Chapter Eighteen

A squat, bug-like work module sat near a large pool of bubbling lava. Several blackened metal pipes led from the work module to the pool. A much larger pipe led from the module to a large lava field. Globs of half liquid lava burped from this tube, leaving a mound of cooling leftovers from whatever processing was happening inside the module.

The air inside the portable mining rig was hot and oily. The smell of raw hydrocarbons burned the eyes and filled the nose and mouth with a bitter tang. The man hunched over a workstation did not seem to notice. In fact, his grimy clothes and blotchy skin made him almost seem like one more piece of neglected equipment.

“Cappy, we got a definite problem here.” The voice came from the dirty looking fellow hunched over a battered display console. The console was patchwork of scavenged parts and homemade doohickeys and it was a wonder that it worked at all. Everything about the room was worn and poorly maintained. It could only lead to one conclusion: that whoever did take care of this place did not take much pride in its appearance.

A burly, fearsome-looking man kicked open the door to the room, sending bits of trash and equipment flying. “What did you say Burgess? You know I don’t like bad news.”

“Sorry, Cappy, I just call em like I see em.” Burgess eyed Cappy, looking concerned, but not overly so.

“Well…what’s the problem. You got me out of the bathroom for this. It had better be good.”

Burgess let Cappy stew for a few more moments and then continued. “We got a problem with the ionization.”

“What problem, we knew it was gonna happen sooner or later. We got our ships shielded for when we gotta get out.” Cappy was irritated that he had been bothered with something that they knew was going to happen.

Burgess gave him a sly smile. “Oh, it ain’t the ions that’s got me concerned. It’s whoever is scanning em.”

“Scanning? What do you mean. Get to the point or I’ll dump you in one of the smelters.” Cappy was feeling particularly crusty today and didn’t have time for Burgess’ games.

“Scanning, sir. I mean to say that someone on the outside is scanning the atmosphere.” Burgess’s manners always improved with the mention of bodily harm. “We have guests out in the black, and they want to know why they can’t get in.”

Cappy cursed. Things just never did go right for him. Cappy Weiss was a survivor, but just barely. The universe always conspired to throw a wrench into his plans, no matter how careful he was. Of course that could have something to do with his tendency to cut corners and his irrational belief that he was the smartest person in the known universe.

Cappy harrumphed loudly, scratched his greasy head and nodded. There was nothing to be done but wrap up the operation and high-tail it off this rock before he got caught.

“Alright, Burgess, keep an eye on the scan and buzz me if they figure a way through. Meanwhile, tell the boys to be ready ta drop and burn if’n they do get through.” Cappy sighed sullenly and went back to the bathroom.

Chapter Seventeen

Flim pressed himself to the trunk of a tree, trying with everything he had to not move. He had somehow felt the presence of the creatures before they had revealed themselves near the crashed ship. Perhaps it was because he was an excellent sneaker, so he knew what to listen for. Their presence was overwhelming and he thought there must be over a dozen of the things in the forest surrounding his friends.

Flim felt ashamed that he had not warned them, but by the time he had realized the creatures were there he only had time to blend in with a nearby tree. His skin had turned a mottled green, with streaks of brown. When he stopped moving it was impossible for anyone to tell him from the tree. He hoped that these creatures did not share his ability to detect other hidden folk.

These creatures blended into the foliage nearly as well as Flim, but it was more because of their natural color. It did not seem like they could change color like Flim could. Their soft, feather-like skin helped them blend in too.

Flim heard Devon talking into his WristVid, but could not quite make out what he said. Flim wanted so much to warn Devon, but staying hidden might be his only chance to help if it came down to the worst. Flim watched his friends leave the clearing, shouting his name. He listened, holding his breath, until he could no longer hear their call. The presence of the creatures faded too. He knew that he was alone again…or so he thought.

Flim nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard rustling coming from a nearby bush. He froze, not daring to move a muscle as the bush shook. Relief flooded into him as he saw Sammy, Devon’s luggage, emerging from the underbrush. Sammy hesitated for a moment at the edge of the clearing. A slender stalk emerged from some hidden part of Sammy and scanned the clearing. It swung back and forth several times before stopping, pointed directly at Flim. The stalk disappeared once again, back into its hidden compartment. Sammy trundled toward Flim, as if he had called the chest. Sammy stopped, as if waiting for Flim to meet him halfway.

Flim let go of the tree and approached Sammy slowly. He nearly feinted when Sammy turned on his stubby legs and trundled off in the direction Devon and the others had gone.

“Wait, where are you going?” Flim called after the scuttling luggage. Sammy did not even slow down. Flim rushed to catch up. Luckily, Sammy’s stubby legs could only carry him so fast through the soft dirt of the forest floor. Flim was able to catch up without much problem.

As they made their way through the forest Flim caught brief snatches of the far off voices of his friends calling for him. Each time he heard them it sent a pang of guilt through him. Flim had never considered himself a hero, but he had never seen himself as a coward either. But there was part of him that felt like he was a coward for not helping Devon and the others. He could not think of what he could have done, but not even trying made him feel like a chicken. His only hope was to follow his friends and try to rescue them. He hoped that he could, or he might not ever be able to forgive himself.

Flim and Sammy followed Devon and the others for nearly an hour, careful not to be seen by the creatures. Sammy trundled along by Flim’s side, his legs beating a soft rhythm on the forest floor. Flim found the steady sound relaxing. Some of his tension drained away, leaving behind a feeling of hope that he could do something to free his friends. Sammy stopped abruptly, disturbing Flim’s thoughts.

Flim stopped as well, peering into the underbrush making sure he had not been seen. He concentrated for a moment and his skin darkened, turning a deep green to match the nearby bushes. He crept forward, carefully avoiding anything that might make noise as he passed. He inched slowly, ever so slowly, forward. As quietly as a mouse he crept through the bushes. He was rewarded by the sight of several of the creatures standing in a clearing up ahead.

Flim moved even closer, just close enough to catch sight of his friends as well. Flim froze as two more of the creatures strode into the clearing. One of the creatures, a huge one, strode toward the creature who had been leading Devon and his friends away. The two clasped hands. The feeling that something was going to happen filled the air. It was almost like electricity. The stood, their hands together, for what seemed like forever. Flim considered trying to move closer several times, but each time he tried he was filled with a strange feeling of hesitation. Something inside of him was telling him to wait.

Finally, the two creatures dropped their hands. The large creature trumpeted, starting Flim in his hiding spot. Flim watched in disbelief as all of the creatures except for two left the clearing. What happened next shocked Flim even more. First Devon and then Jacinda touched the creatures. Flim stared in horror as Jacinda collapsed, sobbing. Had the creature hurt her? He held his anger in check. It looked like Merrell and Devon were doing all they could to help her, and Flim could not very well rescue his friends if he was captured too.

Flim decided that it was time he started planning his rescue. There was no telling when he would get a better chance. With only two of the creatures nearby, he and his friends had them outnumbered, but that was sure to change soon enough.

Taking a deep breath, Flim began working his way around the clearing ahead. If he could get close enough for Devon or one of the others to hear him, perhaps they could be ready when it was time to escape. He crept closed, looking for a way to approach his friends without being seen, but it just was not possible.

Flim watched as Devon jumped to his feet and blurted out the name “Sammy”. After that things happened so quickly Flim lost control of his color changing and began a shade of bright pink. Fortunately, everyone else was as surprise by the ensuing aerial display that nobody noticed.

Chapter Sixteen

The creatures surrounding Devon and the others watched them with interest. They grew especially interested when Jacinda began speaking to Devon.

“Where do you think they are taking us?” She asked.

“I’m can’t be sure, but I guess wherever they are taking us must be safe from the bowzers. They must have learned how to deal with them…or they wouldn’t be there.” Jacinda began to say something else, but stopped when the creature leading them stopped and cocked his head, as if listening for something. He sniffed the air, turned and motioned at two of the creatures that were accompanying them.

Those two disappeared into the trees, all but invisible among the foliage.

“It’s no wonder we didn’t see them creeping around earlier. Those feathers blend in to the leaves perfectly. They must have been watching us the whole time.”

“I don’t think those are feathers.” Merrell spoke up for the first time since they had been taken. “When the creature touched me it didn’t feel like feathers.”

Jacinda turned to him, a question in her eyes. “What did it feel like?”

Merrell’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment. “This is gonna sound weird…but it felt like it feels when you are rolling around in the grass.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Devon asked.

“Well, have you ever rolled around in grass? You know how it is kinda soft, but scratchy at the same time? And, it didn’t feel warm, like our hands.”

“I guess…but how could that be?” Devon glanced at Jacinda, looking for any help she could offer.

Jacinda simply shrugged. “Don’t ask me, on the mining colony we didn’t have grass, so I’ve never rolled in it.”

Merrell grinned sheepishly at Devon and Jacinda. “I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t think they are…like us. I think they’re, plants, maybe.” Even he did not seem convinced by his own argument.

“Maybe that is why they don’t talk,” Devon added. That would make sense.

Their conversation was interrupted by a hoot from the forest just ahead. Two of the creatures emerged from forest, approaching the one who had led Devon and his friends here. One of the approaching creatures was much larger than the others. As it neared the group it held out its hand. The creature who had led the children reached out and grasped the offered hand. They each closed their eyes and a low thrumming resonated through the clearing. The two creatures stood unmoving in the late afternoon sunlight.

Jacinda started to say something but a pointed look from the other newcomer silenced her. A few more minutes passed as Devon, Jacinda and Merrell traded shrugs and confused expressions. The creatures had made it obvious that this meeting, or whatever it was, should not be disturbed.

What did they expect from the children? Why had they taken them? Would they be safe? Where was Flim? All of these questions weighed on Devon’s mind. Right now it did not seem like these creatures were ready to give them any answers.

Five minutes turned into fifteen minutes and then into a half an hour. Devon felt the urge to ask how long this would take, but remembering the look that Jacinda had gotten from one of the creatures convinced him to hold his tongue for now.

