Green Planet

by Anthony E. Southby

  ‘I have an idea!’ Zip squeaked loudly, spinning to the front next to Zen.

  ‘Well, what is it?’ Zen asked, sounding desperate.

  ‘We need to burn the base area and destroy the plant altogether!’ Zip replied confidently.

  ‘That’s an excellent idea Zip, let’s do it!’

  In an instant, the three balls spun to the base of the gigantic killer lily, ablaze like fiery coals. The gigantic lily stood upright displaying its enormous base section clearly, which was easily the same width as Chimzen’s round table. No problem for the Malco trio, only they were running short of time. The three balls quickly bounced into triangular position, spread out across the width of the plant base. In a second or so they projected a red laser beam towards each other, forming a deadly cutting machine. Edging forward towards the base of the plant, they began slicing their way through like a potent high-tech woodcutting machine. The three balls sliced through the base with great ease, causing the smouldering sap to spray in all directions. The plant responded to the deadly abuse, and immediately opened its enormous velvet trap. Soon it lay spread out over the huge expanse like an enormous open parachute of thick shrivelled velvet, with its base completely severed from the root.

  Chimzen watched from a distance, observing the trio make short work of the killer plant. Although the plant’s destruction hadn’t taken very long, he was deeply concerned about the boys as they had been trapped for quite some time already. He ran towards the centre of the enormous leaf, searching desperately for Frank and Philip.

  * * * * * * * *

  After searching through the dead foliage for a short while, he stumbled across both of them lying very close to each other, suffocated by the gigantic leaf. Chimzen looked desperately worried. The Malcos hovered next to him, also very distressed. They only hoped that they had saved the boys in time. Chimzen grabbed Frank’s limp body and quickly placed him next to Philip.

  ‘Come here Zen and Zip!’ he called out, not bothering to check the two for any vital signs. ‘We need to give them the breath of life, trio.’

  The Malcos were the most extraordinary magical balls, capable of performing many useful tasks. Zen and Zip spun into action, hovering over the boys’ mouths. Chimzen hurriedly knelt behind them, holding their mouths open by pressing their cheeks inwards on either side with each hand. Without another word spoken, the Malcos projected a very strong blast of seemingly hazy blue air into their mouths. At first they lay dead still, not showing any vital signs. Then it appeared as though their little chests were moving, as their little lungs responded to the magical blast of oxygen. Frank coughed and spluttered, then opened his eyes, looking a bit dazed. Shortly afterwards Philip also responded to the Malco therapy, with his little feet kicking up into the air as his body welcomed the oxygen. Chimzen released his hands from their mouths and stood to his feet. His face lit up with a smile as he breathed a big sigh of relief. The boys lay dead still, taking in slow deep breaths for a while. Frank sat up first, looking very confused, forgetting what had happened for a moment.

  ‘Oh no! I’m so terribly sorry Chimzen!’ Frank cried, realizing that they had deliberately disobeyed his orders. Philip sat up in a daze, and apologized to the wizard sheepishly.

  ‘Well well, there’s nothing more to be said then, is there?’ Chimzen addressed them sternly, scratching his beard with one eyebrow pointing up. ‘I take it you boys have learnt a very valuable lesson today?’ Frank and Philip nodded mournfully with their heads drooped over in sorrow.

  ‘Not to worry boys, this episode was also partly my fault. I should never have trusted this strange looking enclosure. It was a bit foolish of me to land here in the first place.’ Holding the top of his staff with both hands he eyed the large open field. He looked strangely worried and it upset the boys to see him so unsettled. He had no fear when it came to his own life; his only concern was for the safety of the boys, and he was taking the responsibility very seriously.

  ‘Remember what I said to you before, “Stay very close to me at all times, and if you see something interesting, just ignore it.” Is that clear?’

  The boys nodded vigorously, clutching at the wizard’s robe nervously as they continued onwards.

  In a short while they arrived at the edge of the circular enclosure.

