The trees they headed for were a trifle weirder and more richly tinted than the ones they had seen on Earth. They were broad-leaved and looked like poplars–the crowns were tightly snug around 160-feet tall trunks.
‘Do you see this Professor?’ Mila asked.
‘I do, the picture is clear here, if there are any interferences, I’ll let you know,’ the scientist replied.
‘All right, guys, let’s go. Don’t do anything rash. Walk in a line, I’ll be in charge; Liu and Hiroshi–cover us!’ the Colonel ordered. Like a military unit, they went on offensive to the nearby river, taking a meandering beaten track that led up straight to it. On the way to the water pool, apart from deafening sounds produced by the local inhabitants, they saw footprints varying in size. Big and small steps alternated as though they were outlining a pathway toward the river.
‘Zanev, are you seeing what we’re seeing?’ Mila asked.
‘Yes, I see everything, but the situation here has gotten really interesting–we’ve just picked up on the first signal from an extraterrestrial species,’ the Russian announced. And that was the naked truth. Something with the silhouette of a bird came flying towards the alien machine and perched on top of it. The first thing Roman did was to snap a shot of the creature and to put down a note in the logbook since he had no time to write a detailed description or give it a name.
The critter was covered with a furry covering, one different than feathers, it spread its wings and started croaking like crazy. Deafening cries came out of its beak–it seemed to be composed of some soft substance rather than of the expected bone tissue, and it also had a set of densely arranged teeth. This particular trait of the bird-like being and its coloration that mimicked the colors of the forest made the animal unique and beautiful in its own way. Soon after an entire flock of the same kind flew over the shuttle and swooped down, landing on top of the craft. They started waking on it and picking at its body–maybe they did it out of mere curiosity or they just wanted to figure out what was going on. No one knew what thoughts were circulating in the heads of those bird-like creatures or whether anything at all crossed their minds, but apparently the cries were their way of testing the foreign object. In a few minutes they became so many that there was no more room for other beings of their kind and it was then that Zanev first became a witness of their brawls and rivalry. The seemingly beautiful animals were in fact quite brutal. The flap of their wings was bigger than that of a human stature. Their baleful toothed beaks were not even the most menacing attribute they had. Their wings ended in big spikes which they used to launch merciless attacks on their enemies and to harm each other to death. It still remained to be seen if their spikes were venomous, but some of the critters dropped lifeless after the fights and the multiple stab wounds. Flabbergasted by the sight, Zanev sent over a few frames with the beings in action to his team.
‘Be careful with those creatures, they look rather dangerous.’ The Professor was not long in warning the others.
The six walked down the pathway that now provided clear indications that it had been formed by the repeated stomp of some creature. Heavily armed as they were, the explorers still walked past the trees and bushes gingerly. Striding in the middle of the line, Alan first noticed a tree whose color was different than that of the others. Instead of the usual deep green, red and pale violet, it glowed in brown and had orange specks on the somewhat closed leaves and on its trunk, and looked as if it was fading away, as if the fall had started paving its way into its life.
‘Hey, look! That’s the only tree of this kind we’ve seen so far and we’ve been walking for more than an hour now,’ the American announced. The group halted and began studying the tree closely. They noticed the tree was enveloped in something they had not seen before. It looked like a living thing, about thirty feet long, with round frame thick as a human torso.
‘It looks like a big snake, but why isn’t it moving?’ Scott said startled and moved closer until he was about three feet away from the tree. He spotted a movement that reminded him of breathing and he reached for the seemingly smooth and greasy sheathed body.
‘I think it’s harmless,’ the American announced, having overcome his fear, but at that very instant the unfamiliar creature raised its head abruptly, still squeezing the tree tightly with its body, and revealed a wide maw full of jagged inverted craters like the teeth of a leech. The woodworm that was draining the plant of its vital juices jumped at once, producing a shrill sound and moving away its hefty body into the shrubbery at great speed. Before it went completely out of sight, it struck Liu with his tail tip and sent him down on the ground. No one managed to do anything as the creature slipped away imperceptibly and was never seen again. That incident instilled some fear in the six and that way they understood that not everything was what it seemed and that unexpected “surprises” could be lurking behind every nook and cranny.
‘Are you OK?’ Hiroshi asked and helped his friend up; fortunately Scott got away without serious traumas.
‘I think we got lucky this time. Scott, don’t make hasty decisions–I’m saying it again, I’m not sure we’re safe. We’ll resume our way quietly, but I don’t want you to touch anything!’ Tom gave another one of his orders, a bit agitated by what had happened and by the actions of the American.
Accompanied by the concert of unknown sounds and constant unidentified buzzing, our heroes advanced further and further into the alien forest lands. After walking for a few hours they finally reached the nearest river. A small waterfall crowned the upper rapids which cascaded into stiller water that shaded into different colors. At first they thought that the light was being refracted by the falling water, but when they got closer they found out that something completely different caused that phenomenon. The team could not see deeper than a few feet into the water as the colors and the elements dissolved in it made it impenetrable. Mila crouched down on the bank and took a sample of the water in a small vile that she placed in a concave space in the back of her suit.
