Grow

by Heather Heckadon

  Hearing a crunching noise from behind us, we both jumped to our feet and turned. Standing partially behind the supply hull was a cameraman, his camera reaching around the craft pointed directly at us. The anger and embarrassment hit all at once.

  “Hey! What are you doing?” I growled.

  The cameraman took a few steps back as if I would attack him, and then decidedly stood his ground. “Recording,” he said.

  “Why?” Jane gasped.

  “I’m filming for the show. You signed a contract and release enabling us to film for Grow.”

  “Can you get rid of that part, then? It was kind of a personal moment, and I don’t want every personal moment broadcast, you know?” I quickly saw that he didn’t care what I had to say, as he was still holding the camera on his shoulder. “Are you still filming?”

  “Yeah, I can’t edit anything out. That’s the guys who film for the broadcast. I film for the live stream on the website. Everything on my camera goes directly to the live feed that people pay a subscription to watch. Kind of like The Hunger Games, if you think about it, but they pay for it,” he said, inspired.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Jane grumbled.

  “Thanks a lot, asshole,” I said as we turned and walked away. Jane stuck up her middle finger for the camera to add drama as we walked.

  After that moment, there were constantly cameras on us, at all times. Even if we thought the cameramen were gone and we were safe, we were always wrong. There was always a camera perched in the bushes, waiting to catch whatever non-rehearsed babble came from our mouths, like a lion stalking its prey.

  Once the other teams had all arrived from their hike after landing in their pods, and some of the teams had began to unpack their supplies, Idris gathered us all around the front of the supply hull. Everyone from every team dropped what they were doing and formed an audience in front of him. Quietly and respectfully, they waited for him to speak.

  One cameraman circled the crowd with his camera, and the other zoomed in on Idris as he began to speak. “It is so fortunate that all of us and our supplies arrived safely upon Circadia without damage. So let’s have a round of applause for that,” he said.

  Everyone applauded graciously.

  “Now, I know we just got here, but this is when the real work begins. It looks like we only have a couple hours until nightfall, and we currently have no shelter. We are in a terrible condition of uncertainty. We have no idea what the weather is going to be like, what kind of building materials we have to work with, or the amount of time it is going to take to make ourselves self-sustainable. All we have is each other.” He looked around at everyone. “Thankfully, you are all very intelligent and diverse, so we are going to make this happen together.”

  All of the different teams joined together, looked about at each other, and smiled.

  “With that being said, first things first: shelter. I don’t want to be cooped up in the supply hull with all of you for an entire night. So, those who feel able will be helping the architectural team track down building materials before it gets dark tonight. We need this to be a joint effort. I’m going to hand it over to Ronald, captain of the architect team.” Idris bowed out of the way of Ronald.

  Ronald was a tall man with a long nose. He had walked out from the crowd and now shook hands with Idris. His tousled red hair blew in the wind as he spoke. “Hey guys. Alright, I have no idea what we are going to be dealing with, but I knew that when I came here. I can already see some trees, but we are going to have to be careful when removing any as the planet already has low oxygen,” he said. “I need help tonight harvesting about twenty moderately sized trees. After tonight, the urgency will no longer be present, and I have other plans for shelter. For tonight, though, we have to rely on our primitive roots to provide some shelter. Who would like to volunteer? I’m going to need about ten people, so please raise your hands.”

  Every single person standing in the crowd raised their hands. I looked around in shock at the amount of team spirit and eagerness to help. This was definitely a different planet.

  “Wow. Okay, I didn’t expect this kind of reaction.” Ronald smiled. “Well, if everyone really wants to help, let’s just divide the jobs up, I guess. Is that alright with everyone?”

  Everyone nodded and agreed.

  “Okay, I want one person from each team to step over by Idris to help with harvesting materials,” He extended an arm out in Idris’ direction.

  I explained to my team that I wanted to go so that I could check out the plants along the way, and they agreed. I quickly went to stand among the other people gathering around Idris. Each member from each team shook hands and greeted each other. I assumed it would also be a great way to get to talk with people from other teams as well. Once the greeting was done, we stood quietly listening and watched as the next groups were formed.

  “Alright. First thing is out of the way. While they’re gathering materials some of us can unpack or find our architectural supplies from the supply hull. One person from each team please step out and to the left,” Ronald called out.

  A quiet hush of conversation ran rampant among the groups, and soon enough, one person from each team did as they were told.

  “Next is going to be the more difficult task. Spencer, from the agricultural team, and Idris have discussed that we have very little rations left, and they would like to save these for emergency uses now that we are here,” he explained. “So, would one person from each team please volunteer to help Spencer cull some of his pigs from the herd? They will need help butchering and preparing a few hogs for tonight’s meal. I understand this is difficult, but it is necessary.”

  I expected more people to object, or at least hesitate, but quickly one person from each team came forward to help. Spencer stood to the side of the crowd with one arm in the air, and once his group was formed, they took off into the field with flashlights to retrieve the pigs. I could only imagine what that task would be like.

