Paws and Planets (3 page)

It was big
enough for them to fly around (with due care), a necessary thing
for the Lai in order that they could keep their wing muscles in
trim. Gravity levels on the
Limokko
and her sister ships
were set at a lower level than on the planet to conserve
energy.

Danua was
looking for Maru. The two of them had begun to be drawn to each
other and Danua had decided that it was time to do something about
it.

They were not
by any means the first couple to declare themselves and to become
eln. Other duos had moved into one or another of their dagas.
Wharua was pregnant. Her eggs would be the first to hatch on the
journey.

It was rare for
Daiglon to mate out with their rtath’s landmass although it could
and did happen. Zanua, their skipper, was emotionally entangled
with her counterpart on the Brai vessel and Danua had suspicions
that she might be pregnant also. During the journey there had been
a considerable amount of visiting between the ships. This had been
encouraged to help combat boredom and squabbling amongst the crews
cooped up together. Only the Dglai did not visit and discouraged
visits in.

Danua spied
Maru. He was resting on the couch in his daga. She glided over.

“I thought I
might find you here,” she began with a coy look.

“And where else
is there to go might I ask?” he replied in a voice devoid of
humour. He had been on duty on the bridge and Danua had been down
in the store decks, tending to the stores.

Although not
yet at critical levels, supplies were diminishing and they would
have to be replenished soon.

Over fifty
xanu’s worth of food had been stored, enough time, it had been
thought for them to find a planet and return but it hadn’t worked
out that way.

“The Boton had
begun transmissions,” he announced lazily to Danua as they lay,
limbs and wings entwined, on Maru’s couch many tvans later. For
once they had the domta space to themselves and they were making
the most of it.

“Did it have
anything interesting to report?” she asked in a sleepy voice. Their
lovemaking had been long and intense and she had other things on
her mind other than the progress (or lack of it) of their
mission.

This was the
twenty-fourth possible solar system they had surveyed and all
without success; the seventh since the Sbnei had left them and the
eighteenth since the Rai had gone.

The Lai, the
Brai and the Dglai were now on their own.

He gazed at her
with possessive fondness.

He had a hunch
that this last lovemaking had been both long and vibrant enough to
produce seeds of life.

They had been
through too many occasions when the Boton had back-transmitted
initially favourable data which had come to naught to get overly
excited at the news.

Long gone were
the xanus when they had been looking for a replacement planet for
their people. Maru was convinced their own planet must be dead now,
his family too, unless some who had gone out after them had found
the replacement.

Maru tried to
hold on to that thought, that either the Sbnai or the Rai or
another had done it. The flip-side of his thoughts was too horrible
to contemplate if he didn’t want to lapse into depression.

Sometimes
though, he couldn’t help but think about it and he knew Danua felt
the same.

* * * * *

“So what
happened when you reached Planet Earth Haru?” asked Niaill.

Haru shook his
wise old head. “So you still cling to that idea? I have told you
again and again that there is no way we can know that the planet my
ancestors visited belonged to your ancestors.”

“I know,”
answered Niaill, not a whit abashed, “but you can’t stop me
believing that it was so. Tell me the story again … please.”

“Yes do,”
implored Taraya. “Is a good story, never mind the truth of
where.”

“It was the
Earth,” insisted Niaill, stubborn to the last.

“Well,” began
Haru, “we know it must have happened a long time after the first
xanus,” settling into a more comfortable position, “because the
names of those involved are different.”

“No Maru,” said
Taraya with a sigh, “a pity, I liked him.”

“But in his
place we have Jaru and his brother Laru and the story tells us that
they were the grandsons of Maru and Danua, though I don’t know if
that is true or not. By this time only three ships remained, the
Ammokko
of the Dglai, the
Jamokko
of the Brai and the
Limokko
of the Lai. They were no longer searching for a home
for those left on Daiglon, they were searching on their own
behalf.”