Abruptly the communing of the two creatures ended. The larger one hooted so loudly that it almost sounded like an elephant trumpeting. At this all of the creatures, except for the two newcomers, disappeared into the nearby forest.

Jacinda shook he head. “I’m sure they are not gone. I’ll bet they are all still creeping around close by. Dumb creepers.” She crossed her arms and harrumphed in irritation.

The large creature stepped forward and eyed the children. He towered over them, bigger than most adult humans. Devon watched the creature as it looked them over. He thought that despite its fearsome appearance, it had kind eyes.

The creature stepped closer to Devon and put out its hand, just as it had earlier. He glanced over his shoulder at Jacinda and Merrell, who shrugged, as unsure of what he should do as he was. This close to the creature his nose detected the rich, earthy aroma of moss, like a damp forest. The smell was somehow comforting.

Swallowing his fears, Devon grasped the creature’s hand. It felt just as Merrell had described, soft yet scratchy, like deep, dry grass. The creature’s hand closed gently around Devon’s. This time Devon both heard and felt the thrumming. It filled his chest with a giggly feeling, like the feeling you get when you swing a little too high and your heart flutters in your chest.

Suddenly images tumbled into Devon’s head. He saw a huge forest that made this one look like a garden. He saw oceans at sunset with the waves sparkling like fields of jewels. He saw clear, cool nights filled with meteor showers like fireworks. Devon even saw things that he could not understand, but made his heart sing anyway. The strongest image he received was of a vast range of mountains covered in smoke. Several large peaks glowed with the red of lava and belched smoke and ash into a dreary, gray sky.

Devon’s head was filled with so many images that he had trouble sorting them out. It was as if he were living a lifetime in only minutes. Just when he felt like he could not take anymore, the creature released his hand.

Devon looked up, staring into to creature’s eyes. A connection, like a spark passed between the two. He suddenly realized that the creature had shown him parts of its own life. Somehow it had shared its experiences with him. Devon realized that this must be how the creatures communicated. The first creature that had touched Merrell had only been trying to communicate. Devon had probably frightened the creatures by trying to stop it.

Devon’s head was filled with so many thoughts and images that he stood dumbfounded for a moment. He took a deep breath and tried to sort them out. One of the strongest was a feeling of peace, just like Merrell had described. Perhaps the creatures were trying to reassure Devon and the others that they meant them no harm. But that didn’t explain why they took them away from the ship. The creatures must want something from them, Devon thought.

He also had another image in his head. It was an image of just a few moments ago when Jacinda had called the creatures creepers. He sensed acceptance, as if they had taken the name as their own. They liked the name and felt it suited them. He also remembered an image that he thought might be the creature’s name. He could only translate it as DeepRoot.

“Well, Jacinda, they like the name you gave them.” Devon chuckled.

“What?” Jacinda looked confused. “How do you know?”

“They told me, sort of. I think they communicate with their minds, but not with words. When I touched the big one’s hand I saw all kinds of things in my head. It was showing me its life. I think that is how they communicate. With images.”

Merrell clapped his hands. “That is what I saw. I knew there was something to it.”

“How can you be sure?” Jacinda shook her head, unconvinced.

Merrell and Devon looked at her, both wearing irritated looks.

Devon stepped toward her. “Just wait, Jacinda. You will be just as sure when it happens to you.” Merrell nodded in agreement when Jacinda looked his way.

The young girl glared back at Devon and Merrell. “Why can’t I do it too?”

The boys shrugged. Devon stepped toward her, trying to lay a calming hand on her shoulder. “I’m not sure why DeepRoot hasn’t talked to you yet.”

“DeepRoot? So you are on a first name basis now?”

“I think that is his name. It just popped into my head.”

Jacinda cocked her head in thought seeming to ponder a decision. Finally she nodded and strode toward DeepRoot. She stuck out her hand, waiting for the creeper to take hold of it. Instead it shied away from her, perhaps uncertain of her intensions. Jacinda grunted angrily and stepped forward, her hand held out. DeepRoot skipped away from the offered hand and hooted loudly.

The smaller creeper who had been standing nearby suddenly stepped forward, placing itself between Jacinda and the large creeper. Jacinda took several steps back, but quickly regained her courage. Once again, she held out her hand to the creeper, this time to the smaller one.

It looked back at DeepRoot, who gestured at it. The smaller creeper gently took Jacinda’s hand, filling the girl’s head with racing images. She knew instantly that this creeper’s name was ClearSky. She saw images of groups of smaller creepers gathered together in a field, arms raised to the sky, as if they were soaking up the streaming rays of sunlight. Other, larger creepers moved among them, seeing to their needs. She also saw images of vast forests and serene oceans. Suddenly the images grew more intense. She saw the same field of small creepers, but this time a spaceship was raining fire among the field of creepers. The larger creepers ran among the smaller, trying to save as many as they could from the flames. With a flash of pain Jacinda realized that the smaller creepers were rooted in place and had to be pulled up before they could escape. She could feel the anguish of the keepers as the fire forced them to flee the field, leaving behind many of their charges.

Jacinda began to sob when the creeper broke contact. She fell to her knees, unable to control her crying. Devon and Merrell rushed to her side, desperate to see if she was okay.

“Oh, Merrell,” she sobbed, “someone attacked their young. So many died.” Merrell knelt down and cradled her in his big arms.

Devon felt like an intruder in their moment of grief. He stood up and approached DeepRoot.

“DeepRoot, what is going on? Who did this.” DeepRoot did not respond, merely cocked his head at Devon. Perhaps he could not understand the question. Did the creepers want their help? Could that be what they were trying to tell them? Devon tried several more times to make himself understood, but failed each time. Finally he decided to take a break. He slipped off his backpack, looking for a place to rest for a moment. He found a soft spot in the grass and sat down, rummaging through his pack for a waterpouch. It was too bad that all he had was water. He could use a nice bit of juice. That would be nice. Sammy always had plenty on hand.

Devon jumped up in shock. He realized that Sammy was not here. He had not seen him since they started looking for Flim. He had completely forgotten about Sammy.

“Sammy,” he blurted before regaining his self control.

Devon only had a moment to think about his missing luggage before the sky lit up with a flash like nothing Devon had ever seen. For a moment he was distracted by a flash of something pink hidden among the bushes just outside of the clearing, but his attention was soon drawn back to the sky by more flashes, each a different color. The whole sky glowed, like they were inside of some sort of giant globe and some unknown giant was shining different color glowsticks at it. The display continued for quite a while, mesmerizing the children and the creepers. Its hauntingly beautiful hues danced across the sky from horizon to horizon. The patterns changed constantly, whirling in complicated swirls and eddies of light.

Chapter Fifteen

Fifteen minutes had passed and Deke had not heard from Devon and his friends. Concern etched his face. He decided to give them a couple more minutes before really growing concerned. Perhaps they simply forgot to check in…he hoped.

Deke waited for two more minutes and then Keyed open the microphone on his WristVid.

“Devon, please respond. You are late for your check-in.”

He waited for a moment, listening for a response. His WristVid remained silent. He keyed the button again.

“Devon, I repeat, please respond. Are you there?”

Deke shook his head. He hoped that they had simply gotten out of range and it was not something worse. He tried to convince himself that they had gone out of range looking for Flim and would be calling at any moment. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to quite convince himself.

Deke felt that it was his responsibility to keep all of the children safe. If he went out looking for Devon and the others there would not be anyone to watch the children here on the drop ship. He was also still did not know the full extent of his injuries. He had not passed out again, but he still got light headed at times. He just could not take that risk. His only choice was to pray and hope for the best.

When they did come back Deke planned on having a bit more than harsh words for Flim for running off. He knew Flim had a wild streak. Deke had been accused of that more than once as a child. But he would never have believed that Flim would run off like this, but he obviously had.

Deke cursed himself for letting Devon and the others go outside. He should have done it himself. What had he been thinking? Those kids were in danger, and it was all his fault. If they did not make it back before nightfall, they would be in great danger from the bowzers.

Chapter Fourteen

Devon's eyes scanned the nearby trees carefully. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, sending a shiver down his back.

"Does anyone else feel like they are being watched?" Devon whispered, trading glances with Flim, Jacinda, and Merrell.

They all nodded in agreement.

Devon tapped the transmit button on his WristVid. "Mr. Jacobs? Are you there?" He waited for a response for several moments. "Hello, Mr. Jacobs?" There was still no response.

Devon's mind began to race, filled with images of Deke lying unconscious in the aisle of the drop ship, the children all around him screaming in panic.

Devon nearly jumped when Deke’s voice came out of his WristVid. “I’m here Devon. You sound upset, is everything okay?”

Devon paused for a moment, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. “We are okay, but I am getting a bad feeling…like we are being watched.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it is just your imagination. What we need to worry about right now is getting you back inside. We have plenty of time before nightfall, but I want you in here a lot sooner than that.”

“So what do we do?”

“I think we can open one of the emergency doors and lower a rope or something down to you. We just have to find something like a rope. It should not take more than a few minutes.”

Devon sighed in relief and turned to the others. “I think that’ll make us all feel better. Right guys?”

Jacinda and Merrell nodded in agreement, but there was no sign of Flim. Devon gave the others a confused look.

“Where in the world did Flim go?”

Jacinda looked around, her eyes wide. “I’m not sure. He was just here.”

Merrell and Devon began looking as well, scanning the area for any sign of their friend. Unfortunately, there was no sign.

“Flim! Where are you?” Jacinda called loudly, her voice on the edge of panic. Looking pleadingly at Devon, she seemed about to cry. In a flash her worry turned to anger as she realized that Devon was trying to suppress a grin. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth shrank down to an angry scowl.

“What…is going on?” Jacinda’s hands moved to her hips, her whole posture teetering on the edge of exasperation. “This had better not be some kind of dumb joke.”