  “It would also be very nice if we could form a team to prepare the meat and cook tonight. We need a fire built and cooking utensils gathered from the supply hull. Please, one person from each group come forward,” he said.

  People came forward as they were asked, and went immediately to work searching for supplies in the hull.

  “Alright, let’s get to work,” Ronald said.

  As soon as he gave us the okay, my group turned on their flashlights, illuminating the dark that had consumed the sky, and took off into the night.

  Chapter Ten

  It was scary going into the dark on a foreign planet, but also exciting. We were all alone, or so we hoped, and it was exhilarating. Every breath of fresh air was a brand-new breath. Every step was a new one. In everything we did, we were first. I had always liked being the first to do something, or the first to see something, but this was on another level.

  The cameramen followed us out into the wilderness, but we didn’t mind. We would have to start getting use to it, as they would be there for the entire endeavor. There was no use getting worked up. It was a necessary evil, and the reason for the trip.

  We trampled through the empty fields toward the line of trees. The silence was deafening as we walked; each of our footsteps amplified in the abyss of solitude. After a twenty-minute hike, we arrived upon the edge of the woods. The short, purple trees creaked and shook with each gust of wind.

  What had appeared to be darkness at the rendezvous spot was outdone by the darkness in the woods. The canopy of the trees blocked out any light from Earth’s moon and lights. Flashlights seemed to make our vision worse unless we were looking into the beams of light.

  “Okay, ten trees, right? Or twenty?” one man asked.

  “Twenty,” I replied, “and no more than that.”

  “Right! Twenty moderately sized trees. Ronald handed me two, two-person hand saws before we left, so I guess four people can be sawing while the others hold the lights,” another said. “Once the first four people have saw
ed a tree down, they can hand it off to the next group of people. We can take turns like this until all of the trees are down. Once all the trees are down, everyone can grab a branch and help haul them out,” he finished.

  “If there are twenty trees we have to cut down, it’s going to take a few trips,” I said. “There are only ten of us, and it’s going to take more than one person to haul one of those trees out of here, let alone two per person.”

  Everyone looked around at each other and frowned, until another woman jumped into action. “Sounds like we better get moving if we want shelter for the next couple of nights then, huh?” She grabbed one of the saws. Directly after, one of the men followed her towards a large tree and they began sawing. Everyone followed after them.

  The act of sawing on the trees took forever. Technically speaking, the trees were small in diameter, but they were unlike trees from Earth in that they were much denser. Sawing took double the time it would have taken otherwise. I was glad we only required twenty trees. I couldn’t help but think about the pioneers on Earth starting from scratch on a continent, just like us. I had never taken into consideration just how tedious all of the work was when done by hand, but now it would be forever engraved into my mind.

  Hours passed and we had only cut down twelve trees. The night was drawing on and on, and we still were not done. The team decided that some of us needed to start hauling trees back to the camp while others continued sawing. Four people sawed, two held flashlights, and the other four worked together to start pulling trees back to camp.

  I was one of the lucky ones chosen to start transporting trees. For each tree we had two people pulling, and they were heavy. Even with the strength of two people, pulling with all of their might, the move was slow. With one hand we pulled, and the other held the flashlights and kept balance. The walks were long and tough.

  When we finally made it back to camp, it seemed everyone was having just as much trouble as us. No one was accustomed to the amount of work it took to live without much technology. There was only the beginnings of a fire, supplies were being leisurely unpacked, and the boys with the pigs were nowhere to be found yet. The fact that none of the other teams were doing better than us made me feel better about our work, but also instilled a sincere worry that we weren’t prepared for this journey, and we were going to suffer.

  We dropped off the trees and headed towards the woods once again as the builders began to hack at the branches. Maybe we weren’t doing so bad after all. We jogged back to the lumberjacks to deliver the good news, but when we returned, everyone was in a panic.

  Flashlights swung every which way up into the treetops. Loud yelling could be heard from far away as we approached. My heart pounded in my chest. What happened? What are they seeing? I thought. For a second, we hung back trying to assess the situation, but after many moments of confusion we dove in head first.

  Entering the woods, we could hear their heavy breathing and panic. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “There’s something moving in the trees! A lot of little somethings!” one guy yelled out.

  “I thought there wasn’t supposed to be life on this planet! What the hell?”

  “Everyone calm down!” a lady demanded.

  Looking up into the trees, I focused on one beam of light from a flashlight, and suddenly saw a flicker. A small pair of bright, beady eyes stared down at me from a tree branch high in the sky. About the size of a squirrel, this small creature, with hands like a raccoon, climbed about on the tree, curious about us. Its tail was short, bobbed, and the rest of the body resembled a guinea pig. Short legs and a fat middle; it was obvious these critters had somehow survived the trip here hibernating in the trees. Its long ears swiveled with each new noise, sometimes making an entire one-eighty.

  “They’re kind of cute, but it still freaks me the fuck out,” said the guy standing next to me.

  “I don’t understand how they made the trip through space. We were told everything would be dead if there was ever life in the first place,” I said. “Maybe between me and Spencer we can figure out what they are, and how they survived.”

