The year 2081…

“Delta V looking good.” Came a deep voice from the front of the cockpit. An array of brightly lit panels and screens illuminated the otherwise metallically dark room, many windows scatted the walls looking out into the deep empty soul of space, and the reflection of a face in such a window would almost sent you mad if you stared at it for too long. Various lights blinked and the sounds of vibrations were heard throughout the metal work of the ship as the engines spooled up. Welcome aboard the ‘Phantom II’, a medium class FTL interstellar star ship. Destination: A small, Earth like planet in the star system Gliese 581.

“How are we on Colodium cells Dr. sharp?”

Colodium: A highly reactive plasma compound, it’s extremely rare on the Moon. It’s the whole point this little 22 light year expedition is taking place. By the kilo, it is the most reactive substance known to mankind, and orbiting this star, is a planet which is shown by instruments to have over 80% buried Colodium ore in its soil, but never explored by humankind, until now.

“Positive Delta V confirmed Captain, Colodium cells 3 & 5 are at 23%, and cells 1, 2 & 4 are at 5%”
An almost nerdy if it weren’t so cute female voice stated from behind the captains seat. 
Enter Anna Sharp.

Biometric Build Registry log number: 522091
Dr. Anna Gee Sharp
Height: 5ft 2In                   Weight: 110lbs                  Age: 27                 Eye/hair colour: Blue/Blonde      
Role: Ships data engineer and co-pilot.

“Basically, she is responsible for flying the ship, without flying the ship.” – Captain brook.

A beautiful young woman with pale-ish who looked way younger than her age dictated, flowing blonde hair that hugged her body followed her curves all the way down to her lower back with slight darker highlights here and there, huge blue eyes that spread happiness and that warm fuzzy feeling to whoever gets graced by her presence. Not too tall, not too short. Not a stick and not a cake guzzler. 
She is the perfect example of anthropological biometrics. 
Incredibly intelligent, the Captain often states ‘she should be the one flying this boat’, but often shy with a cute voice you would expect to hear from a young angel. 
Her chosen attire when in the recreational zones of the craft consisted mainly of a woolly jumper to cover up some kind of cutesy t-shirt, usually a pair of jeans hugging tightly to her legs and a pair of old converse trainers that she keeps even though the company went out of business years ago, and a small woolly white hat you would normally see a little child wearing.

Captain Donald Brook, a legend among legends. One of the first interstellar space pilots in the history of mankind, he had travelled to the far reaches of the galaxy and has the t shirt to prove it.
His battle scarred skin tells a story of many wars fought and won or sometimes lost on various different soils around the solar system and even galaxy. Short-ish greying hair stating his wisdom blooms from his head, he is very tall and big built but his fighting days are over, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Dark brown eyes that when you look in, you can tell he has seen some ‘shit’.
Known to many is the fact that he never wears anything other than a flight suit; it is unknown whether he wears the same one over and over or whether his wardrobe consists only of flight suits.

The other patrons on board this vessel include 24 year old Geologist Miss. Amy lee, a short and cute science student from England, and 26 year old Mission Specialist Michael ‘Mikey’ Smith, a pro when it comes to all things... space-y.

“So this is Gliese 581... what kind of a name is Fantaria anyway?” Mikey entered the flight deck where Brook and Sharp were staring out the port window at the passing planet, admiring its home like colours.

“It’s a twist on the word, ‘Fantasy world’. I guess the scientists back home think this new plasma compound is going to work fantasy like miracles for the energy crisis or something” Replied Sharp, walking over to Mikey.

“Launching Hack Probe’s 1 through 6 in t-minus one minute” Declared Brook from the Captains seat.
Hack probe stands for Habitability and Atmospheric Conditions Probe. 

“Probes Away!”

A release of energy was felt as the pistons gripping the probes in the bay were released. The probes floated about 25 meters away from the ship before engaging their retro styled chemical thrusters and plummeting into the planet below.

“Now we wait” Said Brook.

