by Amelia Esla
Melissa’s mom had taken her suits gauntlets off and reached out with a shaking hand, demonstrating how brave she was, touched the Swan.
The bystanders seeing it had held their collective breath. The very idea of touching a Green Hell life form was still utterly alien to them. They expected the woman to reel back, screaming and bleeding, but nothing happened. The animal was perfectly docile and allowed to be touched.
Melissa explained. “If you scratch him gently under the beak, he loves that and that’s where his feathers are softest. Just be careful not to touch the feathers to the side, that are graphite colored, they are part of his razor wings and have a single molecule edge of crystallized graphite.”
Aideen O’Malley followed her daughters instructions and cooed. “Oh he is so soft and so pretty.” As if Silver knew that the fuzz was about him, he raised his head a little to squeeze his eyes with pleasure while making a rattling sound.
Melissa’s father gathered his courage and also touched the swan.
The present crowd stared in awe at the small family with a Pandora Swan at its center and getting petted as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Chapter 8
Roy and the others were still outside and while the pebble beach here at the Big Lake was far safer than the Jungle; even here it was not a good idea to stay too long at the same spot .A Stomper crushed through the thicket into the open, what made him storm onto the pebble beach was not clear to Roy and he wondered about it. As Stompers rarely if ever actually came into the open, they feared nothing except Water Snakes.
There was a collective scream of fear going through the crowd at Ma Swanson’s Boathouse and the present Marines lowered their weapons and wanted to shoot, but the shield prevented them from turning the Stomper to molecular ashes.
The Teenagers outside appeared not scared or panicked, even as a titanic Water Snake rose to the surface. A seventy meters Adult at least with dark green scales and black spots down the side, a clear indication to locals that it was a female Snake.
The sudden appearance of a Stomper and now the Water Snake’s arrival actually caused one of the Science Institute researchers to faint, he didn’t fall over though. The seven ton Extreme World civilian converted Battle Walker he used prevented that.
The onlookers were certain of the teenager’s gruesome and terminal fate and that they would die a swift and violent death before anyone could do something.
Some even wondered if the soap-bubble thin film of energy could really protect them from the wraith of the King of all Green Hell Monsters, a raging mad female Water Snake.
Yet the enormous Anguis Viridi inferni as the scientists had named the big serpent, did not attack the children. It went right past them and then it spewed a stream of its highly flammable bio gel at the roaring Stomper.
The massive eight legged, twelve thousand pound Stomper, could not stop its momentum fast enough, so it could turn and flee. Once a Stomper committed to a charge, there was almost nothing stopping it. The one natural force on Green Hell that could, was right there. This was not a simulated Snake call, emitted by a boy hiding in the trees. The Stomper cried in panic and agony as it vanished in an exploding cloud of bright hot fire and then it collapsed as a charred and burned corpse just a few meters before the teenagers.
The image of the still burning Stomper behind them, while a billow of smoke and dust wafted around the teenagers standing there without the slightest fear in their faces accompanied by their fierce pets and holding their weapons at the ready, while the enormous shape of a Green Hell Water Snake’s head hovered over them; captured by the news woman’s camera bot would later become one of the most iconic poster images of this century gracing countless teenagers walls and T shirts. (and was a sore spot for Melissa as long as she lived, since she wasn’t in it.)
The big snake lowered her head close to Norm and the serpent’s black tongue, longer and thicker than a man flickered with its sensitive tips over Norm. The female snake for a moment looked over Roy and the others as well and after that eerie display of affection, she returned into the water , slipped below the surface and moments later was completely gone. Roy watched the stunned crowd and sighed. He feared this thing would go on all afternoon, as the Adults again took a small eternity to react and speak again.
The Major of Ant Hill was a politician at heart and so far all the speeches all the instant, history making headlines were made by someone else, but now his Son was clearly the center of it.
