Devon Blake and the Starship Crash

by Douglas Warren

  was as if he were living a lifetime in only minutes. Just when he felt like he could not take

  anymore, the creature released his hand.

  Devon looked up, staring into to creature’s eyes. A connection, like a spark passed

  between the two. He suddenly realized that the creature had shown him parts of its own life.

  Somehow it had shared its experiences with him. Devon realized that this must be how the

  creatures communicated. The first creature that had touched Merrell had only been trying to

  communicate. Devon had probably frightened the creatures by trying to stop it.

  Devon’s head was filled with so many thoughts and images that he stood dumbfounded

  for a moment. He took a deep breath and tried to sort them out. One of the strongest was a

  feeling of peace, just like Merrell had described. Perhaps the creatures were trying to reassure

  Devon and the others that they meant them no harm. But that didn’t explain why they took them

  away from the ship. The creatures must want something from them, Devon thought.

  He also had another image in his head. It was an image of just a few moments ago when

  Jacinda had called the creatures creepers. He sensed acceptance, as if they had taken the name as

  their own. They liked the name and felt it suited them. He also remembered an image that he

  thought might be the creature’s name. He could only translate it as DeepRoot.

  “Well, Jacinda, they like the name you gave them.” Devon chuckled.

  “What?” Jacinda looked confused. “How do you know?” “They told me, sort of. I think they communicate with their minds, but not with words.

  When I touched the big one’s hand I saw all kinds of things in my head. It was showing me its

  life. I think that is how they communicate. With images.”

  Merrell clapped his hands. “That is what I saw. I knew there was something to it.”

  “How can you be sure?” Jacinda shook her head, unconvinced.

  Merrell and Devon looked at her, both wearing irritated looks.

  Devon stepped toward her. “Just wait, Jacinda. You will be just as sure when it happens

  to you.” Merrell nodded in agreement when Jacinda looked his way.

  The young girl glared back at Devon and Merrell. “Why can’t I do it too?”

  The boys shrugged. Devon stepped toward her, trying to lay a calming hand on her

  shoulder. “I’m not sure why DeepRoot hasn’t talked to you yet.”

  “DeepRoot? So you are on a first name basis now?”

  “I think that is his name. It just popped into my head.”

  Jacinda cocked her head in thought seeming to ponder a decision. Finally she nodded

  and strode toward DeepRoot. She stuck out her hand, waiting for the creeper to take hold of it.

  Instead it shied away from her, perhaps uncertain of her intensions. Jacinda grunted angrily and

  stepped forward, her hand held out. DeepRoot skipped away from the offered hand and hooted

  loudly.

  The smaller creeper who had been standing nearby suddenly stepped forward, placing

  itself between Jacinda and the large creeper. Jacinda took several steps back, but quickly

  regained her courage. Once again, she held out her hand to the creeper, this time to the smaller

  one. It looked back at DeepRoot, who gestured at it. The smaller creeper gently took

  Jacinda’s hand, filling the girl’s head with racing images. She knew instantly that this creeper’s

  name was ClearSky. She saw images of groups of smaller creepers gathered together in a field,

  arms raised to the sky, as if they were soaking up the streaming rays of sunlight. Other, larger

  creepers moved among them, seeing to their needs. She also saw images of vast forests and

  serene oceans. Suddenly the images grew more intense. She saw the same field of small

  creepers, but this time a spaceship was raining fire among the field of creepers. The larger

  creepers ran among the smaller, trying to save as many as they could from the flames. With a

  flash of pain Jacinda realized that the smaller creepers were rooted in place and had to be pulled

  up before they could escape. She could feel the anguish of the keepers as the fire forced them to

  flee the field, leaving behind many of their charges.

  Jacinda began to sob when the creeper broke contact. She fell to her knees, unable to

  control her crying. Devon and Merrell rushed to her side, desperate to see if she was okay.

  “Oh, Merrell,” she sobbed, “someone attacked their young. So many died.” Merrell

  knelt down and cradled her in his big arms.

  Devon felt like an intruder in their moment of grief. He stood up and approached

  DeepRoot.

  “DeepRoot, what is going on? Who did this.” DeepRoot did not respond, merely cocked

  his head at Devon. Perhaps he could not understand the question. Did the creepers want their

  help? Could that be what they were trying to tell them? Devon tried several more times to make

  himself understood, but failed each time. Finally he decided to take a break. He slipped off his

  backpack, looking for a place to rest for a moment. He found a soft spot in the grass and sat down, rummaging through his pack for a waterpouch. It was too bad that all he had was water.

  He could use a nice bit of juice. That would be nice. Sammy always had plenty on hand.

  Devon jumped up in shock. He realized that Sammy was not here. He had not seen him

  since they started looking for Flim. He had completely forgotten about Sammy.

  “Sammy,” he blurted before regaining his self control.

