Chapter 1.
As the night sky stretched out with its eternal darkness, a crescent moon shone bright bringing hope to the living creatures below, casting its light across the land. Above, stars twinkled in the sky, each one a glimmering beacon in the vast expanse. The air was cool and crisp, carrying with it the sounds of the forest, the rustling of leaves and the chirping of crickets and other creatures of the night.
The surrounding area had a thick forest, tall trees looming up into the sky, their branches reaching out like fingers. The open field that sat in the middle of the forest was bathed in moonlight, the grass swaying gently in the breeze. Far in the distance, the silhouette of tall mountains rose up into the sky, casting long shadows across the land.
As the wind picked up, it carried with it the scent of the forest, a heady mix of pine needles and damp earth. The rustling of leaves became louder, and the sound of bugs and creatures grew more pronounced. The rustling of leaves and the chirping of crickets and other nocturnal creatures created a symphony of sound that filled the night air, stirring the imagination and heightening the senses.
The moonlit landscape was both eerie and magical, a place where anything could happen, and then, something did happen. Out of nowhere, a massive crowd of people appeared in the centre of a vast field surrounded by forest. There were so many of them who had materialized out of thin air. The atmosphere was eerie, with a strange energy emanating from the crowd.
As they stood in the field, unconsciously, there was no sound, chattering, or movement. The only thing that moved was the wind, rustling the trees in the forest. As the minutes ticked by, people began to wake. As eyes flickered open one by one in the moonlight, the tension in the air grew thicker as confusion quickly spread throughout the crowd like a virus.
The stars of the night sky illuminated the field, pushing the dark heavy shadows of the 3000 people that were present. It was as if time had slowed down, and the world had been frozen in this moment.
Amid the chaos, people were starting to feel more and more uneasy as time passed, with no answers or any indication of what was happening to them. Some tried to build up the courage to leave the field in hope of finding the nearest person or city, while others gathered together for answers and solutions. It didn't take long before various people in conversations started to agree on possible theories, such as them being brought here for some sort of experiment or research project, or part of some elaborate prank or reality TV show, while others feared they had been kidnapped. The kidnapping theory was becoming popular among the gossipers all of whom had no memory of where they were and how they got in the field, this was a clear sign of drugging.
However, five scientists stood out among the others. As persons gravitated closer to where they stood, the voices of the group rose to a fever pitch, laughing and shouting hysterically. Their excitement was contagious, and the onlookers began to share in their joy, their curiosity piqued. Perhaps this group had discovered something, a clue to the mystery that had been haunting them all.
As the group's laughter continued to echo through the night, persons in the crowd began to grow uneasy. Were these people losing their sanity? or had they stumbled upon something truly terrifying? As the laughter died down, it became apparent that among the group the persons were familiar with one another. The onlookers strained their ears to hear their words, desperate for any clue to what was happening.
"Did any of you see Doctor Strap anywhere around?" one of the scientist asked. "What are the chances of us making a breakthrough to then be whisked off into the unknown? I'm assuming that those of you with a trained eye have noticed the constellation is no longer familiar, its unrecognizable; there is no known North star or satellite in this sky to determine our bearings."
"It's pretty fascinating that we are not where we should be in space anymore," another replied. "The reason could be that the earth fell to some other orbit away from the sole-system we knew, we have spent years reaching out into the universe, and the day we felt something was the day we somehow ..."
"Shhh," a third interrupted. "Be mindful of what you imply without solid evidence. That could end up being the death of not just you but the rest of us standing here. It's evident that we got transported to somewhere different in space-time, but to where exactly, and is there any chance of getting back home? Let's at least try to identify some constellations, we've spent most of our lives looking at stars so maybe we can figure out where we are."
There was a few seconds of dead silence among the gathered crowd just before the next person began to speak. "What if the planet was the one that moved through time and not just us?"
