With some difficulty, he got up, still confused, and walked shakily towards the voices. The ship had been broken into several pieces, and he found himself facing part of the front. Some moans of suffering near to him caught his attention. He searched with his eyes, trying to find whom they were coming from, but found nothing. A piece of the ship was obstructing his vision. Holding himself upright on whatever he could so as not to fall over, he went around the enormous fragment and discovered the source of the moaning. It was Captain Val, lying over the remains of the ship’s controls.
It was in that moment that clarity returned. He remembered where he was, and what had happened. In his shock, and forgetting the pain in his body, he leapt forward to try and help the captain.
Val was gripping with both hands a piece of metal that was coming out of his stomach. A fatal injury without advanced medical assistance. Before Denn’s incredulous gaze, the captain was dying.
“Don’t worry... ca... captain. I’m going to look for help,” said Denn in terror.
Just before Denn could go, the captain took hold of his arm. There was no point in him looking for help; there was no hope for him. Denn looked at him, stunned, in his terrible state, mere seconds from his death.
“Don’t trust... don’t trust... don’t trust...” repeated Captain Val.
“You’re delirious, sir, stay... calm. Please, let me go and look for help,” pleaded Denn desperately.
The captain grabbed Denn’s shirt with both hands, and with all of his remaining strength he yanked him towards his face. He brought his mouth to Bornew’s ear, and uttered his last words:
“Don’t trust... Neil!” said the captain, as loudly as he could, to be sure he would hear him.
Before Denn could react, Val let go of the shirt and slumped. He was dead.
Dumbfounded, and trying to assimilate everything that was happening, Denn remained in complete silence. It is possible that he could have continued like this for a long time, were it not for the fact that one moment later, C0-UN1 came running up to where he was.
“Are you all right?” asked the robot, and shook him gently. Without getting a response, he moved his shoulders again, now a little more forcefully. “Denn!” he insisted, worried. “Are you feeling all right?”
Denn did not say anything; he only nodded. He was in shock.
“What about you, Neil?” the robot asked the man who was only a few metres away.
Denn looked around immediately. He had not noticed him before, but there on the ground, somewhat battered, was Neil. It was obvious, from the expression on his face, that he had also heard what the captain had said. He looked as surprised Denn had a few seconds ago.
“Answer!” Denn shouted at him, angry. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” replied Neil. He looked deeply affected by what had just happened.
Denn was on the verge of demanding an explanation. He wanted to know what the captain had meant. Just before doing so, he remembered someone else.
“Where is Senlar?” he asked both of them worriedly, without getting a response. He looked all around them, trying to find him, but he could not. “C0, look for Senlar! He must have been thrown from the ship,” he said, pointing in one direction.
C0-UN1 obeyed. He left the remains of the cabin and walked a few metres. Cast onto the ground, unconscious, was Senlar. In spite of being a little knocked about, he was all right. The analysis that the robot carried out in a matter of seconds confirmed it.
“He’s here!” called out C0-UN1, so that Denn could hear him. “He’s just unconscious. Nothing serious... Can you hear me?”
“Yes! If he really is all right, leave him, and come and help whoever you can,” Denn ordered C0-UN1, who was already returning in front of Denn. “Come on, hurry up. I’ll help Senlar.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, go ahead, C0. I’ll be going to help too.”
Denn postponed his questions. He got up, leaving the captain’s body on the ground, and went off to help Senlar. He went up to him and crouched down by his side.
“My friend, are you okay?” he asked him, and gently moved him.
Denn repeated the same thing a couple of times until Senlar opened his eyes. He was all right.
“Denn?” Senlar tried to remember what was going on, without success. “What happened?” he asked, as he groaned from a pain in his back.
“Something hit our ship, friend. Are you feeling okay?”
Senlar sat upright, looking at the wreckage of the ship. He could not believe it.
“I’m all right, Denn, I’m just in pain. How are the others?”
“I don’t know; I’ve also only just got up. C0 is trying to help. We need to hurry; we have to do something.”
“Help me up.” Senlar took Denn’s hand, and with some effort, he got up onto his feet. “Let’s go!”
The look of sadness on Denn’s face shook him.
“What is it?” Senlar asked him.
“It’s the captain, Senlar... He didn’t make it.”
Senlar’s face darkened with anguish. He was devastated. His mentor, his friend, virtually a father, had died.
“Take me to him!” he said, and a few tears ran down his cheeks.
Denn took him to the place. Upon seeing him on the ground, Senlar went up to the captain and took hold of his hands. “I’m sorry, captain. Thank you for everything,” he told him. He remained in silence for a moment, wiped away his tears, and got up. There was a lot to do. He needed to help the people who were injured.
The image had managed to distress Denn. The whole thing was a tragedy, but right now he had no time to feel sorry for himself. They both left the cabin and began searching for survivors.
There were injured people everywhere. With every new one that Denn found, he felt further tormented. His horror was even greater when he found the first dead body. Unfortunately, it would not be not the only one.
