Chapter Nine

 

She awoke to complete silence. Even the control computers had stopped humming. The soft wrapping fell away from her body. Some of the cabinet doors had come undone and supplies were strewn all over. Her chair was no longer on the floor, but on the side and her head was pointed downward.

Jeron was still in his couch, his protective cushion intact. Corree unbuckled her safety restraints and slid toward his couch. “Jeron?” she called out. There was no answer. She pulled his wrapping away from his body with one hand, clinging to the side of his chair. He was breathing and his pulse seemed to be okay, too. Corree sighed in relief. “Jeron?” she repeated a little louder. He still didn’t respond.

The view port was on the ceiling, the hatch on the floor. She let go of Jeron’s couch and slid to the hatch. It was hard negotiating the opening mechanism manually; it felt like it was stuck. Her shoulders strained, but she finally managed to engage the release. The door groaned as it slowly swung inward. When it ground to a stop, she crawled out. A forest giant lay split and splintered across a path of mangled, flattened vines, trees, and brush. Corree couldn’t see the beginning of the destruction, but did see the cracked tree where the space-craft came to rest. It was leaning against a smaller tree. How long it would hold them up, she had no idea. They had to get away before they were trapped or worse—the ship might drop to the forest floor.

Crawling back inside, Corree used the cushioning material to make a crude harness. She fastened it around Jeron’s body and climbed back out. Then she attached a line to a hook on the outside of the ruined ship. To the other end Corree hooked Jeron’s harness. She tied another line around the man’s waist. With increasing sureness, she scrambled up one of the untouched trees and wrapped her transfer line around a sturdy limb. Bracing her feet against the trunk, Corree pulled the rope tied to Jeron’s harness. Slowly the unconscious man drew closer and closer.

Blue sunlight dappled her pelt. Within a short time, the full rays of the sun would reach them through the wound their landing had created. Corree knew she could withstand it for a short while, but Jeron? He probably could not. She redoubled her effort and was pleased when the human dangled close enough to allow her to drag him onto the large tree limb.

“Jeron.” There was still no response. She patted his cheek, pushed back his sweat dampened hair. He was quite handsome for one who was as old as he was. Back to the problem, she thought. They still had to find shelter. She could build a protected nest, but that would not provide enough shade for Jeron. Using some of the cushion rope still tied around his chest, Corree pulled him over her shoulder and tied him so he wouldn’t slip off.

It took a long time to get to the ground, but she finally made it. Before venturing further into the forest, Corree paused to listen. There was the soft sloughing sound of a stream toward moonrise. They needed water as well as shade and she headed toward it. She hadn’t gone very far when she heard a loud crack behind them, and then a rending sound that rose to a shriek. One of the damaged trees crashed down on the ship, crushing the forward cabin. Corree stared at the destruction for a moment before continuing through the undergrowth, bent over with the load she was carrying.

When she reached the stream, Corree noticed that several small to medium-sized trees had fallen sometime in the distant past, creating a natural shelter. She lay Jeron down against the bank and caught her breath. No sunlight reached under the tangled brush. Corree sat down next to Jeron. She inhaled the sharp tangy scent of the forest, the mustiness of dead wood. There were a few droplets of moisture on her arm and she touched them with the tip of her tongue. It tasted sweet and sour and she felt a thrill of joy to be back home.

Now all she had to do was figure out exactly where she was. Everything looked familiar, but the great forest covered a large expanse of the continent. She decided not to worry about that right now. Jeron was still unconscious and she was tired. Moonrise would be soon enough to check their surroundings. Corree curled up against Jeron and fell asleep.

The sun was close to setting when she awoke. Corree gathered a clump of spiky-moss from under the largest dead trunk and brushed it against the rocks to get rid of the bristles. Then she dipped it in the tiny stream. She bathed Jeron’s face and arms. He didn’t look as feverish as he had in the pod, but she was worried about him. For one thing, she couldn’t continue to carry him, even if she knew where she was or which way to go. “Jeron….”

“Mmm.”

“Jeron, we’re on Mendel.”

“Mmm…uh, wha…?”

“We landed.” She paused. “You’re still alive.”

He looked sleepily at her. “Yes, I am. Tired, though.”

“I’m going into the canopy and try to figure out where we are.”

“Forest,” he mumbled with a slight smile.

“I know that!”

“Your forest?” he asked, rubbing his hand across his face.

“We only lived in one part of the forest. The map in the teaching pod showed the great forest to be almost half the continent.”

Jeron tried to sit up and Corree helped him. He surveyed their shelter and tried to peer up through the brush. “Is it sunrise or sunset?”

“Sunset. I’m going up now. If I can figure out some idea of where my family’s part of the forest is, we can travel after moonrise.”

“Yes, Mendel’s sun has made you nocturnal.”

“As much as possible. You’ll be all right while I’m gone?”

