by REM
Chapter 8
Josh awoke to the usual knocking at his door. As he accepted his breakfast tray, Skirm said, “Pax wants to see you in his office when you’re finished.”
Josh thought it seemed as if something might be wrong, but couldn’t tell. “Everything all right?” he asked.
Skirm tilted his head from side to side, twisting his lips, and said, “He’ll tell ya when you get downstairs.”
Josh nodded and turned to go eat. The whole time he wondered what could be up. Maybe Pax couldn’t fix the striker after all, he thought, eating at a hastier pace than normal. When he had washed the last bit of food down with the remainder of his drink, Josh got up, strode to Pax’s office, and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a voice answered.
Josh opened the door and stepped inside. Skirm was leaning back against a counter and Pax was seated at his desk.
“I’ve got some bad news about your ship, son,” said Pax.
I knew it, thought Josh.
“I managed to repair all we went over before, but when I switched her on I got a new reading indicating the fleet-core had gone out. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few pieces I’m unable to fix, or replace on that ship.”
Josh’s jaw dropped.
Pax continued to speak. “A Creston fleet-core is entirely unique. It’s made exclusively for strikers.”
After a moment’s thought, Josh nodded. “There’s no way to get around that part, eh?”
“No,” Pax replied.
Josh placed a hand over his mouth and blew out threw his nose. “Is there any way you could have someone fly me to the space station at the southern Void Zone?”
“Yes, we could arrange for that, but the next inter-galaxy transport isn’t due for another twenty-eight days.”
Twenty-eight days? thought Josh. “Why so long?”
“One massive shipment per month, sometimes two, is all that’s needed for civilization here on Skurier.”
“Well, is it possible you can have someone fly me there on one of your transports? There’s so many in the factory.”
“It would be too risky, son. We’d run the risk of getting shot down.”
“Shot down?” Josh blurted. “Who or why would anyone shoot down a Skurier craft?”
“Skurier is one of the few, if not the only, Cosmolis planet to openly voice, and display its alignment toward Creston views. Because of that, Mercen are hostile to our crafts, and as often as they patrol, making it out of the Cosmolis and into the southern Void Zone is a dangerous gamble.”
“Yep,” said Skirm, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
Josh shook his head. I’m stuck here for twenty-eight more days, he thought, knowing it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to him, but feeling impatient to get back to the M.N. Rampage nonetheless. “Well, if that’s the only choice I’ve got… I guess I’ll just have to ride the time out here—if that’s okay with you.”
“You’ve been a respectable guest so far; I don’t see any problem with you staying with us for that duration. We’ll still need your extra hands for work around the factory, however,” said Pax.
Josh nodded, then heard Skirm say: “There’s one other possibility, if you’re in such a hurry to return to your mothership.”
Pax and Josh looked in Skirm’s direction. Pax seemed confused and Josh was surprised.
“The old crash site from a few years ago,” said Skirm.
Pax’s expression looked a bit spooked. “That would be too dangerous, and not worth the risk. Better he just waits for inter-galaxy ship.”
“What’s he talking about?” asked Josh.
“Your striker isn’t the only one to crash on Skurier,” said Pax. “One went down a few years back in the far eastern jungle. But we don’t know if the ship’s intact, or if its fleet-core is salvageable.”
“I think there’s a good chance the striker’s still in decent enough shape that its core isn’t damaged. The trees there are so dense, and the angle of the crash we recorded supports this possibility,” said Skirm.
“Well, can we fly there and check it out?” Josh asked.
Pax twisted his head doubtfully. “The trees’ density makes it impossible to land one of our transports in the jungle, which means our craft would have to land outside of it, and then the crew would have to travel into it by foot. The monsters in the far east jungle aren’t trained to fear the whistle. It would be a hazardous mission.”
“We’re only looking at about a two-mile trek. I think it can be done. I wouldn’t mind leading a small team into the area,” said Skirm.
“And who do you think would actually volunteer for that?” asked Pax. “It’s not like we can afford to have people not working during our second busiest part of the year. We’ve got a stiff deadline, and you know that.”