No one had said a word since the Stomper attack and so he walked briskly to the barriers edge and spoke into the audio pick up of his PDD. “Norm my son! What animal do you have?”
Norm appeared to to grow a few inches as he smiled with pride and beamed with self importance. His snake reared next to him until its head was at the same height as Norms. “Father, this is Zisch and he is of the same den as his Mother you just saw.”
Norm snapped his fingers and pointed at a large piece of drift wood washed to the shore. “Zisch, burn it!”
His Snake instantly reacted to his command and raised her head even further, then it spread the leathery bright red colored skin folds to the left and right of its neck.
Like a suddenly opening old fashioned umbrella making the snake even more frightening to look at and a stream of the burning gel hit the tree, ten meters away with explosive force.
Norm pointed his finger at a more distant piece of drift wood. “Zisch, nail it!”
The Snakes scales spread and finger long spikes slammed in the trunk with deadly accuracy. The onlookers still baffled by the virtual barrage of unforgettable images were treated by an encore of a truly spectacular finale of Norms act.
The Adults watched as Norm took off his weapon belt, suit shirt and exposing his entire upper body skin and all to the elements of Green Hell,. He then ran towards the water, evading Terror Moss and Needle Grass with elegant jumps and athletic moves, splashed into the water, diving forward with an arched body and dove out of sight.
No human had ever bathed on Green Hell in any of the lakes as far as the Adults knew. That his Snake fiend slithered next to him into the water like a faithful dog was just another facet of this afternoon of fantastic revelations, barely noticed.
The water settled and became mirror smooth, Norms father who never swam or dove in his life and the very idea of bathing in a lake full of Razor Fish and Water Snakes was beyond his realm of comprehension believed that he just watched his son commit suicide!
After a long minute passed, like a missile launched from a submerged warship, Norm broke through the water in an explosion of gushing water, standing on the nose of the giant fully grown Water Snake he was lifted at least twenty meters into the air.
It was a spectacle that made the assembled crowd drop their chins again and even Roy’s parents had completely forgotten their lofty, ‘we seen it all’ attitude and were reduced to gasping spectators just like the rest.
Norm, dove head first looking like a human spear, into the waves and walked moments later back on the pebble beach, dripping wet, Zisch close to his side. The Snake nailing a blister crab with a deadly accurate shot of its dart like spikes, as the dangerous crustacean came to close to Norm.
Norm Stevenson couldn’t help himself and bowed like a performer after a successful show and said to his father. “Will that be evidence enough that I am perfectly safe out here and that Zisch and I are friends?”
All the Mayor could say was. “Wow.” Robert Stevenson, who already saw himself rise to become the Planets Representative and get a seat at the Assembly cursed himself, later that his first chance for a speech was squandered with a foolish single word exclamation. Yet seeing what his son did was a fair excuse for not being on top of his game.
Norm grinned and crossed his arms. “So can Zisch and I stay together?”
This time the Mayor did manage to give a small speech. “I have never in all my life seen anything comparable. If anyone would have told me they had witnesse
d what I have just seen I would laugh and call them liars!” Stevenson looked closer at Zisch. “You are friends with all Water Snakes?”
“No Dad, just with Zisch, his siblings and his parents. It happens to be that Zisch’s mother is one of the biggest in this lake and nothing on Green Hell messes with a big mommy snake protecting her young. She considers me as one of her litter, because of that I am as safe in that lake as you behind that screen!”
“Come on in, son! I’ll sign your Animal Owner’s permit myself!”
The woman of the local News Agency approached. “Norm, the footage of your stunt will make you an instant star Union Wide I am certain! What would you do if you would be major?”
“I would make sure we keep our Jungles and Lakes as pristine as they are and make sure we grow in a controlled and careful way. I would make sure that anyone can go outside who wants to go outside. Most of all I make Snake Hunting illegal and anyone hurting a Water snake without serious reason, I’d send bathing!”
Roy had to admit this was a very good answer and he would certainly support Norm if he indeed would run for Mayor on day.