  * * * * * * * *

  ‘Now this is a place of great danger and we need to exercise the utmost caution around these parts,’ Chimzen said, on guard for any suspicious moving creatures. ‘Hopefully, we will find what we are looking for near the edge of the inner circle. The further we are from dense vegetation, the better.’

  The three stood gazing into the unusual expanse of plants and trees, while the trio hovered above them in silence. It must have been late afternoon already, with the sun nowhere in sight, setting below the horizon and hidden behind a long stretch of cloud. The depths of the circular expanse of growth surrounding them lay thick and gloomy, allowing very little light to pass through. Many of the nearby trees appeared quite normal, just like the ones back home. Others were completely different though, with unusual coloured bark and leaves. Some of the tree trunks were dark velvety blue in colour, with matching shiny dark blue leaves. Others were a dull yellow colour, yet their leaves were green. Other trees appeared quite normal, with dark brown bark, stretching high into the sky, yet at the top the leaves were bright shimmering pink. The variation of trees on planet Floran was endless, an array of thousands of different coloured trunks and leaves.

  Many vines and creepers had attached themselves to the trees, surrounding them like twisted mountain bike tyres. Most of them were a normal green colour, except for the odd ones in between, which resembled light blue and orange swimming pool noodles.

  Thousands of various plants and shrubs inhabited the ground surface, with many seemingly common to us here on earth, yet most were totally foreign and unusual. The strange thing about many of these plants was that they didn’t require much sunlight and seemed to flourish quite well in amongst the trees. Some of the plants only consisted of one enormous flower, horizontally spread out over the ground surface like the giant lily, connected directly to a large taproot system. These flowers reached a span of about eight feet in diameter, with a magnificent array of large beautifully coloured petals sprouting from the side. The centres of these enormous flowers were packed with large seeds, and each flower displayed a unique hue of colourful brightness all of its own. The flower could be closely compared to a sunflower, only far more magnificent than anything seen on earth.

  Another specimen showing its colourful face resembled a rose bush, only far more magnificent. Most of these rose type bushes had long golden-brown stalks, the tallest ones extending about seven feet high, without a single thorn. The Floran rose bush flowers were absolutely enormous, boasting a variety of rather unusual colours. Bright blue and orange ones were quite commonly seen, as well as an assortment of unusual greens and indigos all blending into one. Many were ordinary yellow, except for a bright blend of orange and red spots scattered in between their petals, which looked as if they had just been painted on by hand. All of these roses possessed soft petals, sprouting beneath the main flower, which made it appear very stunning, but strangely different from the ones back home.

  Several orange leafy plants hung from the trees, shaped like paper Chinese lanterns. These leafy lanterns used the tree as a life support system, sucking the sap from its bark like a parasite.

  One particular plant, not very commonly seen, looked something like the end of a large cactus embedded in the ground. The strange plant was split into four sections, each one all green and prickly. The four sections pointed away from each other, lying virtually flat on the ground. The unusual plant appeared as though it had a big mouth with a large gullet opening in its centre. The slit cactus would lie open, waiting and keeping very still. Once a leaf or a twig had fallen into the spiky plant’s gullet, it would croak like a frog and snap its four spiky sections closed, resuming a cactus pose for a while.
It was busy digesting the eagerly awaited food at this stage of the food catching game.

  The boys stood staring into the large expanse of forest, amazed at the incredible variety of colourful plants and trees. As beautiful as it was, they still felt strangely uncomfortable about that foreign place.

  ‘Its beauty has fooled many a space traveller seeking to return home with a token of its fine treasure. These beautiful plants can only compare to a fine woman luring a man into captivity with her sweet perfume and dazzling colourful evening wear. Although they may seem radiant, colourful and harmless, don’t trust them. This forest will most certainly be the death of you, if you place your trust in its beauty, even for a moment,’ Chimzen recited, sounding very mysterious as he gazed into the trees with his hands resting on their monkey shoulders. Frank and Philip had a very good idea what he was talking about, having had first-hand experience earlier on. They still found it hard to believe that any of these lovely flowers could cause them any harm. Nonetheless, they weren’t taking any chances and stuck close to the wizard’s side.

