Plenty of rations still lined the shelves of the hold . That was not the problem. It was a one man mission, but they had given Commander Popino enough food to get home five times over.
The problem was his other cargo.
They sloshed about in their water, so close to purple turtles, their shells as shiny as mirrors. Proof the new world had life, and was worth investment and expansion.
It was the smell that got him first. A scent of something he associated with his childhood. Soft milky sweets, perhaps something you would receive inside your chocolate egg at Easter. He thought about that smell all night. The stars glided past the window of his space ship.
That morning Commander Popino decided those back on Earth would not mind if one went missing. To lose one might make quite a funny anecdote, something to include in the book. He made a makeshift cooker from a hot piece of electronics, and roasted a whole purple turtle. They smelt even better cooked, like hot goose fat injected in the chunkiest piece of crackling. A long way from the freeze dried cardboard of the past six months.
The meat fell apart in his mouth, and was creamy like every molecule was saturated in Hollandaise sauce. He sucked the meat off the bones.
After his dinner Commander Popino still throbbed with a rough nub of hunger, The kind where you are on the way home, and you know your dinner is in the fridge. He tried to focus on the journey, but kept hearing the turtles splashing around in the back. One more missing occupant would not make a difference.
The others he ate raw.
Skeletons soon decorated the mess area. The splashing had vanished forever. Popino wiped his mouth, his belly pressing against his spacesuit.
There must be one left somewhere.
He scanned around the room, not caring he had ignored communication from Earth for days, not caring that his ship ticked off course.
Back on the planet, far away from this floating ship, the turtles bowed their heads, and sang songs celebrating their brothers’ sacrifice. Their deaths would ensure nothing disturbed them for a few more years.