Savage World

by Jennifer Slusher

  Derick was missing this, Luke chuckled to himself as he took a step back, not wanting to be in the line of sight of either officer.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “It could be miles of hiking through dense—”

  “I'm going.” Jules's head swivelled back on her neck defiantly.

  “Fine! Be ready to go in fifteen minutes!” Tom fired at her, wondering if she was going to win all their arguments. Oy, he couldn't think about that. She was the Captain right now, he reminded himself, and not for shagging. Not. For. Shagging. “Bloody bossy women,” he grumbled at Luke as he stalked past. “Go on, show's over.”

  Nope, Jules snarked to herself. Definitely NOT Prince Charming.

  XIII

  Jungle Trek

  When Tom insisted Jules wear a borrowed pair of combat boots from one of his Sharks before they began their trek through the jungle, she balked at the suggestion. After all, it wasn't as if she were wearing high heels but rather flight approved combat boots. The Space Corps pilot she was railed at the notion of surrendering any part of her uniform to the prejudices of ground pounders even if the advice seemed reasonable enough.

  His expression at the suggestion she keep her own footwear was so infuriating, she almost decked him on principle.

  “If you want to go trekking through that jungle, you're going to wear proper boots instead of those ballet slippers you Fleeters wear. We've got no bloody idea what's in there and a jungle that thick will be crawling with nasties that will have no trouble sneaking into those boots of yours.”

  The notion of anything crawling into her boot won his argument.

  An hour later, she was secretly grateful she yielded the point because he was right, (she sure as hell wasn't going to tell him that). The jungle they were currently trudging through resembled the ones she'd seen in documentaries about the Amazon Basin or the thick rainforests of Australia. From the other side of Firefly Bridge, (what they'd end up calling the huge tree bridge), it seemed ominous and foreboding.

  Now, in the thick of it, Jules felt smothered and downright spooked.

  Around them, the forest was in various stages of growth. Small, young saplings grew in the spots of sunlight that speared through the overhead canopy, fighting for space among bushes, brambles and various vines and ivies. Some of the trees were massive, even larger than the behemoth across the gorge. From their splayed branches, thick, ropey vines dangled haphazardly, creating a web-like latticework overhead. Others were wrapped tightly around the wide trunks, clinging to the bark like desperate lovers. Some dug into the soft, moist earth, looking like moorings holding the giant titans to the ground.

  Among the overload of green were bright, vibrant spots of colour. Here and there, creepers encased downed logs in velvet shades of lavender and red. Insects flitted about, sunlight reflecting off metallic wings. Small creatures skittered about, freezing in place as Jules snapped pictures on her slate. Big, round eyes tracked their progress as things hopped and slithered around them. There was still more to see; butterflies with gossamer wings, snake-like creatures with delicate, translucent limbs that looked like they were hovering. Were they venomous? Did they bite? She didn't know but she catalogued each one with a few photos for the scientists.

  For the first time since the Exodus, Jules remembered what it was like to live and not just survive. This forest was life. Struck by the moment, she inhaled deeply and let it out to steady a sudden bout of sadness. Did humanity deserve such a second chance? After what they'd done to Earth?

  Even before the planet was destroyed, she was a ravaged victim of industry and technology. They hadn't learned their lesson when the Mississippi became too polluted to fish or when the Appalachians had been strip-mined of all their natural resources. If Gaia was to be their home, they simply had to do better this time.

  When Jules went quiet, Tom glanced back to check on her, dragging his forearm across his forehead. With Ozzy and Shiny busy with a contour map, he stole the moment to admire Jules's profile as she aimed her slate at another creature. He wished he knew what she was thinking, because he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so in awe of anything.

  The leaves near him shuddered and a twig snapped, prompting Tom to use a hand signal for silence. Everyone froze, at least until the snout poked out of the underbrush and Shiny's naf, (she liked naming things). waddled from the shadows. “Looks like we've got a mascot,” Tom smirked, recognizing the animal's colouring pattern from earlier.

  Grinning, Jules squatted down in front of it.

