More than two weeks have passed since our departure. Finally we were able to leave this damn jungle! Endless abnormal rains, the absence of any living creatures and other things greatly irritated and depressed us. Even seasoned soldiers like us were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and the natives were constantly arguing about something among themselves, almost starting a fight.
The area that we eventually entered was a temperate forest of tall trees, between which there were practically no bushes, and the ground was strewn with low grass, like a mown lawn, dry soil and dry leaves mixed with stones, moss and, it seems, cones, if you can call them that. Although in structure and appearance they really looked very much like cones, that’s why we called them that.
"Cone?"
Sigrun asked, carefully examining the strange fruit in her hands, having previously put protective gloves on her fingers and covered her mouth with a breathing mask.
"I don't understand. Is there something similar on Earth?”
"Haven't you been to Earth?"
Will asked, trampling dry leaves under his feet as we all walked towards the east.
“You should kind of know what it is and what are you afraid of? Just a regular bump."
“I’m not afraid of anything!”
Sigrun was instantly indignant and threw the fruit at Will.
“I’m just very prudent, that’s all.”
“Yes, yes, we understood that. Ay-ya!”
Will continued to get hit on the head.
Watching the first living creatures in this world, it seemed to me that I was seeing familiar birds, animals and insects from protected areas on Earth. Yes, and I know about cones thanks to them, where you could walk along a path between the tall trees of a large forest and breathe in the so-called fresh air, but it differed only in that it was colder and smelled of all kinds of resins and moisture.
It was really nice to be in that place and I would have felt the same here if not for the constant fatigue from a long journey. We walked, making relatively small stops for the night or a snack, but overall we did not stop our journey and therefore were very tired.
It really seemed to me that I was in the park, and not on another planet thousands of parsecs from my home. Such a sharp change in the situation made us somewhat happy, but not for long. From the moment we left the jungle and found ourselves in the forest, the natives began to behave warily, constantly looking around and trying to make less noise. Even knowing that if something happened we would protect them, they were still careful and peered into the distance.
"Terrible."
Alza said, snuggling closer to Ripun, and he, in turn, hugged her with a gloomy face and looked around in the opposite direction.
"Dangerous. Gobé hica gik mahra».
“Perhaps they are city dwellers?”
Itami grinned seeing the reaction of the natives to the forest.
“Perhaps they know better what to watch out for here than we do.”
I answered, also peering into the distance and seeing all kinds of living creatures.
Perhaps because such comfortable and spacious forests could be habitats for large animals, which the natives believed we could not cope with and forced us to behave so carefully, and perhaps something else.
Using a bioscanner, we carefully looked out for nearby animals and, if anything, avoided them, and what is really strange is that we did not see some fantastic inhabitants of this planet, which we had never seen before, but quite ordinary deer, foxes, wolves, bears, wild boars, squirrels, roe deer, birds and many other animals. Unless the insects we trampled under our feet were of a different variety, and that’s all.
I believe that the ancient colonists infected this planet with terrestrial flora and fauna due to which it was able to at least spread across this continent. And okay, this assumption worked with animals, but how can we explain the same with plants? I don’t think that even in a couple of thousand years it is possible to spread pine temperate forest across the continent, but maybe we were lucky to stumble upon the only land-like forest that grew on this planet?
It is quite possible that right now we were much closer to the site of the shipwreck of the supposed ancient colonists than we thought, but this is still an assumption, although there are solid grounds for it.
"By the way, Fred,"
Forn turned to the senior medic.
“Have you figured out how to treat the natives from infection?”
The Martian drew attention to the natives, or rather not even to them, but to the green spots that spread across their skin. Fred assured us that the chaotic change in skin color was the only symptom of this infection, from which we were able to recover. However, due to the unfamiliar biology of these intelligent beings, we were unable to cure them in turn, and the green spots continued to spread across their bodies like mold.
"I don't have time for this."
As always, Fred answered indifferently.
“I think their immunity should cope.”
At this point I began to worry, turning to the senior physician:
“Fred, Itami is teaching them English, they will become intermediaries for more peaceful contact with the local civilization. We don't need enemies on this planet, we just need to get out of here, so they must survive at all costs."
Fred just clicked his tongue in response.
“Tch! Don't lecture me. I know all this without you.”
He grumbled dissatisfied.
“And I don’t know how to treat these natives, I’m useless here. They need a veterinarian, not some regimental medic."
"Don't put yourself down, Fred."
The senior medic was patted on the shoulder by his younger colleague named Iyad.
“Me and Kobe thank you for getting us out of bed. You helped us a lot."
“You slackers almost broke your legs!”
“We didn’t want this.”
“But I wanted to!”
