The creatures continued to increase drastically in size. Soon they were forty centimetres long and then, in one swoop, they increased massively in height to sixty centimetres, their full size. They looked like scorpions, with two short wings that flapped constantly on their backs. They had narrow, segmented tails that curved forward and two short wings.
‘Everyone, run! They are becoming massive,’ Martin shouted. The insects increased another thirty centimetres once their legs were stretched out and they began to move towards the boys. In total, they were over ninety centimetres tall. The boys screamed and started running back towards the camp.
The creatures chased after them.
Terrified, the boys kept running. Chris was way out in front, followed by Koi and Morgan. Martin was behind. Koi was looking back over his shoulder when a huge branch swept him off his feet. He landed flat on his back on the ground. A tree stump that was half buried in the ground ripped through his sleeve and poked deep into his shoulder, which made Martin flinch for Koi’s sake. His whole sleeve was covered in blood. Koi was kicking one leg on top of the other; his ankles were twisted into the sprawling vines that spread over on the ground. It seemed like the more Koi tried to free himself, the more entangled he became. Martin heard him breathing heavily through his mouth.
Martin and Morgan ran past without reaching out to Koi, who was on the ground in front of them screaming. Martin saw hot sweat pouring down Koi’s brow.
Koi raised his head and saw that the raging creatures were fast approaching. He screamed at them, lifting his hand as though to, ward them off. He called to his friends: ‘Martin, Martin, Morgan,’ he shouted. ‘Help me! Please, I don't want to die!’
Morgan and Martin saw that Koi was still flat on the ground, struggling, his legs still roped in the stringy plants. They screeched to a halt and shouted at Chris, who hadn’t looked back, then they ran towards Koi and the creatures.
‘Koi, run!’ Martin shouted.
‘I can’t! I think I’m hurt,’ Koi cried. At this point the creatures were about nine meters away from him.
‘You must try and get up,’ Morgan shouted sharply.
Martin saw that Koi couldn’t move. ‘Morgan, we have to take them out!’ he shouted, as they ran towards the creatures.
‘Yeah, but how? These things are getting bigger and more powerful,’ Morgan said, panicked.
At the same time, they saw a long, strong tree branch on the ground in front of them. They looked at each other and, without saying a word, each picked up one end of it and continued running at full speed towards the insects. When they reached them, they lowered the branch and kept running, pushing the creatures backwards and flipping them onto their backs.
The boys turned and ran back to Koi. He was gone. Chris had returned and snatched Koi from the wiry, creeping plant that had caught his feet and was supporting him with his shoulder. Koi was limping.
It took a few seconds for the creatures to regain their balance and continue chasing after them. Morgan was in the front and Martin was behind. As they approached the edge of the forest, they saw some migrants running towards the camp without knowing what was chasing them.
Carrol, who was also at the edge of the forest admiring some flowers, did not notice what was happening; she only turned when she heard heavy breathing from Martin and Morgan. She saw a creature chasing after them; she wanted to run but the creature was fast approaching. She started screaming with her hands over her ears.
As he ran past, Martin saw her and stopped abruptly. ‘Morgan, we have to help her! I can’t leave her there,’ he said.
Morgan screeched to a halt, too. ‘Man, they are approaching fast. Tell her to run; she’s not our problem,’ he said.
‘No, I can’t leave her. It’s like telling me to leave Carlan in danger. I would rather die or get hurt before I saw any harm come to her,’ Martin said, looking for a weapon.
‘She’s not Carlan,’ Morgan said.
‘I know,’ Martin replied, panting.
By this time, one of the creatures was only two meters from Carrol. Martin took a long stick and ran full speed towards it, swung at it and flipped it backward. ‘Hey, girl! Run,’ he shouted.
Carrol opened her eyes and hearing Martin’s voice again.
‘Run!’
She started running. By this time a second creature was trying to claw Martin, who was swinging the long stick in front of him.
‘Martin! Run,’ shouted Morgan.