“I know Comm would come, and I’m pretty sure about one of the firbles too. Them and Josh are all I’d need to head the expedition,” Skirm replied.
Pax rubbed his chin. “Are you sure about doing this?”
“Sure. It’d be fun,” Skirm replied. “You up for it?” he asked Josh.
Josh peered at Pax, then to Skirm. “Yeah… I’m up for it.”
Pax got up and opened a closet, then turned and tossed Josh the blaster he’d taken from him. “Think you’re going to be needing this back. We trust ya.”
“Thank you,” said Josh, giving a solemn nod.
“Courtyard, thirty minutes,” said Skirm.
“You got it,” said Josh, tucking away his gun and heading back up to his room.
When Josh arrived at the transport ship, the boarding ramp was down and the same Boden he’d faced off with on the flight simulator was standing near it, along with Nalee. He was shocked to see her with the same weird-looking smile on her face.
“I never introduced myself before. I am Comm,” said the Boden.
Nalee tapped Josh’s chest with the back of her hand. “You owe me a fight.”
Skirm appeared at the top of the ramp. “All aboard—let’s get going.”
Everyone made their way up onto the ship and it blasted off.
The flight allowed Josh to see more of the mostly dry and rocky world, until in no time they were landing along the edge of the eastern jungle. Skirm brought the craft down onto a weed field, where everyone got off.
Nalee carried a four-foot cylinder in her hand, Skirm had a rifle-blaster slung over his shoulder, and Josh wore his small blaster at his waist. As far as he could tell, Comm appeared to be unarmed.
“Straight east for a little over two miles and we’ll be there,” said Skirm, leading the way. He waited until they had stepped foot inside of the jungle and said, “This place is extremely dangerous. Be very wary!”
Josh nodded.
“I’m ready for anything,” said Nalee. “I will take care of you,” she said, looking at Josh.
Comm chuckled.
What is she, related to Kyle? thought Josh sarcastically, then peered at the dim and damp surroundings.
A few minutes had passed when he caught eye of a beautiful bush that had vibrant green leaves with faint purple sparkles; almost like glitter, he thought. He walked toward it to get a closer look.
“Stop!” said Skirm.
Josh also heard Comm say: “No, no!”
“That’s a fopple plant,” said Skirm. “If you get too close it will feel your movements with its roots and grab you with its tentacles. Once you’re all wrapped up, it will pull you in and consume you.”
“Slow, horrible death,” said Comm.
Josh stared at the plant in a new light and backed away.
“They’re rare. Probably not more than handful in this entire jungle,” said Skirm, as the group continued on.
Josh could hear what he thought to be aquatic-sounding hooting in the distance. The surface they were walking on wasn’t as swampy as the jungle he’d crashed into, but was still wet.
“Crap, I’ve got to take a leak,” said Josh.
Skirm stopped and turned. He glanced around and then said, “Go behind that tree over there. We’ll wait right here.”
“Okay, be right back.” Josh jogged behind the trunk and started to pee. As he was wrapping up, he heard flapping from his rear. Huh? he thought, twisting to see.
There was a bird that looked an awful lot like a parrot, flying in place. Its eyes were like none Josh had ever seen. They were baby-blue with black speckled pupils that rotated continuously. Mesmerizing, thought Josh, reasoning the creature to be friendly. He couldn’t take his gaze off of the bird’s spectacular eyes. It stared into his, never flinching. Like… it’s looking into my soul.
Josh felt as if he was dreaming on his feet. The once spooky aura of the jungle now seemed light and breezy. Josh felt wonderful about nothing, and he didn’t know why. He just enjoyed being in the presence of the beautiful bird, and watched it drift backward without ever breaking eye contact.
Josh stepped forward and followed the bird everywhere it moved. This is fantastic, he thought blissfully. La, la-la, la-la, la-la.
“Josh!” he heard a familiar voice say, then felt Skirm’s arms wrap his shoulders from behind. Josh snapped out of his daze and saw Nalee batting at the odd bird with her cylinder.
“Get out of here! Shoo!” she snapped.