"First off, did you waste brainpower to develop that theory?" one of the men scoffed. "Look around, a planet or not, we are not in the exact location we were in how many hours ago. No matter the cause, we are no longer in the same space in time that we were a few minutes ago. Even the moon's surface and dimensions look different. Look at its almost blueish colour, as if there's water or ice on its surface."
"That's a good observation," another person chimed in. "Let's try our best to piece together information about the stars before the sun breaks over the horizon. Maybe we can learn about our location among the stars. When that’s over we can figure out more about the environment.”
As word spread throughout the massive crowd like wildfire, everyone learned that they were no longer on earth or in their sole system. For all, they knew, they might not even be in their universe. The feelings among the people varied like the waves that crashed on the shores. People became scared, while others thought that they were chosen and saved by God. The uncertainty hung heavy in the air as the group searched for answers, desperate to unravel the mystery of their new reality.
As people naturally started gravitating together, to prevent factions from taking root and developing an identity of their own, word began to spread among the people to form into groups of 100. If they manage to accomplish that, they should send one representative to the front to discuss the situation and form a council of 30. This would also be the establishment of the communication protocol, which will ensure that all members receive important information like, danger, resource availability and progress efforts.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Officially the council of 30 began their meeting first by assessing their situation. A man named Joe suggested that they put together a team of willing people to explore the surrounding area and determine the resources that would affect their limitations. They would have to determine a common goal or, at most, compromise on survival, exploration, settling down or finding a way back home.
As the talks continued, Joe’s passion began to paint a distasteful image within the minds of the council, and with Joe’s charisma it would come back to hurt them. This prompted a few members to jump into action, as a suggestion of a leader was requested, they didn’t want a self-appointed leader to spring up as Joe was aiming for. To prevent creating a dictator, one of the other member suggested that they establish a trinity hierarchy created from the top 3 members. Persons who are respected and capable for the position among them, these 3 will hold equal status and jurisdiction.
After much deliberation and getting to know each other within this odd situation the council decided on the 3 leaders that would be in charge of the settlement, Joe Perez, tall and imposing, with a background in the military and a talent for keeping order and discipline, Lady-Vee Walker, tall and lean, a veteran with a background in science and development with a talent for analyzing complex problems, and Gemski Flores, tall and muscular, a veteran with a background in construction and engineering and a practical approach to problem-solving.
In the best interest of the settlement, the council decided on a plan to form the first expedition in order to get the ball rolling. The team would consist of 5 volunteers. The assigned task would be to locate a source of water and potential food, exploring the inner edges of the surrounding forest while mapping and logging the animals, plants and bugs that are common to the area. While the team explores, others will be making stone tools to help construct builds for shelter.
(Team Uno)
The First Exploration Team On A New Planet.
After some time had passed, the word was out, and everyone was brainstorming and planning on how they could be useful to create a safe environment to ensure their survival.
Gemski taking an interest in the exploration that was about to be underway, took the liberty to gather 300 persons who from observation and word of mouth he thought were good picks to succeed at the scouting task. Loudly Gemski asked for volunteers to raise their hand and step forward to join the exploration team. He knew that not many persons would volunteer and was hoping that he wouldn’t have to pick anyone. slowly breathing off as he looked over their facing a few persons captured his eyes, they were strong, maybe dangerous but he could tell just at a glance that they weren’t here to join the exploration time but to scout potential people. As Gemski patience began to dwindle he made sure to inform the group before him that whoever goes on this special mission will return heroes and be the first set of people to make it in humanity's new history. More than anyone, Gemski knew that his statement though true was still a lie, he also made it clear that their personal safety, just like everyone else's, was in their own hands for now. It wouldn't have helped for them to be concerned about the potential risk. They risk the possibility of encountering lots of unknown dangers and hazards in the surrounding alien forest. Calling the team a suicide team is a deterrent in itself because this new civilization needs strong, brave, careful and willing people to embark on the mission.
At first, the hands of a few people slowly began rising into the air. It took a few seconds before their hands started to shoot up from their sides into the air as they eagerly stepped towards Gemski. After a brief screening process to determine their suitability for the mission, Gemski selected five people from the volunteer pool based on their skills, experience and other factors.
