I watched as the primitive blue sphere of a planet grew smaller on the view screen. Had it really only been a week since we landed there?

I looked at all the empty cubicles on the bridge. I had to get back to warn Equine command.

This planet was dangerous, far beyond anything that the empire had ever faced. Shit! I could already feel my intelligence starting to slip. I just hoped that I had arrested the condition soon enough, or I was going out to pasture literally.

Everything had been fine when we arrived. The air was better than we thought it would be. The first officer and three others had investigated. A day later, one returned not able to speak at all, only issuing a whinnying sound. A sound that no one could understand nor translate.

After losing another three in another explorer party, I volunteered to go out with special equipment. Equipment that filtered the air for me.

As I moved out, I had the last two on board monitor my condition. I had gone quite a way from the ship getting constant reports. I soon came to a cleared area with several structures in it.

To my abject horror, I saw the Captain and the first officer. They and the other three were being ridden like beasts of burden.

I looked closer, seeing that all of them seemed to have metal attached to their hooves. The horror of it all, plus they all seemed to be happy with their situation.

I managed to sneak closer, freeing the captain, though the rest wouldn’t follow. I shrugged as I led the captain back to the ship. That was a near catastrophe. The captain was afraid of his own ship!

We managed to gather a hell of a lot of readings though, they led us no closer to what was ailing our people. I thought that we needed another of the crew, so I went back. This time, I was afraid that they were waiting for me.

I approached the same way I had before, they had some type of motion-activated light system. Damnit! I didn’t know what these wheeled transportation vehicles were. They were almost as fast as I was.

I managed to damage one of them when it got close to me. I put my front legs and hooves through the front of the vehicle. The satisfying crunch I heard seemed to slow them down, temporarily.

I returned to the ship, not expecting these primitives to find us. They not only found us. they managed to capture the other two crew members. The only thing I thought was a plus was the fact the two-crew managed to kill four of the aliens.

Unfortunately, this led to extremely harsh treatment of the two crew members. It was so harsh, in fact, that one of the crew was terminated with what appeared to be a lead projectile weapon. The lead slugs were traveling with far more force than our skin could repel.

As mad as I was, I had to remain civilized. I wasn’t a primitive animal, acting out with brute force. I went through all the weapons on board, most didn’t appear to be strong enough. I mean I had a disruptor. A disintegration gun, a nuclear disperser. All I was afraid, wouldn’t be strong enough, these aliens seemed to have extremely thick skin.

Hmmm, I finally decided on a firecane. It dispersed a steady stream of fire that couldn’t be put out. That should keep the aliens at bay while I reterieved the others. I just hoped that I could find a cure for this malady.

I crept as close as I could, damn they had increased the number of aliens that were guarding the place. Well, they were close together, it should make the destruction better. I primed the weapon then pointed. I didn’t really have to aim. The weapon was indiscriminate in its destruction.

I was having a hard time deciding just who and what to destroy, that nearly got me terminated. I barely heard the alien as it was sneaking up behind me. Ah, I thought, the first target decided as I opened up full force on the first, then a second alien. I had to say that the screaming of the aliens was almost like music to my ears.

Again, not paying attention nearly got me destroyed as another pair of aliens snuck up on me. They quickly met the same fiery fate as the first two. I am not a violent Equine, though I will defend my people and my home with vicious tenacity. I was therefore a little surprised, I was acting as much of a killer as I was.

This time I saw more than five alien wheeled vehicles approaching my position. I opened up on the first, quite pleased when it exploded, killing the four occupants. Ooo I thought, I had eight already, and I wasn’t even breathing hard. I caught two more of the vehicles, destroying another eight.

The other four vehicles slowed their approach to me. This indicated slight intelligence. The thing was, I wasn’t really concerned about that anymore, I only wanted them to pay for executing a crew member. I smirked as I moved closer to the nearest of the vehicles, then set it aflame. I then caught the third, barely lighting the four in it aflame. Ah, I thought that’s eighteen, just two more to go.

This stopped the last two from advancing. Again, this indicated intelligence that I didn’t care about. I swear that I was in a bloodlust, though I wasn’t sure how. It was at that moment that I noticed that one of the filters had slipped partly loose. I reapplied it feeling the blood rage decline to almost half.

It was also a few moments after the blood rage faded, I noticed that my intelligence was starting to slip. I stupidly chose to ignore that, going after the two remaining vehicles. Catching both, I smiled as I heard the screams of the aliens as they burned.

I should have realized that this was the alien’s world, they could bring in a lot more. I moved to the structures I had seen earlier. There I could see the other seven of the crew. They were nude, within a pen of some type, acting as if they were wild animals.

The truly sad thing, though, was the fact that none of them recognized me at all. Somehow, I managed to catch the first officer, shocked to see no intelligence in his eyes at all. I set the rest of the crew free, hoping they would make their way to the ship, though, I felt little hope of that.

I made the ship, though not before setting all the structures on fire. A small satisfied smile came to my lips as I set those that escaped the flames on fire. I then turned, making my way to the ship, getting the first officer in, though was an adventure.