Life on Mars?

by Francis Plestor

tunnels in a given direction for the next cavern.

  Starting with the whole squeeze, a particular tunnel would be chosen and at any junction a small group would peel off and investigate. As the tunnels narrowed, a new tunnel might be excavated. Sometimes old tunnel works would be broken into and a whole new labyrinth of tunnels would present itself for investigation. But always they would try to move in the same direction, ever onward, backtracking as little as possible, always on the move, always searching for new feeding caverns, lest they should perish. Occasionally they would meet another squeeze and these meetings were a time of joy and happiness, a time to share and a chance to exchange younglings.

  They finally arrived at the cavern that Dorian and Sulara had discovered during the previous wake and Limur seemed suitably impressed.

  “It seems sizable enough for many rests before we would need to move on,” he stated. “But before we survey its full extent, I think we should first wake feed. We will all operate better on a full stomach. No? And I see there is plenty of the good stuff left, so let’s not be shy.”

  The two other oldeners laughed in agreement and they all swept down into the fresh algae to feast. Limur and Dorian both stopped to crop some of the normal stuff just to set his taste buds up for the superior banquet they were going to enjoy.

  It felt so good, Dorian thought, his first wake older with Sulara, wake feeding with oldeners on the finest of crops in a cavern that they had discovered. This wake was the first wake of the rest of his time and he hoped that the future would be full of days as wonderful as this.

  After their wake feed Limur gave them instructions on how to survey the total extent of the cavern. Dorian and Sulara followed the outer wall in one direction, whilst the other two oldeners went around the wall in the opposite direction. When they met up on the far side, they would journey together to the middle where Limur would meet them and take their reports. They were to measure the distance as best they could and to note any other tunnels or passageways that they encountered.

  The survey took some time, the cavern being much larger than they had at first thought, but eventually Dorian and Sulara met up with the other two oldeners and they made their way together to the rendezvous with Limur at the centre of the cavern.

  As they progressed Dorian and Sulara learned that the two oldeners, Lipshule and Garnewa, had become older together just like themselves. They enthused about the wonderfulness of it and how they had fulfilled themselves with younglings over time. Dorian felt a little embarrassed at their openness but Sulara was enchanted by their stories and radiated a happy glow as she earned both their confidence and their confidences. Their honesty was refreshing and their tacit encouragement a welcome boost to Dorian and Sulara’s ambitions.

  Limur was already waiting for them when they arrived at the centre of the cavern. He appeared to have just roused from a little rest, but nobody felt it appropriate to comment on this. He interrogated them on their findings and they each disclosed what they had discovered. Dorian and Sulara had noted three tunnel systems that entered the cavern from different points along their route. Lipshule and Garnewa had noted just one on theirs.

  “It is as I thought,” Limur said. “It is not a virgin cavern, but one that has been squeezed before, probably a long time ago. Looking at the algae growth, there seems to be no recent scent or sign of habitation. According to your distance calculations it is quite enormous, much larger than I had first assessed, so I see no reason why we should not move the squeeze here at next wake.”

  “Speaking of next wake,” Lipshule interrupted “should we not be getting back? That is, if we are to make the squeeze in time to inform the others of our plans.”

  “Quite so, quite so, Lipshule, but I was hoping to enlarge the entrance before we left, as it is a bit of a tight squeeze getting in here. Pun intended.”

  They all laughed appreciatively and began to make their way toward the entrance in question. When they arrived, they set about the work of enlarging the entranceway. It was a bigger task than they had envisaged and with time pressing on they would have to abandon their efforts and leave if they wanted to make the squeeze. That is, unless, Dorian thought, a couple of them stayed behind to finish the work - missing the squeeze and remaining here for the rest.

  Dorian took the initiative. “If you can find your way back, Sulara and I will happily do the work needed to finish the enlargement,” he suggested.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Limur said, with a concerned expression. “Not sure we could find our way back so easily. I tell you what, why doesn’t Sulara guide us back and you and Lipshule stay here and finish the work. If need be, you can both have your rest here and we will see you at next wake feed. What do you say?”