Martin turned. The creature clawed one end of the piece of wood he was holding and yanked him to the ground. The creatures rushed towards him, ready to claw him. Morgan ran at them with a piece of wood; he knocked them off and pulled Martin to his feet. They both ran to the camp, pursued by the creatures. While they were running, Martin noticed a wound between his index finger and his thumb. It looked like a straight cut but he wasn’t sure whether the wood or the creature had cut him.
Martin and Morgan ran into the camp panting. The moment they set foot inside the camp the pursuit stopped, but they didn’t realise and continued to run and scream. Other people in the compound, seeing the terrified looks on their faces, fled in various directions without knowing what was chasing them.
Martin and Morgan caught up with Chris and Koi, who were waiting for them. Blood was still gushing from Koi’s arm where a branch had stabbed him.
Martin and his friends slowed their pace but they were still breathing heavily. By now they had reached the front of Stallion House, observed by a few confused passers-by. Martin saw Carrol from the corner of his eye but didn’t pay her much attention; they had bigger fish to fry. She was still sweeping her hands across her face to dry her tears and Martin felt a quiet sense of contentment seeing she was all right, at least for now. He couldn’t bear to imagine what might have happened to her had he not decided to go after the creatures.
The boys only looked back when they noticed that the piercing noise behind them had stopped. They realised the creatures hadn’t followed them into camp; it was as though there was invisible protection around the premises. They stood in front of Stallion House. Blood was still gushing from Koi’s arm and the rest of them looked scruffy, with twigs and leaves hanging off their clothes and hair.
Rogers must have heard the commotion from his office a hundred metres away from Stallion House, and he rushed outside. ‘What happened? Why are you guys screaming? Where have you come from?’ he asked.
‘Nowhere, sir,’ Martin and his friends responded.
‘The four of you, follow me,’ he said.
The boys exchanged glances and followed him quietly as he led them to his office. Before he spoke, he took out a first-aid kit and started dressing Koi’s wound. When Rogers suddenly looked up, Martin averted his gaze, and stared elsewhere.
‘Now, tell me,’ Rogers said finally.
‘Tell you what?’ Martin asked stubbornly, trying to make sure they were not expelled from the programme since he wasn’t sure how Rogers would react to what had happened.
‘Where is all this tension coming from? What happened to you guys out there? I can see terror in your eyes. You must have encountered something,’ Rogers said. ‘And if you have seen something,’ he continued, ‘it’s important you tell me right away; we don’t have time to waste here. Do you hear me?’ he demanded, casting a searching eye at every one of them.
A tense silence fell between them.
Martin, remembering what Zebe had said about Asariel and the Biddatals, wondered if Rogers knew about the creatures. But of course, he would know about them; he lived out there in space with Zebe and Joe. Besides, there’s something that suggests he has a suspect, perhaps the Biddatals or Asariel; Zebe said they could take any shape. Martin allowed his imagination to run wild. Rogers was sweating; perhaps he was thinking about how to contact the Gatekeepers to fix the problem, just as Zebe had explained.
Everyone observed Rogers, who was now silent. He was gazing at nothing, his eyes wide, as though trying to predict the ou
tcome of an impending horror. His flyaway hair was suddenly tamed with sweat; some of it had clumped together across his forehead. In a split second, his once-sharp grey eyes were buried deep within the heavily wrinkled skin surrounding them. Even the reddish tinge to his dyed hair had become more vivid.
Martin could tell Roger was visiting a bad place, something that had happened recently or in a faraway past. Some mind-wrenching fear had once struck him at the core of his being.
Rogers soon regained his composure and focused on the boys again. His eyes met Martin’s. Martin fumbled under his gaze but quickly recovered with a defiant look, without giving away any secrets.
‘So, does anyone care to tell me what happened out there?’ Rogers asked, speaking very fast.
‘No offence, sir, but there is nothing to tell you. Besides, we really haven’t done anything wrong,’ Chris said. Despite his defence, they still looked guilty.
‘I have not accused you of any wrongdoing,’ said Rogers gently.
‘We don’t know anything, so there is nothing to tell,’ Morgan responded.
‘Sir, if you know something you want to warn us about, we will listen. Otherwise we’ve not seen anything,’ said Martin.