  Devon only had a moment to think about his missing luggage before the sky lit up with a

  flash like nothing Devon had ever seen. For a moment he was distracted by a flash of something

  pink hidden among the bushes just outside of the clearing, but his attention was soon drawn back

  to the sky by more flashes, each a different color. The whole sky glowed, like they were inside

  of some sort of giant globe and some unknown giant was shining different color glowsticks at it.

  The display continued for quite a while, mesmerizing the children and the creepers. Its

  hauntingly beautiful hues danced across the sky from horizon to horizon. The patterns changed constantly, whirling in complicated swirls and eddies of light.

  Chapter 17

  Flim pressed himself to the trunk of a tree, trying with everything he had to not move. He

  had somehow felt the presence of the creatures before they had revealed themselves near the

  crashed ship. Perhaps it was because he was an excellent sneaker, so he knew what to listen for.

  Their presence was overwhelming and he thought there must be over a dozen of the things in the

  forest surrounding his friends.

  Flim felt ashamed that he had not warned them, but by the time he had realized the

  creatures were there he only had time to blend in with a nearby tree. His skin had turned a

  mottled green, with streaks of brown. When he stopped moving it was impossible for anyone to tell him from the tree. He hoped that these creatures did not share his ability to detect other

  hidden folk.

  These creatures blended into the foliage nearly as well as Flim, but it was more because

  of their natural color. It did not seem like they could change color like Flim could. Their soft,

  feather-like skin helped them blend in too.

  Flim heard Devon talking into his WristVid, but could not quite make out what he said.

  Flim wanted so much to warn Devon, but staying hidden might be his only chance to help if it

  came down to the worst. Flim watched
his friends leave the clearing, shouting his name. He

  listened, holding his breath, until he could no longer hear their call. The presence of the

  creatures faded too. He knew that he was alone again…or so he thought.

  Flim nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard rustling coming from a nearby bush.

  He froze, not daring to move a muscle as the bush shook. Relief flooded into him as he saw

  Sammy, Devon’s luggage, emerging from the underbrush. Sammy hesitated for a moment at the

  edge of the clearing. A slender stalk emerged from some hidden part of Sammy and scanned the

  clearing. It swung back and forth several times before stopping, pointed directly at Flim. The

  stalk disappeared once again, back into its hidden compartment. Sammy trundled toward Flim,

  as if he had called the chest. Sammy stopped, as if waiting for Flim to meet him halfway.

  Flim let go of the tree and approached Sammy slowly. He nearly feinted when Sammy

  turned on his stubby legs and trundled off in the direction Devon and the others had gone.

  “Wait, where are you going?” Flim called after the scuttling luggage. Sammy did not

  even slow down. Flim rushed to catch up. Luckily, Sammy’s stubby legs could only carry him

  so fast through the soft dirt of the forest floor. Flim was able to catch up without much problem. As they made their way through the forest Flim caught brief snatches of the far off voices

  of his friends calling for him. Each time he heard them it sent a pang of guilt through him. Flim

  had never considered himself a hero, but he had never seen himself as a coward either. But there

  was part of him that felt like he was a coward for not helping Devon and the others. He could

  not think of what he could have done, but not even trying made him feel like a chicken. His only

  hope was to follow his friends and try to rescue them. He hoped that he could, or he might not

  ever be able to forgive himself.

  Flim and Sammy followed Devon and the others for nearly an hour, careful not to be seen

  by the creatures. Sammy trundled along by Flim’s side, his legs beating a soft rhythm on the

  forest floor. Flim found the steady sound relaxing. Some of his tension drained away, leaving

  behind a feeling of hope that he could do something to free his friends. Sammy stopped

  abruptly, disturbing Flim’s thoughts.

  Flim stopped as well, peering into the underbrush making sure he had not been seen. He

  concentrated for a moment and his skin darkened, turning a deep green to match the nearby

  bushes. He crept forward, carefully avoiding anything that might make noise as he passed. He

  inched slowly, ever so slowly, forward. As quietly as a mouse he crept through the bushes. He

  was rewarded by the sight of several of the creatures standing in a clearing up ahead.

  Flim moved even closer, just close enough to catch sight of his friends as well. Flim

  froze as two more of the creatures strode into the clearing. One of the creatures, a huge one,

  strode toward the creature who had been leading Devon and his friends away. The two clasped

  hands. The feeling that something was going to happen filled the air. It was almost like

  electricity. The stood, their hands together, for what seemed like forever. Flim considered trying to move closer several times, but each time he tried he was filled with a strange feeling of

  hesitation. Something inside of him was telling him to wait.

  Finally, the two creatures dropped their hands. The large creature trumpeted, starting

  Flim in his hiding spot. Flim watched in disbelief as all of the creatures except for two left the

  clearing. What happened next shocked Flim even more. First Devon and then Jacinda touched

  the creatures. Flim stared in horror as Jacinda collapsed, sobbing. Had the creature hurt her?

  He held his anger in check. It looked like Merrell and Devon were doing all they could to help

  her, and Flim could not very well rescue his friends if he was captured too.

