SFSD X

Harooo - Part 2 (7.2)

A wilderness of greyish green plants met her astonished gaze. Tall trees and low shrubs sprung from the very ground, with no sign of pots or containers that she could see. Brightly coloured insects or possibly tiny avians fluttered amongst the plants. Almost unconsciously, Evleyen guided the Steed inside. The door slid shut as soon as they were through. She spent futile minutes trying to find the release mechanism but soon gave up, drawn by the sheer impossibility of her surroundings.

A forest encased in a bubble, underground, a lost world.

Was there oxygen? All life required air, but was the air here compatible with humans? Evleyen checked the readout on her Steed. The composition seemed safe enough, but she didn't feel prepared to risk removing her helmet. Who knew what micro-organisms were present! A narrow, twisted path wove between the trees.

Evleyen couldn't help wondering what had created the path. Had it been purposely built by the creators of this underground world? Or worn by the creatures which inhabited it?

Cautiously, she drew her light-sabre.

She guided the Steed down the path, her recorder logging everything in range. How far had they fallen? One kay? Two? Would anyone on the surface be able to receive her transmissions? Still, it seemed she had no choice but to continue exploring. If she had arrived through the entrance, perhaps she would eventually find her way to the exit.

A flash of brown fur darted across the path. Evleyen peered after it, wishing she had got a better look. Would she recognise any of the creatures? Or would they be as alien as this structure? She recognised none of the plants, but then again, botany wasn't her area of expertise.

She heard the trickle of water before she saw it. A small stream ran through the forest and crossed the path. Well that answered one of her questions—there was water here. She halted the Steed at the edge of the stream, peering down to try and gauge the depth. Though she wasn't a naturalist, even Evleyen could see the tracks around the water's edge. Small round imprints in the mud, nothing too large, thankfully.

The Steed forded the stream easily and they continued along the path, Evleyen looking around her in wonder. Evidently, this whole structure had been artificially built, but for what purpose? To provide air? Food? Even recreation? She supposed all were possible, but she doubted she would ever know for certain.

A faint trembling penetrated upwards through the Steed's legs. Evleyen looked around anxiously. What was that? Well it can't be an earthquake, she reassured herself with an uneasy laugh, we're on a moon. Nothing else seemed disturbed by the rumbling, but she turned up the volume on her audio feed just in case. Nothing. Silence.

She was just starting to relax when a strange creature sprang at her from the left. It looked for all the world like an ancient Earth animal—a dinosaur. She couldn't remember the proper name but her Steed provided it an instant later. A velociraptor. Its mouth gaped open, showing rows of teeth and its eyes glowed with orange rage. Bounding toward her, Evleyen had only seconds to protect herself. At her command, the Steed lashed out with a foreleg, smashing the small creature to pulp.

Evleyen sighed regretfully (she hated killing things) but the little reptile had given her no choice. It might have been small—the size of a house-dog—but it had been aggressive. She continued along the forest path, eyes open for what might appear next. A brilliant blue insect with eight wings landed on her shoulder, but her spacesuit protected her from any damage it might do. Carefully, she brushed it away.

She smiled, imagining the scientists at Alpha Base wetting themselves in excitement over the data she was transmitting. There would be enough data from this excursion to keep them occupied for decades.

She entered a small clearing, when a huge creature reared up out of the trees. It looked like a distant relative of the small reptile, but this one was the size of a house. Wide open jaws were filled with violent teeth and saliva dripped in ribbons. Dark leathery skin covered a long body which was balancing on two huge haunches, tiny forefeet reaching toward her. Angry orange eyes glared as it screamed in rage.

"Krazy dino!" murmured Evleyen as she tightened her grip on the light sabre. She slashed as it charged, shredding the flesh on one flank. Blood spurted from the wounds, but the injury only seemed to inflame the monster to greater rage. It charged again, knocking Evleyen from her Steed. Hitting the ground on her shoulder, she rolled to her knees, light sabre slashing upwards, aiming for the monster's belly.

The creature reared back just in time, sending a spray of saliva over Evleyen. Wiping her face mask, she lunged forward, slicing deep across the chest. Screaming in pain and fury, the huge head swung from side to side, catching Evleyen a glancing blow and sending her tumbling.

Dazed by the fall, Evleyen stumbled to her feet, searching desperately for the light sabre which had been knocked from her hands. Hot breath misted her face mask as the monster snapped at her head. She ducked and rolled again, grabbing for the sabre. But just as she touched it, the huge jaws fastened on her back pack, hauling her upward into the air. The monster shook her like a cat with a mouse. Her suit was strong but hadn't been built for this sort of punishment. It tore in two, and she fell to the ground, her pack stuck in the dinosaur's jaws. With the back of her suit ripped off, the helmet was more of a burden than a help but she didn't have time to worry about it, she had to reach the sabre. Only one of them was going to leave this fight alive.

Agonising pain down her right arm told her the arm was broken. She picked up the sabre with her left hand and thrust it upward into the throat of the dinosaur. Spurting blood, it crashed to the ground and twitched. Evleyen sank to her knees, the humid, alien air was leaking into her suit and the pain from her arm was making her dizzy...

She wondered hazily whether anyone had received her transmissions. Would anyone find her before it was too late?

Then everything went black.

(Author's Note - this is the end of Harooo... a new short story, "Contact" begins on the next page)