‘Boy, are you playing games with me?’ Rogers asked.
Martin’s stubbornness subsided and he moved back, retracting his gaze.
‘If you’ve seen or heard anything, you are required to cooperate with authority. This is not the time to be arrogant and obnoxious,’ Rogers said in a raised voice.
There was silence for a second then Morgan spoke out. ‘Yeah, we don’t know anything, we just went out for a little fresh air,’ he said, fidgeting.
Koi said nothing. He was still sitting on the chair where Rogers had cleaned and treated his wound. He exchanged glances with Martin.
Martin, knowing Koi didn’t like situations that made him feel vulnerable or compromised, realised that his friend must be full of anxiety.
‘Please, guys, it's important that you tell me,’ Rogers pleaded. ‘It’s uncommon for such strong, confident young men as yourselves to be screaming and running frantically. You must understand that we need to know, both for training purposes and for the safety of the other migrants in the camp.’
When Koi heard that, he softened. ‘Well, we saw—’ he stammered, before stopping as the other boys’ eyes fastened on him.
‘Yes? Speak up, my boy. I’m all ears,’ Rogers said.
‘We went into the forest and giant scorpions chased us,’ Koi said quickly. His eyes caught the gaze of his friends then he quickly looked away.
‘Is that it?’ Rogers asked, as though he was expecting something different.
‘Well, they started off like locusts and they transformed into giant scorpions with wings before our very eyes. They kept getting bigger, too,’ Koi continued.
‘Did anyone get stung by them?’ Rogers asked.
Martin saw the surprised look on the other boys’ faces at Rogers’ casual response to what they had told him. They were sure he knew something and was not telling them. Perhaps he had been expecting something of this nature to happen, otherwise he would not have understood so easily what they were telling him. They exchanged a look.
‘No, we ran as fast as we could. I got cut when I fell running,’ Koi explained.
‘And what else happened?’ Rogers asked.
‘They made an ultrasonic noise. But once we stepped into the camp, the sound stopped and the creatures vanished,’ Koi continued.
Rogers saw Martin examining his hand which still had a little blood on it. ‘Martin, what do you have there on the back of your hand?’ Rogers asked, moving in front of him.
‘Nothing, sir, it’s just a small scratch,’ Martin replied.
‘Let’s see,’ Rogers demanded.
Martin showed him his hand. ‘How did this happen? Rogers asked.
‘I’m not sure; perhaps the stick cut me when I took it and swung it to save the girl.’
‘What girl? Why didn’t anybody mention anything about a girl?’ Rogers asked.
‘Sir, I couldn’t leave her there! The creatures were close by and she was screaming with her eyes closed, so I had to go back for her.’
‘What girl are you talking about? Is it Monica?’ Rogers asked.
‘No, sir, it was Carrol,’ Martin said.
‘Do you mean Carrol Spoff? What was she doing with you guys in the forest?’ Rogers asked.
‘She wasn’t with us in the forest, she was at the edge smelling some wild flowers when she saw us running. When she saw the creatures chasing us, she froze in her tracks,’ Martin explained.
‘Hmm. Who else saw the creatures?’ Rogers asked.
‘I’m not sure because the rest of the people had already run away when Chris and Koi arrived at camp. Morgan and I were the last to arrive after we fought off the creatures with sticks. The girl definitely saw them.’
‘You mean you risked your life trying to save the girl?’ Rogers asked, casting an amazed look at Martin, who said nothing. ‘Well done, boys, I really am proud of what you did. This is exactly what we want from everyone. Team playing is key to this programme and you’ve clearly demonstrated it.’ He took the first aid box and dressed Martin’s wound. ‘This looks like a simple cut but if you feel or see anything strange, you must tell me or go to the medical team. Do you hear me?’ Rogers asked.
‘Yes, sir,’ Martin replied.
‘I see. Boys, it’s important that you keep this information to yourselves to avoid rumours spreading. We will launch an investigation to ascertain what was chasing you, and why. In the meantime, perhaps it’s best to stay away from the forest. If you must go back, be very careful. Do you understand?’ Rogers asked.