  “Hello,” she said as the creature's back spines faded to the same greens around them. “I know those protein bars aren't that good. Are you our scout?”

  The naf regarded her momentarily and snuffled at her outstretched hand before continuing past Tom. When he was a few paces ahead, he stopped and looked back at them. “Naf!”

  “Carry on!” Tom nodded, motioning the creature to continue and his team to start moving.

  “I guess it likes us,” Jules smirked, watching the thing's chunky little backside wiggle ahead of them.

  “It hasn't learnt better yet.”

  Looking up at him, Jules was surprised to see amusement on his strong features. Another layer to the man, then, when his cynicism was arrested by a fuzzy little creature.

  “It's a he,” Shiny pointed helpfully from behind them. “I guess he thinks he's responsible for us since we've been feeding his family.”

  “You mean, you've been feeding his family,” Ozzy quipped over his shoulder.

  “They got that second bar somewhere else,” Shiny retorted, craning her head around Ozzy to find the naf. “Besides, I was being friendly. We trashed their home when our ship came crashing through their forest.” She raised her chin defiantly, clearly repenting nothing.

  Jules couldn't argue with that. In any case, the squints were delighted by the small family. More protein bars had been offered up while they ran all kinds of non-invasive scans to learn what they could about the creature's physiology.

  “Well, when we get crops going, they can have my protein bars,” she said, wiping perspiration from her forehead before reaching for the water bottle hooked on her belt to take a quick sip.

  “Shiny, how far away are those anomalies on the map?” Tom asked, trying to get a gauge on the distance from what he could see through the trees. Usually, such marks meant caves of some sort.

  “About three kilometres, Major.” She looked up from the display of her tab. “According to our topographical scan of the area earlier, we're starting uphill.”

  Considering that, Tom walked back to her to study the map over her shoulder. “So, we could reach them in about thirty minutes, if we push it.” That would give them time to get back to the shuttle. With the path hacked out, the group would move a little faster than the scout team.

  “Naf!”

  The bark got everyone's attention, especially since it seemed to hold a sense of urgency in it. Not so arrogant to discount the concerns of a native, Tom watched the creature cautiously, one hand resting casually on his sidearm. The naf remained still for a few seconds, making everyone strain to hear anything other than their own heartbeats. Just when he was starting to feel foolish for taking his cues from an alien wombat, a tremor vibrated the ground beneath their boots.

  “Earthquake?”

  Before he could answer, the ground shuddered again and this time, Tom felt the sensation. With the others scanning the forest, the ground trembled twice more. Three times. Four. No, this wasn't an earthquake. When the fifth tremor shook the trees around him, he recognized the pattern.

  Footsteps.

  “There!” Jules pointed to the suddenly rustling leaves several yards ahead.

  Whatever it was, it was moving in a perpendicular direction and not towards them. Tom glanced at the naf, where it was sniffing Shiny's boot. “Stay here,” he said quietly and headed towards the movement to investigate.

  “Naf!”

  “St
ep to, then,” Tom told the animal as it hustled to follow him. “Don't suppose you can tell me what it is, eh?” The naf snorted at him as if grumbling at the stupidity of this strange, smelly creature.

  “Don't worry, mate,” Tom muttered in return, silently pushing through the shrubs towards the rustling trees. “I'll bugger off if things get ugly.” Nevertheless, he still clutched his blast rifle firmly as he approached.

  “Major,” Jules hissed after him. “You get a one-minute head start and then we're coming after you.”

  “Yes, dear!” Tom called back, glancing at the naf. “Your bird that bossy?”

  The naf chuffed in what Tom decided was sympathy.

  * * *

  About two minutes after leaving the scout team, Tom quietly stepped into a clearing roughly the size of a footy field. Around him, the dirt was worn down in what was clearly a migratory path, complete with tracks and scat in the fresh mud. Kneeling, he snapped a picture of a hoof print the size of a turkey platter. Lifting his gaze, he could see tall trees stripped of bark and leaves while broken branches gave evidence of recent passage.