--~~__###@@HaAC Probe Three Data Uplink@@###__~~--

Uplink signal strength: 98.52%
Video feed: Active          Sound feed: Active
Beginning atmospheric composition and major compound analysation.
ACMCA 50%       ACMCA 100%     Sending Data to uplink one          Data marked as received
Beginning Video stream to uplink one    Video uplink marked as received.
End Transmission (011947)

“Would you look at that.” Said Brook in amazement as a fuzzy, low definition video slowly rendered on the monitor in front of him. He called the others over and they all shared the same reaction.

A computerized voice was heard above the sounds of engines whining and metalwork vibrating.
‘Orbit capture at 0:13AM, 25/12/2081. Congratulations Captain Brook, you are the first human to ever achieve orbit of any astronomical body in the star system, Gliese 581’.

“Merry Christmas guys and gals!” Captain Brook boomed at the top of his voice, waking up the entire ship’s crew.

-

“Elapsed mission Day 1792. We have achieved orbit around planet 58b, Fantaria. By time you get this message back home we will probably be on our way to you, but an updates an update so here it is.” Brook spoke into the microphone, recording his message to send back to earth.

“Guys you about ready to roll?” He yelled, alerting the crew they would be entering the atmosphere soon.

“Check!” Replied Anna.

“All systems go!” Yelled Amy.

“Yeah whatever cap’tn.” Grumbled a tired Mikey after being on night duty the previous night.

“Okay here we go!”.

The engines spooled and the metal shook, all of a sudden, the ship jerked forward violently as the engines began producing thrust. The ship tilted and dived towards the elegant blue marble below.

“Yee-haw!” screamed Brook.

-

‘Beep Beep: Main heat shield at 80% maximum pressure, adjust Angle of attack immediately!
82 percent.
85 percent.’

“I know what fucking pressure the shields at, and I don’t give a damn!” Brook yelled as he hit the alarm silencer button.

Anna and Amy were screaming and hugging for their lives, glued to their seats as Brook and Mikey tried to battle with the atmosphere to save their ship.

“If... we just... move that... to...” Mikey struggled.

‘A metallic clink was heard, as if a gear had been freed from a jam.’

“Aha! Got it Capt’n. Quick! Hit full reverse thrust and pitch up 10 degrees.” Mikey exhaled.

The ship began to vibrate less and less, but they weren’t clear yet.

‘Warning: Low fuel!”. “Warning: Low fuel!’

“You have got to be kidding me!” Screamed Mikey.

Just then the vibrations seem to disappear almost entirely, give or take a bit of turbulent shaking, and the smokey black and grey clouds around the ships windows cleared.

“We’re here.” Said an exhausted Brook.

Outside the windows was a beautiful grey blue sky, dotted with wisp’s of tiny white clouds, just like the ones on earth, the ground was completely full of vegetation, amazingly pure green plants and trees litters the fields for 100s of miles, the water of the lakes was completely see through and sparkled in the mid-day sun.

The crew just gawked in awe at the majestic planet-scape laid beneath them, but their attention was soon broke by an array of alarms whaling from the cockpit.

“Goddammit you piece of junk! Mikey, get on the controls, looks like were gliding this baby in.” Said Brook whilst Amy and Anna shared worried looks.

-

The ship was nose first buried in the dirt with its main gear collapsed and a wing clipped. Smoke billowed from its engines and dirt scratches lined its fuselage.
Suddenly a hatch blasted open and revealed a crew of four space suited persons behind it who began to traverse down the side of the ship.
Mikey produced a gun with a radar cone on the end which emitted a laser field that seem to penetrate every inch of the ship.

“A few bumps, but it’s repairable.” He sighed in relief.

“Alright guys I want two teams, Recon and Repair.”

“Recon: Amy and Anna, you look around here and see what the area is like, me and Mikey will repair the ship” ordered Brook.

“Roger!” complied the crew almost in perfect synchronisation.

About half a day had passed and it was beginning to get dark, the sun was setting in the north and the light refracted beautifully between the green foliage.

“That about does it.” exhaled Mikey in relief.