Devon finally mastered his mirth and managed to respond. “No, it’s not a joke…exactly. But…you know Flim. He likes to play tricks on people, and I’m sure this is one of his tricks.”

“But where did he go?” Jacinda asked. Merrell was looming over her shoulder, a look of expectation on his face as well.

“Hmm, that is a little hard to explain.” Devon paused, not really wanting to reveal Flim’s special talent. Devon began to wither under her relentless glare. “Let’s just say he is really good at hiding.”

Jacinda signed, shaking her head, uttering a single word. “Boys.”

Merrell stifled a snicker as well, earning him a sharp look from Jacinda as well.

The sound of rustling leaves broke the building tension, drawing all of their attention toward the deep forest surrounding the hilltop. All three friends peered into the undergrowth, expecting to see Flim emerge with a smile of triumph on his face.

When no one appeared they all looked at each other, confused.

Jacinda was the first to speak. “Okay, so where is he? I honestly didn’t think he had this kind of patience.”

“I have no…” The words caught in Devon’s throat as a figure emerged from the undergrowth behind Jacinda and Merrell.

Jacinda recognized the look of surprise on Devon’s face and began to turn. “It’s about time you…” She froze as well when she saw the figure. It surely was not Flim.

The creature, if that word could be used, stood upright. It was about the same height as Jacinda, but the similarities ended there. What looked like soft green feathers covered its entire body. Bright amber eyes peered out of the green, fuzzy face, almost like those of a friendly puppy. The creature shifted, turning slightly toward Merrell, whose back was still turned.

Jacinda’s eyes grew wide as the creature reached out to touch Merrell. He flinched when the creature made contact with his arm, but then seemed to relax, a look of contentment on his face.

Devon leaped forward toward Merrell. His friend seemed to be under some sort of spell, but if he could jar him, perhaps it would be broken. Devon bowled over the larger boy. The two went down in a heap, tangled together and struggling.

The creature hopped back, just barely avoiding ending up on the ground with Devon and Merrell. With a fluttering that sounded like leaves in a stiff wind, it scampered back into the undergrowth, quickly disappearing, its green ruff blending perfectly with the surrounding leaves.

With a grunt, Merrell pushed Devon off of him. He sat up, scowling. “Why did you do that.”

Devon stared at him, eyes wide. “Are you kidding? That thing was doing something to you. I thought I was saving you.”

“Saving me? I don’t know about that.” The blush of embarrassment began to fill Merrell’s face. “I mean…it seemed friendly enough.”

Jacinda shook her head. “Not to Devon and me. It looked like it was taking control of you.”

Merrell shook his head. “Why would you think that? I’m strong and can take care of myself. Just because I’m big doesn’t mean I have a weak mind.” He scowled at Devon, perhaps more angry than he should be.

“That’s not what I meant…not at all,” Devon said. “I was just afraid that I might be losing a new friend. I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”

Merrell’s face softened, the anger draining away. “Oh, well I guess I owe you an apology then, Devon.” Merrell scrambled to his feet and offered Devon a hand up.

Devon took his hand and got to his feet. “No worries, Merrell, I was just watching out for you.”

Merrell still seemed unsure. “Are you sure…I mean, it didn’t hurt me.”

“But it grabbed you.” Jacinda interrupted.

Merrell shook his head slowly. “You are probably right, but it just didn’t feel dangerous. It felt friendly.”

Jacinda stared at him in confusion. “I still don’t understand.”

Merrell hesitated, his eyes full of thought. “Well, I don’t know if I can really explain it. I mean, I was startled when it touched me, but just as quickly I calmed down. I got this image in my head of my home, back in New California. It was like I was looking at a postcard of one of those fun, summer days when I had nothing to worry about. It was almost like I was back there.”

Merrell looked back at the trees where the creature had disappeared. He wore a look of longing. “It just felt so wonderful.”

Jacinda walked up to Merrell and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her, still almost overcome with emotion.

“Are you gonna be okay?” She asked, concern showing in her voice.

Merrell signed. “Sure…I’ll be fine…it’s just been a long time since I felt that way. My brothers and I have been away at school for so long I guess I just miss home. We haven’t been back for three years.”

Jacinda and Devon were obviously shocked by this news. Devon began to ask Merrell about it, but bit off his question when Jacinda gave him a warning look.

“It’s okay, Merrell,” Jacinda gave his shoulder another squeeze, “You’ll get to go home…and I bet it will be soon, with everything that has happened to us.”

Merrell smiled. “You are probably right…but that still doesn’t explain why I thought about it. It was almost as if I had no choice.” He thought for a moment, “I think that the creature did it.”

“Why would it do that?” Devon asked, suddenly very interested.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it was trying to tell me something. I think it was trying to communicate.”

Jacinda’s eyes furrowed skeptically. “Communicate? Why did it sneak up on us if it was trying to communicate.”

“Maybe it was afraid of us.“ Devon commented.

“Beep, beep.” Devon’s WristVid chirped, interrupting their discussion.

Devon thumbed a button, answering in an excited voice. “Mr. Jacobs, you will never believe what just happened.”

“No time for that now, Devon,” Deke interrupted him. “We need to get you inside, as soon as we can.”

“Okay, but we have to find Flim first.”

“What?” Anger showed in Deke’s voice. “Where did he run off to?”

Jacinda stepped to Devon’s side so she could be heard. “Mr. Jacobs, that is not all. We just encountered a very interesting creature.”

“Jacinda, I appreciate your curiosity, but I couldn’t give two hoots about that. I want you to find Flim and get back to the ship. We have rigged up a makeshift rope and we will be pulling you up through one of the emergency exits.”

“But Mr. Jacobs.” Jacinda pleaded.

“No argument Ms. Vasquez. Do as I instructed.” Deke’s use of Jacinda’s last name signaled that he would not be moved.

Devon shrugged his shoulders, giving Jacinda resigned look. After a moment he spoke into his WristVid, “We will find Flim and come back to the ship. I’ll let you know as soon as we find him.”

“Good, just don’t go too far into the forest. I don’t want you getting out of range of your WristVid. Make sure you contact me every fifteen minutes.”

“Yes sir.” Devon deactivated his WristVid.

Jacinda huffed in frustration. “Okay, we have to find Flim as soon as we can.”

Merrell nodded. “Then we can go back to the ship.”

“No, I don’t think so. At least not yet.” Jacinda said, shaking her head.

Devon and Merrell both turned to look at Jacinda, mouths open in disbelief.

Jacinda began to make her way into the forest as she spoke. “Wait, before you say anything. We will do what Mr. Jacobs said. We will look for Flim, but why can’t we look for that creature too? We will contact Mr. Jacobs every fifteen minutes, just like we said we would. We just have to take our time finding Flim.”

“I don’t know about this, Jacinda.” Devon looked skeptical.

“Trust me, Devon. Maybe these creatures can help us.”

Devon and Merrell followed Jacinda into the forest. They all called Flim’s name and scanned the surrounding underbrush for any sign of their friend.

Tall, wide trees cast the land into deep shade. Thin, fern-like plants huddled around the trucks of the trees. Soft, grey grass covered the ground everywhere else. Walking on the grass felt like walking in think foam. It gave under their feet and sprang back up behind them, leaving little trace of their passage. As they moved deeper into the forest, the light grew dimmer, blocked by the ever thicker canopy above.

They continued to call out to Flim, but got no response. Devon soon realized that if they went much further into the forest, they may not be able to find their way back.

“Jacinda, Merrell, I think we need to turn back. I doubt that Flim would have gone this far, and we better not get lost.”

“But Devon, we can’t just leave him out here,” Jacinda said, determination showing in her voice.

“I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought we had any choice. But…”

A soft, melodious hoot interrupted their conversation. The hoot had come from a particularly dense clump of underbrush directly in front of them.

Devon, Jacinda and Merrell all froze in their tracks.

“What was that?” A note of fear showed in Jacinda’s voice.

Merrell stepped protectively between Jacinda and the undergrowth. “Whatever it was, it didn’t sound dangerous, but I suggest we get out of here.”

“I agree,” Devon added hastily.

“But, Flim…” Jacinda was still hesitant to leave their friend to fend for himself.

Merrell turned and took Jacinda by the hand. “We have to worry about ourselves right now. We can’t help him if something happens to us.” He started back the way they had come, pulling Jacinda along with him by her hand. They head the hoot again. This was enough to convince Devon that it was wise to leave.

They had gone only a few yards when they heard another hoot, but this one came from the forest to their right. It was immediately answered by another hoot on their left. The friends picked up their pace but were brought up short by the sound of rustling leaves coming from the undergrowth directly in front of them.

“Flim?” Devon asked, his voice nervous. He was answered by several more hoots from the direction they faced.

The brush moved, like a breeze was moving though it, and parted. Two of the green creatures seemed to materialize right out of the bushes. They were undistinguishable from the one they had seen earlier. These did, however, seem upset. Their deep brown eyes looked almost angry.

The larger of the two creatures carried a sharpened stick and motioned for the friends to stop. Devon thought about running for a moment, but a quick look over his shoulder revealed that several more of the creatures had materialized right behind them.

The creature with the stick seemed to be in charge. It motioned at the others, who quickly surrounded the children. The leader slowly approached Merrell, perhaps assuming the he was their leader because of his larger size. The creature studied Merrell, its brown eyes intent and intelligent. After a few moments it motioned with its stick and the circle of creature opened. The leader scampered past the children and motioned for them to follow.

When Devon and the others didn’t follow, it motioned again and hooted for emphasis. It seemed like they didn’t have any choice but to follow. They made their way deeper into the forest, following the leader, surrounded by at least a dozen of the green creatures.

Chapter Thirteen

Terry and the other children pressed themselves up against the glass of their windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of Devon and the others that were trapped outside.

Terry snickered, “Serves them right, getting stuck out there. They were just trying to show off, and it bit them in the backside. Let the bowzers eat them.”