  The naf remained in the tree line, chittering at him urgently before circling nervously and pawing the dirt. He barked again, this time at something past Tom. Swearing and hoping there wasn't a three-headed, drooling dog standing over him, he turned silently and slowly.

  There was no giant dog (thank God) but he was still awestruck with the animals gathered at the far end of the field. There was at least seven of them, languidly going about their business, oblivious to the human gaping at them in amazement. Giraffes, Tom thought at first, but even he knew these willowy beauties were nothing like the now extinct species. At least five times taller than any giraffe he'd ever seen, these were covered from knee to massive skull in articulated, leathery-looking scales.

  “Wow,” he said, glancing back at the naf with a smile. “This what you were worried about, you big girl's blouse?”

  The entire herd turned towards Tom and the largest of them stepped forward, eyeing him conspicuously as its head bobbed down towards the ground.

  Suddenly, Tom realized stepping out in the open like this might not have been wise. Especially considering even the smallest of the creatures could easily flatten him. Like Godzilla. He took a step back and the big male, (not that he was checking out alien giraffe junk, but it was kind of obvious), stepped towards him.

  “Fuck me,” he muttered, freezing in place, eyes not leaving the massive creature taking another step towards him.

  Three more steps were all it took for the creature to be close enough to lower its massive head towards him.

  “Gudday…” he offered quietly, when a large eyeball studied him silently. “Don't want to hurt you mate. Oh no… you don't…” He grimaced and tried not to gag as the giant lips gummed his uniform.

  “At least buy me dinner,” he told it, deciding that noise he was hearing was his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, the massive beast snorted against him and shook its head before rising majestically and returning to its herd with the same lazy, ground-shaking steps.

  With its attention, no longer on him, (bloody fucking hell, he felt violated), Tom tapped his radio link. “Hey, you lot, move in on my location, and be quiet about it.”

  In the few moments, it took for the team to join him, Tom retreated to the tree line with the naf. The little thing sniffed at him and sneezed.

  “Oh wow!” Jules breathed in delight when she joined him, her slate already out to record. Like him, her gaze was on the graceful titans, who returned to stripping branches of leaves and chewing them lazily.

  “Twigas,” Shiny whispered, pronouncing the word in her graceful native accent.

  “Twigas?” Jules could barely take her eyes off the animals to glance at the comtech.

  “That's what we called giraffes.” Shiny's dark eyes glistened briefly as she swallowed away the memory of her beautiful country of Botswana.

  Giving her shoulder a quick squeeze, Ozzy shook his head. “Jesus, those things… Ugh, what's that smell?” he frowned, sniffing the air.

  “Who smelled it, dealt it,” Tom retorted, not willing to discuss the smell or his near molestation at this moment (or at all). “All right, enough sight-seeing, let's move out. We've got a bit of ground to cover.”

  * * *

  Returning to the trail they were cutting, they resumed their search for a viable camp site. If the transponder plan didn't work, Tom wanted someplace that would offer both sturdy shelter and easy defence. After the loss of human lives to bloody sky crabs and those plant things, Tom did not want to risk the expedition sleeping in tents in the open. He wanted something solid and non-living at his back. The Firefly's current unstable position made it a non-option.

  As they fought for every foot of trail, Jules continued to record the journey and the wildlife. Arachnids and the remains of a large web gave her the willies. All kinds of insects darted about and lizards with long, translucent tails paused to watch them pass.

  A very distinct call caught Jules's attention, sounding above the surrounding symphony of bird trills and insect buzzing. Looking up into the canopy and trying not to trip, Jules finally spotted the source. Russet-coloured primates, about the size of capuchin monkeys congregated in the high branches. At first, Jules was relieved to see something sort of normal-looking, until one of the creatures jumped off its high branch and unfurled leathery wings to soar underneath the forest top.

  “Flying monkeys,” she told Shiny, who shook her head.

  “Bat Mites.”

  “You are not allowed to name anything. At all. Ever,” Ozzy started.

