by GARY DARBY
“It’s not a that, Sami,” Bianca answered while reaching out to pull Sami and Dason back from the oncoming creatures, “It’s what are those, there’s more than one.”
Joining the first beast through the gap were several more, and Dason had no doubts by the look of the long, sharp incisors that filled their open mouths that they confronted meat-eaters.
Dangerous, giant-sized, carnivores who now ignored the fleeing antelopelike creatures and instead, centered their hungry, crimson eyes on the three humans.
Chapter Two
Star Date: 2443.060
Unnamed planet in the Helix Nebula
Still more of the snarling beasts came through the gap in the vegetation, following their cold-eyed leader who never turned his hyena-looking face away from the crouching scouts. The three waited with grim faces, knowing an attack would come any second.
The brute’s muscled shoulders were as tall as Dason and their sinewy necks held up a head that had four scarlet eyes, two set forward in its narrow skull, and one on each side.
The young scout had the impression that the animal had panoramic vision, able to not only see forward, but back and to the sides as well.
The thing’s body was dark colored, except for two white stripes of fur that ran along the creature’s upper and lower jaws, framing sharp, canine like incisors.
Two pairs of clawed limbs held up long, short-haired, muscular bodies that ended in a thin tail with a rounded tuft on the end.
“Weapons on max!” Bianca snapped at Dason and Sami.
“Brant,” she said over the comms, “we’re about forty meters downslope from your position, and we need help. We’ve got a pack of canine-type carnivores to our front. Bring your team on the double. Weapon free status.”
“On our way,” Brant replied, though Dason had serious doubts that they would make it in time.
Sami kept repeating, “Do we shoot? Do we shoot?”
“No,” Bianca ordered in a firm voice. “Keep backing away. They don’t know what to make of us.”
“Well, I know what to make of them,” Sami retorted, “crispy fried critters before they make a meal of us.”
“Two more came through,” Dason said out of a corner of his tight lips. “I make it a total of nine.”
“Three apiece, ma’am,” Sami said, training his weapon on the nearest animal, “I’ll take the three little ones, you two take the rest.”
“That’s kind of you, Sami,” Bianca replied, “letting us have the bigger targets. Everyone, just stay steady and keep backing away.”
She paused before murmuring, “And it would be a good idea to lower our voices.”
The scouts retreated; the beasts matched them step by step with their heads weaving back and forth, low growls coming from their fang-lined mouths.
Every few seconds, one sniffed the air and uttered huffing sounds through its nostrils as if trying to catch their scent and identifying what they were.
Dason thought Bianca had the right idea. It was reasonable to assume that these things had never met two-legged humans before. The question was, how long would the hunters hesitate before deciding if the humans were meat for their bellies or not?
His answer came seconds later.
“One’s charging!” Sami yelled.
The largest beast lowered its head partway and sprinted at the three Star Scouts. “Hold fire!” Bianca commanded and slapped Sami’s weapon down.
She took careful aim and sent a burst of searing scarlet energy into the ground just in front of the attacking animal. The thing jerked its head back and let out a sharp squeal from the scorching heat of Bianca’s blast.
For a second the hyena-like quadruped stood its ground, eyed the humans, and then stomped its forelegs on the ground. It circled away from the scorched spot and again darted toward the humans.
Bianca fired again, this time right at the canine’s feet. Its high-pitched yelp caused the rest of the pack to spring back and mill around in surprise. Confused, the thing scampered back toward its companions before it stopped and turned.
For several seconds, it eyed the three and then lifted its head and let out a bugle-like sound. It bolted to the left with the pack following, away from the humans and into a nearby thicket of brush.
The three scouts watched and listened, waiting for the beasts to return. When it was evident that the things weren’t coming back, the scouts took a deep breath almost together before letting it out in a one long breath of relief.
In his comm’s earpiece, Dason heard Brant call out, “Bianca! We heard laser fire, are you okay?”
“We are now,” she replied. “The canines lost interest. Stand by for orders.”
She holstered her weapon and spoke in a matter-of-fact voice to Dason and Sami, “Bluff charge from the leader, to see what we would do.”
“And you called his bluff quite nicely,” Sami acknowledged.
Bianca eyed Sami and asked, “How do you know it was a he, Sami? Females lead too, you know.”
Sami opened his mouth, but Dason clapped him on the shoulder. “You don’t, so don’t even try.”
The stocky youth started to protest but at a glare from Bianca, shut his mouth and holstered his weapon.
Over the her communicator in rapid terms, Bianca described the antelope-like and canine creatures to the team in case of future encounters. She finished by saying, “Lara, bring everyone forward, I think we’re clear now to take up the trail again.”
To Sami and Dason she said, “We’ll hold here for a few minutes, let the rest catch up before we move out.”
Dason shook his head while he stared at his LifeSensor. Bianca must have caught his expression, for she asked, “Issue with your LS?”
He shook his head. “No ma’am, just thinking that while these are nice to have around, they don’t always tell the story, do they?”
“No,” Bianca replied. “Which is why you never take LS data for granted. It’s another reason that while we use LifeSensors, sky drones, mech rovers, micro-aerials, air and mech bots, plus a slew of other mechanical devices and sensors on most missions, you still have to use your own senses and smarts, too.”
