Roys and Iylene cut through the growth using laser blades. We had our shuttle, too, but it couldn’t land in such a thick jungle. The shuttle could scan, albeit not as thoroughly as our handhelds that could get up close and personal.
Roys raised a hand. “Rest for fifteen.”
Lilea dropped to settle her shell against a tall blue stalk covered in pink domes that bled sap that, based on scans, was entirely edible. No one had worked up the nerve to try it yet. She removed her visor that modified itself to fit the curve of her beak. Erkwan’s were basically giant turtles, if the docuseries I found on earth creatures was correct, except with slightly longer limbs that still fit in their shells when needed.
Iylene and Zavir found a bulbous plant to sit on, translucent, with orange lights flickering inside. As of yet, they hadn’t proved dangerous. Ryker and Arana tore into our food, offering packs to others while Zavir and I drank from our canteens as if we had never known the taste of water. I smacked my lips together, tasting my sweat before chugging the last of my canteen that I easily refilled. Roys ordered me to carry the water pack, our heaviest piece of equipment. Dick.
“I can’t believe we’ll be trekking out here with those scientists all over again,” said Lilea. “Why couldn’t they have come with us so we wouldn’t have to be running around twice as much?”
“Because the last thing we want is dead scientists.” Roys finished off his canteen.
Remnants of water dripped down his throat to disappear among the dark curls peeking out of the collar of his exoskin. I stared because only fools missed a perfect opportunity to ogle.
“Right now, all we need to do is make sure there is nothing nearby that is a threat to the habitat. At the rate we’re going, we could finish in about ten days and have a little relaxation afterward,” he finished.
Lilea’s dark green neck stretched higher. “Really?”
Roys looked directly at me. “So long as all of you pull your weight.”
“I believe I am pulling the most weight here,” I said.
“I’ll carry the water pack if it gets you to shut up about it,” said Zavir, earning himself a kick to the shin.
I settled the water pack on the ground to give my back a rest. Iylene brought a pack of rations over that tasted like shit, but we needed to keep our energy up. The jungle was full of unknown dangers. Roys wouldn’t let us forget that.
I fell to lie on my back, peering into the canopy. A ray of light fell to the forest floor, where my fingers curled beneath it. The Colony was cold and dark and gray and damp. Not a good damp, nothing like this humidity, but something sick, like decay that rotted everyone from within. Everything was metal. Harsh. Cold. Rust and piping and smog. Surrounded on all sides by walls protecting us from the vacuum of space. A cage.
For the fifteen-minute break, I let the light roll over me, thinking of all I had done to get there. Still stuck under the thumb of The Company, even if the Intergalactic Militia said otherwise. It was a known secret that The Company had its hungry claws dug into everything, but at least I traveled. At least I left that forsaken asteroid in themiddle of deep space.
“Break’s over,” said Roys. “Let’s go. I want to get at least two clicks out today.”
“You’re killing us,” Arana whined.
Zavir took to cataloguing plants using his commlink. He kept one arm up to survey the area. When a flora that wasn’t on record came into view, we stopped to take a full scan. Already our commlinks had thirty variations of flora, over double what our droids got. The droids were exceptionally trusting and seemed to irritate much of the flora by not respecting boundaries. Roys, on the other hand, was entirely respectful. He was always the one to step in, stealthy and low.
That time, we surrounded a bulbous flora not so dissimilar from the one many of us used as seats. However, this one was uncommonly large. The orange lights from the other were missing, and dozens of equally translucent vines stretched from the bottom, half buried in the soil.
We had yet to come across much animal life. A rabbit-like creature we saw in the unfortunate video detailing how some of the flora ate, a type of bird that had three eyes and a beak that resembled the surrounding flora, and an animal on all fours with a long tail and no eyes. Each of them was creepy, and none of them were nearby.
I stood with my flamethrower wondering if I would ever get to use it. We didn’t use them often, so I was feeling a little trigger-happy. And it would be hilarious to see the irritated look on Roys’ stupid face if we happened to blow shit up. He’d have me scrubbing the toilets by hand, but it would be so worth it.
“Keep behind me,” Roys warned Zavir. “The ones we saw must not have been full grown. We do not know what this one might do.”
Zavir obeyed while Arana monitored our left flank. I monitored the right and the others at our back.
“Arana, stay back,”Roys said.
Arana dropped her weapon. It hung at her sides from the straps. The group held their breath when she advanced wordlessly.
“What are you doing?” Iylene went to follow, but Roys held up a hand.
“Arana,” he half said, half asked.
Still no reaction.
“Arana, stop fucking around,” I called, expecting her to poke fun at us for worrying, but nothing changed.
Zavir held out two arms and pointed with another hand. “Her back!”