  How did Tom stand it? “How much further are we going?” Jules called up to the Major, to distract herself from the banter. She swiped sweat off her face as Ozzy moved forward to take over cutting the trail. Despite being in good shape, Jules knew she would be feeling this hike for the next two days. Not that she'd say anything. For all she knew, the Sharks ran through the ship every day and were used to this.

  “Shiny?” Tom motioned for her to come to him with the map.

  Shiny glanced at her slate, studying the readings on the display for a few seconds before raising her chin to study the landscape and get her bearings. “We just crossed this creek, here,” she said, tapping the screen. “There's a slope in front of us and the caves should be close by.”

  Taking a drag off his water bottle, Tom nodded and clipped it back to his belt. “Let's push on then,” he said, motioning them forward. If the caves proved habitable, they'd have enough time to return to the Firefly and get everyone under shelter.

  “Major,” Ozzy said over his shoulder as he hacked away a vine. “What happens when we get back to the fleet? I mean, it's not like we got anywhere else to go and the rest of the planet might be as dangerous as this.”

  Tom glanced at Jules and shrugged, having no answer himself to the question. In truth, it didn't matter how dangerous the Babel site was, humanity was here to stay. The logistics of colonisation, however, were beyond him.

  “I can't speak for the Council,” Jules answered the young Shark. “I can tell you that if Babel isn't appropriate, then we'll have to find another landing site, somewhere temporary until we find a permanent location and prepare it for colonisation. Our resources have been stretched out as far as we can manage. We'll last maybe another month before we start running out of things.”

  Ozzy's face showed his horror at the thought. Hell, monitoring the ration handouts made the entire squad antsy. If rations were cut again, things were going to get ugly.

  “I think Babel is fine,” Shiny spoke up. “No place is going to be perfect. We're in an alien ecosystem and no matter how much we'd like to respect the terrain we're colonising, we're going to have to break some eggs to make the omelette.”

  “I'm more worried about the eggs dying,” Ozzy muttered under his breath as he shook out the hand holding the machete. “Cramping up.”

  Tom motioned him back and slid e
asily to point. “Don't talk about eggs. I'd give up my first born for a bit of eggs on toast because that powdered stuff is shit,” he grumbled, just as he realized the undergrowth ahead was thinning out. Thank Christ, he thought quietly. Despite sharing the duty, blazing a trail was hard work and his arms could do with a rest.

  “Right there with you. I miss fresh juice,” Jules sighed. Once again, fresh produce was simply impractical when space was at a premium. Like Tom's eggs, Jules's juice was of the powdered variety.

  A breeze reached them through the spaced trees, making Jules sigh in the relief it brought. The trees had changed here, resembling delicate eucalyptus instead of redwoods. Through a gap ahead, she could make out tall grass swaying gently with the breeze.

  When Tom pushed ahead, Jules hung back to grab her own water bottle. Shiny was right, she decided. The Babel site wasn't perfect but, then again, they didn't have a choice. She had a feeling most people wouldn't mind though, once they got off the ships and got busy with building the colony. With the ground underneath and the sky overhead, instead of everything grey, they'd feel better and more inclined to overcome the obstacles facing them, so they could stay. So, they could make a home.

  “Jesus Christ.”

  Jules snapped out of her ruminations, frowning. She could just see Tom ahead, head canted so he was looking down. Glancing at the others, she pushed out of the brush to join him at the edge of a cliff. “What is it?” she asked, noting that Tom seemed frozen in place, his blast rifle hanging from one hand and the machete from the other. Between his feet, the naf had crouched down on its haunches, staring ahead.

  He didn't answer so she followed his gaze across the valley yawning in front of them. Covered in more greenery, the land was cut through by an enormous river. Much larger than the one at the Babel site, this one hadn't seen the recent effects of a storm. Halfway through the valley, Jules could see the river dropping in subtle steps to another wide, flat expanse.

  However, the view wasn't what had captured the Shark Major's attention. That honour went to the abandoned, stone city perched on a tabletop of land butted up against the hill on the opposite side of the valley.