“Yep, she’s all patched up.” replied Brook.

Just then Anna and Amy returned looking worn out and dehydrated.

“Got all the info on the local area in these chips cap.” Chirped Anna with a sense of accomplishment.

“Good work girls. Go get something to eat, we’ll be up shortly.” Replied Brook.

-

“Hmm, there’s something odd encrypted in this data… it almost looks like… a Life form!?” A shocked Brook yelled.

“What!?” Gasped Mikey from the co-pilot’s seat.

Tonnes of encrypted data text scrolled up and down the holographic green screen at the front of the ship as Brook and Mikey scanned it for info on these mysterious life form signals.

“Well first things first, if there’s life forms out there we need a night guard. Mikey, since you have some military training, I’m putting you on first duty until we get this data decoded and figure out whether these life forms are friendly or hostile, take this key and stock up on arms from the emergency armoury in the cargo bay. Il activate the ships ‘active camo’ though the night but we’re counting on you to keep our asses safe.” Instructed Brook.

“Yes capt’n!” a overjoyed Mikey complied with the hope he might be able to shoot some things tonight, being a massive fan of the old Alien movies, there what actually inspired him to be an astronaut in the first place, ‘weird right?’.

A while later Mikey returned in a suit of metal bio armour and two plasma rifles in slings on his back.

“Good luck!” Brook said as Mikey left the hatch.

“Not gonna need it” Mikey shot back whilst pumping the load action on the plasma rifle.

-

“No one dared to ask his business no one dared to make a slip. For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip” Sang Mikey as he patrolled outside the now almost invisible ship. 
He paced back and forth before sitting down on a fallen log near a camp fire, even if it was just for nostalgia since the space suit he was heat proof up to about 5000 degrees kelvin. 
The dark black backline of trees obscured most of the light from the planets 3 moons save for the starry dark purple sky, and the small fire illuminated a small patch of turf where he had made a come away from home camp fire, It was about 4am in the morning and Mikey was almost nodding off, clutching his rifle in his hands.

‘Thump’ A distant and low rumbling sound pierced the silence of the forest.

‘Thump’ There it is again.

Mikey sprang up to his feet, cocking the plasma rifle in and aiming in at his invisible foe.

“C’mon you son of a bitch, Mikey wont hurtchya.” He sneered.

The thumping noise got quicker and louder, Mikey began to sweat inside his suit, he darted his aim across the backline like a cornered soldier, gasping for air and frightened for his life, he screamed at the top of his lungs. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”.

The thumping stopped, Mikey held his breath, he didn’t move a muscle.

If he could react fast enough he might of screamed again as he flew through the air into the sky, something had got him by the leg, he opened fire on the unknown predator.

The plasma rifle droned and whined as it powered up before unleashing a torrent of bright green flashes directly below Mikey’s feet, where he was being hung from. The predator rocked and swayed violently, releasing him from its death grip. Mikey plummeted about 50ft into a canopy of tree leafs which slowed his overall descent but didn’t stop him.

He hit the ground with an almighty Thud! And the scream that followed might have been enough to scare away whatever was hunting him down.

“Warning, major fracture detected. Warning, Haemorrhage detected.” The biosuit spoke with a slow robotic voice.

Mikey just lay there screaming in pain and agony, until the Thumping began again.

“Oh no. Oh no no no. Get away from me!” He cried into the night, reaching to his back to find that his remaining rifle had fallen out of its sling. He screamed a final breath, before passing out.

-

“Mikey? Mikey where are you?” yelled Anna as she stepped outside the hatch.

“Where is that fool?” questioned Brook.

“I don’t know but guys, you might wanna check this out” called Amy.

“Just how deep does the hole go?”

“It… It looks like a… giant… foot print?” observed Anna.

In the grass was a indented shape, indentical to a human foot print about 20ft away from the campfire Mikey had made. Only this footprint was approximately 10 ft long and in the center lay a crushed plasma rifle and some blood.