“Yeah,” Sami muttered, “but if some hypercharged, laughing-face meat-eater mistakes a mech rover for a snack, the techie guy replaces a few parts and puts the thing back in service. But last time I checked, we didn’t come with mix-and-match replacement sets.”
“True, Sami,” Bianca answered with a light laugh. “We’re not mix and match. But, you’re right, tear up a drone or rover, you either repair it or you take one out of the inventory, program its planetary mission specs, and let it loose.”
She caught their eyes with hers before saying, “Which is why we are so particular as to who we bring into the Star Scout Corps. Not everyone is suited for what we do.
“We need individuals with the right combination of integrity, natural intelligence, emotional and physical stamina, curiosity, plus a solid dose of good ol’ fashioned stubbornness, to make the grade.”
Sami fixed her with a stare. “You sound just like Scoutmaster Tarracas. Course, with a higher-pitched girl kinda voice.”
Bianca smiled at him while sliding her weapon into its holster. “Why thanks, Sami, what a wonderful compliment from you.”
Sami glanced over at Dason and muttered, “Wasn’t supposed to be a compliment.”
Bianca asked over the comms, “Anyar and Shanon, are you still centered on the footprints?”
“Roger,” Anyar replied. “They’re still following the hill line.”
“Understood. Hold your position; we’ll be coming to your location.”
After a short pause, she said, “Brant and TJ, join up with Anyar and Shanon, they’re out front about fifty meters.”
“Will do,” Brant replied.
She then ordered, “Let’s go.”
The three broke into an easy lope. Minutes later, they found Anyar and Shanon kneeling in a small clearing surrounded by spindly, shorter
trees whose leaves looked like blue arrowheads in the pale light.
Imprinted in the clearing’s mossy grass and dirt were the alien and human footprints that the Star Scout team had followed since early evening.
After Brant and TJ joined the group, Bianca gave rapid-fire orders. “Three sets of Path Finders. No more than ten meters’ distance between each pair and no farther than twenty meters out in front of the main body.”
She paused. “I’m going to bring the team up so stay put until I give the word to move out again. Questions?”
Getting none, Bianca strode away, disappearing into the darkness. Lieutenant Brant ordered, “Tight three-sixty everyone and stay sharp.” The six formed a rough circle and settled down on one knee with LifeSensors and weapons aimed outward.
From Dason’s position, he could see the footprints in the soft earth; extraterrestrial footprints intermixed with human boot prints.
Why those different sets of prints were together was one part of the mystery. The other—did they hold the answer to their missing teammates’ fate?
Kneeling next to Shanon, Dason pointed at the prints. “Not trying to hide anything, are they?”
“No,” the slender brunette answered. “They’re marching around like they own the place. Makes me a bit uncomfortable.”
Dason nodded his head in agreement. “Almost like an open invitation to follow.”
TJ turned toward Dason, eyebrows raised in question. “You think they’re leading us into an ambush?”
“Maybe,” Dason said. “Or they don’t know or don’t care that someone is on their trail because they—”
“Are the biggest, badest hombre in this forest,” Sami replied, “and could care less who or what is following.”
He scanned the low undergrowth. “And that is not a good thing for us. A definite no good thing for us.”
“Easy, Sami,” Dason replied. “There could be any number of reasons why they’re not trying to cover those tracks. Don’t assume the worst.”
“I’ll assume the worst—you assume the best,” Sami responded. “That way we have all the bases covered.”
Dason lifted his mouth in a half smile and turned to the tracks again. He still found it incredible that along with the numerous human boot marks there were two other distinct sets, and both seemed to be non-human extraterrestrial.
That meant they possibly followed not one, but two Alpha Prime species.
Alpha Prime: the Star Scout code name for a sentient extraterrestrial.
Something that humankind had searched for since their first forays into the galactic cosmos, and had never found until, possibly, now. But what was maddening was that the team had no way to alert the Imperium to their find.
Hours before, they had lost all contact with their overhead support ship, The Queen Bee, and with it, all long-range communications with Earth or other Imperium forces in this sector.
With her disappearance went all means to alert Star Scout Command to their possibly extraordinary situation, not to mention, that they didn’t have a way to shout for help for themselves, either.
Their one hope lay in the knowledge that Star Scouts never left their comrades behind. If possible, help would come; the overriding question was when?
Dason understood Sami’s point. If indeed, there were extraterrestrials on this planet, then First Contact had not been a peaceful meeting between advanced civilizations.
Instead, it would appear that extraterrestrial beings had attacked their comrades who had crewed the Stinger One craft.
This violent and unforeseen turn of events had taken all of them by surprise and did not bode well for future meetings between the two space-faring races.
After a few seconds, Sami whispered, “Pretty wild ride these last couple of days, huh?”
“Sami,” Dason retorted, “that is the understatement of all times.”
Sami gave a soft laugh. “Pretty sharp of you and Shanon to figure out that these so-called poachers who kidnapped us back on Alistar were actually Star Scouts putting us through our paces for the no-notice exam.”