“If nothing eats me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Corree flashed him a smile and slipped out of the shelter. She began climbing the nearest trunk, feeling her claw-like nails dig into the smooth skin of the trunk. The scent of decaying leaves rose with her. Turquoise and yellow trunk flowers were in full bloom and their pungent odor welcomed her back home. A howler prowled nearby, though not close enough to its prey to scream it into inaction. She heard the soft slither of snakes and other crawlers. As she approached the roof of the canopy, Corree tried to sense the thoughts of fellow Mendelians. There was nothing. Of course, it was early yet, and they may not be fully awake.

Corree balanced on the end of a limb and stuck her head above the growth. The last purplish rays of Mendel’s sun were fading. The wind picked up and swung her up and down on the narrow branch. Even that was exhilarating and she continued to let the wind bounce her. Finally, Corree raised her arms, let the breeze fill her skin flaps and leaped from her precarious perch. She dove several body lengths before gliding to a sturdy limb. She searched for fruit that would help rebuild Jeron’s strength. Instead she found a nest of tree lobsters in a hole in the trunk of the tree. That was phenomenal luck. The hard-shelled creatures held not only succulent meat, but it was the most nutritious food a forest dweller could eat.

It was going to be tricky to get them with no weapons, but Corree was determined to capture at least a couple for their dinner. Her hand darted in and out, confusing and irritating the creatures. A claw almost got her, but she drew her fingers back just in time. She wrapped her legs around a limb and used both hands. Another claw scraped skin, but she managed to grab one by the tail and pull it out of its nest. A quick bash against the tree killed it. Corree draped it on a limb behind her and attempted to get another of the feisty animals. She caught the next one by the tail when it tried to burrow down into its nest. Its limp body joined the first one. They were both very good sized and would be enough for a meal, maybe two.

Corree peeled a thin strip of bark from the tree and tied a lobster to each end. She wrapped the cord around her waist and let the crustaceans hang over her hips. By now, there was almost no light filtering through the canopy. Despite her enhanced vision, she eased carefully down the trunk. The smell of water and the slight sound of the stream splashing over rocks verified where her and Jeron’s shelter was. She called softly before entering.

“You weren’t gone long,” Jeron said, his voice carrying relief. “Did you find out where we are?”

“It was too early to see our location by the stars. I did get dinner, though.” She untied the lobsters and dangled them in front of his face. She realized he couldn’t see them. To Jeron it was totally dark.

A soft radiance made her blink. Jeron was holding some kind of glow rod. “In the kit on my belt,” he explained. “Some kind of crustacean?”

“Tree lobsters. They are hard to find and they’re harder to catch.”

“If they are like their namesakes, they ought to be delicious.”

“I don’t know about that,” she answered. “But they are very good and will give us a lot of energy and strength.”

“How do we boil them?”

“Boil? What do you mean?”

“Cook them. These kinds of animals are boiled, then the meat dug out of their claws and tails to eat.”

Corree wondered how in the world that would help the flesh of these creatures. Maybe where Jeron came from, that made the lobsters easier to open up. “You need to turn your glow rod off soon. Glow spiders mate using light in their bodies that is very much like that. They can be almost as nasty as mating tree lobsters.”

The light went off immediately. Corree chuckled as she felt for the right place to pull the outer shell of the lobsters apart. “The flesh is perfectly good without being cooked. In fact, it’s probably better for you this way.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

She finished extracting the flesh from the tail and handed a large piece to Jeron. Corree resisted eating the smaller part as fast as she wanted. Instead she savored it, letting the flavor hit all parts of her palate before swallowing. This was so much better than the stuff she had been eating off-Mendel.

“You’re right. It’s extremely good in its raw form. I couldn’t have asked for a better first meal on Mendel.”

“After we finish I’m going back to check the stars. I should be able to tell how far from my part of the forest we are. By then, the first moon will have risen and we can begin our journey.”

“Do you think it’s going to be far?”

“I don’t know.” In her mind, though, Corree suspected they had landed quite farther south of the area where her family lived. It seemed slightly warmer here than she was used to. She cracked open the second lobster and portioned out the meat. The claws were almost impossible without a pointed-end club, so those would wait for moonlight when she could find the materials to fashion something useful.

“There were some supplies in the pod,” he said as though reading her mind.

“One of the trees crashed down on it after I got you out,” she replied.

“That’s too bad.”

“We’ll be okay.”

She heard Jeron yawn and felt a flash of frustration. Corree squelched it. He couldn’t help his fatigue. It was lucky he was still alive.

Jeron was asleep again when she slipped out of the shelter and climbed back up the tree. It was still dark, so she stopped every few body lengths to listen for predators. When she was with her family, this was a time they remained in their nests. However, she needed to know where they were. Reaching the canopy before the first moon made its appearance, she was both relieved and worried. The placement of star patterns was familiar. While they were close to the part of the forest her family called home, they were still far enough away to make it hard on Jeron to get there. She could make the trip in perhaps four or five night journeys, but Jeron? The human wasn’t adapted to anything here. They would have to walk all the way, unless they came to a river flowing toward the northern sea. Corree didn’t think that was likely. If they had to walk on the surface, at least they could travel during the day. That would suit Jeron better.