“No way, there’s nothing that big on this planet, its biologically impossible due to the effects of gravity and other biological systems that fail when an organism becomes too large and if there was, we would of seen it by now” replied Amy.

“Not if it only comes out at night” said Brook. “Anyway, the important question is, where is Mikey?”.

“Do… Do you think this… Thing took him?” sobbed Anna, later joined by Amy.

“Keep it together girls!” Yelled Brook. “its kinda looking that way, yes. But we will find him and rescue him… Look. His rifle cartridge is depleted, he must of shot the shit outta that thing before it took him” Brook held up a burnt out plasma cartridge. “Maybe its injured and he’s already killed it and he’s just lost, we can track him with his bio suits chip and this tracking device.”.

The crew returned to the ship, gathered all the armour and guns they could and regrouped back at the giant footprint.

“Where to cap?” piped a confident Amy, cocking her plasma rifle.

-

“H- huh? What’s going on? Where am i?” A confused Mikey came too, completely stripped of his bio armour down to his underwear, breathing uneasily due to the foreign planet atmosphere, bloody and dazed with shooting pain in his abdomen and left arm. He was upside down attached to the ceiling of a cave by chains round his ankles.
He looked around to notice he was in some sort of cave which seemed infinitely huge but well lit by huge torches of flaming wood.
Looking in closer detail he also noted several skeletons hanging around him, anatomically correct to a human skeleton.

“But there are no intelligent life forms on this planet, what are these the ske-“ Mikey was cut off.

“Ah. Finally awake I see.” A huge but light feminine voice echoed through the cave, but Mikey was unable to locate the source.

“Who’s there!” He yelled.

“Such a strong little thing you are” giggled the voice.

“Little?! Who are you calling little! Come and say that to my face you son of a bitch, il kick your ass you no good piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-“ Mikey’s voice faded.

Out of the shadows a huge form slowly lurked forwards. Its body was covered in some kind of brown rag with large rope securing it round its waist. It had lightly tanned skin with almost no imperfections considering it appeared to live in this cave. Its hair was long, blonde and messy but still looked kept somehow, and its eyes wear a piercing bright blue. It appeared to be a female human, in her mid-20s, but around 60ft tall.

“What the fuck are you?” Mikey gawked.

The creature only laughed.

“Im the giant, and you and your little crew just climbed my beanstalk.” Giggled the creature.

Mikey just sat there horrified.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a nice warm meal, and you look absolutely delicious.” She giggled again.

-

“How much further Brook?” Moaned Amy and Anna.

“Not far now, see that cave up ahead? That’s where his tracking chip signal is coming from.”

The crew advanced through the jungle, cutting down huge leaves and bushes to get to their destination, the foliage seemed to go on for ever until they finally reached the cave opening.

“I don’t know about this” said a worried Amy.

“Yeah this looks pretty dangerous… and scary.” added Anna.

“Do you want to save Mikey or not?” Deadpanned Brook.

No one answered but they collectively knew the right one.

The crew advanced into the cave.

A huge wall of flesh encased itself round Mikey’s body as the giantess took grip of him, pulling him out of his shackles and up to her mouth, she revealed a set of massive white teeth and a throbbing pink tongue that seemed to be licking them impatiently.
The creature produces its tongue outwards towards Mikey’s limp body for a little taste test.

A flash of light ricochet of the caves of the wall along with a buzzing sound, and both Mikey and the creature that had him in her grasp both turned to locate the source.

“Put. Him. Down.” Demanded Brook, cocking his rifle.

The creature just shrugged, looked at the floor and let Mikey slip from her grip. It was a good 50ft plummet to the hard stone floor and on impact, his legs shattered immediately, and his left lung collapsed, within 5 minutes without medical aid he’d be dead, that was if the creature didn’t get to him first.

Not five seconds after his body hit the floor, the creature slowly and gracefully lifted her foot high in the air, hovering above Mikey’s damaged form.

Mikey slipped back into consciousness to see a huge form gliding above him, he slowly made out the details on the bottom of the giantess’ foot, the toes and the heel.

