Chapter 3: Leading the way

I knew where to go but it would take at least four days to get there from the colony. I led the men to the edge of the colony using small pathways. When we found the women and children, Mr Perry and Mr Harris were watching for us. They both held laser rifles and were relieved when they saw us. It took a couple of minutes to get things sorted.

We had lost a few men at the pads and their wives or parents cried but they were colony people and knew life was hard. I put men or women on the side or back and headed into the forest. Mr Perry had told me they had punched the message through and Fleet had acknowledged it. I knew that only meant it would take awhile for them to get fleet ships here.

We were only in the forest a few hours when the first Croclin attacked. We had been taking hourly breaks to rest and everyone was huddled together. I had four men with weapons watching the surroundings. My time in the forest alone was what made me jerk up at the sudden change of sounds. I expected the smell of wounded to bring in predators but not this soon.

I moved past the guard that was watching and raised my rifle. The Croclin seemed to almost appear out of the low brush. I shot it through the head and then pulled my rifle to the side as I yanked out my mono knife. I did not need it as the Croclin crashed to the ground. I looked around at all the white faces and pointed out three men, “come help me butcher it.”

They helped me clean it and we used the tough skin to make rough carrying packs for the meat. I led the way out with people who were more aware of some of the dangers. The second attack came as we were crossing a small stream. I was on the other side watching down the stream when I heard this slight sound from behind.

I spun, lifting my rifle as the Croclin sprang at one of the smaller children walking towards the stream to get water. I shot the Croclin through the mouth and lunged to grab the little boy. I was too late but the Croclin was dead and only crashed into him knocking him away as it thrashed around. That night they crowded around in a cave I had found in the side of a low ridge.

I had two men on watch at the entrance and sat behind them nodding. I was trying to think of ways to hide and feed everyone. The night outside the cave went silent and my eyes snapped open. I moved to the two men, “be alert it is not a Croclin.”

My rifle snapped up but I did not fire. The shape that slowly moved out of the shadows had me touching the two men and whispering, “do not fire.”

It was a Lenolyn and it paused at my whisper before looking towards us and sniffing. It nodded its great head and then turned to walk into the night. I relaxed thinking that was strange, the two men were looking at me strangely so I knew they thought it was too. I relaxed as the normal night sounds returned. I did not sleep that much, I was thinking about our situation.

After the sun had come up I led everyone out. This time our route was more winding and through thicker brush. The men that had been wounded seemed a little better. The sound of two rifles firing brought me running to see another Croclin killed. I had the skin kept intact and the meat packed away. Just after midday I stopped and started a smokeless fire and had the meat from the Croclin cooked.

From a nearby stream we refreshed our water supply. We were attacked twice more by Croclin before we stopped for the night. This time in a large set of caves the colony knew about. It even had a large fresh water stream running through a lower galley. I pulled several of the older men and women away and opened my map. I pointed out where we were and where we were going.

An older woman name Becky Trembal who was the colony doctor looked at me, “Home Trees?”

I nodded and saw Mr Perry look interested as he grinned. I looked around at everyone, “Home Tree are where the ETs lived. They have hidden doors and stairs going up to living quarters. There are stairs that go down and branch out to tunnels that go to other trees. The ones I have been in have been preserved as if they just left. They are also protected by some type of zap shield. I saw a fully grown Croclin killed by it.”

They looked at each other and I pointed on the map, “see the river on the edge of the grove?”

They nodded as I looked at them, “I had a larger river beside a grove. It had a tree on the other side and a deep tunnel that went under the river.”

They looked at each other and then grinned. I stood and folded my map, “It still will not be easy. We have two more days in the forest.”

They nodded and headed back to talk to others and explain what I had told them. I took first watch and sat in the dark trying to plan our route the next day. I could hear quiet talking as men and women cleaned and scrapped the Croclin hides. In the quiet of the night I heard the slight scrape of scales and claws and the trembling shaking in the ground.

I shifted and hesitantly used the thermal imager on the rifle. The huge shape of a Rex extending its nose towards me was terrifying. I fired rapidly through its throat and head as it roared. I scrambled back as it lunged forward and fired again through its open cave like mouth. It crashed to the ground just a meter from me as I backed away.