Maybe Rogers decided to sound a caution instead of trying to restrict us from going back to the forest based on his experience with us, Martin concluded inwardly. He must think we are stubborn. Or it could be what he constantly explained about the premise of the program. He’s said time and time again that it’s for ordinary people to follow their natural instincts and act as they would normally act in a new environment.
‘Yes, sir,’ they responded.
Martin could tell that Rogers was calculating something. Maybe his mind was racing, trying to figure out whether the creatures were the Biddatals, especially since Koi had told him that they saw the creatures change shape right in front of them. If Zebe knew the Biddatals were shapeshifters, Rogers would surely know that too.
‘Now,’ Rogers continued, ‘if any of you have injuries you’re not mentioning, you can go to the medical centre to be checked out. Otherwise, you're dismissed.’ The boys left the room and returned to Stallion House.
The next morning, a notice was sent out asking everyone to report to the officers’ mess. Rogers addressed the crowd about the incident. He promised that a further investigation would be conducted to ascertain what had threatened the migrants, without mentioning the four boys and Carrol. He advised everyone to be careful when going into the forest until they figured out what really had happened. He mentioned the bravery of four young individuals who had thrown caution to the wind to save the life of others.
Martin was surprised that Rogers disclosed some of the information after warning them not to spread the news. Maybe the programme organisers had thought about keeping the incident a secret and later decided against it, since a few people had seen what had happened. They probably wanted to avoid everyone finding out by themselves and accusing the programme organisers of hiding such a dangerous ordeal.
Zebe later told Martin that Carrol was receiving therapy. Martin hadn’t seen her up close since that day.
*
Martin and his friends continued to be friendly with Zebe and Joe. One day, as the camp experience was drawing to a close, Zebe disclosed that the programme had been successful; according to their survey, almost all the participants had enjoyed camp living. Other than that single incident with the creatures in the forest, everything had gone well
. In the survey the migrants said that the camp experience felt more like community living than anything else. The organisers also observed that everyone tried their best to relate to each other during the six months they were there.
Martin learned from Zebe and Joe that the organisers were waiting to see if anyone would drop out of the programme but no one did. However, they did receive a few complaints about doubt and homesickness; others expressed fear of the unknown. Zebe said that such individuals were counselled and refocused, and ultimately, they were happy to continue. The camp environment and experience must have outweighed their doubts.
Martin woke up early on the day of their departure, eager to start the journey. ‘Hey, guys come on, we have to get ready to leave,’ he said.
Morgan shifted a little before responding. ‘I’m up,’ he said, setting his foot to the floor.
Koi stood up and headed straight to the toilet without saying a word.
‘Man, I can’t believe we are finally leaving planet Earth to start an exciting life in space. How awesome is that?’ Martin asked. He went to the window facing the courtyard and looked out. People were moving around. He smiled and faced Morgan.
‘Yeah, I know! I won’t believe it’s real until we’re in the spaceship,’ Morgan said.
‘I can’t tell you how glad I am to be here. I almost didn’t sign up but I am happy that I did,’ Martin said, beaming. He sat quietly for a few seconds, thinking about his poor mother and his sister Carlan.
Koi returned from the toilet and sat on his bed.
‘What’s the matter? You suddenly went quiet,’ Morgan asked Martin.
‘No, it’s nothing. I just remembered home,’ Martin said, shrugging his shoulders.
Standing in their room, they all experienced a moment of sober reflection.
‘Yeah, I miss everyone, but I’m happy to be here,’ said Koi.
‘Let’s go to Rogers’ final speech. We don’t want to be late or he’ll pick on us again,’ Martin said, shaking his head as though to clear away the sad thoughts.
In the main hall, where they had assembled on their first day in the camp, Rogers prepared to give his final talk to the migrants. He wanted to impart every ounce of knowledge he had gathered during his time on Mars. The name Morgan had given Rogers had stuck and spread to the rest of the migrants, who now all called him ‘Wise Old Owl’ – though not to his face, except once when Martin mentioned it in a passing comment. Rogers may not have understood but he didn’t ask.
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