The team consisted of a navy seal, a biologist, a triathlon winner, and a very skilled geologist named Colt Gestment, his name felt familiar, but Gemski couldn’t tell why, and from the reactions of those people who were scouting in the crowd they thought so to. However, When Gestment introduces himself he requested that we identifies as Timmon, a name he preferred to be called by.
Before they embarked on their journey, Gemski told the newly formed team to take a moment to talk and get to know each other before he sent them out. After a few minutes passed, he signalled to them and asked them which one would take up the leading role and the responsibility of the position. After their short chat, the team decided that Timmon was best suited for the situation.
Gemski slowly escorted the team to the edge of the field where the forest began and asked the team leader to promptly run the objectives of the mission and his plans before embarking on humanities first exploration on an alien planet.
(Timmons dialogue)
"Before we head off, something is on my mind, the other capable scientist may have already noticed it as well, but the surrounding clouds above our heads and the soil mixed with rocks beneath our feet are screaming high altitudes. At best, I think this forest is sitting in a valley or in the crater of a volcano, I would need more proof to be sure, but just off of observation alone, I can tell that there should be water around here. Judging from the cirrus clouds that float just above the mountain's peak, you can clearly see that it is snowing as a result.
The warm and humid temperatures down here in the crater and its heavy morning dew make me even more positive that there is running water at the base of the mountain, which should more or less end up in the middle of the crater as a lake. However, the fact that there isn't a lake down here is puzzling, which could mean that the water is occupied somewhere else.
Based on the thick, thriving forest surrounding this open field, it could only mean that there is definitely a source of water to be found. Looking at the soil around here is hella rich in nutrients. I have two concerns about this perceived dormant volcano beneath our feet. If our assumption is wrong based on our earthly standards, this fortress of a crater could someday kill everyone. The second concern is about the speculated water that should have clearly formed in the centre of the crater from the ice melting off of the tips of the mountain.
With the size of trees in the rich surrounding forest, based on our earth's standards, this place should see a lot of rainfall, and there should also be large water deposits around here.
This leads me to believe that there is also the possibility of animals living in the forest. I'm 100% sure that there are aliens within the forest that stretch back for miles to the wall of this crater."
As Timmon paused briefly, he was sure that he heard wolves howling in the distance when he first gained consciousness, but maybe he didn't, and it was his imagination."
Looking at men standing in front of him, Timmon continued by saying,
"Our main objective is to explore the surrounding area and gather as much information as possible about this new environment. We need to locate sources of water, food, and other resources that can be useful for our survival. We also need to map out the terrain and identify any potential dangers or hazards that we may encounter. If it's pretty and colourful, assume it's venomous or poisonous. If we do see alien creatures, we should keep a safe distance. We do not know their level of intelligence to classify them as animals. Our ultimate goal is to gather as much information as possible so that we can report back to the settlement and help ensure the safety and survival of everyone here."
The team nodded in agreement, and Timmon continued, "Regarding our plan of action, we'll start by heading north towards the hills, which should give us a better vantage point to survey the area. We'll move in a single-file line to avoid getting separated or lost. Everyone will be responsible for keeping an eye out for potential threats, and we'll take regular breaks to rest, hydrate and eat if we manage to find the resources to keep it pushing, we probably won't make it to the surrounding wall within the day so we will map out as much as we can in the first 8 hours then return.
With my understanding of rocks, I can identify raw mineral materials deposit sites that will help advance humanity's growth. By studying the rocks, I can find out where the water has been or is going."
After Timmon was done talking, Gemski approved of their plan, seriousness and attitude in this unreal situation they found themselves in. saluting them as they walked into the forest, Gemski said, “ You might lose track of time in their without a watch but if we don’t see you in eight hours then lets double it and i’ll see you handsome bastards in a hot 16. Remember to watch each others back. Life is a funny thing but also a precious gift.”