The platoon laughed at Fred's disgruntled words. Just when he rushes at everyone and screams, that’s what made us laugh. Meanwhile, we continued our path through the thickets until we noticed someone moving in the distance.
I raised my palm in a gesture ordering them to stop moving, duck down and prepare their weapons, after which the platoon instantly froze. Itami hid the natives behind a tree, and the rest quickly dispersed across the area, aiming into the distance and turning into immobilized, lonely bushes.
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"What's there?"
Will asked me in a whisper next to me.
"Humanoids."
I answered, seeing a group of a dozen creatures on the bioscanner screen.
“But they’re... weird.”
A rustling sound was heard from the natives. Looking back for a brief moment in their direction, I saw them looking into the distance with fear towards the place where I noticed these creatures. Looking back in the same direction and looking into the distance, I saw how these creatures were moving in a group between the trees to the south, and then, to get a better look at them, I increased the zoom on my glasses by turning the regulator at my temple.
And what did I see? Some half-naked savages holding clubs and axes in their hands, but what is strange is their skin color is a sickly green color, and their faces are disfigured by sores, dirt, all kinds of cuts and bruises. Their short stature and hunched position gave me a certain assumption that greatly frightened me.
They looked like those who had survived the "green disease" and as a result they became so ugly. It is quite possible that this is what awaits our native fugitives if they are not urgently cured. The question remained: what were these green humanoids doing here?
Most likely, other natives expelled them here for ugliness, roughly speaking, because of prejudices, and they, in turn, formed a kind of tribe where they lived and helped each other, but this is just my guess. I didn’t know the real state of affairs and I’m unlikely to find out.
I think that if we appear before their eyes, they will automatically perceive us as enemies, or rather, as those who expelled them from the Empire and came for their souls. Even if they don’t do it, our native fugitives will, because they were so afraid of these ugly, ill people.
These short green-skinned humanoid creatures seemed to be on the hunt now. With their black eyes they carefully examined every corner of the forest, or maybe they were engaged in patrol. Why did I think that? Well, I don't think they would make that much noise to hunt, so the next thing I assumed was that it was a patrol after all.
And if what I see was really a patrol, then it means their settlement was nearby.
"Leave."
Niana whispered with a trembling voice, looking at me with puppy dog eyes, begging me to do something.
"Gobe fear, Gobe kill."
Niana, shaking her head and shaking her whole body, found the only words in the English language to describe these creatures and then uttered the words only in her own language, apparently trying to somehow describe them. And although I did not understand her fear and the fear of her relatives, one thing was clear to me: it was better for us to avoid contact with these creatures at all costs.
"Fine."
I answered the native and addressed the entire platoon.
“We avoid contact and move on.”
Everyone nodded silently, accepting the new order. When the so-called Gobe finally passed further south, we carefully moved on, trying to make as little noise as possible. The bioscanners suddenly began to show less living creatures, as if we had entered the exclusion zone, which everyone and everyone fears, and yet we walked through it.
We moved in a line as if we were making our way through a minefield and stayed behind each other at a relatively large distance. This way we can disperse at any time in case of danger, and we also knew exactly where we needed to go. However, our path was suddenly interrupted when I suddenly noticed a creature on the bioscanners that did not want to move from its place.
It would seem, what is the problem here? The problem is that I didn’t see this creature visually.
"Where are you?"
I said out loud while peering into the distance.
By this time, the sun was already setting and the forest was getting darker and darker. The creature that was on the way did not move and stood in one place. It was ten meters away from me, but I didn’t see it anywhere. I even thought that it was on the tree, but it was not there either, just like in front. In my field of vision there was only a pine forest darkening in the twilight and not a single living creature.
“I see a creature on the scanner, but I can’t make it out.”
I spoke.
“The thermal imager shows many warm traces on the ground.”
Esko said looking at the area and said with all seriousness in his voice.
"I have a bad feeling."
"Anti-scientific nonsense."
Fred whispered, rolling his eyes.
“Your so-called “bad feeling” is simply doubt about the safety of a further path or action. I'd say the same thing, but I'll say it's just not safe here. Tch! Yes, you know this even without me.”
“You're grumbling again.”
Will shook his head.
“Calm down already.”
“Are you planning on shutting me up?”
“Keep it down, both of you.”
Itami whispered.
"Don't interfere."
Fred and Will swallowed what was said, knowing full well that the situation was not a good one and that it was better to wait for another moment to argue.
"Let's move on."
I calmly ordered, stepping on dry fallen leaves and peering into the ground.
Since Esko saw many heat traces on the ground, this means that these creatures, that is, Gobe, were doing something here. Perhaps they dug a hole and hid, or maybe this hole was a trap studded with wooden stakes, into which the animal was caught and now lies and slowly dies. Assuming this, I carefully stepped on the ground, trying to jump back if something happened if I started to fall down.