Link and Junior stopped peering out of their windows in unison.

“But, Terry, our brother is out there,” Junior remarked. Both boys wore a look of concerned confusion.

“Who cares, he made his choice,” Terry said with a sneer in his voice.

Link’s eyebrows furrowed. “But, Terry, Merrell, might get hurt. Are you saying you want him to get hurt?” Both Link and Junior turned toward Terry, beginning to show signs of anger.

Sensing that he had gone too far, Terry gulped. “Merrell…hurt? Of course I don’t want that.” He smiled nervously. “He is my friend, why would I want him to get hurt…it’s just that I don’t like the others. Like I said before Blake is a thief, Flim is a freak, and the urchin girl doesn’t even belong with us. She is as poor as a spaceport mouse.”

Link and Junior relaxed, soothed by Terry’s fast-talk. Junior scratched his head and paused for a moment.

“…Terry, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You called Devon a thief. What did he steal?”

Terry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well, he didn’t really steal anything, but his whole family is a bunch of thieves.”

Junior shrugged. “I still don’t get it. Why?”

Terry leaned forward, putting his face close to Junior’s. “His grandfather nearly wrecked mine. My grandpapa owned United Gyros back then. We owned it for generations before that. When Devon’s grandfather invented his stupid hovercar nobody wanted gyrocopters anymore. My grandpapa lost the company, and nearly everything else. Luckily, he still owned another, smaller manufacturing company. He and my dad worked for a long time to make it successful, and it is now.” Terry paused to make sure that Link and Junior understood. “So, you see, he and his family stole almost everything we had. It just wasn’t fair.”

Link shrugged, “I guess your right, but you still got that other company. So you are still rich.”

Terry crossed his arms angrily, “Rich, yes, but not as rich as we are supposed to be…thanks to them.”

Junior nodded, seeming satisfied. “Okay, I guess you’re right. His family done you wrong, so no need to be nice to Devon.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “By the way, what does that other company your family owns make?”

Terry sat silently for a moment, jaws clenched, then growled. “Garbage Dumpsters.”

Chapter Twelve

Ensign Hal Kepler hunched over his data terminal working feverishly. He wiped his tired eyes and yawned.

“One more time,” he muttered to himself as he scanned the search results. He knew he had to make sure that he did not miss anything. One sli-up and the captain might never give him another chance.

Ever since Hal had been assigned to the Boadicea, he had tried to make a positive impression on Captain Leiber. However, it seemed that impressing ‘Old Stoneface’ was impossible. He usually treated Hal with indifference, which was much preferred to the stern glare he had seen the captain bestow on crewmembers who disappointed him.

According to the search results, what happened to Forrestal’s atmosphere could not happen. The only similar incidents of a planet’s ionosphere becoming opaque involved highly contaminated industrial planets. Forrestal was a nearly pristine wilderness planet. The two pieces of information just did not seem to fit.

The rescue mission could not begin until he solved this riddle. Kepler knew that this was his chance to shine. He tried to think of any natural occurrences that could mimic severe pollution.

The answer hit him like a lightning bolt. He sat up straight and exclaimed, “A volcano!”

Everyone on the bridge turned toward him, startled by his outburst.

The captain raised an eyebrow, “New information, Mr. Kepler?”

“Sir, the atmospheric changes could be the result of volcanic activity.”

“A volcano? This sounds a little extreme for a volcano to cause.”

Ensign Kepler paused for a moment, thinking carefully. “I agree, sir.”

Frowning, the captain rose and walked over the Kepler’s work station. “Please explain.”

“Well, Sir, I agree that a single volcano, no matter how big, probably couldn’t cause such a widespread problem…but a series of them might be enough.”

The captain turned to face Kepler, giving him his full attention. “How sure are you of this?”

“It’s just a theory, but it’s the only one that makes any sense. The combined gas output from multiple volcanoes is the only thing that could replicate the atmospheric contamination that causes this type of problem…unless the survey team missed a highly industrialized civilization down there.”

“I doubt that, Ensign Kepler.” The captain gave him a dark look. “It just doesn’t make sense that they would miss an imminent disaster either.”

Kepler shrugged apologetically.

The captain paused for a moment. “As this is the only theory we have, we will go with it. However, I need more information…quickly.”

“Yes sir, I’ll try to confirm it.” Kepler hunched over his terminal once again, desperately trying to think of a way to confirm volcanic eruptions though the haze of Forrestal’s ionosphere.

Chapter Eleven

The sun shown brightly, a burning jewel set in the blue silk of the midday sky. No clouds obscured the unbroken blue. The deep green of the surrounding forest was a great contrast to the vivid blue set above it.

Devon and Flim scrambled up the hill followed closely by Jacinda and Merrell. From this vantage point they could see the whole drop ship.

“Look at that,” Devon said as he gawked at the sight before him. All four friends stared in amazement at the ship. It had plowed a furrow through the forest for as far as they could see. The drop ship had come to rest against the side of a tall hill. They could not even see the front end of the ship. It was either deeply buried in the hill or completely gone. Either way, it did not look promising for the crew who had been there during the crash.

Devon pressed the talk button on his WristVid. “Mr. Jacobs, we made it outside okay. We climbed up a hill next to the ship.”

Deke’s familiar voice came from the speaker. “How does the ship look from out there?” There was concern in Deke’s voice.

“It looks like the entire cockpit is a wreck. The front of the ship is stuck in a hill and I can’t even tell if the cockpit is still there.”

There was silence for a moment. “Bad news. The transponder was up there. Now I want you to circle the ship. Make sure that everything else looks okay. Call me back as soon as you are done, or in fifteen minutes. Whichever comes first. We have to stay in contact.”

Devon clicked off his WristVid. “You heard him. Let’s circle the ship and check it out from all sides.”

Merrell and Jacinda responded with nods while Flim rolled his eyes and huffed. “First we crash, and now we have to walk…this wasn’t in the brochure.”

Jacinda wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. All of them were sweating quite a bit in the heat of the morning.

From this vantage point it was obvious that the ship had settled into a basin-shaped dell surrounded on three sides by a high hill. From here they got a much better look at the ship.

They followed the ridge of the hill around to the front of the ship. Jacinda and Devon shared a knowing look when they saw the crumpled mess that had been the cockpit.

Suddenly, Devon began to feel a strange vibration through his feet. The ground beneath him seemed to be shaking, making him feel unsteady. He looked over to the others to see if they felt it too. They all exchanged quizzical looks, wondering what could be causing the shaking. Bits of dirt and rock began to tumble down the hillside as the shaking increased.

Devon began to worry as larger pieces of the hillside began to slide down toward the ship. He sat down quickly, unsure if he could keep his feet if the shaking grew any worse. Without warning, the section of ridge Devon was sitting on broke away and began to slide down the hill. Jacinda squeaked in alarm as he began moving.

Devon scrambled backward on his rear, trying to keep his place on the ridge, but it was futile. It was as if he were sledding down the hill on his bottom. He gained speed as he went, barely able to keep upright on top of the shifting dirt. Devon hit the bottom with a grunt, rolling over once and landing in a heap. He felt stunned, but could hear his friends arguing at the top of the hill.

Merrell’s gentle hand on Jacinda’s arm kept her from following Devon down the hill to help.

“Hold on. It is too dangerous right now. We have to wait until the ground quake has stopped, or you’ll just end up falling too.”

Jacinda tried to pull away, but Merrell’s grip remained firm. “We have to help him,” she protested.

“By getting injured too…No? Believe me, we have ground quakes on New California all the time. We have to survive before we can help anyone.”

As if on cue, the shaking stopped. Devon stumbled to his feet, scattering loose dirt everywhere.

“Devon, are you okay?” Jacinda shouted and waved to Devon from the top of the hill.

He gave her a thumbs up, smiling widely. “Just a few bumps. It’s good for me to get dirty once in a while.” They all laughed.

“Hold on, I’m coming back up there.” Devon began to climb back up the slope, but soon slid right back down. He could not gain and traction on the loose dirt of the slope left behind by the ground quake. He tried again, but once again slid back down.

“Anyone want to give me a boost?” They all laughed again.

Their moment of humor was interrupted as the ground began to shake once more. Merrell grabbed Jacinda and Flim, snatching them back from the edge of the hill. They looked on in horror as the side of the hill that they had originally scaled began to collapse. It seemed as if the entire hillside was collapsing. Suddenly everything was pelted with flying dirt as something broke through the hillside. A huge snakelike creature loomed over Devon. The creature was so huge that most of it was still concealed in the hillside.

“Help!” Devon cried, his voice filled with panic. The creature swayed back and forth, as if searching for something. At that moment Devon realized that the creature had no eyes. It must be using its ears to hunt, he thought. That made sense because something that tunneled under the ground would not need very good eyesight.

Devon froze, holding his breath, hoping that not moving or making a sound would make him invisible to the creature. It seemed to work for a few moments as the creature swayed back and forth, seemingly confused by the disappearance of its prey.

The creature stopped swaying and seemed to take in a deep breath. After a moment it lowered its head. Devon clapped his hand over his ears as the creature roared. The sound made the nearby ground to shake, knocking Devon off his feet again. As soon as he fell, the creature reared up once again, aware of where its missing prey had gone. Devon covered his face with his hands and prepared himself for the coming blow.

Instead of feeling the jaws of the creature crushing him, he felt a deep thrumming coming from the ground. Peeking through his fingers, Devon watched the creature. It seemed confused by the sound, not sure where it was coming from. It was frantically swinging its massive head back and forth, searching for the source of the sound.

“Devon, behind you,” he heard Jacinda shout. Springing to his feet, Devon glanced quickly behind where he had been laying. His jaw dropped open when he saw the source of the sound. Sammy, his automatic luggage, was standing in the gash in the side of the ship. A strange looking probe extended from its side, touching the ground. Each time Devon felt the earth thrum, the dirt around the probed jumped. Somehow Sammy must be causing the sound.