‘Everyone, look!’ Liu suddenly called and pointed the barrel of his weapon at something that looked rather menacing. About a hundred feet away from them appeared the next odd-looking animal–it intended to drink from the impenetrable water. It was endowed with a long body and thick plumage, but it did not look like the one that had perched on the roof of their shuttle. The massive body of the flightless bird ended in a hard, spike-covered tail and two strong legs that supported its frame.
‘Everyone, get down and stay unnoticed!’ the Colonel cried. ‘We’ll be watching and we’ll take action only if we’re in immediate danger.’
The explorers squatted down and observed the animal as it lapped water. Shortly before it lifted its head off the river, the nearby bushes quivered and a predatory tiger- striped animal with white and blue stripes sprang out at once. It was incredibly beautiful, yet dangerous. The structure of its body reminded of a gigantic hyena with strong forelegs and thick, short hind legs. It pounced on the bird-like creature ruthlessly and bit into its back, but because its movement was all too quick it only managed to keep the winged critter between its teeth for a while and then it was left with a mouthful of plumage to chew. The calmly drinking feathery being fell to the side, shocked.
The six were yet to witness a mesmerizing scene. The spectacle of life was unfolding before their eyes for the first time in that new, unfamiliar world. The attack they saw turned into a battle. The two-legged creature got back on its feet and inflicted a heavy blow on the predator with its tail, but because of the quadruple’s thick skin the spikes of the bird-like creature failed to pierce its body. The two animals started biting each other and became a rolling ball, each creature fighting for dear life. A mesmerizing process took place at that moment. The bird managed to slip out of the enemy´s grip for a second and suddenly the plumage around its neck fanned out into a round hood trimmed with thick solid feathers that looked like an inverted umbrella or a funnel. The being took a deep breath and let out a l
oud shrill that rent the area while the funnel around its neck started vibrating at a high frequency. The earthlings who were squatting close by went almost deaf, yet they were painfully hypnotized at the sight. The multi-colored predatory animal was paralyzed and it stood on its claws watching the source of the deathly sound. It went stiff, desperately trying to put up any sort of resistance, but the frequency of the high-pitched cry and the vibrations grew stronger and fused ever more. The tables turned and now the striped animal turned from attacker into a victim and fell on the ground. It seemed that its entire neural system collapsed in a matter of seconds and the powerful vibrations that made the nearby trees tremble as if they were sticks now caused the body of the lying animal to shake and began tearing it apart from the inside out. Blood sprinkled from every orifice and cavity of the dead animal. Right before the bird was about to quit making the deathly sound and start gloating victoriously, its show was cut short. Something large, terrifying and unknown sprang out of the water with a bang and grabbed the bird with its upper limbs. It flung the feathery creature down a few times, crushing its skeleton, until it made sure the victim was dead and made no sound, then with a powerful cry and a noisy splash it slipped back into the water swiftly, dragging its prey along. Afterwards the quiet and the buzzing reigned back again. What was that being that needed only a second to brutally slay the strong animal that had made the entire plane quake less than a minute ago?
‘Stay away from the water!’ Tom called out to his still stunned comrades, not having noticed all of what had happened. He stood up and nudged his team mates to turn and walk in the opposite direction.
Everything around them shifted for seconds at an incontrollable speed. The victims were no victims but killers, yet eventually nothing could compare to the water demon that put an end to the commotion. Stooped close to the ground, with brisk steps our heroes got to a safe distance from the scene of action.
‘Did you see it, Professor, did you see what happened?’ Tom repeated still slightly worried after the incident. ‘I repeat, did you see what just happened?’
‘Roger. I can hear you now, what’s going on? The communications went down for a few seconds–I didn’t hear or see you,’ Zanev clarified over the radio.
‘Guys, that thing killed the striped beast with the sound and the vibrations it produced,’ Hiroshi piped up.
‘Who cares about the chicken, did you see the thing that took it away?’ Scott said perturbed.
‘What’s happened? Repeat.’
‘We’ll tell you when we come back, it’s too dangerous for us to stay in one place and just talk,’ Ivanov announced, examining his fellows to check if they were all right.
‘You have gone very far, the radars said you were 10 miles away, so I suggest you come back. The night is about to fall and a while ago the devices came back with a change in the pressure and indicated the formation of heavy showers near the shuttle’s location. You’d better continue tomorrow unless you’d like to be left outside alone and drenched in the dark,’ Roman warned. Everyone waited for the Colonel to take the decision. They knew they would survive the night in the open, but what was the point of doing it and what would it cost them to watch the parade of the nocturnal creatures that inhabited Menoetius’s gloom?
Tom was ready to pit his team against the unknown and the sinister, for he knew that his men were still not completely acquainted with the full potential of the suit. But his answer seemed to have been influenced by all that he had seen so far. Having experienced the animosity of the environment they found themselves in, he preferred not to run any more risks.
‘We’re going back. Everyone, get in a line! Don’t touch anything and don’t talk unless there is an exigency. Take a good look at everything around you. If you spot a threat, you’re allowed to shoot on sight. Go!’ the Russian commanded. He was experienced in tense situations. It took them an hour of walking with a quick step to get back to their shelter right before twilight came and before it started sprinkling–what began as a light drizzle, promised to be raining buckets for the rest of the night . . .
