Others
"Seep through pain,
be healed by darkness,
touched by the tongue of desire,
cut by the spear of hate,
longed for by the flame of love…
These are the things of life.
These are the things of being a human…"
Deration
- A Metalien life form - 3596
Majellan
- Forest north of
They marched through the forest, haunted by sounds of creatures hidden from view. The Captain of the guard had taken a lot of convincing to leave the Karkehan tunnels and take to the open air. His fear of the nuclear storm was nothing in comparison to his fear of the wild.
"I do not understand," he said yet again. "The animals always attack us - on sight. They haven't even ventured near. What is it about you two?"
"Perhaps they're just scared out of their wits," said Himmelman, pointing at the darkened sky.
Above the trees, the sky whirled with a myriad of dark pools of cloud. Slashes of lightening and grumbling thunder distorted the threatened heavens.
"The rains will hit soon," said Tan. "And with that will come the radioactive residue from the nuclear blasts."
"The thing I don't get is why wasn't
"I suspect they are after a more subtle vengeance," answered Tan.
The Captain never got to ask who 'They' were.
They had been walking through lush undergrowth of ferns and bracken, past hulking Oak and Birch trees hung with creepers and moss when suddenly, not far off a crash revealed the presence of something large lumbering through the forest.
They all stopped in unison. The Captain visibly ducked behind Tan, as if she might have been some kind of protective wall.
"I suggest we climb a tree," he whispered over the rumble of the heavens.
"What for?" said Himmelman, turning his fixed gaze to the Captain.
"It may be the safest place." The Captain offered from over Tan’s shoulder.
"Ah, you forget, my friend that while you are near me you are not only protected from harmful radiation but also harmful life-forms," stated Tan. "This may also be the reason the life here keeps away from me. It either knows what I am capable of, or is afraid of what it does not understand."
"It's the former possibility that bothers me," mumbled Himmelman.
The creature, be it Bear or other large mammal, never fully showed its furry bulk. Over three metres high, it lumbered up to a respectful distance. Still partially camouflaged by foliage it stopped not far from the immobilised humanoids and sniffed the air with large rasping breaths.
The Captain was heard to say a prayer.
It made a distinctive grunt, a snort and turned about and lumbered away.
"I'm beginning to get the inklings of a theory," stated Himmelman. "And I for one don't like it."
They continued their trek on into the late afternoon. By the time the sun started to wane heavily in the west it became obvious that it was going to rain.
"Not to worry Captain," said Tan, without turning to meet his anxious stare. "I have been aware of another Karkehan entrance-way for some time. We will reach it soon."
It was not the only thing that had worried the Captain. The looming grey
sheen of the mighty dome of
It had always reminded him of an elaborate prison.
Up ahead was a steep bank, and at its peak a small two storied tower, quite obviously of Karkehan construction considering its metre thick walls of stone.
The ground floor of the tower had one door facing west towards the
mountains. Closer still could be seen the rising shape of
The Captain set about collecting wood for a fire, and had just finished fanning the flames under his cooking pot when the rain came roaring down, looking safely out through the tower door on the deluge outside.
"That was well timed," said the Captain, looking smug with himself and his fire.
The others however looked decidedly ill at ease. Himmelman was staring fixedly up the staircase to where the first floor would be.
"Er, what's the matter?" the Captain asked.
"I think we won't be able to stay long," answered Himmelman with a sigh. "The rain is very hard and I suspect water will be coming running down the stairs soon. Which is a pity 'cos I was looking forward to a warm meal."
"Tell the whole truth," nudged Tan almost jokingly.
"Oh yeah," said Himmelman, glaring momentarily at Tan and then changing expression completely to face the Captain with a stern grin.
"We are being followed."
After calming the battered Captain’s nerves. Himmelman attempted to explain.
"I first had suspicions that there was something amiss some time back when we first arrived on this world. There's no doubt in my mind now. Too many strange things keep happening for it to be anything else.
"There's nothing to worry about for the moment. I don't suspect who - or more precisely what- ever they may be - are looking for us.
I'm not even sure what they look like. But there is another highly intelligent creature out there and I think they're not organic."
Turning to indicate Tan, he said.
"I think they're like her."
"What do you mean? I have lived on the edge of the wild all my life and there are no other creatures, especially ones looking like her!" snapped the Captain.
"Ah, and here I can add my theory in," said Tan, turning her
illuminated face towards the Captain.
"I have noticed that the land, the trees, the animals, are all distorted by more than can have been created by the nuclear storm. Something else has twisted nature here.
At the very start the Terraforming process was being altered. By what I had no idea. But now I think I know.
There was something on this world to start with. And it is more complex than just another life form or creature. Its existence poses yet more questions for me.
I am a good example of what I'm trying to say. I am the twisted - uh, what would you call it? - effervescence of human created life, but I am also part of Nature’s design. I am the accumulation of Earth's biology, the apex of what humans were formed to create.
A question rings clear in the air before me. What is it the world of Majellan is trying to create? What new forms will it aspire to?"