“Martin, I—”
“Aria,” he said.
She turned around.
Martin stood by a tree. He held his finger up to his lips. Well, up to the glass around his face, but where his lips would have been. He was telling her to be quiet. He could just have said to be quiet. Nothing outside of the suits could hear him unless he had his speakers on.
Which he wouldn’t have on, or shouldn’t. There was no need.
She was going to tell him as much when she saw something move.
She stood up slowly.
When the thing moved a second time, she thought her heart might have skipped a beat. Her breath caught in her chest. The animal kind of reminded her of a large bear, but without fuzzy fur. It also resembled a dog, except for its size. There was nothing about the animal that suggested possible domesticated pet. The body was nine feet long from the tip of the nose to the end of a stubby tail and at least four feet tall. Protruding canine teeth were long and sharp. The beast must weigh over three hundred pounds. With short limbs and clawed paws, Aria did not want to attract unwanted attention. At least she understood now why Martin stopped talking.
When it walked, the muscles throughout its body flexed beneath skin. It moved like a bear. She hoped her suit’s camera was capturing everything. The visual documentation would be stunning to watch later. Her mind spun with ideas. As she watched the animal move away from them, she worked out names for the species. She thought, Titan something or other.
She hoped the thing was an herbivore. Something about the teeth told her she was wrong. The expansive chunk of land they landed on suggested if there was one, there was bound to be more. She expected more. It had predator written all over it. What did something like that hunt? Not insects.
“I was able to zoom in on the bear,” Martin said. “I think I have some very clear footage.”
“The Titanoide,” she said.
“The what?”
“I don’t know. It’s what I am calling it for now,” she said. He technically found it first. He might take exception to her naming a species without him. He wasn’t arguing, so she left it alone. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t be allowed to name things. He could, as long as it had to do with dirt and water and rocks. That was only fair.
The Titanoide growled.
Not at them.
She reached for her blaster. She aimed it at the animal.
Martin looked back at her. Saw the weapon drawn, and dropped to his knees. “Are you crazy?”
“I wouldn’t hit you,” she said.
“You were no marksman in training,” he said. “I think we should go back. Wait for Braddox to take us out exploring.”
Really? She wanted to tease him. Call his manhood into question or something. There was no point. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to get a joke. If he possessed a sense of humor, he’d kept it well hidden. “We’re not going back. Not yet.”
“I think we should,” he said.
“Then you go back. I’ve still got over a half of tank of air.”
Martin just stared at her. “I think the titan-thing defecated.”
“Where?”
“You’re the only one I know that could get excited about feces,” Martin said. He pointed between the trees. “There. Already has bugs buzzing around it.”
She holstered her blaster. Feces. Bugs. How could she hide her smile?
Stepping over the shrubs, Aria cut a path toward where the animal had been. “You see where it went?”
“Once it got past that clearing, it took off into the forest.”
“You call that a forest? Looks more like we’re on the skirt of a jungle.” Aria knelt by the droppings and scooped some into a bag. It sealed. She identified it out loud for an audible record, and then tucked it away in her bag alongside the bug.
“The insects are like flies or mosquitoes, only larger,” she said. Martin didn’t have to acknowledge. She was talking to him, but again, was also trying to secure an accurate video documentary of her findings. Catching one was not simple. She waited for a few of them to land on the feces. As fast as she could, she scooped them into a bag and sealed it as well.
They’d been on the planet an hour, and she felt the success of the mission in every passing second. Worst thing so far was the need for suits. If they didn’t have to wear the suits, the place would be paradise.
Chapter 7
Braddox ran a gloved thumb along the side of the gouge in the fuel tank. For steering the ship through an asteroid field, he thought he’d done pretty well. A rock along the tank was unfortunate. The fuel lost made matters worse. He still smiled inside at how well he’d flown. Downright impressive if he did say so himself.
“Looks bad,” Candice said. She set the tool box down, and opened it.
“It might be a little worse than I let on, but I don’t think we need to panic just yet.”
“Lost a lot of fuel. I saw that,” she said. “What are you thinking?”
He shrugged, taking a step back and looking at the overall size of the tank. Patching the hole was going to be a job, but doable. “I’m thinking first thing’s first.”
“Repair the hole,” she said.
They worked together. The blue flame from the welding gun affixed pieces of metal over the long hole.
The visors over their helmets protected their eyes.
Candice lowered her welding gun. “Captain?”
He continued welding. They could talk more later. He wanted to finish repairing the tank. Afterward, they’d have plenty of time for discussing viable options on making it back to Clandestine. He wasn’t ready to accept defeat. Perhaps he shouldn’t have hidden the truth from the others. There was no reason to spoil their work. How effective would their collections be if they thought they might be trapped on the planet? They needed to send data home. That was the mission. Returning was not.
“Captain.” Candice Doppler poked him in the arm.
He switched off the welding gun and raised his visor.
Candice held the blaster in her right hand. She was squatting, scanning the dense forest around them. “We’re being watched,” she said.