Only then did Josh realize he was in a different part of the jungle. “What the heck is going on?” he asked.
“That was a lulu-bird,” said Skirm. “Never look those damn things in the eyes! They will entrance you and lead you away to be eaten.”
“Eaten? By the bird?” Josh replied.
“Birds,” said Comm. He pointed to a dark cave, where more than a hundred blue eyes were glowing inside.
Josh gaped. My God… he thought.
“Stay by me,” Nalee said, walking back over and slipping her arm around Josh’s.
“Man, you’re lucky we made it to you when we did!” said Skirm. “Comm was the first to notice you’d been gone for too long. It took us nearly fifteen minutes to find you.”
Wow. It only felt like a couple of minutes had passed, thought Josh.
“All right, let’s get back on track,” said Skirm, turning to lead the way.
Josh tried pulling his arm subtly from Nalee’s, but she squeezed tighter and smiled at him. Christ, he thought.
“Rrrawr!”
Josh snapped his head left and saw a hyena-creature lunge out from a bush and bite Skirm’s shoulder. The creature shook its neck, trying to rip deeper into his flesh.
“Aah!” cried Skirm. He tumbled to the ground with the beast on top of him.
The hyena-creature released Skirm from its jaws and jerked back for another bite, but Comm kicked the beast to the side before it could sink its teeth into Skirm’s throat.
There was little time for Josh to react—three more hyena-creatures burst from the brush. He saw out the corner of his eye as Nalee pressed a switch on her cylinder and both sides of the object shot out into a double-bladed staff. She stepped forward and swung the tip of her weapon across the face of a charging hyena, then twirled the staff before bringing the blade back down for another slice.
Josh drew his blaster and fired a shot. Much to his surprise, the creature dodged it. What the… he thought, with widened eyes, squeezing the trigger a second and third time. One blast struck the hyena-creature in the chest. The beast squealed loudly and fell squirming to the ground.
Josh looked to his right, where the bracers on Comm’s wrists shot out over his hands and into metal fists. The Boden swung once, and then twice, catching a hyena-creature on the nose. He then chased it into retreat.
Josh heard heavy panting from his rear and turned, holding his gun hand up in defense. A hyena-creature chomped down on the barrel and ripped it from his grip. Not again! he thought, realizing just how smart these animals were. He scanned the ground for a weapon, but there was nothing useful.
The hyena-creature tossed the gun and lunged at Josh—only to have a blade from Nalee’s staff thrust into its neck. Josh glanced at the firble and considered her a friend. He was happier than ever at seeing the goofy smile on her face. Does she ever get scared? he thought.
The remaining hyena-creatures tore off out of sight.
“Are you okay?” Josh heard Comm asking Skirm.
Skirm grunted. “Damn coy got me good.”
So that’s what they’re called, thought Josh.
Comm blew a whistle in hopes that the coys would remember the sound.
“You’re bleeding, badly,” Nalee said to Skirm.
“There’s a medi-kit in my pack—pull it out,” said Skirm.
Josh was the first to move. He unzipped the bag and took out the kit.
“Comm, can you please?” asked Skirm, who was using his good arm to apply pressure on his other.
Comm grabbed an object from the kit that reminded Josh of a glue gun and started applying gel shots to Skirm’s puncture wounds. The substance firmed almost instantly.
Skirm winced from the burn of the gel’s disinfectant.
“We should get you back to the ship,” said Nalee.
Josh nodded.
“No!” said Skirm. “We didn’t come this far to coward out now. We finish the mission!”
Josh could see it in his eyes that Skirm meant what he said.
“Here, wrap this around my shoulder,” said Skirm, handing Josh a wrap from his pouch.
Josh did as told. When he was finished, Comm leaned down to help Skirm up to his feet.
Nalee remained on guard the entire time.
“You’d better pick that up,” said Skirm, pointing to Josh’s blaster.
Oh yeah, thought Josh. He jogged over and picked up the gun.
“Off we go,” said Skirm.
They trekked for just under two miles without incident.