“Strange they
had found nowhere,” commented Niaill, “there are quite a few
planets in our sectors of outer space, Centurion, Earth, Riga, to
name but a few. I’ve read it in the history books.”

“One reason why
I don’t think it could have been Earth we landed on. Settle down
you two and I’ll get started … “

* * * * *

EPISODE 2 -
EARTH

Have you ever
wondered where our legends about dragons come from?

“The reports
from the Boton became more encouraging as the probe entered
planetary orbit and assessed the planet in more detail, breathable
oxygen, an abundance of flora and fauna, seas alive with creatures
and also land animals, some very large, as large as the Daiglon
themselves.

Excitement
among the crews of the remaining three ships was at fever
pitch.

At last here
was a planet that looked to be perfect.

They flapped
their wings with glee, hoping the Boton would not find any signs of
sentience among the inhabitants.

* * * * *

“So we land?”
asked Jaru of Laru.

“Indeed we
will. A Quorko from each ship,” answered Laru. “You will command,
take Zanfanu. You are in
overall
command of the expedition.”
He emphasised the adjective.

“Is it wise to
permit the Dglai to send one? I mean …”

“Point taken,
but there is no way I can refuse. They are very keen on this planet
and I had trouble persuading them that three Quorko would be enough
to ensure the success of the mission. Susa Quend wishes to send
them all. He said if they all went that we could cover the planet
that much quicker. He is not happy with the restriction but had
accepted it. I believe however that the Dglai are already planning
which areas of the landmasses should be theirs.”

“Bit premature
wouldn’t you say?” inquired Jaru.

“I agree but
even I have to admit that all the signs are right. It’s got a
healthy eco-structure, cold and temperate zones, an atmosphere
almost the same as our own, animals, land, water and air, even the
carbon make-up. Like Daiglon in its heyday eh!”

“Well, yes. The
similarities are almost beyond being believable,” Jaru answered,
looking at the scrolling data on the screen. “Your orders?”

“Normal
reconnaissance protocols. Samples of air, water and plant-life.
Images of animal life. The usual. Remember if you can, to gather
samples of the animal life but keep interference to a minimum and
of course, any signs of sentience in any creatures you come across
you leave immediately. There have been no signs of any so I think
your reconnaissance should progress as planned.”

“But if we so
find a sentient creature, where will we get the badly needed stores
for replenishment?”

“We’ll find an
area where they are not and take them from there.”

“But, if there
are no creatures with sentience,” said Jaru, hope rising, “this
planet will be ours!”

“Excitement on
board is at an all time high,” agreed Laru as his intercom bleeped.
“That’ll be the other ships telling us they’re ready. Off you
go!”

* * * * *

It
is
beautiful
, thought Laru as he steered his Quorko towards a
large open area, interspersed with a few, small bushes of a
nondescript type. The landing was accomplished without incident and
he opened the air-hatch as quick as he could. He took breath after
breath of the oxygen rich fresh air that flooded inside. It eddied
around his body.

He turned to
look at Zanfanu who grinned back. Jaru manoeuvred his not
inconsiderable bulk out of the operating wedge (the Lai did not sit
on chairs), being careful not to get his wings entangled on any of
the cockpit protuberances and took the few short steps to the open
hatch.

There he stood
for a moment, savouring the vista that lay before him.

Absolutely
perfect in every way.

He half-glided
down from the hatchway and on to the springy turf, it wasn’t much
of a glide, the access hatch on a Quorko was only two velos from
the ground. He wriggled his toes, laughing to himself as the soft
green yet spiky carpet that covered the ground tickled in between
them.

“Jaru,” called
out Zanfanu from behind, “move on and let me through.”

Jaru laughingly
complied. Both Lai lifted expectant heads at the sound of another
Quorko appearing over the horizon.

“It’s Dru and
Anua from the
Jamokko
,” announced Jaru, squinting through
the haze. “Good. As soon as Qian and Quort appear we can get
started.”

