I got it :)

WEP/IWSG challenges are open to all.
On the 1st of the challenge month, there will be a get-your-thinking-caps on post. The badge will include the dates of the challenge and the winner’s prize.
Going forward, the InLinkz sign up will open on the third Wednesday and close 3 days later. Participants link up with the DLs.
Team members collate a SHORTLIST and Nick Wilford judges WINNER, RUNNER UP and ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD.
The BEST COMMENTER AWARD will continue, shared by different people, so keep on reading wonderful people!

And look who won the Commenter Award this time!
https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/


Xavier Xanthum may deserve a little explanation. I invented him years ago for an X post in the A to Z blogging challenge, and kind of fell in love with my absurd space explorer. He's a bit of a dweeb, a bit of a nerd, and a loner who isn't always sure if that's by choice or necessity. His best friend is his ship's AI.

Xavier Xanthum, Space Explorer: Footprints

Footprints: A Xavier Xanthum Adventure

Xavier Xanthum  studied the ground beneath the Wanderlust with a scowl, and grunted.

“What is troubling you, Captain?” Larry asked. The AI materialized his floating eyeballs so they could peer into the vidscreen along with the space explorer.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Xavier said. “You aren’t fooling anyone. I know you do your seeing with the hull-mount cameras.”

“Does it not give you comfort to know that I am also studying the situation?”

“No.” Xavier tore his gaze from the screen long enough to glance at his semi-real companion. “Yes. I’m glad you’re looking. I don’t need the eyeballs to know that. Anyway, this isn’t that kind of situation. I just was hoping for something more… interesting.”

Larry directed his eyeballs back to the screen, and appeared to consider the view of the land beneath them. “It may be lacking variety,” he pointed out, “but it looks… safe.”

Xavier sighed. “It does. Safe, and boring, and not likely to be profitable. Still, we’re here, so I suppose I should go down and investigate. Any signs of life?” He waited patiently while Larry did a complete scan of both the records and all his instruments.

“No life reported above single-cell organisms. Nothing on my sensors. The planet has been visited by three previous explorers, none of whom found anything of worth. Why have we come here?”

“I was going to ask you that. Three previous explorers?” They argued for a few minutes over who was responsible for wasting their time with such a planet.

Larry ended the argument. “I need a few hours in the upper atmosphere to recharge certain systems. You may as well go down. It looks like a nice beach.”

Still grumbling and griping, Xavier prepared himself for the descent to the planet.

“Take your swim trunks,” Larry advised. “The atmosphere and water check out as healthy for humans.”

“It’s uninhabited. Why would I need swim trunks?”

#

An hour or two later, Xavier climbed out of the landing pod and stretched. The air felt flat, with no plants or animals to create smells. The land was an endless expanse of dark sand, eroded from the distant volcanic mounds, heaped into low dunes along the shore as far as he could see. It was pretty, in a bleak sort of way.

Xavier touched his radio. “I’m going for a swim, then taking a look around. You can track me while I’m swimming.”

The space pilot skinned out of his flight jumper and shoes, and headed for the water. The sand was hot, so he ran a little. The water was the perfect temperature, and he began to think the planet ought to be worth developing as a resort.

Tired of swimming, he decided to walk along the beach a ways, to see if he could spot any landscape features more interesting than the volcanoes. He stayed on the damp edge of the beach to avoid the hot sand.

Xavier was perhaps a kilometer from his landing pod when he stopped, staring at the ground.

Footprints.

He looked behind him. His own prints led in a straight line back to the landing pod. These led up to the dunes. The prints were humanoid, and there were at least three of them. Xavier decided he was naked, rather than nude.

“Larry? Can you get me out of here?” He asked it before remembering that his comms connection was in his jumpsuit. He’d been too cheap to get it implanted. Well, there was nothing to panic over. He’d just turn around and head back…

Three women appeared over a small dune. Without plants or anything to provide perspective, he’d not known there were dunes high enough to hide a person, let alone a trio of them, and their ship? Why didn’t Larry know these women were here?

And why hadn’t he worn his swim trunks?

The women wore swim suits. There were three women in swimsuits walking towards him, and it had been ages since Xavier had taken shore leave anywhere with such creatures. For a moment he froze.

The one on the right, a blonde he was pretty sure was stunning, opened her mouth. To speak to him, or to scream at the sight of a naked man? Or to laugh?

Feeling inadequate as well as under-dressed, Xavier did the only thing he could.

He turned and ran for the water. It had been a while, but he was pretty sure he could swim a mile back to his pod.

For the first hundred meters, the swim felt great. Xavier paused after a while to check that he was getting away. Three heads plowed through the water, three sets of arms flashing in the sunlight. Xavier thought he was a good swimmer, but they were better. How long had they been on this planet, practicing, lying in wait for an unsuspecting space explorer?

For a moment he hesitated. Maybe they were marooned and needed help? Maybe he should stop and talk?

Why weren’t they calling to him, then? If they needed help, they’d be shouting at him about it.

Those three sleek bodies, carving through the water towards him… Xavier panicked again.

He swam for the shore and surfed up onto the beach. Staggering out of the water, he broke into a run.

His pursuers caught him a dozen yards from the pod.

#

If Xavier suffered a fate worse than death, he didn’t seem to mind. A long time later, he entered the pod, not seeming to notice that the beach was now empty of all but himself.

“Larry, you knew those women were down there. Why didn’t you warn me?”

The AI sounded far more smug than a machine should. “I did suggest you wear your swim trunks.”