The giantess gave once last giggle and *slam!*. The ground shook violently, Mikey was killed instantly; his tiny body popped under the giantess second and third toe, leaving his entrails lining the gaps in-between. The creature just laughed more as she grinded her toes into the floor, smothering his dead body across the stone.

“You son of a b-“ Brook yelled before unleashing a hell torrent of plasma bullets in the creatures direction, shortly joined by Amy. Anna just bolted out of the cave at a speed that would make Olympic runners jealous.

“Anna get back here now!” Yelled Brook.

-

The creature was taking hits, but she was much too strong to be knocked down by a couple of weak plasma bullets, after gaining her composure, she bent over and reached out a hand towards Brook and Amy.

“Shit Amy, run!” Yelled brook.

Amy dropped her rifle and retreated about 5 meters when she tripped on some look floor rock.
She fell and cut her head open on the hard floor.

The giantess just grinned at her before extending her hand out to grab her. Amy was crawling backwards, crying, trying her hardest to escape her ever too obvious fate.

“No. Please No. Please. Go away! Ahh-“ she cried for a few seconds, and then silence. Feeling a cold hard surface against her back she completely deadpanned, knowing she had hit a wall and now had nowhere to go. She turned back around to see nothing but the palm of the giantess’ hand wrap round her body.

“hmm-mm! You look delicious darling!” joked the creature as it reopened its grip around Amy. She was dangling from the creatures thumb and forefinger high in the air above the giantess face. “Time for my little snack”.

Brook’s rifle had jammed and he was franticly smacking it, trying to get it to work, on the edge of tears he looked up, and time seemed to almost stop completely once he saw Amy.
He got tunnel vision and all he saw was the giantess slowly lower Amy’s squealing, thrashing body below her lips and then, releasing her grip, she plummeted down her throat.

“Amy!” Yelled brook.

“Aaaaaaaaah!”

*Gulp*

Faint sounds could be heard coming from the giantess’ body, loud and energetic at first, but slowly, they got weaker until they stopped altogether. It can only be assumed that the giantess had completely digested Amy at this point.

Brook just dropped his weapon and ran.

“Oh no you don’t!” Teased the creature.

She stomped her foot about a meter away from Brook as he was trying to retreat, throwing him to the ground. He rolled over and started crawling away, looking up at the creatures form towering over him. He started to whimper and cry. Trying fruitlessly to escape his impending doom.

“Bye bye!” Giggled the creature, “il do you slowly” She licked her lips.
The giantess slowly lifted her right foot into the air and then slammed her heel down on Brook’s legs.

Brook let off a blood curdling scream as his legs below his middle thigh were instantly crushed into the ground, the pop he heard almost made him throw up, he was coated in his own blood.

The giantess slowly lowered the rest of her foot down on Brook’s tiny body.

“Let’s hear that pop!” She teased.

Brook felt the pressure slowly grow and grow, he reached out his hands and pushed with all his might against the huge fleshy sole.
“Hehehe that tickles!” Giggled the creature, not for one second slowing down her act.

The sole of the giantess foot was now beginning to press on Brook’s torso; this was it, the end.
Brook let off one final scream as the pressure of the giantess sole became too much and his ribs caved in. he was still alive, barely though but the pain he was in was obvious do to the scream.
The screams became more muffled and muffled until a large crack was heard, then silence.
Brook’s body was flat on the bottom of the creatures sole with a blood puddle stain round it, his dead carcass slowly peeled off the giantess sole and fell onto the ground to rot with the other skeletons.

“Now where’s my dessert!” Hmphed the giantess.

-

All that could be heard was the sound of her frantic gasping for air as Anna ran through the trees of this alien world, she was desperately running towards the ship in hope of some kind of salvation, unsure of what her friends fates were, she was only looking out for herself.

‘Welcome aboard, Anna’ tuned a robotic voice from the cockpit of her spacecraft. Anna stood motionless next to the captain’s seat for about 5 minutes, gasping for air, before finally slumping down into the seat and bawling her eyes out.

