Read AUDITORIUM :: Slavic Quest

Planet Murdor was mostly a forest planet. Vibrant leaves and flowers bloom across the vast sea of trees. On that planet were the Murdorian People, Hunters of berries and Uner fruits. The people lived comfortably until one day an enriched dictator named Lazu attacked the people. He slaughtered most of the Murdorians but kept so few as slaves, and among those slaves is our hero, Lexi. She was a bright girl passionate about swimming, but now that dream has faded. Lazu and his army leave and take the slaves to his base, Planet Zen, a planet once filled with red mountains and vast creatures, but now a metal garbage wasteland. The prisoners were put to work, wielding, stocking, docking, and other unpaid duties. During so, Lexi made a friend, her name was Gibit, and she was a Qualindite. She and Lexi became quite close because of their predicament. Lexi now sees her life as a slave hidden away from the lights of Mudor, but at least she knows she's not alone.

14 Murdor years later, Lexi is a young woman now but has attained a vast amount of skills over the years. She and Gibit have studied, stolen, and sacked as much stuff and knowledge as they can. Why? Because the girls were making something remarkable, a Hyperjet. It's not easy to build one you know. It takes many years of skilled labor and intensive knowledge to craft such a device, luckily, Lexi and Gibit had both. Lexi and Gibit put the finishing touches on the Hyperjet and got back to work before they were discovered.

"Do you believe that we will make it out of here?" said Gibit.

Lexi turned with a smile. "I know we can; I trust that we will find a planet we can live on."

Lexi and Gibit went about their daily routine, then it was time. The girls hop into the Hyperjet and power it up. It begins to shake, then... crash. It drops down hard on the metal floor. The sound was loud enough for the guards to search for the source. The girls hide as the guards enter the garage. A tall guard comes forward.

"Hmm, someone is trying to escape. Dust off the jet, find the one who did this, and when you do, kill them," the large guard said.

The girls are now hunted, they have nowhere to run or hide for long. The girls escape out of the Rivit Hallow, the large structure where they work, to the Turnet Garden, the warehouse for all metal needs. When the girls arrive, a few of the Murdorian slaves recognize Lexi.

"Lexi, by the stars it's been long", a Mudorian slave said.

"It has, but sadly, we can not stay for long", Lexi says, then a voice emerges over the intercom.

"ATTENTION METAL ZENARDS, TWO SLAVES HAVE TRIED TO ESCAPE IN A HANDCRAFTED HYPERJET. THE SUSPECTS ARE ON THE RUN. IF YOU SEE ANYONE SUSPICIOUS, REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY!"

Lexi grew cold and pale, and Gibit started shaking and biting her nails. The Murdorians realized that the girls were the suspects.

The Murdorians guide the girls to a scrap shoot, the girls jump in and slide down into the Arcic Lake. This lake isn't water, nor polluted water, but a lake made of rusty water and oil. The girls panic as they get out of the lake, cleaning themselves up. The girls travel to an airstrip. They see a bigger Hyperjet, but see a few guards in the way. They sneak up behind and knock them out. One guard walks in, and dives for the alarm. He hits it and the sirens go off. Lexi and Gibit scrambled up the ramp of the Hyperjet. Lexi took the controls, heart pounding. She had studied flight patterns for years, but never had she flown.

"We have to go now!" Gibit shouted, sealing the hatch behind them.

Lexi powered up the engines. The Hyperjet roared to life, but just as it began to lift off, a blast shook the ship violently. The control panel flickered as an explosion tore through one of the engines. Lazu’s soldiers had fired upon them.

"No, no, no!" Lexi gritted her teeth, trying to stabilize the craft.

Outside, dozens of soldiers rushed onto the airstrip, weapons raised. Lazu himself stepped forward, watching as the Hyperjet struggled.

Lexi turned to Gibit. "We can still make it. I can get us out of here!"

Gibit, gripping the edge of her seat, locked eyes with her. "Lexi, we have to jump—before they destroy the whole ship!"

Lexi hesitated. Escape was right there, but so was failure. She had spent 14 years building up to this moment. She couldn't just give up.

The ship groaned, alarms blaring, the smell of burning metal filling the cockpit. The soldiers opened fire again, and this time, the Hyperjet was done for.

Lexi made her choice. "Go, Gibit!" She grabbed her friend's arm and forced open the emergency hatch. They tumbled out, hitting the ground hard.

Gibit coughed, struggling to stand. "Lexi... what do we do now?"

Lexi looked up to see Lazu stepping toward them. His dark, glinting armor reflected the flames of their fallen ship.

"Did you think you could escape me?" he mused, almost amused. "I admire your spirit. But you were never meant to leave."

Guards surrounded them. Lexi clenched her fists, breathing heavily. All that time. All that effort. It was over.

Lazu smirked. "Take them away."

The soldiers grabbed them, dragging them back into the depths of Planet Zen. As Lexi was pulled through the metal corridors, past the same workshops where she had slaved away for years, she realized—her fate had never been freedom. It had always been this. No matter how hard she fought, she was never meant to escape.

And as the doors shut behind her, sealing her fate, she let out one final whisper.

"I almost made it."