Wanda

by carl smothers

  “Well, I wouldn’t count on it happening again.”

  Everyone took the pause to reload.

  Rodriquez scooted up to Donovan. “Thanks. You saved my ass. I thought that fucker was gonna eat me for sure.”

  “No sweat, Rod. Actually, I was helping him. You would have given him indigestion,” she said laughingly.

  Shortly after the mantis disappeared into the bush, two twelve-feet wide, winged bat-like creatures with large claws and long fangs flew over, screaming loudly searching for food. They swooped down and tried to grab one of the spec ops men, but broke off the attack when the Sergeant Major went full auto on it.

  “You better leave you ugly mother fuckers!” he screamed. “Fuck! Now we have to worry about air attacks.”

  Harry watched as one bat thing dove into the leafy canopy, emerging with a huge snake in its talons. The snake was so large; the bat thing struggled to fly with it.

  Guess that answers the snake question. Damn, just like Ronnie said, it just keeps getting better.

  The major scanned the area then signaled the team to move out. After a half hour, chopping their way through the dense undergrowth, they stopped to rest. Harry and Ronnie sat down and took out their canteens. Their clothing was torn and soaked with perspiration and dirt.

  Sweat rolled down Harry’s back. His eyes and lungs burned from the pollution the volcanoes belched into the air, and the scratches on his arms and legs felt like they were on fire from the sweat and grime. He poured an antiseptic on the cuts. He bit his tongue to keep from yelling.

  Who knows what kind of bugs live in this crummy jungle, Harry thought. Hope this shit hurts them worse than it does me.

  “Can I use some of that fire-water?” Ronnie asked. “I feel like I’ve been through a thrashing machine. Everything in this damn jungle has thorns.” He yelped as he poured the antiseptic on his cuts.

  Major Tobey walked over to Harry and Ronnie and sat beside them. “How are you two holding up?”

  “We’re hanging in there, Major,” Harry replied. “I feel like I’ve been on a ten mile jog. This heat and humidity’s a killer. Those thorns don’t help much either.”

  “No shit,” Ronnie added, wiping the sweat from his brow then yelping as he poured more of the dreaded bug killer on his wounds.

  The major chuckled and nodded in empathy. “You know, mining this planet is going to be one dangerous job.”

  Harry thought for a moment. “If they’re smart, they’ll install a force field around the site. That should make the miners safer. The dangerous part will be setting the force field structure in place. I suppose they’ll use temporary paralysis equipment when they encounter the big animals. At least the construction and security crews will know what they’re facing beforehand.”

  Tobey nodded. “Are you ready to move out?”

  “I guess so. Sure hope we don’t run into any more of those mantis things,” Harry remarked.

  “I think we all feel that way.” He stood up and turned to his guys. “Okay, team. Let’s move out. Everyone stay close.” He slung his weapon and headed into the jungle.

  The Sergeant Major spoke out. “Load up some impulse grenades. We’re gonna need some fire power.”

  After four laborious hours, they were tired, tattered and exhausted, and still a half kilometer from the site.

  Four mantises had quietly stalked the group and waited in ambush just ahead. The attack was swift and deadly. Two creatures triangulated on Sergeant Lopez. The first grabbed him in its mouth and bit down hard. Lopez screamed, and blood squirted out of the wounds in his chest. A second bit off his leg. The men fired on the animals to try to drive them away. It was too late to help Lopez.

  Two other mantises roared loudly and charged the men. The Sergeant Major pulled out an impulse grenade and threw it, killing one of them. The other mantis stopped to look at the one lying on the ground with its belly blown out — no doubt to assess it as a meal. It decided to take the meal the first was enjoying. The two creatures fought for a few minutes, then turned to jointly finish what was left of Lopez.

  Two additional mantises emerged out of the jungle and started eating the dead mantis, tearing big chunks of flesh from its body with each bite. Blood and bits of flesh dripped from their mouths as they chewed the meat.

  Tobey signaled the team to ease away. They cautiously traveled through the dense undergrowth for what seemed like an hour, but, in fact, it was only a few minutes.

  The major finally signaled them to stop. Except for the now familiar sounds coming from the flying and tree-borne animals, it seemed safe, but it was getting dark.