Norm passed through the re-activated gap in the force field with Zisch and posed with his Dad for more News images.
The Major beamed and waved and loudly promised Norm to push for local legislation to make Snake Hunting a punishable offense.
One such hunt happened only a few month ago, conducted by a rich Off-Worlder. Since there was no legislation in place to prevent it, the Hunter gained permission to hunt by a court order and against the concerns and objections of the Ranger. It was Norms father who supported the Hunt request as he envisioned a new source of income for Ant Hill.
The Off World Hunter came with a State of the Art Battle suit, a team of tough looking Mercenaries and he steered a Surplus Marine Corps Landing Tank from the loading bay of his private yacht, fired the tanks canon and killed five or six snakes.
(Six of his eight men got killed when they tried to retrieve a snakes head for the man’s trophy room.) The incident made real Greenies very angry and upset. No one here hunted Snakes or anything else for that matter. With the exception of the Scientists who occasionally captured a local life form, but no one minded that.
The Mayor signed his son’s permit for anyone to see right before the Cam Bots visual sensors and then promised his son and the audience that he would put a motion before the city council to craft legislation to prevent further hunts.
Solomon waved his son. “You’re next, son.”
Bob blushed and put his hand on the pelted body of his Spider. “I don’t know if Wobbler can do any cool tricks like that.”
Ben’s eyes reflected the affection he felt for that monstrosity. “He just likes to sleep a lot and eat pizza like me.”
Of course Wobbler was not a true spider or even remotely related in any way to Terran Arachnids. A Moolax was about double the size of the recently discovered sentient race of Spiders in the Downward sector, beyond the Klack Empire, they too shared little in common. A Moolax had ten legs and was considered Spider-like because it spun nets, used silky strings and could climb up and down vertical surfaces. Unlike a true spider, a Moolax had actual muscles in its legs and a though inner skeleton. And like everything on Green Hell a Moolax was a very dangerous animal with a variety of lethal abilities, electrified nets, dagger like spines and a teeth filled maw.
Then Bob’s face lightened as he had an idea. He climbed on the back of his spider and rode the arachnoid up a steep set of boulders , made Wobbler shoot filament webbing up a tree and the spider balanced with Bob on its back up the almost invisible line all the way to the canopy of a tall Tantalus Oak standing at the edge of the jungle. With his spider friend Bob swung to another tree, and finally came back down.
His father, Ranger Solomon had his fists stemmed against his hips as he watched his son and then he laughed. “I am certain Norm’s show was much more spectacular, but seeing my son ride a horse sized spider up a tree and back, will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Again there was laughter and slowly but surely most of the adults present relaxed, even to the presence of Green Hell life forms sharing the space inside the force field with them. Bob and Wobbler went in.
Ma Swanson’s husband, who wore not much more protection than Roy strode across the Duro-Crete carrying one of the Pizza Pies they sold in the store. “I always wanted to see a Moolax form close up, ” he explained and held the Pizza up while looking at Bob. “Would it be okay if I feed it?”
Bob made disappointed face and crossed his arms before his chest. “Sure it is alright, but you didn’t bring me any.”
Mr. Swanson laughed and feed the spider who gobbled the pizza with noticeable excitement.
The event at this point became more like a party or festival.
Ma Swanson and her husband brought drinks and food out and there was laughter and lively discussions about the experience so far.
Maria’s mother standing next to her husband .“Our daughter can come in. She is a Tech whiz. She never likes anything alive and always has been a bit of a recluse without many friends.. So I am for one very proud to see her outside with friends of her age while being active, play and being a real Greenie.”
Her father nodded. “Seeing her being interested in anything else but machines and tools makes me happy too. If she thinks she thinks she is safe out there, this is fine with me.” To Ma Swanson he said. “Let my daughter in, please. She is only likes machines and will have no animal.”