“We’re getting close,” said Skirm, who was staring down at a device. He stopped a few steps later to take a sip from a bottle of water. Nalee did the same.
There was a light rustling from a bush some twenty-odd yards away.
“You hear that?” asked Josh.
“Hear what?” said Skirm.
Both scanned the jungle.
Nalee was the only one who nodded. “It came from over there,” she said, pointing to the brush.
“Probably nothing,” said Skirm. “But keep an eye out just in case.” He shoved the drink into his bag and continued to hike.
It took only a short span on the move for Josh to hear another rustling. The sound was accompanied by a swift movement, which he saw out of the corner of his eye. “Tell me you heard that one,” he said.
“Yep, I did. There’s definitely something over there—possibly stalking us,” said Skirm, nodding. He raised his rifle to his eye and scanned in the direction of the noise.
Nalee ejected her staff to its full length.
Comm triggered his metal fists.
“Pick that up and toss it over there,” said Skirm, motioning at a rock on the ground with his chin.
Josh grabbed the stone and chucked it at a bush. There was no movement, so he picked up two more and tossed them in the same vicinity. Again, not a sound.
Skirm furrowed his brows, then said, “Don’t be fooled. There’s definitely something in that brush.”
They all stared silently at the suspected bush.
“I’m moving closer,” said Skirm. “Cover me.”
Josh drew his blaster. He and Comm crept behind Skirm.
“Wah-ee!” Nalee cried out.
Everyone turned to where she had been yanked to the dirt by a tentacle. It was pulling her toward a cluster of large bushes.
“Shit!” Skirm blurted. He ran toward her.
Josh and Comm did the same. Then… “Ruuuuh! Ruh-uh!” A green, bigfoot-looking creature stormed out from behind some plants and backhanded Comm in the chest. The Boden flew to the ground.
Skirm tried aiming his rifle at the creature, but the green monster batted it from his hands and fo
rced him to dive away. “Help Nalee!” he shouted.
Josh rushed over and grabbed her around the chest. He tried his hardest to pull against the tentacle, but after a second tendril wrapped her ankles, it was clear he’d lose the tug. He glanced in the direction she was being pulled and saw vibrant green, and purple speckled leaves, which were mostly hidden. Fopple plant! he thought.
Josh slid out his blaster and fired twice at the tentacle. One shot missed; the other didn’t seem to do any damage.
“My staff! Use my staff!” said Nalee, clawing at dirt.
Josh darted for the weapon and saw Comm punch the green creature to the face with his steel fist. The monster staggered a couple steps back, then charged forward and shook the Boden before throwing him against a tree. Josh watched Skirm crawl for his rifle, the green creature moving to cut the injured mission leader off. He then heard Nalee call out: “Josh!” Josh picked up the staff and ran back over to where she was nearing the brush.
Thfft! Thfft! Thfft! Josh hacked at a tentacle. There was a snap upon his severing of the limb. Purple fluid squirted out. Then he chopped at the other tentacle.
Right when it looked as if Nalee was going to get dragged into the brush, Josh brought the blade down hard and freed her of the remaining limb. The firble shot to her feet and stared at Josh. Thoot! Both turned at the sound of Skirm’s rifle.
“Uuuh!” the green creature shouted, fleeing into the trees.
Skirm could have killed the monster but didn’t. Instead, he blew his whistle.
Nalee placed a hand on Josh’s shoulder. “You saved my life,” she said, dipping her head and looking him in the eyes. Then she smiled.
That’s right, I did, thought Josh. But let’s not get carried away. He smiled back.
Comm and Skirm walked over to them. “Guess this wouldn’t be the best place to go camping, like you folks say on Creston, eh?” said Skirm.
“No, it wouldn’t,” Josh replied.
Comm laughed, but Josh couldn’t help wondering how the Boden could understand the joke. Maybe they do camping where he’s from too. Who knows? he thought.
They continued on until finally reaching the site of the crashed striker. “There it is,” said Comm, having the best vision of the bunch.
The area where the ship rested was much lighter than any other part of the jungle, due to its wrecking of trees when going down. The striker was in two pieces, but still mostly intact.