The Brai duo
landed and soon Dru and Anua were standing beside Jaru and Zanfanu.
The four of them discussed their first impressions in an animated
fashion, looking up at intervals to see if the Quorko from the
Ammokko
was coming.

“Where are
they, thriple blast it,” declared the black-skinned Dru with
impatience.

No Dglai
appeared and it began to dawn on them that their green-skinned
cousins had ignored the agreed landing site and had gone out on
their own.

“Twice thriple
blast it,” declared Jaru with annoyance. “Where are they?”

“Probably
somewhere where they shouldn’t be and doing something they
shouldn’t,” said an exasperated Anua, the only female member of the
exploratory team.

Jaru was right
to be a worried Lai but as he said to the other three, he was not
altogether surprised. “They are a law unto themselves, should’ve
guessed they might.”

“We’ll get back
to our Quorko and go look for them,” said Anua, her blue eyes
narrowing with anger. She wanted to go and explore.

“That would be
best,” said Jaru. “Zanfanu and I will begin gathering the samples.
Keep in contact at all times and once you’ve located them; call in
with their location.”

“We will,”
promised Dru, “depending on how long it takes us and our fuel
levels. Will we then start collecting too?”

Jaru replied in
the affirmative and the two Brai went back to their Quorko, Anua
following Dru with a great deal of reluctance.

Jaru felt and
looked aggravated at the Dglai dereliction of their task, time on
the surface was limited and there was much to do.

He and Zanfanu
then busied themselves gathering the myriad samples needed for
their compeers in orbit to analyse as to the planet’s suitability
for Daiglon colonisation.

Jaru was
humming to himself as he set up the driller so that a core-sample
could be taken of the ground beneath their talons. This would not
only give them an analysis of the composition of the ground but
would also provide details of the planet’s climatic and geological
history. Zanfanu applied himself to collecting as many variations
of the plant life and insect life as he could, so vital to a
sustainable eco-structure. He was a happy Lai as at that moment
because all the indications for colonisation suitability were
favourable.

As he finished
he looked up at the sky. Good. Clouds were forming, bringing with
them the prospect of rain. He must remember to get some rain
samples as well.

They worked
with speed. With the other four away, they were hard pressed to
gather the needful together in the time allowed and there were
still the samples from the oceans to be gathered. They cursed the
missing Dglai under their breaths, the root cause of this
unnecessary haste. Where on Daiglon were they?

Then the
microphones attached to their ear-knobs bleeped and they stopped
working to listen.

It was Dru.

< Found
them. Least we’ve found their Quorko. Landed beside it. >

< Where are
Qian and Quort? >

This was Jaru,
his voice sharp with anxiety, annoyance and tension, all together.
So much depended on this mission and he hoped Qian and Quort were
not going to throw a frdste (a Lai tool similar to an Earth
spanner) into the works.

< They’re
not here though we’ve found some tracks leading into the lian.
Should we go after them? >

Jaru considered
the question before he answered although his immediate thought had
been yes, but it was growing dark.

< No. Wait
there for them. If the lain are as thick where you are as they are
here you might miss them. >

< They
are
thick. >

< Then wait
there until it gets light. Zanfanu and I will move on to the site
by the water we agreed on when we are finished here, which will not
be long. When Qian and Quort return take them there. Gather
whatever samples you can while you wait. >

< Will do.
Good luck. >

Yet again Jaru
tried to put the whereabouts of the Dglai out of his mind as with
due care he extracted the core contents from the driller and took
it back to the Quorko, returning only to carry back the portable
driller itself. The rain was falling with heavy persistence. He and
Zanfanu took off just as the first dusk shreds were appearing and
flew to the water site where they settled down for the night.

There was no
word from Dru and Anua until very late when the former called in,
telling Jaru that they also were going to have some sleep while it
was dark. If Qian and Quort hadn’t returned by light-up they would
begin to look for them. As Dru said, they had no way of knowing
just what was out there and the two Dglai might have met with some
misfortune. Jaru had a most disreputable wish at that point that he
hoped that they had.