She sat on the bobbing limb thinking. In order to journey that way, she would have to have weapons and tools. There were many animals that hunted on the ground. Corree glided down to the understory and searched around the tree-fall for materials she needed. Some of the dead tree limbs were rock hard. She found several that were the right size with notches in one end. When finished, they would be good for protection. In the stream she gathered a half dozen stones with sharp edges. Peeling thin strips from the trunk of a living tree gave her the means to construct spears. Corree worked a slit at the top of her two spears. It took quite a while, and she was interrupted by unknown creatures approaching. She was relieved that all preferred easier prey.

Corree chipped on a stone until it was the perfect size. Then she slid it into the split limb and tied it on. Corree was relieved to have the first one done. It sat by her feet while she fashioned another spear for Jeron. Next, she made a club. It was a little harder and the second moon had risen before she finished it. There were several stones would make good knives, too. There was a stirring from within the shelter.

“Corree,” Jeron hissed. “Are you out here?” He flicked on the glow light. When he spotted her, he sighed in relief. “I was getting worried.”

“We needed weapons since we’re going to have to walk the surface the whole way.”

“How do you usually travel?”

“Glide or use the limbs about mid-level in the forest.”

“You could leave me here and go find your family. I could follow you. You and your family could meet me partway.”

“No, you have no idea how to survive here.”

“I’m sorry, Corree. I’ll be holding you up.”

“Don’t be. I am pleased you are alive and can see my world. I would like you to meet my family.”

“And Greelon and his people, too?” he added. He didn’t look or sound annoyed.

“Yes, eventually, but only if you want to.”

“I think that would be good.”

Corree cracked open the rock lobster claws and split the last of the meat. They ate in silence.

“So when are we heading out?”

“Since we are traveling on the ground, we can travel during the day, probably taking a break during mid-day.”

“What about predators?”

She shrugged. “They hunt during mid-day. We’ll have to be careful.”

Jeron laid his hand on her arm. “Corree, there’s a reason you mutated to live in the upper reaches of the forest. Even though I am not used to it, please, let’s try traveling above ground.”

Corree considered. If they could travel by the wider limbs, using a rope where those were not available, it might work. “We could try using the tree branches in the middle layer of the forest.”

He nodded. “If it’s safer from predators.”

“It will be.”

Corree braided more rope, and made Jeron tie one end to his waist. He grumbled the whole time. “I’m not some toddler on a skyscraper patio.”

“I don’t have a clue what you mean, but I know how precarious it can be at times in the trees. Slip on a patch of tree blood and you’d be smashed on the ground before I could say or do anything.”

Jeron deflated. “You’re right. I just don’t want to put you in any danger.”

Corree almost choked. “I thought you read all the reports. We’ve been in danger from the first moment we stepped out of our colonization pods.”

“Again, you’re right. I’m just sorry….”

“Jeron, quit saying you’re sorry! You saved me out there. I am going to do my best to get you to a safer place.” She looked toward the sky. The second moon had risen. “Time to go. Try to watch where you put your hands and feet. Follow where I step.”

It took longer than she would have liked, but Corree had to admit that Jeron was pretty agile, even if he tired easily. Before the first moon set, they had reached the halfway point to the canopy. For the most part the tree branches grew parallel to the ground and were wide enough for them to walk across. The real problem came when they had to cross from one tree to another. The limbs were smaller and tended to bounce. That was where Jeron allowed Corree to help him.

They both got used to the routine and by the time the sun rose in the west, they had made pretty good progress. Corree showed Jeron how to build nests and he constructed one while she hunted. During their rest time, Corree used materials she had found during their evening trek to make a bow and arrows. Jeron showed interest so the next night, Corree gathered the sticks needed to make another set. They practiced just after sunrise when she would have a better chance of finding the arrows. Jeron had a good eye with the weapon and contributed to their meals.

“You will make a good Mendelian yet,” Corree told him as they prepared for their day sleep.

Jeron grinned. “Good, because I have no plans to return home.”

Corree had long since realized that Jeron was only slightly older than the younger Windemere and most of the scientists on the science station. But he is so much different than the other humans. There were more similarities between Jeron and Greelon. They both treated her like a person; someone who had feelings. The Ologrian had said something to her about being like a daughter. Were Jeron and Greelon what fathers were supposed to be like? What would it have been like to have a real father and a real mother?

“Corree? What’s that sound below us?”

She brought her focus back to survival and listened, sniffed—and almost choked. “Tree monster!” She grabbed his hand. “We have to go up, now!”