'The Peace Must Be Kept On Exandra!' (7.1)

EXTRACT FROM CAPTAIN MITCHELL'S JOURNAL LOG:

Now that everything has settled into a is back to a new normal and the colony is functioning as intended, the Star Traveler crew and I have decided to set out on foot to explore more of Exandra in hopes of finding the missing alien relic.

As in all colonies, word gets around fast. Quite a few of the colonists have pitched in to help us pack for our expedition. Dr. Kingston has decided to stay behind to serve as chief medical officer of the colony. While that puts us short one of our crewmembers, we won't be shorthanded. Our new Laskonian friend, Trib, and one of the new colonists, David Hagan has volunteered to join us.

Laurie has suggested that we add David's ten year old son to our group. The two of them work well together. She mentioned that he had some really helpful insights while she was designing the teleporter and that he may be helpful on our excursion. I also think it would be good for her to have someone her own age around, so I agreed.

After pouring over Trib's maps of the area, the team has settled on an easterly direction for our first excursion. The marshlands to the west of us are thick and swampy, making them difficult to explore. The mountains to the east of us would also prove a difficult terrain to trek; especially on a first trip. The woodlands to the south of the colony, recently named Dirin City, however, present a far more reasonable challenge. The navigation computer on the Star Traveler noticed a grassland on the other side of the woods, Eli and Dr. Smith are particularly keen about what they may find for samples.

The colonists have nicknamed our group the EOE team, or Explorers of Exandra!

The EOE Team left the Central Station at 1400 hours. All was quiet and peaceful as they traveled slowly through a woodland area just south of the colony. Many strange varieties of plants grew along the forest floor. In the distance, through the trees, shapes seemed to flit through the shadows, never remaining still enough to identify.

The group stopped for a rest at dinner, and made camp. The woods seemed eerie in the darkness of the night. Because of the dense canopy of the treetops, very little light from the starry night sky reached the EOE team camping on the forest floor.

If, for some odd reason, you wanted to find the 'things that go bump in the night,' you would do well to look here. A thick fog floated through the trees and swirled lazily around the close knit branches and thick shrubs. To the EOE team, it seemed as if the whole forest had come alive once the sun went down. The trees themselves seemed to groan in the light breeze that blew through their leaves. Insects that had been quiet during the day began chirping a peaceful lullaby. One by one, the members of the EOE team pitched tents and soon gave in to the sleep that weighed on their eyes; and rocked to sleep by the serenade of this alien world.

It was early morning when they packed up camp and continued their expedition. Not much of the view had changed with the dawning of the new day. The atmosphere seemed preternatural. Finally, they made it through the woods and emerged onto a grass-covered, hilly prairie that went on as far as their eyes could see. Not a bug could be seen, the air weighed heavy, smothering the least bit of noise.

The EOE team walked for two days through the rolling tundra, wading through grass as tall as their waists. It was cool in the spaces beneath the tall grasses, where their pants would become soaked in the early morning dew each day. Nevertheless, their discomfort wouldn't last long, as the sun rose in the morning, the dew was completely dried up. The sun reminded Laurie of summer vacations to Florida's space coast beach. The sweltering heat beat down on the team mercilessly while the terrain offered little relief. There was no sight of shade other than the deep paths they tread below the tops of the waving grasses.

Each day, after the sun had set and the temperature dropped to cooler levels, the EOE team set up camp to rest for the night. The stillness of the plain was magnified at night when even the small insects seemed to hush. As strange as it had been, the team would sometimes long for the music of the deep forest. Laurie lay inside her father's tent and pulled her blanket in tighter around her while she watched the shadows dance along the sides of her tent.

The quiet must be making the adults nervous too. Laurie was sure of it when she heard Captain Mitchell assign watches.

Throughout the trip, the team had been using their canteens for water. Due to the heat, by the second day, they noticed that they were running low with no rain in sight. The next day, to their surprise and relief, they came upon a lake, low in the grasslands. They purified some water to refill their canteens, and washed clothes. Then, with little information to go on, they chose to head northward.

As the late afternoon sun began to lengthen the shadows, the team reached a gentle rise. Some distance away they saw what appeared to be more marshlands.