The giant door slid open and the reconnoiterers went in.
‘Professor, are the ATVs back?’ Mila asked and stepped out of her suit.
‘Yes, they returned shortly before you did. They have brought samples for analysis. We already have the data from the probes we launched. We have a lot of material to work through tonight,’ Roman replied.
‘My advice is that we all sit down and watch the monitors and the radar while the Professor is going through his work,’ Thomas suggested decidedly.
‘I need one of you to come with me. I can use an assistant in the analyses in the lab. Mila, come with me,’ the scientist said curtly. It was easy for him to pick since he knew that Lieutenant Nikolevna had good knowledge of biology and chemistry.
‘Good, the five of us will rotate on watch every couple of hours. Those of you who won’t be on their due shift can sleep or rest in the dormitory, but I want you to come on time when I call you in. Scott and I will be first. The rest of you are free for the next two hours,’ Colonel Ivanov commanded. Liu, Hiroshi and Alan went to have a meal and get some rest and Mila headed for the laboratory with Roman.
‘Look, Mila, we have many samples. All I want from you is to measure the gases and metal composition of the material we’ve collected. We have at our disposal the most modern equipment and devices for every single thing so it won’t have any difficulties. There are detailed notes stuck on every machine saying what its respective functions are as well as how to use it. I will take care of the microbiological analyses of the soil and the rock samples,’ he explained to the blond beauty and both of them got down to work . . .
Tom and Scott watched the incoming data from the infrared cameras and the motion detection sensors. They reduced the light emitted from the shuttle and immersed in the silence of the night. The surrounding environment was quiet, there was no motion. The rain was pouring heavily and all the animals had hidden in whatever places they had found . . .
The other three crew members got a quick bite and tried to take their minds off of the tense situation they were in about an hour before.
‘We all saw what happened, right?’ Hiroshi asked bewildered. Alan and Liu nodded in agreement. ‘I still find it a bit hard to fathom where we are. We are outrageously far away from our home, in a place which would sooner kill us than welcome and shelter us. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to live here at all,’ he voiced his concerns after everything that had happened over the previous few hours.
‘I have no doubts,’ Alan declared. ‘The creatures might be horrifying, but we have not met intelligent or technologically advanced aliens. And if that doesn’t happen, we’ll remain on top of the evolutionary pyramid both here and on Earth,’ categorically said the American.
The creatures were horrifying, they had teeth and claws–ready to hunt, ready to kill; and the messengers from Earth had seen only a few animal and plant species since their arrival. The worst case scenario could have been encountering power which could respond in a technological language, or at least so they thought. Once that short conversation was over, the three explorers withdrew into the common dormitory. Having divided all tasks, some of the crew members winded up watching the monitors, others were resting, and the third group was working hard almost all night long in the small cutting-edge technology.
‘Mila, put on the audio recording from the ATVs. I’ve watched the video, but since we’re working anyway, we might as well play the recorded sounds as a background.’ Zanev was astonished most seriously by the weird noise–it was as much puzzling as it was maddening. ‘Have you by any chance noticed the odd sound that wafts around here? It is like a buzzing or vibrating of something at medium to low frequency,’ Zanev asked.
‘Yes, there were many rather strange noises out there. Some were made by animals, others came from trees and rivers, but that very same sound was everywhere we went,’ Lieutenant Nikolaevna replied.
After they went through some of the recordings the Professor stopped them.
‘I think we’ve had enough listening for today.’
‘Yes, that’s enough, otherwise I’ll be hearing bird cries and that mind-wrecking buzzing until tomorrow comes,’ Mila shared frankly. She reduced the noise to a minimum so they could work in a tranquil environment, but the sound seemed not to die away even though the recordings were already off. On top of that it was growing louder and now they could hear it despite the absolute silence in the room. The walls of the shuttle were gradually starting to let it pass through. Had it increased its intensity or the source had come closer to them–they were about to find out.
‘What is happening?’ the Professor heaved a bit in his chair, bewildered. ‘I’ll go to the control room.’ He peeled off his gloves quickly and headed towards the sentries. Hiroshi and Liu were on duty.
‘What’s going on, chaps? Is there anything interesting happening here?’
‘Actually, yes. The rain won’t stop and it’s hammering down on us as though we’re right under a waterfall. At first the others reported that different animal species had passed near the shuttle and some of them have even approached it, but the rain is now lashing down harder than before and there were no more encounters. For the time being there are no living beings around us, everything has found a shelter from the pelting water. The soil has gone very soft and porous, it absorbs it profusely and we’ve sunk in it with about four inches and the level of the water is increasing drastically. I hope it stops raining soon, otherwise I feel like we’ll soon be engulfed by the soil,’ Hiroshi said concerned. ‘Besides, the weird buzzing we’re all hearing has gradually grown louder and we can now hear it in here with unaided ear,’ the Japanese continued. Roman was genuinely astounded, he could not fathom what was happening.
Dawn of Hope- Exodus Page 30