Devon leaped to his feet and tried to scramble back up the slope to safety. As soon as he moved the creature swung its head toward him and began to slither forward, intent on making him a meal.

The creature gave out a bellow of pain and swung away from Devon, back toward Sammy. Over his shoulder, Devon could see another arm extended from Sammy, firing some sort of emerald beam at the creature. Where ever the beam touched the creature’s rough hide, black blood flowed. Somehow Sammy was attacking the creature, protecting Devon from being eaten.

Devon was frozen in place as he watched Sammy nimbly avoid the clumsy lunges of the creature. He had never seen Sammy move like this before, and it shocked him. With a final flourish, Sammy’s beam severed the creature’s neck. Its sightless head fell to the ground with a thump. This sent the body of the creature into a spasm of panic. Its thick coils thrashed wildly, knocking large pieces of hillside into the ravine.

With the grace of a deer, Sammy leaped over the madly convulsing coils and skittered toward Devon. Without stopping, another arm extended for its side and grasped Devon by the collar. Spindly legs digging into the loose dirt of the hillside, Sammy dragged his master up the hill and away from the edge.

Jacinda, Flim, and Merrell followed quickly, convinced by the increased amount of dirt tumbling down toward the ship that the hilltop was no longer a safe place to be. They got away from the edge mere moments before a huge slab of the hillside separated and tumbled down onto the thrashing creature.

The creature stopped moving, buried in a grave of its own making. Devon and the others sat silently, afraid to move too soon, just in case the monster was able to dig itself out. After a few moments Devon felt another vibration…and it felt like it was right next to him. He rolled away from the others and leapt to his feet, scanning the ground in a near panic. With a start he realized he was the source of the vibration. With a relieved sigh Devon realized that the vibration was coming from his WristVid. He flipped open the lid and pressed the button to activate the speaker.

“…there, Devon? Are you okay?” Devon recognized Deke’s raspy voice.

“I’m here, Mr. Jacobs.”

“Were you hurt? That slither came out of nowhere.”

Devon chuckled, “A slither? Is that what tried to eat me?”

“There were unsubstantiated reports of such creatures, but nothing confirmed.” Deke sounded embarrassed. “The survey team figured that they were just figments of a few prospectors’ imaginations. I guess you proved them wrong.”

“Lucky me.” He laughed out loud, brushing dirt from his coveralls.

Jacinda stared at Devon, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you think this is funny! You were almost killed.”

“But I wasn’t…and if I don’t laugh, I’d probably cry.”

Deke’s voice came over the speaker again. “Never mind that. What happened to the creature? We couldn’t quite see from here. The view from the passenger windows isn’t very good.”

“I thought I was a goner until Sammy distracted the thing.”

“Sammy? Who is he?” Deke sounded confused.

“Sammy isn’t a he; Sammy is a ‘what’.”

“Excuse me?” Deke sounded even more confused.

“Sammy is what I call my automatic luggage.”

“And how, exactly, did your suitcase distract the slither?”

“Well, I’m not really sure. But he did, and then he saved me. I always knew that Sammy was specially made, but I never saw him do anything like he did back there.”

Devon glanced over at the trunk, now seemingly dormant.

“I could swear I caught a glimpse of a plasma beam down there.”

Devon cleared his throat, sounding embarrassed. “I think you did. That was Sammy too. He dragged me up the hill too. I’ve never seen him move that fast before. His legs never got that long before.”

“I saw it do that. Where did you get that thing?” Concern was creeping into Deke’s voice.

“My parents had it made for me. I guess they added a few things that they didn’t tell me about.”

“Sammy sounds more like a Class One SecBot than automatic luggage. Well, that doesn’t matter right now. You people need to get back in here right now. There may be more of those things out there.”

Flim was peering over the edge of the ridge, down into the ravine.

“I think we have a problem, folks.”

All eyes turned to Flim. His normal smirk was missing.

“When that thing buried itself, it buried our way back into the ship.”

Devon, Jacinda, and Merrell scrambled over to see if Flim was right. Just as he had said, there was a huge mound of freshly turned dirt piled against the side of the ship, completely blocking the gash they had used to leave the ship.

Chapter Ten

Captain Leiber stood on the Bridge of the Boadicea and studied the report the watch officer had just handed him. He shook his head in dismay. Rubbing his chin, he scanned all of the available flight data received from the drop ship just before they lost contact. Everything had been going as planned until the drop ship entered the ionosphere of the planet. The flight data became erratic and then ended completely.

Something had caused the ionosphere to go haywire and the drop ship had been in the unfortunate position of traveling through it just at the wrong moment. Despite their best efforts, the crew of the Boadicea still could not get their sensors to penetrate the suddenly opaque ionosphere. It was as if all of the electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere had suddenly turned solid, cutting off all contact with anything inside.

The captain mentioned for Ensign Kepler. The fresh-faced young man practically leaped to his feet and hurried over from his duty station.

"Mr. Kepler, have you found in any previous reports of an incident such as this in any of our databases?"

Kepler shook his head. "No, sir. I have checked and cross-referenced all Space Safety Board reports and have not found anything that resembles this atmospheric condition...Sir."

The final word was added with a little too much emphasis. Kepler frowned nervously as soon as he realized his mistake. He wanted so much to make a good impression on his new commander.

"Good, Mr. Kepler. Have you checked the science databases as well?"

"I have the computer running a high granularity search right now. An answer to the search query should be available within thirty minutes."

Anger flashed in the captains eyes for a moment. "Mr. Kepler I need those results sooner. Those children may not be able to afford thirty minutes."

"Aye, Aye, Captain. I'll see if I can adjust the parameters of the search. It would help if I could task more of the computer core to the search."

The captain nodded. "I'll send orders to Chief Baker to retask the core." He keyed his WristVid. The sharp face of Chief Baker appeared.

"Aye, Cap, what'cha need?"

The captain would not have tolerated such familiarity from any other crew member, but the Chief's years of service to the commercial fleet had earned him leeway.

"I need you to retask as much of the computer core for Ensign Kepler as you can."

"Aye, I can do that. I'll just..." The captain politely interrupted Chief Baker.

"I don't need the details. Just take care of it."

"Aye Cap." Chief Baker's face disappeared from the captain's WristVid.

Ensign Kepler activated the new bandwidth with a few keystrokes. After only a moment he nodded.

"Captain, using the new core resources the estimated completion time for the search is six minutes."

"Very good, Ensign."

Even this delay concerned the captain. Every minute that passed could mean danger for the children aboard the drop ship. Until the crew could figure out what had happened to the atmosphere, their hands were tied. The drop ship had been equipped with plenty of supplies, so if they landed normally than they would be fine until this could all be sorted out. On the other hand, if the change in the ionosphere had damaged the drop ship, any rescue ship would probably be damaged as well. The key was figuring out what had caused this and how to fix it.

The captain said a silent prayer that the children would be safe until his crew could discover the answer. He had never been good at waiting, so he decided to do what he could until they could send a rescue party.

“Commander Saberhagen!” The captain bellowed for his second in command. A whippet thin man wearing an earnest expression hurried forward.

“Yes, sir”

“Mr. Saberhagen, I want you to personally oversee the preparation of a rescue mission for the missing drop ship. I would suggest you use the time until we know more to prepare a ship for any eventuality.”

Saberhagen executed a crisp salute. “Aye, aye, Captain. Right away.” Without another word he turned on his heels and walked briskly out of the room.

The captain trusted his second in command with the task. He knew that Commander Saberhagen had four children of his own, and knew that right now he was imagining how he would feel if it were his children in danger.

He wished he trusted the crew of the drop ship as much. As a part of the commercial fleet, the Boadicea was under command of the merchant arm of the Galactic Navy. This included the command crew and all of the key engineering and security positions on the ship. The rest of the crew was not part of the navy. The drop ship was not part of the commercial fleet, but the rescue ship would be. Often a delicate balance had to be maintained between the naval and civilian parts of the crew. However, in emergency situations, naval authority was unquestioned.

The captain had no children of his own, but he often saw his passengers as his children, for as long as they were on his ship. The thought of losing 35 of his children chilled him to the bone. It was not going to happen on his watch, if he had anything to say about it.

Chapter Nine

A piercing whistle jarred Devon from a deep sleep. Wind rushed by his face, making it difficult to gain his bearings. The ship shook violently, making it even more difficult to focus. After a few moments, he realized that the whistling was coming from wind whipping through the cabin of the drop ship. He immediately knew something bad had happened.

Devon forced his head to the side to check on his friends. Flim looked at him in terror, his eyes pleading. From where he sat, he could not tell if Jacinda and Merrell were awake. Devon could not imagine anyone sleeping through the chaos and noise, but if their sleep-wave generators were still operating then they could still be asleep.

The ship bucked again, clacking Devon’s teeth together. From his place in the front row, he could not see how the rest of the expedition was faring, but if everyone else was being thrown around like him, he felt sorry for them. With effort Devon turned his head the other way, trying to glimpse something out of the small window. Blue sky and clouds raced by at an amazing rate.

The shaking increased and the whistling of the wind was accompanied by a new sound. The sound of roaring engines rumbled under the shrill wind, but it did not sound right. The engines stuttered, not the constant, reassuring howl Devon expected. A claxon rang out through the ship, even louder than the engines and the wind. From the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of green through the window.

Before what that meant could register, the ship slammed to a stop. For a moment there was utter silence, then came the sound of moans and frightened voices. The cabin lights flickered for a moment and then went out. Devon could see Jacinda and Merrell immediately stirring. He struggled with the safety harness for a moment.

“What are you doing,” Flim asked his voice on the edge of tears.

“I have to check to see if anyone is hurt,” Devon responded, his voice more confident than he felt.

“Won’t the crew do that?”

Devon hesitated for a moment. If they were okay, the crew would already be hard at work helping everyone. Suddenly the harnesses relaxed in unison and rose up, freeing the passengers.