  Dorian looked at Sulara. He wanted so much to be with her, but he also knew it was a test; a test of his integrity, his spirit, his sense of duty for the squeeze. He saw a slight movement of her head; she understood and was encouraging him to stay and do the right thing but, at the same time, he could read the disappointment on her face, which matched the sadness that he felt inside.

  “Lipshule, you good to do this?” Dorian enquired.

  “It will be fine,” he replied. “Garnewa?”

  “I’ll go back and keep Sulara company during the rest,” she suggested, and joined Limur and Sulara for the journey back to the squeeze.

  Lipshule gave Dorian a knowing look. “Don’t worry,” he said, “you’ll see her soon enough. You both have the rest of your lives together; one rest apart isn’t going to hurt and besides, later you will be glad of a rest apart, I can tell you. Best we get this excavating finished, then we can feed and rest.”

  Dorian and Lipshule worked well together, enlarging the entrance into a good-sized tunnel and smoothing the walls along its length. It was hard work and took a good amount of time. When they were finally finished, they both sagged back against the tunnel wall to admire their work.

  “Time we had some more of that good stuff,” Lipshule suggested. “All of this work has given me a rare appetite.”

  “I’m not sure I’ve got the energy to feed.” Dorian offered wearily.

  “Feed first and then we can rest. You need to keep your strength up for Sulara, my boy,” Lipshule chided, as he pushed off the wall and headed back into the cavern.

  Dorian stretched his tired frame and followed Lipshule along their well-worked tunnel. He knew they had done a good job, every muscle in his body reminding him of the effort they had put in and the energy they had expended. He knew he needed to feed, but he felt as if he could just drop down and rest.

  The two of them arrived at the good stuff, Dorian pausing on the way for a mouth full of the normal, as was his habit. They ate slowly but heartily, each mouthful reviving Dorian’s strength of spirit and mind. Soon he felt much better but still he knew he needed to rest. He turned to Lipshule, about to suggest that they rest, when he heard an unusually familiar noise. He stopped chewing and focused his attention on the sound. It was coming from the cavern wall slightly above their current position. Lipshule had also stopped eating, his body absolutely still as he too focused on the sound that was emanating from the wall.

  “You hear that?” Lipshule whispered with an unmistakable note of concern.

  “I sure do,” Dorian whispered back. “Excavation if ever I heard it.”

  As if on cue, small parts of the cavern wall began to skitter down to the floor. A tiny hole appeared and began to grow. Suddenly a small body tumbled through the hole and down to the edge of the good stuff, not far from where Dorian and Lipshule were observing. The small body shook itself to get rid of the excess marrain and looked around until it stopped with a start as it discovered that it was not alone. More marrain began to slip down the wall and all heads instinctively swivelled up to look at the new entrance hole through which this stranger had emerged. There looking down was a group of worried looking faces.

  “No good just staying up there staring,” Lipshule pronounced. “
Better get yourselves down here and feed.”

  They did not need a second invitation. One after the other, they slid down the wall to join their hapless colleague, who had had the presence of mind to both move out of the way and start feeding on the good stuff. All of them looked tired and hungry, which was confirmed by the speed with which they attacked the finer algae.

  “Youngers,” Lipshule observed.

  “Only just,” Dorian noted. “Barely above younglings.”

  “You recognise any of them?”

  “No, definitely not from our squeeze,” Dorian replied, “I’d know them if they were.”

  “Must be another squeeze near by,” Lipshule said, half to himself. “It looks as if tomorrow could be another interesting day.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Rest, wait ‘til the wake, inform Limur and then go meet with the other squeeze.”

  “But now, what should we do now?”

  “Let these fellows eat, introduce ourselves, have a little squeeze of our own and then rest.”

  The exhausted youngers finished their feed and looked all the better for it. Their hunger had been subdued and the tiredness in their eyes seemed less evident. Lipshule made the introductions and enquired as to how come they had been excavating when they should no doubt have been heading back to their squeeze. At first the