The marshlands are vast if they extend from the west side of the city all the way out here! Captain Mitchel mused to himself.

It was quiet‒too quiet. The group unconsciously slowed their pace as they began to follow the edge of the marshlands. Feeling the atmosphere closing in around them, Laurie started to feel quite uneasy. Chris looked over his shoulder and into the marshland trees repeatedly, soon finding himself becoming increasingly worried about‒well, he didn't quite know.

The silence was broken by the patter of arrows and stones. So quick was the attack that the team barely had time to cover their heads and dodge the downpour. A band of Squirrels jumped out of the trees yelling war cries, and surrounded the team. Realizing that the group had no weapons ready, the Squirrels took the group as prisoners.

As the Squirrels herded the EOE Team into the marshlands, a rather burly Squirrel handcuffed and chained the team together. Eli looked around for his daughter and Chris. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Captain Mitchell, the children aren't here!" he whispered.

"Do you think they escaped?"

"They could get lost out‒oomf!" Eli's words were cut short when he was butted in the ribs with a stick by a fierce-looking Squirrel.

Trudging through the marshlands was no picnic for the EOE team. Their bonds gave them little maneuverability. Not only were they bound tightly, they were chained together in close proximity to each other. Bound hand and foot they slogged through the marsh, ever pressed by their Squirrel guards. They frequently tripped over their shackled feet. Mud spackled their clothes and soaked their boots, weighing them down further. They had no hope of escape. By now, the rest of the group had also realized that the children were not with them. Not willing to draw attention to their absence, they conveyed their concern with looks and shrugs.

After what seemed hours, the Squirrels' settlement came into view. The primitive settlement was on top of the only dry area in the whole marshland. Everything was made of roughhewn wood. Yet the architecture was intricate. Dr. Smith recognized that some of the symbols on the creature's homes resembled the cryptographs on the alien object they had found on Earth's moon.

The Squirrels herded the team into a hole in the ground that led into a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, there was a large wooden door with a sturdy looking lock on it. The Squirrels led the team through the door and into an underground compartment. It was divided into three rooms by thick log walls. The team was chained together on one wall. As their captors left, a larger, more formally dressed Squirrel came through the door.

"Ha, you are our prisoners; we will teach you that no one trespasses on our territory," he spoke in disdain toward the EOE team sitting in shackles on the floor.

"Sir we…," Captain Mitchell started.

"SILENCE!" the Chief yelled, glaring at them and then walked away, slamming the door and sending a light shower of dirt down on the EOE Team's heads.

The sound of the lock was loud in the silence that followed.

After a long moment of silence Dr. Smith slowly whispered, "Now what do we do?"

"There is no reason to whisper they have gone away," Trib said in a normal but flat voice.

"I agree with Dr. Smith," David said, "this is quite a mess we are in."

"I have only heard stories of these creatures; I did not know they even lived here," Trib commented.

"What have you heard of them?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"The stories say that the Squirrel tribes are always jumping to conclusions," Trib answered.

"Do you think that when we set out to explore this area they thought we were here to attack them?" Eli asked.

"That's exactly what I think," Trib said.

"What should we do?" Captain Mitchell said thinking aloud.

"What about the kids?" David asked, concerned for his son.

"Laurie has a good head on her shoulders," Captain Mitchell replied, "I am sure they are fine."

"Hopefully," Eli answered.

"Well, I suppose there is nothing to do now but sleep. If one of those Squirrels comes down here again, then perhaps we should try to explain ourselves," Dr. Smith suggested.

Trib and the others nodded in agreement.

None of the Squirrels came though. Food was sent down in a basket on a rope through a trap door high above the captives in the ceiling. Captain Mitchell who was in the middle of the group was the only one who could reach the basket. He passed the strange marshland fruit down to the rest of the group. Seeing no other alternative the team hesitantly bit into the strange fruits. It was a little difficult for the EOE Team to eat at first because their hands were still handcuffed together. It took a few tries and a bit of improvising before everyone finally got the hang of it.

The Squirrels had confiscated the EOE Team's backpacks and piled them in the corner opposite of the team, far out of reach. They had no means of escape. All they could do now was eat, sleep, and pray the children were safe and could find help. The EOE Team felt helpless.

*****