  “Men, set up camp here,” Tobey ordered. “I don’t think we should travel at night. Lord knows what the nocturnal shift is like. Sergeant Major, post your guard.”

  “Yes, Major. Gunn, you and T Bone have first watch — two hour intervals. Listen up, people. I want everyone to sterilize and dress all cuts. We don’t know what kinds of bugs are crawling around here, so I don’t want to take a chance of infection.”

  The men started a small fire and made coffee. The meals were normal rations from their packs, called quick nutritious meals or QNMs. It felt good to relax, have a bite to eat and drink a cup of hot coffee. The night brought with it dropping temperatures, and the warm beverage hit the spot.

  Harry sat by the fire next to Ronnie nervously fiddling with his cup hoping the creatures didn’t attack again. I’m sure there’s a night shift. I hope the fire keeps them away.

  “Harry, we should be able to get to the deposit site within a couple of hours in the morning. I suggest we collect a few samples, take the readings and get back to the ship before dark. I don’t want to spend another night here.”

  “That would suit me just fine. I can’t wait to get off this crazy planet. It’s starting to get cold.”

  “You know, It’s really strange to look up and see two moons. That and the red-tinted atmosphere makes this place seem even more alien,” Harry said.

  “I’d sure as hell hate to have to face surviving on this crazy world. I hope Kimberly figures out where we are so maybe can get back to reality.”

  Harry was bone tired and, despite his anxiety, sleep came fast. After a couple hours, something tickled his head. He instinctively swatted it off. As he rose up, he saw one of the things he hated the worst — a large, black furry spider. Its four bulbous green eyes and orange fuzzy head gave it a menacing appearance. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled, hitting it with his boot.

  “What’s wrong?” Ronnie asked, sitting up abruptly.

  “A big, ugly spider was on my head.”

  “Maybe he was just lonely and wanted some company,” Ronnie said, chuckling.

  “Yeah, well, wait until one of those bastards gets on you and starts chewing.”

  Ronnie laughed and lay back down “You shouldn’t be so loveable.”

  “Fuck you, Forrester.”

  Chapter 44

  Private Gunn, the point guard, sat quietly twenty yards out from the encampment. A strange animal walked up to the stream ahead and started drinking like a dog. Seven feet high, it walked on its muscular hind legs. It had white body fur and a head resembling a wolf with red eyes, clearly a sub-human type creature.

  Gunn froze in position. He was sweating profusely. A bead of sweat rolled down his nose. He watched it splash on his weapon, thinking it sounded like a tree crashing when it hit the barrel. He dreaded what might happen if the animal heard it.

  After the creature drank, it stood up on its hind legs to sniff the air. Gunn watched it carefully, breathing as silently as he could. Glad I’m downwind from that thing, he thought. It was a mean looking creature. He quietly released the safety on his weapon and sat perfectly still.

  The animal had a deep growl like a wolf. Razor sharp teeth filled its ten-inch long mouth, and each paw had three-inch, razor sharp claws.

  Another meat-eater, Gunn thought.

  The animal sniffed the air again, looked around and crouched down t
o drink from the stream. Suddenly, a mantis broke out of the brush and hovered over the sub-human’s back. Before it could react, the mantis tore the animals flesh with its teeth, ripping large gashes that oozed blood. The sub-human, more agile than the mantis, broke free, then climbed on the mantis’s back ripping its hide open. Blood squirted out.

  The mantis roared, trying to throw the other animal off its back. The sub-human hung on as it screamed and growled tearing the mantis’s neck open with its teeth.

  The sub-human finally wrestled the mantis to the ground. Both animals screamed, roared, and tore at each other as they rolled around and tried for a kill. The sub–human was tearing the mantis’s flesh apart. As a last resort, the mantis rolled over on the sub–human, grabbed it by the neck and crushed its windpipe in its large jaws. The sub-human fell limp, and the mantis ripped its throat out.

  The victor roared loudly, and began to drink the blood pouring out of the dead creature. He then began to eat. With each bite, he tore out large chunks of flesh and wolfed it down. After every mouthful, the mantis surveyed the surroundings on alert for a competitor. When it filled itself with meat, it roared loudly and strode off through the brush, bleeding profusely from its wounds. Its mouth and teeth were bloody with bits of flesh stuck between them. A piece of hide and a few bones were all that remained of its meal.