Although he stopped to help everyone he found, Denn searched for those who were closest to him. He felt an enormous sense of relief when he discovered that Dani, Qein and other friends were relatively unharmed.
The number of injuries was enormous, but fortunately one of the machines that had survived the accident was the medical capsule. It had not sustained any damage, and it would be of great help. The equipment was capable of repairing broken bones, cuts, and curing certain illnesses. The majority of the survivors’ lesions could be treated and healed in a short amount of time. Only a few less fortunate, with really serious injuries, would need more time to recover.
They carried out a headcount of the people, and although there was nobody unaccounted for, the result was terrible. Thirty lives had been lost in the accident, including that of the captain. Now they found themselves in an unknown world, without a leader to guide them. The reality had hit them; the planet was not going to be that paradise waiting to be conquered. They had already born witness to the dangers it contained. Savage animal species, like the one that had hit them, inhabited the place.
After the commotion of the moment had passed, Senlar gathered a few people together in order to think up a plan that could improve the situation. They approached, fearful, and with many questions.
“Why did this happen?” asked someone.
“Something crashed into the ship, I didn’t have time to avoid it.”
Several people came over upon hearing what Senlar had said. They needed to find out more about the accident.
“Something? What thing?” asked one anxious person.
Denn interrupted Senlar’s answer. He felt obliged to explain what had happened:
“Listen to me!” he said as loudly as he could. “Come closer, please!”
The people were still confused. Some had not yet fully got to grips with what was happening, others were crying for the fallen, and several more still were badly injured, waiting to be attended to. Everybody that could move came forward to hear what Denn had to say.
“I k
now we’re going through some difficult moments,” began Denn, “but now is when we need to be even stronger. The ship fell because a flying animal crashed into us. We weren’t able to see it properly, it appeared in an instant, but it was enormous. It’s logical to think that the planet is filled with hostile species. We need to stick together. We need to carry on. We owe it to those no longer with us.”
Denn knew that the people could perhaps be frightened upon finding out about the animals, but it was absurd to conceal such a fact. Now, the best thing was for everybody to remain alert.
They could not waste much time, nor allow the situation to become worse, so Senlar asked all of the security officers who were fit to help to search for the weapons amongst the rubble of the ship.
In spite of the catastrophe, their forces had not been diminished; they had almost eighty armed security officers, who from that moment onwards would be responsible for keeping everybody safe. In addition, two of the ten guard drones they had brought from the station were still working. Everyone’s survival would depend on their organisation, and how they utilised their resources.
It was no time to be giving up. Even though there were dangers, there would also be great rewards. The coldness of space had now been left behind, and nobody wanted to throw in the towel now that they were on solid ground, on a planet full of life.
“From now on, you are all soldiers,” Senlar told them, and he sent a few of them to supervise the care of the injured, and others to secure the perimeter of the accident zone. One moment later, he approached Denn to formulate the strategy to follow; he had learnt to trust him.
Neil, who was with them, wanted to take control immediately. With the confusion that had been created, it was the best moment to do it. Once Senlar had given his first orders, he decided to rebuke him.
“Why should we listen to any one of you? Senlar, you crashed the ship. And you, Bornew... Who the hell are you?”
“Now isn’t the time for that, Neil,” scolded Senlar. “We all need to co-operate.”
“What gives you the right to give out orders? Maybe we ought to split up. You’re not trustworthy.” Neil turned towards the soldiers and other people who were listening to the nearby conversation: “I’m the most suitable to lead, that is if we actually want to survive in this savage world. Are you coming with me...? What about you, Gor?”
The people watched without saying anything, they were nervous; the majority had never even been in a situation like this. Up until a very short time ago, they were no more than security officers on a jump-gate station, a post that did not tend to see a lot of action. It was no surprise that they would be scared.
“Answer!” insisted Neil. “Are you going to carry on with these guys? Look, look what’s happened!”
“The best thing is to stay together, sir. It’s no time for us to be splitting up, we should stay together.”
Senlar was pleased with the man’s response. For a moment, he had started to become worried, but those words were infectious with his colleagues, who also refused a division. It was just what he needed to control the situation.
“There you have it, Neil,” Senlar said to him. “We’re all committed to going forward. Squabbling won’t get us anywhere.
Neil was furious. It was obvious he did not want to cooperate. But right now he had no other option. He would have to follow the group if he wanted to survive.
“This is crap! You’ll see I’m right soon enough. These two clowns aren’t up to the task. Before long, you’ll come begging to me to save you. You’ll come on your knees asking me to lead you,” he declared, and went away from there, uttering some curses in a low voice. Denn looked at Senlar with unease, distressed at what had just happened.
“Should we be worried about him?” asked Denn.
“Leave him,” he said calmly. “He’ll be fine.”
“I don’t want him walking around there trying to convince anyone to turn against us.”
“Don’t worry, Denn. Not even Gor, who’s one of the few who sympathises with him, has played his game. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Denn was not convinced.
“It’s just... The captain... Before he died...”
Senlar guessed where the conversation was heading. Now was not the time for doubts. They had a lot to think about.