-

Hours passed and Anna just continued to let her emotions get to her until she eventually fell into a restless and haunted sleep.

“Just how much do we sacrifice without even thinking about it?”

Anna awoke the next morning, still in the cockpit seat of the space craft, she just sat there, staring at a screensaver on the monitor infront of her displaying her and her crew from their days at training.

A few moments passed.

“Computer?” Anna asked.

‘Yes Anna, how may I help you?’

Check the remaining fuel cell power.

…

‘Remaining fuel: 5 per cent’

“Did the ships ‘ordinance’ survive the crash?”

…

‘Yes, all firearms are in 100 per cent working condition’

Anna hit a few buttons and levers here and there, and suddenly the metal beast rumbled to life. The ship was slightly damaged still from the crash but could fly with little to no obvious flaws.

“Computer, locate last known location of either Captain Brooks or Amy Lee” Said Anna.

…

‘I am sorry Anna, I am unable to locate the captain, or Amy Lee’.

“Shit”.

“Locate bio suit chip of one, Smith, Michael.”

…

…

“Come on you piece of shit!”

‘Bio suit located’
“hahaha, ive got you now you son of a bitch” Anna contemplated.

She forced the lever labelled ‘Thrust main 1 & 2’ as far as it would go, and the response from the engines pinned Anna into her seat.

“Computer, start-up sequence 1772-b, Emergency protocol under co-pilot Anna Sharp, self-destruct sequence 199” Anna yelled over the sound of the engines whinning.

‘Ready for voice activation of self-destruct sequence, you have 5 minutes to activate the sequence or the sequence will terminate’ replied the computer.

“Begin sequence!” Yelled Anna.

‘Self-destruct sequence activated, you have 5 minutes to escape the spacecraft’

“Perfect!” Grinned Anna.

‘…4 minutes remaining’

‘…3 minutes remaining’

‘…2 minutes remaining’

‘Emergency …1 minute remaining. Evacuate the ship immediately’

“Im back bitch!”

Anna opened fire upon the giantess’ body, all 4 plasma cannons blazing hot as she sped into the cavern.

“high beams, on!” she commanded.

Suddenly, the cavern was filled with light, the walls were illuminated but the roof was still too high to be visible.

The giantess took a swing at the ship, clipping one of its wings and two cannons. Black smoke started billowing out of the rear, and the engines began to choke.

“come on baby, don’t quit on me now!”

Anna punched the afterburners on and climbed high into the cavern, leaving the giantess below.

200 feet. 300 feet. 500 feet.

The engines finally quit and the ship stalled, gracefully came to a stop mid-air before nosing back down towards the cavern floor and the awaiting giantess.

10 seconds.

400 feet

9…

8…

300 feet

7…

6…

200 feet

“deploy airbrakes!”

5…

4…

3…

100 feet.

2…

80 feet

70 feet

1…

The giantess mouth was wide open, for a second, she and Anna made eye contact, one staring at the star ship speeding into her mouth, the other directly down this huge creatures throat.
The ship slid past her lips, teeth ripping the wings off like paper as it, sparks flying everywhere, it slipped down her tongue and straight into her throat and down her oesophagus.
Time slowed down around Anna as the ship barrelled down this creatures throat, still with its lights on Anna could see every detail of the inside of this beast, until slowly she saw the end, the bottom, the beasts stomach.

‘Zero’.

Just as the ships nose made contact with the giantess’ stomach acid, it erupted in an unholy shower of flames, expanding outwards until it reached the walls of the creatures stomach. The beast was instantly ripped in half at the stomach, her organs and blood painted the inside of her cavern. Her dead corpse lay on the floor of the cavern in two half’s, eyes open in death. Out of her mouth, slid one metal star ship wing with a piece of torn fabric wrapped round a metal shard. Embroided on the fabric was, ‘-harp, An-‘.

“We tell tales to our young of distant fantasy worlds of fairies and unicorns, but what really goes on in these so-called make belief places? Climbing the beanstalk would be a bad idea on… Fantaria.”

The end.