Chapter 2

Amy and I guided the ship down and floated along about one hundred meters above the surface depending upon the lay of the land. We went along slowly at under one hundred kilometers an hour knowing this was wasteful of fuel but I wanted no more surprises. I was beginning to have my doubts about this planet.

We skimmed along the surface covering some pretty territory though I saw no trees or any tall plants. The animals I saw were no larger than the deer on New Georgia. Even the predators, when we saw one, were not large. We saw the tracks made by the sweepers. That was the name I gave them in my mind. The tracks went on the continents stopping at the oceans.

We had reached the edge of a continent and I continued straight looking for a small island. We came up on one and I noticed that it had large, tall plants. I began to look for a landing area and found a broad beach. I called the Dolphin advising them what I planned and why. I asked if the science folk had figured out what happened to Will and Mac but there was no answer yet.

I brought our ship in and landed in the middle of the beach and waited. After ten minutes and nothing happening, I decided to try another walk outside. "Mary, pick two. The four of us will go out."

I rose from my seat telling Amy to take the conn and not to lose my ship. She nodded. I went to a locker and joined Mary changing clothes and preparing for another trip outside. Before we got to the lock, Amy said, "Boss, you need to look at this."

I went forward and looked. A beast was shuffling toward our ship like it was checking us out. It was about the size and build of a large bear. When it opened its mouth, long, sharp teeth were visible. "Stand down, team. Resume seats."

I took my seat and we waited. The animal went around the ship carefully like it was checking for danger. It went to the water where the tides came and stood very still. It swiped with a front paw suddenly and very quickly. A fish or something close to a fish was flopping around on the shore. It went to the fish and took it in its mouth. With its prize, it left returning to the plant area. "Mary, have your people go up two calibers and one will carry a number two launcher." A number two launcher could take out a sizeable armored ground car. I didn't want to kill but wasn't planning on being a meal either.

We waited some more. After perhaps another twenty minutes, nothing had happened. I didn't relax but decided we needed to get out and check out the area carefully. "Mary, let's go. Everyone seal up for 'bio.' Be very ready for trouble. Weapons are free."

Mary said, "Yes, Sir."

We assembled at the lock. "Jack and Jenny, you go first. We will follow in one. Stay close. Retreat first, shoot second." Everyone nodded. Jack and Jenny cycled through the lock. I gave them thirty seconds to look around and then entered the lock with Mary. We cycled through and exited the ship. Jack and Jenny were about ten meters away, maybe a third of the way to the plants. So far, it was quiet. "Okay, people. We'll wait for a few. Let's make sure nothing is going to meet us."

It continued to be quiet. I almost would rather wish for trouble to show up now explicitly so we could deal with it. It was sneaky trouble that usually got people killed. "Mary, rear guard. I don't want something from the sea to come behind us. Jack, Jenny, move forward half way to the plant line. Let's see if anything gets nervous other than me."

It remained quiet. I saw Mary trying to look every way and whispered, "Trust your people to do their job and you do yours." She nodded tightly. Jack and Jenny were about ten meters from the plants. I said, "Move forward another five meters. Be alert."

When the attack or reaction came, it was swift and violent. A vine came whipping out and cut Jack in half. Jenny had the launcher and loosed a rocket into the plants where the vine came from. Jack's lower torso fell over. His upper body twitched a couple of times and went still.

The plants exploded into fire. The fire was much stronger than the rocket Jenny sent into it. I wanted a sample but wasn't willing to lose another person to get it. I had an idea. I was carrying a sword. Really, it was too short to be a real sword but it had a good blade. I liked knives. I pulled it and held it to cut anything trying to whip me like Jack had been whipped. I moved up to the right of Jenny who had dropped back and went forward a couple of meters. It worked. A vine whipped out and my blade cut it before it cut me. The piece of the vine fell to the ground and I scooped it up and put it in a specimen jar. "Okay, people. Let's get back to the ship. We'll go through the lock together." The three of us retreated together and cycled through the lock.

Once inside, I gave the jar to Beverly, a botanist. I said, "Be careful. Don't assume it's dead. I suspect some hydro-carbons in its composition." She looked at me a bit startled and took it toward the lab. I went up front and said, "Amy, let's continue on." She nodded and hit the warning horn. In just a moment, her board was green and we lifted off. We continued on across the ocean or sea. According to our onscreen map, we would come upon a shoal area, a moderate deep, and then another continent. That's what we saw except for the shoal area where something rose from the shallows toward us but was short over a hundred meters

Amy said, "Boss, that's why I was at two hundred meters." At the continent, we saw more low plants and little else. It was much like the one we had left. We covered another hour and I called the Dolphin.

"Dolphin, this is Scout One. We are returning. We have one specimen under seal."

"Roger, Scout One, you are cleared to return. Dolphin out."