The stillness of the restful hours was shattered by the goat's frantic cries, its panicked dashes tracing the circumference of the rest point, always cloaked within the embrace of the canopy. The goat's wild wails pierced through the air, jolting Team Uno from their slumber. Among them, Ben stirred first, his eyes gradually opening to take stock of the situation.
"Sunrise?" Ben muttered. "We slept for over 13-14 hours" The goat was still crying in the background. What the hell is up with that goat now? Is it being attacked? Should I care? The sound was now coming from his immediate left. Slowly turning towards the sound of the goat, it looked right at him in a panic. Ben wondered whether the danger was happening towards them or the goat.
Mr Major: What's happening?
Ben: Don't move. I don't know what the problem is, but the goat is looking right at us and crying in panic.
Timmon: The Goat? It's back? What about the box? Who did it find us?
Ben: hush and give me a second. I don't know what the problem is, but we don't want to make any sudden movements.
Mr Major: We should be okay; animals can come into the safety rest zone. The proof is in the goat's apprehension to come in.
Ben: Do you of all people want to take the risk that moving will not cost us our life?
Timmon: So what's the plan? Are we to just lay here and listen to the goat sing?
Ben: Are you this annoying whenever you get a good night's rest? We should try to look around with just our eyes before moving our heads around to get a larger viewpoint.
The light from dawn began to paint the sky as their eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to figure out what the goat's gaze was fixed upon and to understand the cause of its distressing cries.
Ben, who was exerting caution to minimize his movements and ascertain his circumstances, had his attention snagged by an odd object which, from the angle he laid, seemed to be fastened around Mr Major's forearm and Timmon's ankle. Looking at the object, Ben could see that it was slowly but surely getting bigger. No, that wasn't correct. It was getting taller. It was emerging. His suspicion sharpened. The entity rising from the ground bore a resemblance to the mandible, but from its look, it could be a giant king crab. Would it be weird if it was one? It probably should be. He and the team encountered a large Green cat just a day ago. What would be so surprising if they saw a large forest crab next? From what he could tell, this planet had a mix of new and old creatures.
Steeling his mind to focus on the task, he swiftly engaged his analytical skills, dissecting the situation as rapidly as his faculties allowed. If the mandible shuts close, one of them will lose a limb, so he would have to find a way to get them freed.
Mr Major's forearm could be a straightforward endeavour if we could just pull him free, and Timmon's ankle predicament posed a more intricate puzzle upon initial inspection. If he had to choose which of them had to walk away in one piece, who would he choose? Was there even a mandible around any part of him? To make the assumption that crabs only had one or two arms is crazy when he still knew nothing about this new world. If one of the mandibles reacts and shuts, would they all shut? If that's a possibility, he should save Mr Major first, which might increase the chances of saving Timmon. "But who would save me?"
Mr. Major's voice broke through his thoughts. "What's the damage, Ben? I can tell that a decision needs to be made. What is it?"
Ben glanced at Mr Major, his mind racing. "Can either of you see anything around me?"
They both said no as Ben slowly sat up, hoping not to disturb the ground in the process. Would he be able to move Mr Major? Out of the two remaining members, Ben favours Mr Major. Ever since reentering the forest's canopy, Timmon's regard for these creatures' lives had waned, and it was Mr Major who held the capacity among them to temper his impulses. If he saved Timmon and he was to lose control of his range and emotions, who would stop him? I almost got my neck open the last time I tried to approach him, and Mr Major was the person who stopped me before Timmon stopped my life.
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"Alright, listen up," Ben said, his voice steady despite the rising tension. "Mr. Major, I'm going to try to get you free first. Timmon, stay as still as you can. We'll get to you right after."
Mr. Major nodded, his eyes showing a mix of trust and determination. "Do what you need to do, Ben. We've got your back."
Ben carefully moved closer to Mr Major, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. He examined the mandible-like structure more closely. It was indeed a massive crab claw that partially emerged from the ground and, with it, sprung water. The claw around Mr Major's forearm had a lot of wiggle room, but the strands of hair coming from off the inner part of the claw were troubling details.
As the goats' crying stopped, Ben stood there looking down at them, trying to figure out his next move. He noticed Timmons' fingers instinctively reaching toward his dagger just as slowly as the mandible was rising from the now damp grassy ground. With a firm step on his hand to halt his movements, they heard an amused dance in his tone as Ben quipped, "It's time to play classic operation."