He set down the welding gun and removed his blaster from the holster. “What did you see?”
“It was back that way, toward the nose of the ship. I caught it out of the corner of my eye,” she said. She rested a palm against the ship for balance. “I don’t know what it was. When I looked, it was gone.”
“Into the woods?” Braddox said.
“It’s what I’m thinking,” she said. “What do you think it was?”
He almost laughed. “I didn’t see it.”
“Right, right,” she said.
“Stay calm, Candice. Okay? Calm,” he said. “Follow me.”
“Whoa, wait. We’re going to look for it?”
Braddox held his blaster in both hands. “Whatever it is you saw, I don’t want it sneaking up on us while we finish these repairs. We’re not going out to look for it. We’re just going to make sure it’s gone.”
She nodded. “Okay. Yeah. That makes sense.”
“Just follow me,” he said. He walked around her toward the front of Liberation. This was another setback. “Light? Caldera? Do you copy?”
“It’s Light, Captain. We copy.”
“What’s your location?”
“About seventy yards north of Liberation, sir,” Aria Light said.
“Roger,” Captain Founding said.
“What’s up, captain?” Light said.
“Just making sure you’re following orders,” he said. He wasn’t sure he sounded convincing. “Find anything interesting?”
“There is life on this planet. Animals.”
No kidding, he thought. “Anything dangerous?”
“Didn’t seem friendly, captain. But we didn’t get close, and we have no intention of engaging,” she said.
“Roger.” Braddox wondered if he should order them back to the ship. He decided they’d check the
immediate perimeter. If he suspected anything. . .what? Out of the ordinary? They were on an alien planet. Everything was out of the ordinary. “New rules, Ms. Light. Seventy-five yards. Not a step further.”
There was a moment of silence. He could only picture Light and Caldera discussing an answer, as if they had a choice. He called the shots. They followed the orders.
He could not believe how similar the planet was to home. The colors seemed more vibrant. The greens a deeper green, and the sky bluer. And while the trees looked taller, and the shrubs bushier, he would swear they hadn’t left their own solar system. If he hadn’t landed the Liberation himself, he’d have sworn they merely landed on a remote island at home.
They were several yards beyond the ship.
Braddox knew his breathing had quickened. He didn’t want to waste air. His breath fogged the shield. He kept expecting something to jump out of the brush and attack. Candice had his back. He trusted her.
Something broke branches. It almost sounded like an entire tree was knocked over.
“You hear that?” Doppler said. She took a knee. Her blaster was aimed at treetops. “Came from over there.”
“Yeah. I heard it.” He stared toward where the sound had come from.
Candice had been right. Whatever was beyond the treeline was large. Tall. It was nearly impossible not to think it was vicious.
Chapter 8
“There’s another one,” Aria Light said.
“Could be the same one,” Martin said.
Aria shook her head. “It’s different. Look at the markings.”
She noticed thicker dark stripes on its skin. The other Titanoide wore softer stripes, less pronounced. This was definitely a second animal. There was no need to get closer. She wanted to observe them, though. It was part of their job. Watching the animal behavior would need inclusion in their report. “Let’s climb up this tree. We’ll be able to watch them safely.”
“They can’t climb?” He didn’t hide the sarcasm.
“They won’t see us up there,” she said. She didn’t know if they could climb. The large claws suggested they might be able to scale a tree. She wasn’t sure, though. It seemed safer than following on foot.
Martin said, “Let’s head back. We’ve got some good samples for our first time out.”
“Back? We just got out here,” she said.
“We don’t know what that thing is. I have samples in my case that I am anxious to test. Don’t you want to know what type of minerals—”
A long, low growl silenced them.
“Where’d that come from?” Martin said.
Aria spun around. She couldn’t pinpoint a location. “It was close.”
“Was it your Titan?”
“It could have been. Quick. Get up in the tree,” she said.
If they were being stalked, it made sense to hide. The animals might be confused by their scent. If naturally curious they’d be around investigating. Trekking back to the ship could prove dangerous. She reached up and grabbed onto branches. Pulling herself up, she used her toe to get a foothold. Shimmying up a few more feet, she retrieved her binocs, and scanned the area.
“What do you see?” Martin said.
Four of the Titans were together. They had noses to the ground.
“Get up in the tree with me, Martin,” she said.
“I think we should head back. Get our cases. We can evaluate the samples we’ve collected and head back out when Candice and Captain Braddox are ready,” Martin said.
She refocused the binocs. The Titans picked up a scent.
It might not be theirs.
They were headed this way.
“Get up in the tree, Martin,” she said. “Now.”
“They’re coming?” His tone of voice faltered.
“Four of them,” she said. She stood on the branches, ready to climb higher.
Martin scurried up the bark. His hands locked onto a branch, and he pulled himself up. “Keep going,” he said.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Climbing higher, she wrapped an arm around a branch to keep from falling. She raised the binocs and looked for the Titans.
They closed in on the tree.
“Shh,” she said.
Martin didn’t say a word.