“I’m just going to go check to see if I can help out.” He winced in pain as he slipped around Flim and into the aisle. His shoulder was sore, but he could live with it. With the cabin lights off, the only light came from the small windows next to each row of seats. To make things even more difficult, dirt swirled through the air of the cabin from several broken windows. Devon checked the door to the crew cabin but it did not budge. It must be locked from the other side. He banged on it but there was no answer. He thought for a moment and then decided that he needed some help and started toward the rear of the ship.

He checked everyone as he made his way back. Everyone was confused and upset, but nobody seemed seriously hurt. Near the rear of the ship he finally found Deke. Deke was sitting in the window seat, still seemingly asleep. He had a large, purple welt on his forehead and the window next to him was cracked. Devon realized that Deke’s head must have hit the window during the crash. Terry was seated next to Deke, but just sat there staring at nothing. Leaning close to Deke, over Terry, Devon could tell that the unconscious man was still breathing. Suddenly Devon felt someone tugging at his jumpsuit. He realized that Terry had grabbed him.

“Please help me! I can’t die young. I’m too important. My parents couldn’t handle it. I’m an only child.”

Devon took Terry by the shoulders reassuring him.

“It’s okay Terry, don’t panic. I’m sure everything will be fine.” Devon hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. He was still very concerned that no one had emerged from the crew cabin at the front of the ship.

“No, it’s not gonna be okay!” Terry shouted. “We’re all dead!”

The children around Terry listened as he began to lose it. As he continued, the others looked on the verge of panic as well.

Devon freed himself from Terry’s grip and tightened his grip on Terry’s shoulders. He looked angrily into his eyes and spoke, a threat in his voice.

“Terry, you need to stop this. You are scaring the others. If you don’t stop, I’ll pop you one. I swear it.”

Devon’s anger snapped Terry out of his panic. He pushed Devon away, an angry look on his face. “Get your hands off me,” he growled at Devon.

“Now, that’s the nasty attitude I have come to expect.”

“Oh, shut up and get away from me.”

Devon gave Terry another angry look. “I need to check on Mr. Jacobs. I can’t get anyone in the crew cabin to respond and I can’t get the door open. Mr. Jacobs is the only other adult on board.”

“What? The crew is gone?” Panic crept back into Terry’s voice.

Devon showed Terry his fist. “Remember what I said about scaring the others. Now, go sit in my seat and I will see if I can wake up Mr. Jacobs.”

Terry rolled his eyes, but got up from his seat. He pushed past Devon and headed toward the front of the ship. Devon slipped into Terry’s now vacant seat and began to check Deke’s vital signs. Part of his training for this trip had included basic first aid, but he could no find any injuries on Deke, other than the bump on his head. Devon reached over and gently prodded Deke. The unconscious man stirred, moaning in pain.

Devon prodded him again.

“Mr. Jacobs, we need your help,” he said, trying to wake Deke.

Deke’s eyes fluttered open. He turned to Devon, looking at him in confusion.

“What happened?”

“I think we crashed”

Deke reached up to feel his head. He winced in pain when he felt the bump. “I must have hit my head. Where is the crew?”

“I’m not sure if they made it,” he whispered. “I tried to get into the crew cabin, but the door won’t open.”

Deke rubbed his head again, trying to gather his wits.

“I had better check it out. Is anyone else hurt?” Deke asked, wearing a worried expression.

“I don’t know. You were he first one I really checked on.”

Deke unbuckled his seat belt and nearly swooned as he tried to stand up.

“Whoa, Mr. Jacobs. I don’t know if you should try to get up yet.

“Maybe you’re right, but we need to check on the crew. We need to find out if they were able to send a distress call.”

Deke sat silently for a moment, gingerly probing the bump on his head.

“Devon, I need you to do some things for me. First, I need you to check the emergency exit and see if it is blocked. We may need to get out that way if there is a problem.”

He paused for a moment, blinking slowly.

“Second, I need you to keep an eye on the other kids. You are the only one who managed to keep their head. If I get worse, I need you to keep everyone calm. I’m betting that the Boadicea is already mounting a rescue operation. It is just a matter of time before they come for us. We need to sit tight and not panic.”

Devon nodded, “I can handle that. How long do you think it will be before they come?”

“I can’t be sure. It shouldn’t be more than a day or two. We will need water and food in the meantime. There should be plenty in the galley at the front of the ship. If we can’t get that door open we may have to look elsewhere. That means we have to get to the baggage compartment in the belly of the ship.”

“So, what should I do now?”

Deke looked thoughtful for a moment.

“See if you can find the hatch that leads below deck.” He closed his eyes and moaned. His chin fell to his chest, unconscious.

Devon gently prodded Deke. “Mr. Jacobs, what do I do after that? Mr. Jacobs?”

Devon turned with a sigh. The only thing he knew was that he had to check the emergency exit and then find the hatch that led to the cargo compartment. Before the drop the crew had pointed out the emergency exits. One of them was just down the aisle. He walked over to the row with the emergency exit as casually as he could.

“Excuse me,” Devon said as he leaned over the students sitting in that row. “How are you feeling? Any injuries to report? Mr. Jacobs asked me to check around.” He tried to keep the attention of the children as he checked out the emergency exit. Everything appeared in order and the door did not appear to be blocked from the outside.

Satisfied that they could use that exit if necessary, Devon excused himself. He then began moving back toward the front of the ship, eyes focused downward, searching for anything that might be a hatch. He noticed a seam in the carpeting. Devon kneeled down, trying to peel back the carpet. It took him a moment, but he found a recessed release switch at the edge of the aisle. The children sitting in the nearby seats watched him intently. Devon gave them friendly nod.

“Just running an errand for Mr. Jacobs, nothing to worry about.”

The children relaxed visibly, reassured by his casual attitude. Pulling the switch, Devon stood back as a section of the floor slid back. He could see a flashing yellow light below, illuminating a metal ladder leading below. Devon peered into the opening, trying to see if this was the cargo compartment. All he could see was a narrow, passage ending with what looked like an airtight door.

Devon knew that he had to check to see where this led. He assumed that it was the cargo compartment, but it could just be a service hatch. He looked up at the watching children and smiled again.

“I’ll be right back.” He swung down on to the ladder and climbed to the bottom. The yellow light was harsh and its slow flashing made it difficult to make out many details but he could see enough to move around. It only took a few steps to reach the door. He examined it carefully, but could not find any indication of where it might lead. Still determined to find the cargo compartment, Devon took a deep breath and levered open the latch on the door. There was a short hiss as the pressure equalized and then the door swung inward.

Dust wafted in from the compartment beyond, making it hard to see inside. Devon waited for a moment for the dust to settle and then peered inside. Success! He had found the cargo compartment. Racks of baggage filled the compartment in rows. Several had broken free from the deck in the crash and spilled some of the children’s bags into a large pile, blocking part of the floor.

He climbed over the mound of spilled luggage to see where the dust could be coming from. He was able to wriggle through to the row of racks against the far right-hand wall of the compartment. The source of all the dust became apparent as he neared the far wall. There was a large tear in the side of the ship. The jagged edge of a large boulder protruded into the cargo compartment; the obvious cause of the large gash in the side of the ship. The gash was very large, large enough, for a person to crawl through with no trouble at all. Dirt and debris had spilled in through the gash, but there did not appear to be any other damage. Unfortunately, that gash meant that this ship would probably never be space-worthy again.

After a quick look around he did not find anything that looked like it might have supplies in it. He wondered if they would be marked in some way to make it easier to find them. Devon thought he had better go check with Mr. Jacobs. As the leader of the expedition, he obviously would have a better idea of what kind of supplies might be down here.

After scrambling back over the mound of luggage, Devon began climbing back up the ladder into the main cabin. Several faces peered down at him. He recognized them as Flim, Jacinda, and Merrell.

“What are you doing?” Merrell asked.

“Just checking on something for Mr. Jacobs.”

Flim snorted a laugh through his nose as Devon climbed up through the hatch. “Deke asked for your help?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he did. He hit his head and isn’t feeling well. I think he passed out.”

“Oh, no,” Jacinda’s breath caught in her throat. “We had better help him. Everyone at the colony is taught to be a medic, just in case there is an accident. That’s because we practically live inside the mine. I’ll go check him out.” She immediately jumped up and hurried toward Deke’s seat. Merrell followed her a moment later, like a lumbering shadow.

“You guys shouldn’t be out of your seats,” Devon brushed the dirt off his coveralls as he gave Flim a stern look.

“With Terry sitting in your seat? Not likely. It didn’t take him two minutes to start bad-mouthing Deke and the crew. He said that he would have them all fired.”

Devon gave Flim a pained look. “He may not get the chance.”

Flim stared in confusion at Devon for a moment and then blanched. “Oh, dear. You think it’s that bad.”

Devon pulled Flim close. “It could be, but we can’t let anyone else know. We have to keep the others calm. If everyone panics surviving this gets ten times harder.”

“So, what do we do if people start asking questions?”

“We just gotta hope Mr. Jacobs wakes up before then.” Devon shook his head, a worried expression on his face.

Devon’s moment of reflection was disturbed by someone’s approach.

“What did you find, Devon?”

Devon smiled in relief when he saw that it was Deke who was speaking. The man swayed a bit unsteadily, but seemed otherwise okay.

“The emergency exit I checked out looked fine; no blockage. I also found the cargo compartment. Some of the luggage has broken loose and there is a big gash in the side of the compartment, but that looks like about it.”

“Good, good.” Deke nodded his head vigorously and then had to catch himself on the nearest seat. His eyes spun, as if he were dizzy. “I guess I am not as well as I thought.”

Jacinda came up behind Deke and took his hand. “You had better sit down, Mr. Jacobs. We’ll take you up to our seats.” She pulled on Deke’s hand, leading him up the aisle like a protective mother hen. As they passed, children asked Deke if everything would be alright. He reassured them with a slow nod and a confident smile.