  Flim decided that it was time he started planning his rescue. There was no telling when

  he would get a better chance. With only two of the creatures nearby, he and his friends had them

  outnumbered, but that was sure to change soon enough.

  Taking a deep breath, Flim began working his way around the clearing ahead. If he could

  get close enough for Devon or one of the others to hear him, perhaps they could be ready when it

  was time to escape. He crept closed, looking for a way to approach his friends without being

  seen, but it just was not possible.

  Flim watched as Devon jumped to his feet and blurted out the name “Sammy”. After that

  things happened so quickly Flim lost control of his color changing and began a shade of bright

  pink. Fortunately, everyone else was as surprise by the ensuing aerial display that nobody noticed.

  Chapter 18

  A squat, bug-like work module sat near a large pool of bubbling lava. Several blackened

  metal pipes led from the work module to the pool. A much larger pipe led from the module to a large lava field. Globs of half liquid lava burped from this tube, leaving a mound of cooling

  leftovers from whatever processing was happening inside the module.

  The air inside the portable mining rig was hot and oily. The smell of raw hydrocarbons

  burned the eyes and filled the nose and mouth with a bitter tang. The man hunched over a

  workstation did not seem to notice. In fact, his grimy clothes and blotchy skin made him almost

  seem like one more piece of neglected equipment.

  “Cappy, we got a definite problem here.” The voice came from the dirty looking fellow

  hunched over a battered display console. The console was patchwork of scavenged parts and

  homemade doohickeys and it was a wonder that it worked at all. Everything about the room was

  worn and poorly maintained. It could only lead to one conclusion: that whoever did take care of

  this place did not take much pride in its appearance.

  A burly, fearsome-looking man kicked open the door to the room, sending bits of trash

  and equipment flying. “What did you say Burgess? You know I don’t like bad news.”

  “Sorry, Cappy, I just call em like I see em.” Burgess eyed Cappy, looking concerned, but

  not overly so.

  “Well…what’s the problem. You got me out of the bathroom for this. It had better be

  good.”

  Burgess let Cappy stew for a few more moments and then continued. “We got a problem

  with the ionization.”

  “What problem, we knew it was gonna happen sooner or later. We got our ships shielded

  for when we gotta get out.” Cappy was irritated that he had been bothered with something that

  they knew was going to happen. Burgess gave him a sly smile. “Oh, it ain’t the ions that’s got me concerned. It’s

  whoever is scanning em.”

  “Scanning? What do you mean. Get to the point or I’ll dump you in one of the

  smelters.” Cappy was feeling particularly crusty today and didn’t have time for Burgess’ games.

  “Scanning, sir. I mean to say that someone on the outside is scanning the atmosphere.”

  Burgess’s manners always improved with the mention of bodily harm. “We have guests out in

  the black, and they want to know why they can’t get in.”

  Cappy cursed. Things just never did go right for him. Cappy Weiss was a survivor, but

  just barely. The universe always conspired to throw a wrench into his plans, no matter how

  careful he was. Of course that could have something to do with his tendency to cut corner
s and

  his irrational belief that he was the smartest person in the known universe.

  Cappy harrumphed loudly, scratched his greasy head and nodded. There was nothing to

  be done but wrap up the operation and high-tail it off this rock before he got caught.

  “Alright, Burgess, keep an eye on the scan and buzz me if they figure a way through.

  Meanwhile, tell the boys to be ready ta drop and burn if’n they do get through.” Cappy sighed sullenly and went back to the bathroom.

  Chapter 19

  Everyone on the bridge turned in surprise when Kepler whooped. The captain gave him a

  sharp look, but did not say anything.

  “My apologies, Captain.” Kepler said, blushing in embarrassment.

  “I assume this means you have news?” The captain asked. He eyed Ensign Kepler with

  just a touch of humor in his expression. “Yes, sir, I think I do. I may have figured out how to break through the interference in

  the ionosphere. It should, at least, let us scan the surface.” Kepler bit his lip, trying to hide his

  excitement. He loved a puzzle, and this one had been a tough one. The lives of the kids on the

  drop ship might also ride on the answer, which had only made Kepler want to solve the puzzle of

  the ionosphere even more.

  “Very good, Ensign, you may proceed.”

  “Thank you sir. The key to the whole thing is to determine the frequency of the existing

  interference. We should be able to do this by pulsing phased radio…”

  The captain interrupted Kepler with a raised hand. “Ensign, I meant that you can proceed

  with your plan. I don’t need to know how it works. Just make it work.”

  “Yes sir. It will only take a few moments to ” Kepler nodded excitedly and turned back

  to his console. He typed in a short program telling the computer what to do and sent the

  command to the computer core. Kepler imagined that he could hear the humming of the pulsing

  radio waves streaming down on the planet from the ship’s communications array.

  The captain watched the planet on the main viewscreen with interest. He smiled when

  the pearly white atmosphere began to change color. The white gently bled into a cool green, and

  then to a soft blue. He looked over his shoulder, pleased that Ensign Kepler’s scheme seemed to