Skylar shielded his eyes from the somewhat harsh light of the sun and looked around. Things didn't look too different from their home planet. The sparse plant life situated among the rocks seemed strikingly similar. The landscape was rough and rocky, dirt and dust swirling around them in the light breeze. Caleb winced and covered his mouth, coughing heavily into his hands. Skylar immediately patted him on the back and pulled out a small flask of water. Caleb eagerly drank from it. When he was done, he wiped his mouth and said, "Where did you get this?"
Skylar ruffled Caleb's hair and said, "Don't worry about it Cal. I figured we might need to have some supplies on us just in case those bastards back home were lying about how "hospitable" this place was."
Caleb frowned as he looked at the flask. "Did you steal it?"
"Like I said, don't worry about it." His voice was firmer, the tone indicating that there would be no more discussion. Caleb sighed and screwed the top back on the flask, shaking it slightly.
"I think I drank too much...It's almost empty."
Skylar took the flask back and held it up to his ear, shaking it slightly. The sound of water sloshing around inside indicated there was about a quarter of it left. "Come on, let's look around. I'm sure we'll be able to find something."
Caleb nodded and grabbed his brother's hand. The two brothers began to walk together along the rocky path, slowly making their way down what appeared to be a mountain. They were dressed in tight, form fitting space suits, dark blue in color, making them stand out amongst the grey rocks. Skylar looked around slightly nervously. There was no telling what kind of animals would be on this planet. The judge back home (could they even call it that anymore?) had been quite firm that, while the planet would be hospitable, with food,water, and shelter, they were still condemned criminals. This "Prison Planet" experiment (as it was called in all the media) had many supporters as well as detractors. Those who were for it argued that the planet would be a better place if all the most ruthless and evil criminals were forced to leave while those who were against it hated that their tax quixes were going to support an entire planet full of the worst the planet could offer. Skylar couldn't care less about any of that. All it meant to him was that his little brother and he were forced from the only home they had ever known.
"It doesn't matter." Skylar thought to himself as he gripped Caleb's hand tightly. "We never needed anyone but each other and we never will."
Skylar was so deep in thought that it took several shakes of his arm by Caleb before he snapped back to attention. "Huh? What's wrong Caleb?"
"Look!" He said, somewhat impatiently, pointing a something in the distance.
Skylar looked and saw what appeared to be a small village, situated at the bottom of the mountain. Skylar was a bit surprised to see an entire town there, but just because they were the first people sent here, didn't mean they would be the last. The path they were currently on seemed to lead directly to the village. "Well, I guess that's our new home now."
"Do we actually get to sleep in a house?" Caleb asked, sounding surprised.
"Guess so." Skylar said, shrugging.
Caleb couldn't help but smile. He had spent his whole life on the streets, sleeping in any shelter that they could find. To have an actual home to live in had been a luxury he didn't think he would be allowed! He picked up the pace, letting go of Skylar's hand and running a little ahead. "Don't go running off!" Skylar shouted, chasing after him. Caleb just giggled and ran on, jumping over rocks and sliding down some loose gravel.
It didn't take too long to reach the village. Caleb got to the bottom of the mountain first, turning and crossing his arms triumphantly. "I win!"
"We weren't even racing shorty." Skylar said, ruffling Caleb's hair again.
"Hey, don't call me shorty! I'm not short!" Caleb said in a huff. Being undersized for his age (thanks to a lack of nutrition), his height was a bit of a sore point to him.
"Right, right, sorry Cal." Skylar said, smiling slightly.
Caleb tried to fix his hair as they walked along the main street of the village. There wasn't a lot to it; a few houses, what appeared to be a convenience store, a clothing store, and not much else. The houses were all one story affairs. Peeking inside the window of one of them, it appeared they were only three rooms: a big living space, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The furniture inside was sparse and there didn't appear to be any extra amenities like television. Still, it was more than the brothers had had before. "Maybe this won't be so bad..." He thought to himself, cautiously optimistic.
Caleb wiggled the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. "I think it's locked."
"Well, lets just keep walking and see what we find."
The two brothers continued down the road, testing the doors on the various houses only to find all of them locked. The convenience and clothing stores were both open but supplies were limited. Caleb immediately pulled a bunch of different outfits from down off their hangers, wanting to try a bunch of them on. Skylar stopped him and said, "Just take one or two for now. We still don't know where we're living."
Caleb nodded and chose two outfits he liked, Skylar doing the same. The convenience store had a few staples (bread, dairy, meat, etc.) all stored in freezers. They left the food and drinks alone for now, moving to the last house in the village. There was a key taped to the door here. Skylar took it down and unlocked the door, stepping inside the house. Caleb ran ahead of him, looking in all the rooms. "Cool, bunk beds! I want the top one!"
Skylar dropped their clothes off on the bottom bunk and said, "Come on, lets change and get something to eat."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. They ate a small dinner, looked around the village and the forest area surrounding the village, and when it got dark they went back inside and locked the door. Skylar couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. There were no animals around at all. Everything was strangely silent. All the food and clothes and shelter...it was too convenient.
His thoughts were interrupted when Caleb let out a big yawn, rubbing his eyes. He tried to hide it, but Skylar saw and immediately said, "Bed time."
Caleb groaned and got to his feet. "Fine..."
He climbed up into the top bunk and crawled under the covers, falling asleep almost immediately. Skylar turned off the lights and got into his own bed, staring up at the bottom of his brother's bed, listening to his steady breathing. He was surprisingly tired himself. He had intended to stay awake and plan out their next day, but he fell asleep within minutes.
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