Devon sealed the hatch in the floor and followed the others a moment later.

It only took a few moments for them to reach the front row, but Deke looked very much worse for wear. Sweat had broken out on Deke’s forehead and he was breathing heavily. Jacinda and Merrell helped him sit down carefully, but he still winced.

“Easy, kids, I’m a bit fragile at the moment.” He managed a weak smile, but even that soon faded.

Terry looked over from across the aisle, a sneer on his face. “I thought this guy was supposed to be tough. He doesn’t seem it to me.” He sniffed, grinning.

Jacinda turned on him and snapped, “Okay, Terry, how about I smack you in the head and see how tough you are.”

“Yeah, right,” he said with a laugh.

Jacinda drew in a deep breath, ready to give Terry a fierce tongue-lashing. Fortunately for Terry, Merrell stepped between the two. He loomed over Terry, a burly giant in the cramped aisle. “How about I smack you in the head, Terry?”

Terry’s face turned pale. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’ve wanted to do it for four years, ever since I met you. Want to test me?”

Terry’s face fell, filled with fear. After a moment the fear disappeared, replaced with a look of Bravado. “Okay, I have been friends with you and your brothers for a long time, so I’ll let this go this time. But just this time.”

Terry slipped past Merrell and rushed down the aisle toward his old seat.

Merrell watched Terry hurry away and smiled. “Thanks for understanding, Terry.” He turned to the others, a huge grin on his face. “Wow, did that feel good.”

The others smiled back. Flim slapped him on the back. “Well, I guess you aren’t the slack-jawed buffoon I thought you were. Good show.”

Jacinda glared at Flim, but the alien boy just grinned. She just did not understand boys. She did not realize that any sign of weakness was simply an opportunity to tease your friend about it.

“Thanks Pal.” Merrell returned Flim’s slap on the back, perhaps a little hard, as Flim nearly fell over but they exchanged friendly grins and then turned back to Deke.

Their guide was barely conscious. He seemed to be drifting in and out; barely able to function when he came out of his fog. His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he looked at Devon and his friends.

“Pretty soon the others will realize how long it has been since they ate or drank anything. I need you people to see if you can gather all of the food and drinks up here so we can hand them out a little at a time. I’m not sure how long we will be down here, but I wouldn’t be good if we went through our supplies too quickly.” He paused for a moment, trying to clear his head.

“The Galley is right in front of us, so I want you, Merrell, to try and get that door open. If you can’t, that is no problem. There should be supplies stashed down in the cargo compartment. If you can’t get into the galley then I want two of you to go down below and gather as much as you can. You can tell which cases have the supplies because…” Deke swooned, his eyes closing and his head dropping to his chest.

Devon and the others looked at each other. Jacinda nodded her head, looking like she knew exactly what to do.

“You heard him, Merrell. See if you can get that door open.” Merrell responded immediately to the authority in her voice. He motioned for Devon to stand aside from the door leading to the crew compartment and then grabbed the handle. His face twisted with effort as he tried to turn the handle. It did not budge at first. Gritting his teeth, Merrell redoubled his efforts. His face turning red, he pulled on the handle. It slowly began to shift. He could feel the bolt holding it closed begin to slide. With one final grunt, he forced the handle to turn the rest of the way. They all heard the bolt click open but the door still refused to open. Something else must be blocking it. Merrell set his shoulder again and tried one final time to push the door open, but it still would not move.

“I guess we need to go down below and see if we can find any supplies.” Merrell sighed as he spoke.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jacinda added, smiling at Merrell.

As a group, the four friends made their way back toward the hatch that led below. Devon opened it much more easily this time. He climbed down the ladder, followed by Flim, Jacinda, and Merrell. The cargo compartment was exactly as he left it.

Devon wondered where they should look first. Each of the students had been given a small amount of emergency rations to include in their gear, but he knew that it would be better if they could find a larger amount of food and water all together. That way they would not have to go through everyone’s personal items.

Jacinda looked at the pile of spilled luggage and nodded. “Okay, I suggest we try to find any extra supplies that were included for the expedition. From what Mr. Jacobs said, the boxes with the supplies are marked somehow. Try to find cases with the same markings. I’ll bet those are the supplies. Each of us needs to take one part of the cargo to check. Let everyone else know if you find anything.” Her suggestions echoed Devon’s own thoughts and he nodded in agreement.

Each of them moved toward a different corner of the cargo compartment. Flim and Devon had to scramble over the pile of luggage to get to their corners. Devon watched Flim gawk as he passed the gash in the side of the ship.

Nearly ten minutes of fruitless searching passed before Flim cried out.

“I think I found something.” The others started toward his voice. Devon was the first to reach Flim. The alien boy was grinning widely and pointing to a large stack of stout looking travel cases. Each case had the shipping line’s logo stenciled on the side along with the words Emergency Supplies.

Flim smiled, “I could be wrong, but I think these may be it.”

Devon laughed at Flim’s joke just as Merrell and Jacinda reached the pair.

Jacinda examined the cases carefully, a serious look on her face. “Excellent work, Flim.” She immediately turned to Merrell. “How heavy do you think these are?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Let’s open one up and see what is in it before we start moving them all up the ladder.”

“Good thinking”

Flim and Devon were suddenly feeling out of place. Jacinda had taken charge so naturally that they had not even realized it. It seemed that she and Merrell worked very well as a team. Devon and Flim could not help but feel a little left out.

Sensing their discomfort, Merrell turned to Devon and Flim. “What do you think, guys?”

The two nodded in agreement and then began to wrestle one of the cases out of the rack onto the floor. It hit the floor with a thump, but did not seem too heavy. Devon flipped open the old-style latches on the case and raised the lid. All sorts of supplies were packed inside. He could see food concentrates, a large first aid kit, and two containers of water. The others crowded around behind him, examining their prize.

Jacinda reached out and closed the lid of the case. “Okay, no time to waste. Let’s start getting these up to the top deck. They look light enough for each pair of us to handle one.”

They all nodded as Devon fastened the latches on the case they had examined. He scooted it toward Merrell and Jacinda who lifted it up and turned back toward the ladder. Devon and Flim retrieved another case and followed the others. It took quite a bit of effort to drag the cases over the pile of luggage, but they managed. By the time Devon and Flim got their case to the ladder leading up Merrell and Jacinda were still pondering the best way to get the case up the ladder.

Finally, Jacinda climbed the ladder and then Merrell picked up the case over his head with one end toward the open hatch. Jacinda reached down and grabbed the handle of the case and was able to lift it slightly. Merrell immediately began climbing the ladder while pushing the hanging end of the case with his shoulder. After a few moments the two were able to lever the case through the hatch and into the passenger compartment.

Devon looked over at Flim. “I don’t think either of us are big enough the pull that off.”

“Yup,” Flim nodded in agreement.

Just then Jacinda’s head appeared through the hatch. She was smiling widely.

“Let’s go, you two.”

“Ah, I think we need some help.”

Her smile grew even wider. “As long as you admit you need help. That is the important thing.” There was no trace of meanness in her voice, only good natured teasing.

Merrell clambered back down the ladder. Once at the bottom he motioned for Devon to climb up.

“After you.”

Devon scurried up the ladder and through the hatch. He reached down, just as Jacinda had and helped Merrell bring this case up as well. Merrell followed the case through the hatch. Flim was right behind him. The four friends carried the cases to the front of the ship and set them on their empty seats.

Jacinda paused. “Let me check on Mr. Jacobs before we go back down for more supplies.”

She bent over Deke, who was still unconscious, and began to check him over.

“He doesn’t seem to be too badly injured, but I can’t be sure.” She shook him lightly one last time. He moaned as his eyes fluttered open. All four friends let out a sigh of relief.

Deke gave them a weak smile. “I’m back now. How long was I out this time?”

Devon began to speak, but Jacinda spoke up before he could begin.

“You were out for about thirty minutes. We found the supplies in the cargo hold.”

Deke nodded, obviously pleased. “Good work. Are they easy to get to?”

“They are a little tough. We have to drag them over a pile of luggage, but other than that, it is a snap. We even brought up two cases already.”

“Excellent work Jacinda.”

Flim groaned loudly. Jacinda looked sheepish for a moment.

“It wasn’t just me Mr. Jacobs. We all helped, especially Merrell. I guess I just took charge.”

“You can say that again.” Flim laughed.

Jacinda blushed, suddenly aware that her earlier assertiveness may have been a little overpowering for the others.

“I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Devon put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s no big deal, Jacinda. We’ll let you know when you officially get bossy.”

Everyone, including Jacinda, laughed at that.

“You have all done good work,” Deke added. “I need you to do something else for me. You mentioned that there was a hole in the side of the ship. Is it big enough for you to go through easily?”

They all nodded.

“Good, then I need the four of you to go and check out the ship from the outside. We need to make sure that it is not in any more danger. Also, we need to see if we can access the cockpit from the outside. The crew may be trapped in there and might need help. While you are out there I also want you to check out the nearby area. Make sure you don’t go too far, but I’d like to get a general lay of the land. You four are going to have to be my eyes and ears until I feel up to going outside. Any questions?”

Flim raised his hand. “Deke, what about the wildlife? What if there are any of those bowzers out there? They mentioned them in the briefing on our datapads.” Flim’s mention of the bowzers made everyone think about the picture that had accompanied their description in the briefing materials. Bowzers were big, four-legged predators covered in bristly black fur. They looked very similar to Earth wolves, but were quite a bit bigger. They also had jaws more akin to a crocodile than a wolf. All in all, they were about 250 pounds of pure mean.

“Very good, Flim. I’m glad you did your homework. However, the briefing also mentioned that the bowzers are strictly nocturnal. As long as it is light outside, you should be fine.”

The four friends nodded in relief.

“What I want you to do is see if there is any other damage to the ship. Also, check to see if there is any high ground nearby. We might be able to set up the emergency transponder there. While you are out there I want you all to stick together. Never be out of touch with your partner. Make sure you all have your WristVids as well. We should have short-range communication using those. Don’t wander too far from the ship, though. I want each of you to take a pack with food and water, just in case.”