He shook his head. “They fooled me the whole time, and I don’t fool so easy. Well, usually I don’t fool so easy.”
“Thanks,” Dason replied. “But it was Shanon who caught on before I did.”
Sami asked in an undertone, “Do you really think we’re tracking XTs? I mean, it’s hard to believe that advanced beings would go traipsing around the forest with human hostages in tow.”
Brant gave Sami a baleful look. “Sami, we’re traipsing around in the forest.”
Sami screwed his mouth to one side. “Good point.”
Shanon asked Brant, “Do you think these possible XT prints have anything to do with the Queen’s disappearance? Seems that there might be a connection.”
Brant nodded in response. “Bianca had the same thought.”
He frowned before saying, “Problem is, we have no way to prove it, but it’s a pretty solid working hypothesis for now.”
A few minutes later came three sharp raps on a nearby tree trunk, signaling that the team had caught up to them. Brant answered the recognition call over the comms, “Come forward and to your left about ten meters.”
With her full team assembled, Bianca said to her Path Finders, “Everyone’s ready; move out.”
With Sami at his side, Dason went into the dusky night, the Path Finders forming an almost ethereal line in the setting moon’s waning light.
A half hour of steady slogging brought them to a sizeable clearing, ringed by tall, dark trees that swayed in the gentle breeze. A night wind had sprung up, and now the leaves rustled high above their heads.
Dason’s eyes caught sight of something familiar on the ground and he stopped. “Sami,” he whispered, “over here.”
Sami ambled over to where Dason stood. “Whatcha got?”
Dason pointed down. “Look at this.”
Several sets of the extra-large footprints cut across their front and headed toward a low knoll to their left. Sami twisted his head in that direction and said, “C’mon, let’s check it out.”
The two followed the prints up the incline and stopped at the crown. Sitting in a spacious bowl-like depression was an enormous tree. Dason stretched his neck all the way back in an effort to see the top but couldn’t.
“Wow,” Sami muttered, “that is one really big tree.”
“No kidding,” Dason replied. “That thing is larger than ten Sequoia redwoods combined.”
“More like twenty,” Sami answered. “C’mon, the tracks seem to be headed that way.”
At a lope, the two jogged down the slope, following the footprints. The prints led up to the sequoia-like tree’s gnarled and jutting root system.
In the setting moon’s dim light, the two knelt to peer into the tangled mass of roots. Neither spoke until Sami said in a halting voice, “Am I seeing what you’re seeing?”
“Think so,” Dason replied, “and we need to get Bianca up here, now.”
“Roger that,” Sami answered and opened his communicator. “Team Lead, this is Alvaro, we need for you to come to our position. We’re on the backside of a small hill to your left about thirty meters and near a really big tree.”
“Sami,” Bianca replied dryly, “they’re all really big trees.”
“Yes ma’am, but this is a really, really, big tree. Can’t miss it.”
“Coming,” she replied.
A few minutes later, Dason saw Bianca stop at the small rise’s crest. He stood and waved at the lithe young woman. She trotted up and without saying a word, both Dason and Sami jabbed a finger at the base of the tree.
Bianca peered at where the two gestured. She gave a little start and knelt down to get a better look. After a few seconds, she slapped at her comms and said. “Brant, Lara, bring the whole team to my location.
“Forty meters to your left front, you’ll see a small hill, and just beyond is Sami’s tree. And he’s right; it is a really big tree.”
Three fist-sized silver-gray balls lay near the belts. Further under the trunk were what seemed to be a few more smaller objects but it was too dark to make out their exact shapes.
All appeared to be strewn about in a haphazard fashion around the nook in the giant tree’s roots. Sami reached for the belts, but Bianca smacked his hand, and he recoiled in mock pain. “Whaaat?” he asked.
“Don’t touch,” Bianca ordered. “You have no idea what these things are. Could be booby-trapped and blow up in your face, for all you know.”
Sami scooted back from the root system holding out his hand in an inviting posture. “Ladies first.”
Dason couldn’t help the prickly feeling that crawled up his spine while he examined the objects from arms-length.
He turned to Bianca, whose intense expression and arched eyebrows said that she shared his excitement. “What do you think?” he asked. “They sure look, well, strange and alien to me.”
“I think,” she sighed, “that this only adds to the mystery, but I’ll wait until Lara gets a good look at these objects. She has more training in this area than I do.”
Minutes later, Dason turned to see the team of Star Scouts led by Brant crest the hill and come trotting up. Bianca explained about the discovery to her team. “While Lara is examining these artifacts, I want a tight defensive circle around the tree,” she ordered.
Dason and Sami joined Shanon and TJ to form a small arc several meters away from the tree base while the other scouts spread out to complete the circle.
TJ whispered to Dason, “How’d you guys find those things?”
“It was me,” Sami answered. “I naturally deduced—”
“We came across a side trail,” Dason was quick to interrupt, “of those large footprints. Led us right up to the tree.”
“Are they XT?” Shanon asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Dason replied. “But there is something peculiar in the way they appear. Of course, in this dim light, our eyes could be playing tricks on us. But, oddly enough, all of the footprints were of the larger variety, none of the smaller, including human were intermixed.”