  Gunn waited to make sure the creature wouldn’t come back, and silently slipped back to the encampment to report. He did not dare use his comm.

  The Sergeant Major intercepted Gunn. “What are you doing back here? You got a date or something?”

  “Hey, you never know. Sergeant Major, didn’t you hear all that commotion?”

  “We heard it, but it didn’t seem to be coming our way.”

  “Well, I came back to let you know that we have another nasty bastard to worry about. It’s clearly a sub-human type, seven-feet high with white fur and a head like a timber wolf. It is a flesh eater. I saw one fight a mantis. It was a vicious, ass-kicking fight. It lasted twenty minutes, but the mantis finally killed and ate it. I couldn’t use the radio. I was worried it might hear me. For all I know, there could have been a shit load of those bastards out there in the dark.”

  “Okay, Gunn. Go back out to your post. I’ll inform the others.” He walked over to Tobey. “Major, did you hear Gunn’s report?”

  “I did. When we move out at daylight, keep everyone close together.”

  “Roger that, sir.”

  Most of the team had bedded down except for the watches. A long, thorn-laden tentacle slithered along the ground, searching for food for its host plant. The tentacle touched Ronnie and he moved his leg. The tentacle, sensing heat from the flesh, slowly wound around the leg. Once it had him securely in its grasp, it began to pull Ronnie towards its huge mouth.

  Five rows of razor sharp teeth waited for its meal, and streams of drool oozed out of the plant’s main digestive compartment. The plant slowly pulled Ronnie towards its mouth. Ronnie awoke with a start. As he looked up, he saw the plant and began to kick at the tentacle. The thorns ripped his leg and shoe. Ronnie yelled as he thrashed around trying to break free. “Let me go!” he screamed. He hit the tentacle with his fists. Blood squirted from his hand as he cut them on the thorns. He kicked, squirmed and tried to break free. There was no escape.

  Harry grabbed Ronnie’s’ other leg and tried to pull him out of the tentacle’s hold. “Help us!” Harry screamed. “Kill that bastard!”

  “Harry, get out of the way!” Tobey yelled.

  The soldiers shot the plant. The bullets only made holes in the vegetable matter.

  The plant dragged Ronnie closer. Drool and saliva squirted out of its digestive compartment each time the plant smacked its mouth. They couldn’t use impulse grenades. Ronnie was too close to the plant.

  Private Martin grabbed his machete and raced over to try to free Ronnie. The others held their fire for fear of hitting the Private. Harry ran over to help and tried to pull him free. As Martin hacked at the tentacle, a mantis broke into the campsite running at top speed. It grabbed Martin in its mouth, and bit down hard, large teeth penetrating deep into his chest. Martin screamed then fell limp. The mantis secured the hold on its prey and ran out of the campsite at top speed growling through its teeth. The soldiers shot at the mantis as it ran back into the jungle. Martin hung from his jaws with his arms and legs flopping up and down as the creature ran.

  The ‘flytrap’ had Ronnie within two feet of its mouth, which continued to open and close in a smacking gesture, gushing streams of saliva out the sides. Ronnie screamed and tried to break free. His arms and legs were ripped open and bleeding profusely where the thorns cut him. His foot was nearly inside the plant’s mouth.

  “This thing is going to eat me. Help me, Harry!” he cried as he kicked at the tentacle. Harry released Ronnie’s leg and ran to get the machete from his pack.

  “Hang on, Ronnie, I’m coming. Hold your fire!” he screamed. Harry pulled the machete out and ran over to his friend to attack the tentacle. As he fought, a tentacle wrapped around Harry’s leg and pulled him to the ground. He hit hard and winced with pain as the thorns cut deeply into his leg.

  “Hang in there, Ronnie,” he yelled. Finally, with one hard stroke he cut Ronnie loose.

  Another tentacle grabbed Ronnie as he tried to get up. Now the plant had two meals. It wrapped the stubby tentacle around Harry’s other leg and pulled him towards its mouth.