There was silence for a moment and then Devon stepped forward. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that leaving the ship is a bit scary. I know the bowzers don’t come out during the day, but it still makes me nervous.”

“I can understand that, Devon, but I need you to do this. I can’t explain it right now, but this is really important. All I can do is to ask each of you to trust me.”

The four friends slowly nodded.

“Thank you, now please hurry. You have to get back before night fall. Remember the bowzers.”

Chapter Eight

Devon whistled for Sammy. The trunk ambled out of the cabin behind its master, with what almost seemed like excitement. Flim was waiting for him in the hallway with a big grin on his face.

“Let’s go, Devon. You and your dog are holding us up.” Flim had a small backpack over one shoulder.

“I’m coming, Flim.” Devon eyed Flim’s backpack with skepticism. “Is that all you are taking?”

“It’s all I need,” he replied with a wink.

They stepped onto the nearest pedway. Other groups of children streamed toward the docking level of the ship. Each had luggage of some sort. Most had large backpacks, but some, like Devon had automatic luggage.

“Are Merrell and Jacinda meeting us at the drop ship?” Devon asked.

“That is what she said yesterday.” Flim winked and grinned from ear to ear. “They spent the afternoon together getting to know each other.”

Devon had been busy almost all day with Blake Foundation business. There were lots of people who had wanted to talk to him before he departed for his trip down to Forrestal. He hated formalities, but considered them a necessary duty to his family and their business interests. He had been eager to spend more time with his friends, but could not until now.

“So, what did you do while I was busy? Devon asked.

“Oh, I entertained myself.”

“That didn’t include spying on Jacinda and Merrell, did it?”

“Just for a bit, but they are boring…” Flim suddenly realized he had probably said too much and blushed.

“It’s okay,” Devon reassured him, “I’m sure you were just making sure that Merrell wasn’t playing a joke on her by signing up as her partner.”

“He is actually a lot smarter than he looks. And he was being very nice to Jacinda. I think he likes her.” Flim grinned again at his last comment.

Devon and Flim shared a short laugh. The other children glanced at them, wondering what joke the two had shared.

“So, did you do anything else? That doesn’t sound like it took very long.”

Flim tried to suppress a smile, but failed. “Ah, let’s just say I helped somebody pack for the trip.”

“Flim, what did you do?” Devon shook his head, having a vision of Flim exchanging someone’s tropical underwear with wool long-johns.

“Nothing bad, just a bit of creative cuisine,” Flim said, acting hurt that he could be accused of misbehavior.

Devon stifled a look of disapproval. He hoped that Flim had not done anything mean. He thought he knew who had been the target of his friend’s shenanigans, but it was too late to worry about it now.

The pedway dropped them near a very large doorway. Jacinda and Merrell waited there. Merrell excitedly waved as soon as he saw them.

“Hi, guys. Are you ready for the drop to Forrestal?”

“Hi, Merrell,” Devon waved back. “I’m ready. How about you?” Devon looked from Merrell to Jacinda. She gave him a funny look, and then waved too.

“Oh, I’m all set,” Merrell said excitedly. “Jacinda and I spent all afternoon deciding what we should take. We have it all planned out. What to wear, what to eat, we thought of everything.”

Jacinda interrupted him. “I’m sure that Devon isn’t that interested in our packing.” She hurriedly changed the subject, seeming embarrassed. “So, Flim, is that all you are taking?”

“Like I told Devon, It’s all I need.” He winked at Jacinda who smiled meekly.

A high-pitched note rang out, rescuing them from an awkward silence.

“Everyone aboard,” Deke’s voice rang through the crowd of children gather near the door. “I assume that everyone followed the equipment list in your datapad. If you didn’t, then it might be a long trip.”

The children moved in a group through the door, which led into the hanger bay. The bay was dominated by a sleek looking craft that had a rounded bottom and stubby looking wings. A picture of an anvil held up by a tiny parachute over the words “Going Down?” covered the nose of the craft. Stewards were directing the children toward a hatch that had opened in the bottom of the drop ship. Each person’s luggage was taken and stowed in another hatch as they boarded.

“Get ready to be stowed,” Devon told Sammy. Several people looked at him as if he were being silly. They did not realize that his luggage followed his verbal commands. This made Flim smile.

“Can he roll over too?”

“Sure, but he doesn’t fetch very well.” All four of the friends laughed. They waited their turn to board. Once on board, the crew seated them, everyone in a seat next to their partner.

One female crewmember, to which all the others were deferring, motioned for Devon and Flim to come to the front of the drop ship. She motioned for them to take the very front row. Jacinda and Merrell were then seated directly across the isle from them.

“I hope these are satisfactory, Mr. Blake,” she asked.

He nodded, looking uncomfortable with the extra attention. Devon scanned his surroundings. He had never been on a drop ship before, but had read enough to recognize most of the important differences between this ship and a regular spaceship. The seats were comfortably padded and large enough for adults, offering plenty of room for the children. A large, rigid safety harness was positioned above each seat. Before the actual drop, these harnesses would be lowered over each passenger and locked into place. These were designed to keep each passenger safe during the rough, atmospheric entry for which the ship was designed. Everything else on board seemed to have been designed to be solid. Devon knew that this was necessary because of the stress that dropping into an atmosphere put on the ship. Drops could be very rough, depending on the speed of the descent and the conditions in the atmosphere.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Blake. She is a good ship,” the crew chief assured him, as if she could read his mind. “We have done hundreds of these and nothing has gone wrong. You’ll be asleep anyway.”

“What do you mean, asleep? Devon asked.

“We are equipped with sleep-wave generators. All of you will be sleeping like babies during the descent. The flight crew will be asleep as well. The pilots will be the only ones awake during the drop. It makes it easier if they don’t have to worry about the passengers.”

“I thought that we would get to see the entry.” Devon’s face showed disappointment. “It sounded like it was going to be like the biggest roller-coaster ride ever.”

“It’s a lot rougher than any roller-coaster. I don’t even like drops, but it is part of the job.”

“Still, I wish I could be awake.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Blake. Those are the rules.” The crew chief patted Devon on the shoulder. The firm hand helped reassure him.

After a few more minutes all of the children were seated and their gear stowed in the cargo hold beneath them. The soon-to-be explorers chatted quietly with their partners, wondering what Forrestal would be like. Their conversations were interrupted by a voice over the intercom.

“Okay, people, we are scheduled to drop into Forrestal’s atmosphere in approximately five and a half hours.” Everyone immediately recognized Deke’s voice.

“This is a routine drop, so no need to worry. Just to make it easier on everyone, you will all be asleep for the drop.” A few protests could be heard throughout the passenger compartment.

“That is the way it is, people. So, no need to complain. The crew will engage the sleep-wave generators at 2200 hours, so take care of any final business quickly, if you know what I mean.” A wave of giggles ran through the seated children. Everyone knew what he meant. A handful of students got up from their seats and moved toward the bathrooms in the rear of the craft.

“So, buddy, you ready for the big fall?” Flim asked Devon.

“You bet. I just wish we could be awake.”

“Not me,” Flim answered. “I don’t need that kind of excitement in my life.” Flim leaned across the aisle and tapped Jacinda on the shoulder. “What about you guys?”

“Sure, I love this stuff.” Jacinda nodded as she spoke. “We had a zero gravity elevator in our colony that is a lot like this. Every once in a while they would let all of us kids ride it, but only on special occasions.”

Merrell looked less sure, his face filled with worry. “I really don’t like heights very much. I’m glad I will be asleep.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud voice. “It figures that you’re scared. Is that why you signed up to have a girl as a partner? So you could look tough by comparison?” Terry Jameson stood in the aisle behind their row. There was no way to tell how long he had been listening.

“Go away, Terry! Go bother somebody else.” Merrell was red-faced with anger.

“Shut up Merrell. Nobody cares what you think, least of all me.”

Jacinda put her hand on Merrell’s shoulder, keeping him from standing up and confronting Terry.

“Mr. Jameson, why are you out of your seat?” Deke’s voice boomed loudly in the enclosed cabin.

Terry whirled to find Deke Jacobs standing right behind him.

“I was chatting with some friends,” he answered.

“That’s enough jawin’. If you’ve taken care of your business, get back to your seat. The sleep-wave generators turn on in fifteen minutes.” Deke’s look left no room for argument. Terry turned back for a moment and glared at the four friends then headed back toward his seat. Deke moved to the side, letting him pass, but there was no sign of backing down by either party.

Deke waited for another fifteen minutes and then motioned for silence. Satisfied that everyone had taken their seats, Deke addressed the children.

“We are going to lower your harnesses and engage the sleep-wave generators momentarily. When you wake up we should be in the atmosphere over our landing zone. From there it should be smooth sailing. Any questions?”

He waited for a few moments before continuing. “Okay, then let’s get this show on the road.” Deke walked back to his seat next to Terry and sat down with a sigh.

The crew made a quick pass through the cabin making sure that all personal items had been stowed. The crew chief signaled the pilots that everything was ready. With a soft whir, the safety harnesses slowly descended from the ceiling. As they neared the seats a red scanning laser ran over each child, measuring each for a perfect fit of the harness. The safety harnesses locked into place with a thunk, molding themselves to their occupant. There was hushed silence for a moment and then the cabin was filled with a low frequency hum. The sleep generators located in each harnesses began to hum deeply. The low rumble could be felt deep inside, causing everyone’s stomachs to flutter for a moment. Then, everyone strapped in their seats was enfolded in deep sleep.

Sure that everyone was asleep; the crew busied themselves with a few last-minute tasks and then strapped themselves into their own harnesses. They soon joined the students in deep sleep. The pilots stayed awake, monitoring the progress of the Boadicea, ready to get underway as soon as they reached orbit above Forrestal.