Five meters from the creature and there are no visual signs of life. Perhaps it really was under the surface of the earth in some hidden hole. Therefore, I continued to take cautious steps further and further forward, already holding my breath.
Two meters and still no sign of a trap or hole. It was not visible visually and even with a thermal imager it was difficult to see it. Esko was silent, he did not see the creature, no one saw him. Only the bioscanner in my hands saw it, or maybe it wasn’t there at all and it was the bioscan that was acting up.
«This is the only thing I still lacked.»
And suddenly…
"Crap!"
I cursed when it seemed that I had already come close to the creature and stepped on very soft soil.
"Swamp!"
I barely noticed how the soil began to sag downwards like some kind of inflatable trampoline, and the texture of the soil began to float from side to side. I didn't expect there to be a camouflaged swamp here! My leg barely had time to fall through and with effort I was able to pull it out, but as soon as I raised my leg, it was suddenly grabbed by someone’s hand.
"What the?!"
I shouted and at that moment my heart began to beat wildly. The hand that grabbed my leg seemed strong, human, and refused to let me go. If I shook it now, it is quite possible that this hand would pull me down into the swamp, so even though I was afraid, I tried not to make sudden movements.
Esko and Will ran up to me and, holding my shoulders on either side, began to pull me back, just like the creature that had grabbed my leg with its hand. Other fighters stood on the sides and took aim at the humanoid. A creature washed in mud crawled out from under the ground and as soon as it was on solid ground, it fell to the ground and coughed, spitting out clots of mud from its mouth.
Meanwhile, the fighters formed a semicircle and illuminated the creature with flashlights, ready to shoot it at any moment. Frankly, I was scared to death at that moment. The natives behind us were definitely scared too, but Itami kept them away so that they would not make any hasty actions.
While the dirty creature was coughing, I rose to my feet and, hanging the assault rifle over my shoulder, took out a pistol. It is quite possible that this is Gobe, who may be hostile to us, or perhaps another creature altogether.
When the humanoid cleared his throat, he looked up at us, and then froze, looking around and squinting from the light of the flashlights. What happened next surprised us all very much.
"Humans?"
We heard a man's voice full of hope and disbelief.
“Are you from the Republic? Oh! Finally... I thought I would die here alone."
«What the hell?!»
I asked myself in shock, not believing my ears.
"Who are you?!"
I asked with a shout, and meanwhile the man rose to his feet and, throwing off a clot of dirt, raised his hands up, keeping a decent distance from us. Obviously he knew that we had weapons in our hands and knew what to do while under gunpoint.
“I’m not your enemy!”
The man shouted almost in panic.
"Please don't aim at me."
"I asked you a question."
I said sternly and gloomily, removing the pistol from the safety with a distinct click.
“Who the fuck are you?”
The man was clearly both scared and delighted. Mixed emotions were visible on his dirty face.
“Okay, okay, I’ll answer everything.”
The man said, spitting out another clot of dirt from his mouth.
“My name is Lecith, from the planet Ecostate. I-I'm just an orbital technician. Please don't kill me!
I continued to look at him in disbelief. How likely is it to meet another person on another planet who speaks English? Almost zero and yet we were very lucky. This man was unarmed and most likely from the Republic and yet some doubts crept into my head at the mention of Ecostate, but I don’t remember why. It seemed I knew something and forgot.
«Calm down, Boris, you're just scared.»
I assured myself, gradually calming down from the surprise.
"Put your weapon down."
I ordered the other fighters, and I did the same, but was in no hurry to holster my weapon, and then asked Lecith.
“How did an orbital technician from Ecostate end up on this planet?”
Before answering, Lecith grinned, continuing to throw off clots of dirt from himself, scraping it off with his fingers.
“We-we flew to Surk-Krasad 167-99 on a construction ship. We needed to build a mining station in orbit of some gas giant. One company was going to extract hydrogen there, but instead we crashed onto this planet. I don’t even know if we are in the same system or in a completely different one. And you? How did you end up here?
“We are soldiers of the 127th Army, flying from Kanasis to the Republic, but our cruiser was thrown out of subspace in this system.”
I answered briefly.
“I'll tell you the details later. To begin with, I’m interested in this: how long ago did you drown in this swamp?”
It was really interesting for me to know because he stayed in this hidden swamp for so long. He miraculously managed to survive thanks to the fact that he was recorded by my bioscanner. I thought the Gobe had left some kind of trap here, but it turns out they weren't.
“Mom always told me that I was an excellent swimmer.”
Lecith grinned.
«Excellent swimmer?»
I thought, already guessing how he could hold out for so long.
"How did you get here?"
I asked, and while Lecith was cleaning all the dirt off himself with his hands, he began to tell us his story.