Knowing that they couldn't see what he saw, he informed them of the fine strands of hair adorning the crab's mandible, with a matter-of-fact tone explaining that contact with those hairs would trigger the claw to snap shut.
A chuckle erupted from Mr Major, a touch of irony in his amusement. The realization dawned upon him that two members of their team had met their demise while searching for a water source. All the while, this ever-flowing wellspring lay closer than where they ended up.
Mr Major: So what are we going to do now that we have this new water problem?
Timmon: Will the water trigger the strands? Because once we start floating, that's it.
Ben: I honestly don't know anything about what the water will do, but I know I'll be able to use it to my advantage. It's a 50/50 chance, though. But let me grab a few things.
After several minutes passed, the ceaseless surge of water brought with it an unsettling sensation beneath their bodies.
Timmon: Whatever you're planning, make it quick. I don't know if it's just me, but it's getting hot in this little safe zone. The sun must be on fire today.
It didn't take Ben too long to gather the material he needed; after transferring the fruits and seeds into the other basket next to Mr Major, Ben stripped it for parts, taking all the carbon fibre sticks from it. Looking over at the kid goat as it quietly watched on, Ben gathered the stick and vines with purposeful steps; he approached Timmon, who lay partially suspended in the now shallow water.
Timmon: I'm really gonna need you to put something under my leg. I have muscles now, but deep down, I'm still an unhealthy geologist.
It didn't take long before Ben had a makeshift contraption that was shaped to match the thickness of Mr Major's forearm.
Timmon: BRO! Help me! Why are you helping Mr Major first? If my leg twitches, that's it for us both? Why help the stronger man? Okay, don't answer that! Just help me!
Ben: Just keep still and try not to move. If I can get this right, then the two of us can help you out. So, Mr Major, I need you to put your arm through this cylinder of sticks. Let's call this your shield. I'll try to make a second shield for Timmon, and then we can take the risk.
Once again, the goat began to cry out and pace around the safe zone, but Ben was too focused on helping his team. Failing to register the emergence of large webbed feet at either side of Mr Major and Timmon, the water level began to rise, or more accurately, the grass covering the laid was beginning to sink. Clutching the fruit basket with one arm and fervently hoping for his own safety, Mr Major watched as the claw quivered with an ominous twitch in response to the goat's cries.
Mr Major: Will someone shut that goat up?!
Ben: Calm down.
Mr Major: Listen to me. This thing is reacting to the goat. It needs to shut up, I can't let that thing be the cause of me losing my hand.
Timmon: A 50/50 risk?
Ben: You two, just give me a second, and please don't do anything stupid. I can get you out. Just trust me.
Mr Major: On 3 Timmon.
Ben: I'm not playing! Stop.
In the blink of an eye, their collective instincts sprang into action. Timmon and Mr Major slowly started moving their limbs to a point where they wouldn't be able to shift them. All the while, Ben was yelling for them to wait as he got the other shield ready. Just as Ben noticed the webbed feet, they both yanked the remainder of their arm and leg away with a rapid, forceful motion.
"Run!" Timmon Yelled. As they ran towards the goat. Their foothold rapidly deteriorated as they wasted no time rushing trying to get toward the shelter of the forest canopy. Mr Major dragged the partly submerged basket, trying to pull it over his shoulder as his knees were failing to stay above the water. Beneath the protective cover of the trees, Ben, Timmon, and the goat watched and waited for an opportunity, their eyes fixed on Mr. Major's escape. Yet, in a cruel twist, their hopes were shattered as a sudden attack befell him.
What they had mistaken for a crab revealed its true form – a bizarre hybrid creature, part frog and part unknown entity. With an almost preternatural reach, its tongue extended, snaring the basket in its sticky grasp. Left with no alternative, Mr Major abandoned the valuable resources, watching helplessly as the fruits and seeds they had painstakingly collected vanished, disappearing into the clutches of the enigmatic amphibian. The cruel irony of losing their hard-earned provisions just as they stood on the cusp of their home base painted a grim picture of the ruthless world in which they battled for survival.
Timmon: There's no way we're gonna fight that thing. Let's just keep pushing and avoid this if we can. I'm tired of this mother fucking forest and these mother fucking animals. Ouuu, I hate them so much!