Xavier didn’t press the point. He was asleep.

Larry hummed a bit as he navigated the pod back to the Wanderlust, no end pleased with himself.

###

STATE YOUR FEEDBACK PREFERENCES

990 words; FCA


©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2019
As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

45 comments:

  1. Hi Rebecca. Thanks for posting. Nowadays you have to submit your name with DL after it to the list at WEP or no one will know you've posted. I've done it for you this time.

    Your story is very dense, so I'm going to return when I have time to digest it properly. I've had a quick read through.

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    1. Thanks--I was up and off early today and didn't remember to post (I tried to do it last night but couldn't).

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  2. Hahaha - love it. Xavier caught with his pants...off! Maybe it helps that I know him... quite well by now!

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  3. Yes, there are times when 'naked' better expresses the feeling rather than 'nude'! :-)

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  4. Xavier is a fun character. I can see why he wouldn't want to bother with swim trunks while on a planet he thought was completely uninhabited. I also laughed when the AI said "I did suggest you wear your swim trunks." That AI certainly makes for an interesting and fun companion.

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  5. That was fun!!! Larry and Xavier make a good team! :)

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  6. Hi,
    Well now Xavier knows why Larry told him to wear his swim trunks. Maybe, he'll go back there again.
    Have a Merry Christmas and a happy crossover into 2020.

    Shalom aleichem,,
    Pat G

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    1. Happy all the holidays to you, too, Pat! Maybe Xavier will learn to listen to Larry. Maybe.

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  7. Rebecca this was a fun read and so well written. First off, love his name. Second, love his character which is a bit goofy. Sounds like in the end he was quite pleased his pursuers caught him.

    Love the floating eyeballs.

    Thanks for creating a great tale for FOOTPRINTS and for being part of WEP this year.

    Congratulations on being in the new IWSG anthology.

    Happy holidays!

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    1. Thanks, Denise! I have so much fun with Xavier, because his stories were never meant to be anything but goofy :D

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  8. Huge smiles. And thanks.
    Nude or naked swimming is the best. Swimming costumes attract (and hold) sand. I suspect that after they caught him the trunks would have been in the way. I liked the smart arse AI too. Larry the larrikin.

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  9. Oh-oh. And three of them, no less. I hope he was up to the task.
    Congrats on your anthology story, Rebecca.

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    1. I do worry about that. Xavier is such a loner! I'm not sure how much practice he's had :D

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  10. Too funny, loved it! What a great place to go exploring for a lone man. Loved the personality of Larry. Great read, perfect for the prompt!

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  11. Well, that will teach Mr. X to ignore AI, who is, of course, a know it all. Thanks for the funny futuristic piece.

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  12. Looks like he didn't mind being caught without his trunks after all. And not one, not two, but three - an embarrassment of riches! Hope he was upto the job. :D

    A great fun flash, much enjoyed reading. I liked the dynamics between Larry and Xavier especially.

    Seasons greetings to you and congratulations for making it to the IWSG antho!

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    1. Thank you, on all counts :). I love writing XX stories--he's such a wonderful hapless hero.

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  13. I am supposing the three women were space sirens. Perhaps Larry knows best what his corporeal chum needs.

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    1. I'm not 100% sure if they were sirens or something Larry cooked up for Xavier :)

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  14. I love your characters, their personalities come through. What a fun story!

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  15. Hi Rebecca - this was such fun ... and of course - what happens next ... babies on the planet? A new earth being born ... loved the read ... a great escape tale - fun ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Oooh... you raise some interesting possibilities there. A dying planet desperately seeking new genetic material?

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  16. A fantastic tale of escapism and adventure. Well, done Rebecca.

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  17. That was hysterical! That single line, when he notices the footprints... I actually gasped. And three stunning women? Him swimming naked? Arguing with an AI and the AI getting back at him? I loved it!

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  18. A to Z leads to some interesting names, Rebecca - and Xavier Xanthum must top the list. Anyway, amusing adventure - with or without swim trunks. That AI has a wicked sense of humour - as do you. Why presume the other explorers left such a beautuful spot/resort? Clever and entertaining.

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  19. His pursuers caught him a dozen yards from the pond.
    #
    LOL It reminds me of how in Mama Mia dot dot dot was used to infer Donna had sex. Yeah, and I think AI knew Xavier needed some fun time. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Writing Year!

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  20. Hello Rebecca. Thank you for your entertaining story. So 3 women swimming after a man without shouting or talking and doing ... whatever they did ... is a man’s worst nightmare . Interesting. Very glad to meet Xavier. I liked the lead-up with Al/Larry. However, a bit bothered that the planet resembled Earth so much. I expected the water to burn or something, and the atmosphere to be pure hydrogen. Fun pace and twist/joke as a conclusion.
    Merry Christmas writing and looking forward to reading you again in 2020.

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    1. Xavier has landed on some planets that were less accommodating. I'm dubious about the science of a bare planet with water and breathable air, since I'm pretty sure you need plants for air. But this is goofy SF, so I get to bend the rules :D

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  21. A nice humorous entry - he sounds quite a character.

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  22. This was hilarious. I'm quite awed by people who write humour and I thoroughly enjoy reading it too. The conclusion was superb!

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    1. Thank you! I sometimes claim that I have an "inconvenient sense of humor" because I see the funny side of just about everything :D

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  23. That was fun and unexpected. Larry seems to be the perfect AI, with a great sense of humor.

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    1. I do wonder about the implications of an AI with a sense of humor.

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