  “And if they’re a threat.” The comment went without cause, but the fear could be felt from everyone.

  I was a bit apprehensive of the small critters, but they didn’t feel dangerous. There was no official name for them, but I thought of them as ‘Skitters’. It was my mix of ‘small’ and ‘critters’, and from that moment forward that was what I would call them.

  The night of sawing and hauling continued into the early morning. The whole time everyone watched high in the air, weary of their new company.

  IN THE MORNING, EVERYONE gathered around the many fires and enjoyed the pork provided. Faces drooped, with their eyes sunken into their heads, and ate like wild animals. I wanted to cry. It was such a long night, but everyone else was holding their shit together, so I couldn’t be the weak one. We could have stayed the night in the supply hull had it not been full of supplies, but it was a pride thing. One that felt much more important the night before than it did in the morning.

  Idris stood among the strewn-out bodies beside the campfire. His eyes ringed in dark circles and his face gaunt with fatigue. “We didn’t get our shelters built like we thought we would, but we managed to get all of the supplies, make a fire, and eat. After seeing what we’re up against, I’m proud of you all. Things aren’t going to happen here as fast as we thought they would, but that’s okay. There are only so many of us. A workforce is being sent in two weeks. A lot is going to change then, but for now, we’ll take our time.” He nodded his head. “For now, I say we get some sleep by the fires, and once we’re all rested, we’ll begin on the shelters.”

  The group collectively groaned and climbed down onto the ground to sleep. I had a hard time falling asleep. Everything was so new, and I lay awake day dreaming of the future.

  Like a child in the infant stage, I couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of world would we be able to create? Just like a parent would wonder, what kind of person will they grow up to be? As an adult, you understand there are so many different paths one can take. They could grow up to be world leaders, philanthropists, or doctors. Or quite the opposite. They could grow up to be workers in a cartel, imprisoned, or shot. Even a child that has their entire life mapped out, could make one slip, and ruin everything. As an adult, you have witnessed how an innocent child with good intentions can turn out, for better or worse.

  As a parent, you always want to give your child the best chances in life. Start teaching them their ABC’s early, maybe throw in a little Mozart. In early childhood, you put them through music classes, in middle school you encourage debate and sports; attempting to give them skills they may need later on in life to succeed. After giving all of the necessary tools to survive and thrive, you hope your offspring will serve as a functional member of society and grow to be something greater than yourself.

  Starting a new world, I had the same feelings. What we all wanted and how it would actually turn out, could be two completely different things. Especially when the planet had such a ridiculous beginning. The basis upon which the planet was being built, a mockery and a sham, was now expected to work. A bad joke gone wrong, we were hopelessly destined for failure. We would have to overcome the rough start we were dealt and make our odds extraordinary.

  The hard dirt of Earth had never felt so good. It had never caressed my body and beckoned me to sleep like Circadia did. Once I succumbed to the feeling, my body and brain washed away in a wave.

  When I woke up, there was a camera pointed directly at my face.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I swatted at the camera. “Get it out of my face. I’m not in the fucking mood. Get it?” My words came out stronger than I intended, but I was tired, and apparently sunburned from lying out in the sun.

  “You know the drill. I have to record,” the cameraman said.

  “Get out of her face, or I’ll show you where you can put the camera,” Garrett s
aid, now inches from the cameraman’s face. The cameraman scampered off to go video someone else sleeping.

  Garrett caught my eyes, and I felt my face flush red. I looked quickly to the side at the ground, as he approached me. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I looked back up to meet his brown eyes once again. “Yeah, just a little tired, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get it. What did you do last night?” he asked.

  “I sawed some trees down and hauled them back to camp like a lumberjack, naturally,” I said, giving off a bit of a sarcastic undertone.

  “That figures. I helped unpack supplies, so nothing really exciting.” Shrugging his shoulders, he began to walk off.

  “Garrett!” I hollered after him, and he turned to look at me. “If you want to see something really exciting, go for a walk in the woods,” I said.

  He nodded his head and twisted his mouth into a side smile, before turning back and walking away.

  Ronald rounded everyone up and instructed us on how to create ‘wattle and daub’ huts. The idea was simple: insert strong posts vertically into the ground in a rectangle, about a foot apart, as tall as you wanted the hut to be. You then wove in smaller twigs or sticks and added mud to the weave. A ‘wattle and daub’ roof was meant to provide excellent air circulation. A fire in the middle completed the shelter.

  The vertical posts would need to be as tall as we wanted the hut to be, and embedded into the ground deeply to maintain the structure. To do this, we sharpened the end of the posts with the knives from our MACE suits and dug them into the ground. We found nearby rocks to beat the posts into the earth.

  Weaving the twigs and branches throughout the posts was my favorite part. We had to find flexible limbs to work with so that they did not crack or break, or else we would have a weak structure. Once I had the hang of weaving, it was quick and easy work. When the weaving was completed, we started on the roof, which was the same concept. Strong posts were held with nails and woven limbs between them, and then fastened to the rest of the structure to provide good shelter from the sun and any possible rain. Once that was done, the vision of the structure became clear.