  They walked slowly around the circular enclosure, searching the ground carefully for the magical flower. After a while Chimzen stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the boys. Frank and Philip didn’t see him stop and came crashing to a standstill, walking straight into the back of his legs. When they said they were going to stay close, they really meant it. He turned to face them, looking solemn; then he addressed them in a sympathetic tone.

  ‘Unfortunately, there is something I forgot to tell the pair of you.’

  They gazed at him with worried faces.

  ‘What is it?’ they asked in succession.

  Chimzen stood strangely quiet, with the staff in the palm of his hand pressed firmly to the ground, staring at the two expectant faces.

  ‘Well you see, unfortunately the Frego flower only blooms at midnight, for about a minute, which means we are going to have to stay here until long after dark. Hopefully we will find one without too much difficulty; as I’ve said before, they are very scarce.’

  The boys stood staring up at the wizard in disbelief, their little hearts sinking. They absolutely dreaded the thought of being in this dangerous place late at night.

  ‘Don’t worry, my friends, you will be safe with me,’ he said, smiling and patting them on their little heads. The boys looked up, and tried to force a smile in return.

  ‘Now when we eventually find the Frego flower it will be closed, appearing quite different to the flower I described to you earlier. The underside of the flower is black in colour, not silver like the surface. So when you are hunting for the magic flower, look out for the long black petals folding inwards. It is similar to the giant lily, with respect to each flower having its own root, except it is only about the size of my fist. Most importantly, when you find a Frego flower never take your eyes off it! It has the ability to magically disappear, even if you look the other way for a second! This is why there would be no point sending the Malcos in search for one, because as soon as we arrived on the scene, the flower would have completely vanished. We need to hurry now; it will be far easier to spot it while there is still some daylight.’

  The three walked on cautiously side by side with their eyes peeled to the ground, carefully scanning the inner perimeter of the enormous enclosure. The Malco trio hovered above the group like three armed bodyguards, looking out for any danger lurking between the trees.

  Time passed; the group had been searching for a couple of hours and the sun was rapidly disappearing behind the horizon. The trio spun ahead, activating themselves into three bright balls of light to make the path clear for the three travellers.

  Chimzen walked on patiently, virtually right on the edge of the large expanse of trees and green life, with his eyes peeled to the ground. The boys were getting tired and bored with the search, and were beginning to think it was a hopeless cause.

  * * * * * * * *

  The forest slowly grew dark, leaving the boys with a creepy feeling of uncertainty. The sun had disappeared, leaving behind a bright starry sky. The stars shone magnificently, and appeared at least three times the size of the ones seen here on earth. Floran’s moon also seemed larger than ours and it shone with an unusual pale blue colour. The boys stared upwards in awe of the magnificent sky, trying to grasp its incredible beauty with their mouths hung open in wonder. Chimzen watched their expressions and couldn’t help smiling. Every few seconds a shooting star would fly past, lighting up the sky like a small fireworks display. Floran’s night sky was really something quite spectacular to see. Well, at least Frank and Philip thought so.

  The circular enclosure was well lit with the moon’s bright reflection, and the boys felt a lot more comfortable walking in the dark than they thought they would. Chimzen continued searching, with his green robe reflecting the moonlight, and the boys felt comforted by his bold presence.

  Suddenly, a leafy green ball sprang out from amongst the plants and leaves. It looked something like an oversized Brussels sprout with thick folds of crinkly dark green leaves encasing its body. It was about the size of an ordinary tennis ball, and it walked on three springy legs which resembled dark green spinach leaves. Chimzen lowered his arms, and forced the two curious monkeys back two paces with him.

