Night

The Others

"Do you think they got in trouble?"

"What if they got injured?"

"Or maybe they're just lost"

Valerian walked without saying a word. He didn't know how to answer them. It can be neither of those things.. or all of them.

He knew Vingelmina was a rational thinker, being the Commanders' daughter she had to make important decisions. He witnessed her once giving a speech about oxygen saving, how clear and confident she sounded. She wouldn't do something without thinking of it twice, and that was clear by the actions she took regarding her people's complaints. She dealt with them like a grownup, taking responsibility and fixing all those issues. She even took care of the tiniest details. A guard working with him once complained about his schedule being too busy to see his daughter. The man wasn't expecting a reply. Vingelmina created a new, improved, schedule with fewer working hours, and even sent a small gift to his daughter consisting of a coloring book and a set of colored pencils. He chose her as one of the four because he trusted her in making the right choices.

Them being lost is an unlikely event. Aden was good with navigation. He first worked as a guard with Valerian before switching to the maintenance sector. He knew the station better than anyone, the guy had a photographic memory. Every new guard took weeks to fully be introduced to all the aspects of the station. Aden used up a day. Every room shown to him became engraved in his mind automatically. Forgetting wasn't an attribute of Aden.

"We'll find them, they couldn't have gotten far" he finally joined the discussion.

"It's getting dark"

"Then we'll use flashlights"

"It's not our fault they're lost, why do we have to find them"

Valerian got irritated by every second. "Because they are our people"

"What about finding water?"

He turned to the guy, "What is more important, saving four lives or your thirst?"

The guy instantly shut up.

Valerian did not blame them for feeling scared. The sun was getting low, the path they walked on seemed to become more narrow and overgrown with plants. Twigs seemed to snap far off in the distance, like someone was walking in their direction. Strange noises sounded from deep within the forest. Wild night animals awakened. Nightlife was slowly flourishing. This was nature, and its sounds, heard for the first time by the group of four guys walking through its wilderness. It was alien to them.

The strange noises kept adding on top of each other. Wind picked up its pace, carrying chilly cooled air with it. Valerian listened carefully to every small creak and squeak the forest produced, trying to grasp something that can help him.

Then he managed to sense something. A low murmur in the distance. A quiet, continuous sound. Following this slow fizzle, he found himself nearing an area depleted of any trees.

"We found it"

Everyone rushed to the source of the noise.

The three guys approached the body of water.

The pink sky was clearly depicted in the sparkling liquid. It's blended shades reflecting in the mirror flowing below.

Everyone was filled with thirst from walking such a long way from camp. They were eager to take a drink of this heavenly goodness.

They didn't pay attention to the signs around them, the naked trees bearing no leaves on their branches, the lack of liveliness coming from usually busy nature. No insects roamed around, no fish.