Maria parted her long hair that as always obscured much of her face and she said with a protesting edge in her voice. “Very nice of you painting me a techno looser in front of all these people; and I do have an animal too!”
She opened the flap of her ever present big shoulder bag and looked inside. “I love my Snuggle.” She said and then with the most gentle cooing voice she said. “Come to Mommy, little Snuggle baby”
Something moved and Snuggle the Ninja Weasel first stuck his head out over the rim of the bag and then snaked his long body around her arm while quickly sliding up and pressing its head against her cheek.
This time there was a collective “Ohhh” coming from the crowd and comments like. “Sweet, cute and adorable” came from the women in attendance.
Maria stared at them, while putting her other arm in a protective manner before her pet. “Snuggle doesn’t do any tricks and can’t impress you like Wobbler or Zisch. He is not good fighting Wasps yet either. He is just a baby!
The Ranger said. “No one expects you to have it do tricks. All I ask if you have it under control so it won’t harm others. It is a dangerous life form!”
Marian caressed the soft fur and said. “Snuggle is very smart! He never extends his claws, keeps his poisonous barbs in check, he is totally tame and as afraid of most what crawls and lives out there as you are.” She looked at the beast like a proud mother. “But he is smart, very smart. Snuggle does know tools! That should count for something!”
To the animal she said, “Go get me the Small universal.” Amazingly the furry being slid down and pulled a tool from Melissa’s belt and dropped it in her hand. Maria held it up.“See, it is the small universal!”
Maria was allowed to pass the Barrier. Her parents immediately petted the Ninja Weasel and it turned on its back so they could massage its belly! Maria’s father said: “I never touched a local animal and I was born here. That Weasel is the cutest thing I ever saw. I had no idea they could be so soft and docile!”
Roy knew from the beginning he was last. What his parents were thinking he could not tell as they were among those who still had their helmets closed. He noticed it all those who still did, were all members of the Science Institute, but he was glad his mother could not read his mind or check on him. The Military grade TransDim Shield, Ma Swanson had prevented telepathic contacts as well.
Mr. Solomon however knew about Roy’s concerns and he said to them. “Now it is your turn and I know you are scienti
sts and not locals. You don’t consider yourself Greenies. To you this is an amusing term describing, technicians, engineers and shop keepers; the ones serving you and your very important work. ” he managed to say this with thinly veiled contempt swinging between the lines.; he continued saying; “Now I know this post, this settlement would not exist without the Science Corps, but I have been a Ranger here now for the better part of twenty years and I know your kind is not always seeing things the same way we do.”
He gestured towards Roy. “You didn’t believe your son, yet I wonder how do you think he gets to school every day?”
Martha gasped underneath her helmet as she guessed the truth and pressed the release of the helmet. The rigid bubble became paper thing soft plastic and folded in the collar of the suit.
The Ranger nodded as he was now able to read her face. “Yes indeed your son walks seven kilometers through the densest jungle to Research Outpost 3 where he keeps his flier.
“He does this every day. It was him who found the shell of the Takkian fool and once I received his call from the Umbra-Muck Bogs, that’s almost 45 clicks from here.”
He doesn’t wear armor, and officially I am not supposed to know but there is no one on this world of ours who moves further and deeper into the Jungles.” Then he gestured towards the black animal. “I have no idea what kind of animal he found, but not even the Institute knows about every critter out there.” He looked straight in Martha’s eyes. “Your son is a good kid. He is down to the bone honest, courteous and always eager to help. He is growing up to become a fine citizen. He is always welcome in my home and like a brother to my son. So give him a chance just once.”
Paul Masters did not feel very comfortable with several of the local life forms so close inside the force field. Of course the suit would protect him, but he was a scientist and he could not explain how Wild animals of a world that had no human population, just a few hundred years ago, changed their behavior so drastically, This world was an enigma, as there was no evolutionary explanation for the development of so many deadly life forms, or could explain the vicious, aggressive behavior the life forms displayed towards intruders.