  ‘Don’t trust anything in this place, you just never know what may happen next,’ he whispered, sounding like a soldier warning his platoon of a possible ambush lying ahead. The boys had seen lots of war movies before and Chimzen’s response to the leafy ball sounded so weird. The Malcos homed in on the leafy ball, ready to defend the three. Shortly afterwards another one appeared, strutting nonchalantly across the grass, until it eventually caught up with the one in front. Soon four of these leafy creatures marched alongside the small group in single file, heading across the open enclosure like a group of soldiers marching to battle. All of a sudden they hopped sideways, facing the three, and leaped towards them, causing the boys to fall back in fright. As the leafy balls launched forward, they opened from the centre, displaying large cabbage-like mouths filled with rows of jagged twiggy brown teeth. They screeched loudly, sounding something like you would expect a prehistoric dinosaur to sound. The Malco trio spun into action, blasting the green balls from behind with slashing red laser beams. Zen blasted two green monsters in succession with incredible speed and accuracy. The four leafy creatures exploded into several pieces of scorched cabbage leaves, and fluttered to the ground like an exploded feather pillow. Frank and Philip looked up in horror, staring at the scattered remains. Chimzen addressed the boys like an angry school teacher, shaking his index finger up and down in rage.

  ‘You see what I mean? This place is incredibly dangerous, you can’t trust anything!’

  The boys sat on the ground staring at each other with faces as white as a sheet.

  ‘What did we do?’ Philip wondered.

  ‘I dunno, but he looks kinda cross. I think he’s a bit stressed out or something,’ Frank replied, just as confused as his friend. Chimzen wasn’t really mad at them; he was just a bit paranoid when it came to their wellbeing. Not to mention how upset the leafy balls had made the poor man feel.

  ‘What’s that?’ Chimzen gasped, focusing his attention back to the forest.

  A loud screeching sound could be heard coming from their far left, similar to the sound made by the four leafy balls. An enormous ball appeared at the edge of the enclosure, probably about five feet in width.

  ‘It looks like we have a very unhappy mother,’ Chimzen announced, stepping back cautiously, amazed by its incredible size. The gigantic mother opened her shark teeth trap and let out a loud distressed screech. Frank and Philip ran in the opposite direction, not willing to take any more chances. The Malcos launched towards her, transforming from silver to glowing red fire balls, heading straight for the kill. Into her mouth they flew, bouncing viciously between her jagged teeth, roasting the leafy beast from the inside, microwave oven style.

  The gigantic Brussels spro
ut launched forward unexpectedly, heading straight towards Chimzen. The poor wizard was caught off guard and fell over backwards. Sensing the situation at hand, the Malcos frantically shredded the giant ball. He had no time to escape the fast approaching mother, even though he tried his best to squirm away. With her giant mouth gaping, she came crashing down on top of him. Her leafy sides split open under the pressure, and she exploded over him like an oversized tossed green salad. All that remained was a huge pile of scorched sticky cabbage leaves and thousands of jagged teeth.

  The wizard sat up, gasping for air and shovelling the sticky green mess to one side. He looked half dazed, with bits of green leaf stuck to his face and slimy jagged teeth twisted into his beard.

  ‘Blast that giant ball of leaves,’ he muttered, wiping the cabbage off his face. He slowly stood to his feet, dusting the slimy mess off his robe. The Malcos hovered above him, trying their best not to giggle over the incident.

  Chimzen wasn’t upset for long and thanked the trio for saving him.

  ‘What would I do without you guys?’ he said, smiling up at them with pieces of leaf still stuck to his head. The three balls bounced up and down in the air chuckling; they were always happy to please their master.

  Chimzen called to the boys, reassuring them that the coast was clear. They didn’t see much humour in the incident, but they were very relieved to see the good wizard still alive.

  ‘Well then, we had better continue with the search before we run out of time. I told you boys that you would be safe if you stuck by my side, and that there’s really no need to worry at all.’ He patted them on the head in an effort to lift their spirits. They both nodded in response, unsatisfied with his confident attitude, yet feeling a lot safer with the Malco trio close by.

  * * * * * * * *

  About two hours had passed and there was still no sign of the Frego flower. The boys kept looking into the forest in fear of some plant critter leaping out, but fortunately for them, all remained quiet.