They both stopped moving. Their odors betrayed them enough. If they made a sound, the Titans would see them in the tree. If they could climb, then the two of them were as good as trapped.
Martin might have been right. Maybe they should have risked a run for the ship.
Aria wanted to contact Braddox, have him lock in on their position. He’d be able to get them out of this. She just wasn’t sure how fast he’d find them. Talking on the radio would give away their location. The Titans were directly below. If these things stood on back legs, they’d almost reach Martin. They hadn’t climbed high enough. It was too late to react now.
Martin looked up at her.
Even through their masks she knew he realized the error of where they’d stopped.
His lips moved, as if silently begging her to keep climbing.
She couldn’t. He needed to remain silent.
One of the Titan’s roared. The others began roaring, too. The beasts low, deep growls vibrated up the branches. Aria felt the sound shake inside her chest.
Chapter 9
The Titans stood at the base of the tree.
There was no hiding. They’d been seen. Aria started climbing higher. She knew Martin was right behind her. She moved carefully. A hand on a branch. A foot. Her other hand. The other foot. She didn’t want to misstep and risk falling. Each inch higher made her feel safer. She didn’t stop and look down. If the Titans were climbing up after them, she didn’t want to know.
“Faster,” Martin said. “Go, go, go.”
She tried. The branches got thinner and more cluttered the higher she climbed.
Eventually, one would snap.
She prepared for it, but hoped it didn’t happen. She kept testing each branch with a tug before putting any weight on it.
A yellow light came on inside her helmet, and the helmet vibrated.
Air was getting low.
She knew she was breathing quick, deep breaths.
She wrapped both arms around branches and looked down. The Titans stood with front paws on the trunk. Claws out. The razor-like nails shredded bark off the tree.
The Titans weren’t climbing the tree.
“My air’s running out,” Martin said.
“Mine, too,” she said.
The beasts weren’t climbing up after them, but they weren’t leaving either.
“What do we do?” Martin said.
Aria depressed the button on the comm link. “Braddox! Braddox, are you there?”
Silence.
She waited just a moment, and then tried reaching him again.
“Why isn’t he answering?” Martin said.
She didn’t know.
# # #
They ran, fast, but away from the ship. It was not the best situation. When the giant lizard parted the top of the trees with its head, there was no choice but to run.
The thing chasing them was huge, standing at least thirty feet long, but fifteen feet tall. Hooked talons on its feet dug into the ground giving it traction as it chased them. It made a crying sound, “Hawwwk.”
“Keep up,” Braddox said.
“Right behind you, Captain,” Candice said.
There was nowhere to hide. They cut left and right as they avoided trees, and jumped over and went under fallen branches.
The lizard crashed through them, crushing debris under its feet.
Braddox wanted to stop, drop, turn, and fire. He didn’t risk it. He wasn’t positive where Candice was, and he wasn’t confident a shot from the blaster would do anything. The split second he saw the lizard before taking off, he’d have sworn the scales were hard like a tortoise shell. It might be like plated armor.
They came to a swift moving body of water.
>
The thing chasing them looked like a lizard. It might be more reptile. Either way, they were out of options. There was nowhere else to go but into the water.
“Jump,” Braddox said.
He lept off the bank and splashed into the river. The current was faster than he thought. He couldn’t get his footing.
Looking back, he saw Candice doing her best at avoiding the lizard. Its mouth was wide open. Rows of teeth lined the top and bottom jaw. It snapped at Candice’s head. Missed.
Her arms and legs flailed as she fell over into the river.
Braddox attempted swimming against the current. It was futile. The suit was being weighed down by the water. He wished he could kick off the boots. There was no way. They were fastened tight, and not meant for easy removal.
The lizard dove head first into the river. That shouldn’t have surprised him. Lizards, reptiles, whatever it was, probably thrived in water. He expected the thing to be a fast swimmer, which made his stomach churn.
Braddox said, “It’s in the water, Doppler. Swim, Doppler. It’s in the water!”
She hadn’t popped back up. He wasn’t sure if the comms worked. He hoped she could hear him.
He turned and swam with the current. He didn’t want to reach the monster any faster than he had to. He imagined its tail swishing back and forth propelling it forward at them like a torpedo.
When he chanced a look back, he saw that Candice surfaced. Her arms waved in the air. Her mouth might have been moving. Nothing transmitted. She might not have depressed the button on her shoulder, or the water short circuited the audio. What she didn’t appear to be doing was swimming.
Braddox wished he could still see the ferocious lizard. He hated knowing it was somewhere below them, sneaking up on them.
He knew the attack was coming. Imminent. Not knowing exactly where unnerved him. He kept waiting for the thing to chomp him in half.
“Swim, Candice. Swim!” He couldn’t look back. Not anymore. He concentrated on his arm strokes, buried his faceplate in the water, and kicked with his legs. With his eyes open he saw nothing underwater but the air bubbles from his arms swishing through the water. Braddox kept expecting to see the lizard and was thankful every second he did not see it.
Extinction Page 3