“There’ll be time enough for that,” he interrupted.
Denn was irritated. The captain’s final words..., Neil’s attempted rebellion..., and the worst thing of all, the deaths of several innocents...; everything was beginning to echo around in his head. Little by little, he was losing his composure.
“How about now?” insisted Denn.
“No, not now. I need you to be focussed, Denn. You don’t look good. Please, calm down.”
“Are you joking?” he replied, with annoyance. “Do you not see what’s happening, or something? All these people, dead. How can you ask me to be calm?”
Those nearby were listening to the conversation with certain disquiet. Senlar, noticing the worried faces, took Denn by the arm and brought him away a little from the area.
“Damn it, friend!” said Senlar, angry. “You’re a sergeant in The Union, you’re supposed to stay calm. These people need us. What do you reckon they’ll think at seeing those leading them starting to panic?”
Denn looked at the scared faces, and reacted immediately. Senlar was right; if he did not maintain his calm, he would only succeed in making things worse. He realised that he was not acting as he should, but the fact that the whole situation had come about because of him had caused him to despair. Luckily for him, Senlar made him come round. He needed to convey serenity, and not the opposite.
“You’re right, friend, I’m sorry. It’s just that... These poor people.”
“I know, Denn. It’s for all of them that we must maintain our composure; we can’t lose it, or they will too.”
Denn nodded. He took a few seconds to regard the scene, walked a few steps, looked all around, and came back.
“All right then,” began Denn. “You two,” he said, and pointed at two people. “Take your weapons and go in that direction. Don’t get any further away from us than half a kilometre. We need a good place to establish a temporary camp. It looks like it’s about to get dark. Go quickly.”
“Yes, sir!” replied one, and, alongside his colleague, began to walk towards the place that Denn had pointed out to them.
“Wait!” Denn stopped them. “At the slightest hint of danger, come back. Take note of anything, I’m going to leave the communications open.” The devices they were wearing would help them to remain in contact at all times. “If you find a suitable place, let us know immediately... Off you go.
Without stopping, he turned towards two other soldiers and, the same as before, gave his orders:
“You two, go in that direction. Take the same precautions.”
He did the same with a third and fourth group. He understood the urgency of establishing a camp before nightfall. Senlar watched him, satisfied. Denn went back to behaving as expected.
“Good, Denn, it’s just what we need. I’m going to see how C0 and the rest are, I’m sure I can help with something. Let me know if anything happens.”
“We should hurry. It’s a miracle that no beast has come here attracted by the noise.”
“You’re right. Be careful.”
After organising the groups, Denn took a moment to observe the place they were in. It was a type A planet, similar to the Earth, with plentiful and diverse vegetation.
He moved away from the prairieland where the ship had crashed, and went in amongst the trees. He did not have to walk too far before finding the first trace of life. He narrowly avoided stepping on what appeared to be a type of insect. It was enormous, larger than his foot. He was surprised at seeing that it was not the only thing moving inside the dense forest; the place was filled with a large quantity of exotic animals that, surely, had left their burrows in their attempt to get away after the
ship’s impact.
He saw worms the length of snakes. Mosquitos the size of his hand. He bumped into the second one whilst he was trying to get away from the first. A being similar to a spider nearly sent him running. It looks big enough to eat me, he thought. He walked backwards, stepping away from the enormous insects, until the encounter with an enormous animal left him paralysed.
It was like a wolf, but it was the size of a bull. With large fangs and enormous red eyes. Denn stood bewildered in front of it, separated by only a couple of metres. The animal growled, warning of its intentions to destroy anything put in its path. They were looking fixedly at one another for several seconds, until Denn’s fear vanished and serenity reached his mind. The animal, unexpectedly, turned around and became lost inside the forest.
He remained standing there for a second, until a voice coming through the small device in his ear brought him back to reality. ‘Denn, where are you?’ said the voice. It was Senlar; he needed him to come back to help with the recovery of anything that had not been destroyed in the accident.
Denn went back and joined in with the work. The hours passed by, and all of the injured were treated. On top of that, all of the surviving machines and resources were recovered. Fortunately, some vehicles were still working. They loaded a few things onto them, and made their way to a nearby place, one that a couple of soldiers considered adequate for setting up a temporary camp. It was not a very large place, but it would serve for spending the night.
C0-UN1 was of great use in the raising of the camp. They cut down some trees and fashioned a type of small corral amongst the trees. They accommodated everyone in tents and prepared themselves for the night. By now it was too late to be looking for food. They would have to wait until the following morning.
The soldiers who had more experience were positioned throughout the camp in order to guard the area. They had no idea what dangers the night could bring. When night finally did arrive, fear took control of everyone.
The guard drones, a type of spherical robot, of a size somewhat larger than a human head, floated vigilant all around the camp. The power of the laser weapons they carried was greatly reduced, therefore they would not be capable of eliminating the dangerous animals, but the motion and sound sensors would become an important advantage, warning of any intruder in the area.
Convergence: Genesis Page 8