  Harry fought the pain and kept hacking at the tentacles, but couldn’t get a good angle. His right foot was less than six inches from the plants teeth, which snapped trying to get a bite of the meal it so wanted. The soldiers couldn’t shoot for fear of hitting them.

  “Hold on, I’m coming!” Donovan yelled. She picked up her machete and charged into the maze of tentacles chopping anything that had a thorn on it. “I’m going to cut your ugly head off!” she screamed. She swung her machete like a maniac, screaming and chopping.

  Just as the plant pulled Harry’s foot into its mouth, Donovan cut the tentacle off and pulled his leg free. He missed losing his foot by one inch. A tentacle wrapped around Donovan’s leg, but she quickly hacked it off. “Take that you mother fucker,” she screamed. She then chopped the stubby tentacle from Harry’s other leg and pulled him to his feet. Harry grabbed Ronnie’s leg and she cut him free.

  Once the three of them were clear, the Sergeant Major threw an impulse grenade, blowing vegetable matter all over the campsite. The fight was over.

  “Thanks, Donovan,” Harry said as they limped away. “You saved our asses.”

  “I owe you both one,” Ronnie said, his voice quivering with fear.

  She pulled her helmet off exposing her short red hair and a very pretty face. She smiled and gave Harry a wink.

  Everyone gathered around and helped the three back to the fire.

  “Sergeant Major, I’m due to go back on watch in ten minutes. I’ll pour some of your atomic bomb on my scratches, and then relieve Gunn.”

  “Thanks, Donovan, stay frisky. Good job. You saved their asses.”

  Harry helped Ronnie sit and grabbed a blanket to cover him. His body quivered, and his face was pale with fright.

  “Try to relax, Ronnie. I’ll get some medicine for your cuts.”

  “Harry, I’m so scared, I think I’m going to throw up. I thought that thing was going to eat me.”

  “That’s, all right. I’m scared too. I thought we were both gonna die. Lower your head between your knees and take some deep breaths. That should help the nausea.”

  The experience had Harry’s insides churning, but he determined no one would see how much the experience had affected him.

  The Sergeant Major walked over to help with their wounds. He ripped Ronnie and Harry’s pants legs open to examine the wounds they had received. “We’re going to have to treat these or they’ll get infected. This jungle heat and humidity are bad news for wounds.”

  The Sergeant Major stopped the bleeding and then poured
his liquid fire anesthetic on them. Harry almost came off the ground.

  “Damn, Sergeant Major. This stuff’s worse than the wound.”

  The Sergeant Major laughed. “Burns like hell, but it’ll kill any bug. It’ll stop burning shortly.”

  He bandaged Harry’s wounds, and then attended to Ronnie. “I think you guys might live.” He then took out a cigar and stuffed it in his mouth, unlit as usual. “Here, have some mild pain killers. You may need them later. Want some, Dr. Forrester?”

  “No, thanks, Sergeant Major,” Ronnie replied. “Harry, thank you. I thought I was lunch for sure.”

  “Well, I’m sure that guy would have enjoyed you Ronnie — all that nice tender meat. Actually, Donovan saved both our asses. How’s the leg? Hurt much?”

  “Hurts like crazy. That potion Sergeant Major poured on me hurt almost as much as the wounds. If I can survive that stuff, I think I’ll get over this. How do you feel?”

  “Like shit, but I’ll survive.” Harry touched his wound and stifled an ouch. “I think I’ll stay awake. I’d hate to wake up looking out of some thing’s mouth.”

  “That’s for sure. This place is full of nasties. I’m sorry about Martin. What a crappy way to die.”

  “I know,” Harry replied. “He was a good guy and a tough, brave soldier. You, know this shit starts to get to you. I could sure use a good stiff drink.”

  “Me, too. Man, a pitcher full of cool Margaritas would sure go down nice right now,” Ronnie, replied.

  Major Tobey signaled the Oriskany, but got no response. He then called the Orion. The captain came back immediately.

  “Major, this is Captain Starling. What’s your status?”

  “Can’t contact the Oriskany — too much electrical interference. I’m surprised I got you. Captain, we’ve been attacked several times. Two of my men were killed.”

  “Who did you lose? Over.”

  “Sergeant Lopez and Private Martin. Over.”

  “I’m very sorry, Major. How were they killed? Over.”