The Phoenix Colony

Chad was quicker than Raylene and she was just buttoning the first button of her shirt when he turned around. She tilted her head playfully, pretending to ignore him as she finished buttoning extra slowly. She sat and slid her boots on, doing them up and stood.

"Do you remember the way back?" she asked, "the trees all look the same."

 

Smith swollowed nurviusly as Ray slowly buttoned up her Shirt. He had been teased, and he liked it. She finished putting on her boots and turned to face Smith.

"Do you remember the way back?" she asked, "the trees all look the same."

"Ya," He said and walked over takeing her hand gently. "The camp is just over that ways." He said and began to walk back towards the camp with Ray by his side. He felt good with her by his side, it felt right. He would try and keep her there when ever possible so that nothing ever happened to her.

 

Raylene's mind was a whirl of feelings, her hand contentedly anchored in Chad's as they walked. She wondered what the others would think, she worried a little about what Chrys's reaction might be. But most of all she felt safe. As much as he might defend her she would defend him as well.

She just couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

 

The walk home was short, and Smith walked in silence enjoying the warmth that flowed with in him now. Smith walked out into the front of the camp and then to the cave. Smith opened the cave door and motioned for Ray to go in ahead of him, thinking that being a gentleman had nothing to do with were you where. Though he must look awfully silly in his awkward body.

 

Fox says to Kat "Don't. We don't know what they will do. We have better plants for that back at the cave. Would you climb to the top of a tree and point us into the right direction."

 

Chrys frowns at Fox, "Fine." She says, wiping the paste onto a tree trunk, where it bleaches the bark, "Ookay, good thing that it didn't do that to me."

She climbs to the canopy of the tree and looking for the cave. She gets back to the ground and says, "The clearings just in front of us, if we walk straight."

 

Fox nods her head and says "Right." She walks forward with Pasha and Kat behind her. After about twenty minutes they come to the end of the forest. "About damn time. Its good to be home. Hey Pasha, take those leaves and put them by the food, please." says Fox. Pasha nods his head and carries the red and blue leaves into the back of the cave and puts them down by the food. "Lets find our leader and see whats going on." says Fox as she walks towards Reva.

 

Chrys walked herself to the back of the cave, her eyelids heavier than she'd thought they could be. She curled herself up, watching the people in the cave with her, "Oh, I wonder who could have predicted this?"

The question settled on the air as she dozed off.

 

((Slight time advancement…assume you’re meeting out in front of the cave, some inside, Frank’s Gang of Happy Freeloaders is either there or on their way.))

Reva surveyed the group. They were chattering to each other for the most part, Chad and Raylene had caused a small stir when they had arrived hand-in-hand. Bull and Mineko sat nearly touching on the opposite side of the fire and Derek lounged not far away from Reva, appearing to doze. Allen had taken up residence in a niche of rock and Fox, Pasha, and Chrys were all busy with Tatee and food. Cevin sat watchful and apart as though always on alert. Cull and Cody also sat together in Reva’s peripheral vision, almost behind her and in the cave.

This time she wouldn’t approach it like public speaking. This time Reva just took a step forward and started to talk to everyone. She heard the noise level drop away as she spoke.

“I’m glad to have the other tribes here with us. As everyone is aware we have a serious problem – a large animal of some sort that we can’t see and that likes to hunt humans. Our survival depends on ridding ourselves of the creature.

“In order to hunt it, we need to pool what we know about it. I can contribute that it’s very, very large, it both walks and slithers, it is invisible in daylight, and it doesn’t seem to like bright light very much.

“What else do we know?”

 

Tatee curls up on Fox's lap and purrs. Fox continues to pet it while she listens to Reva. She speaks up "The beast uses its legs when it wants to go quickly and slithers when it wants to go slowly. Also, it likes to take a running start towards its prey. Unless you have heightened senses, you probably won't know its coming until its too late. For its size, it has amazing reflex's. However, when a prey seems like its too much work, it will leave and look for an easier kill."

 

"It'll probably want that back," said Allen while pointing at Tatee, "and it'll be violent when it figures out that we have her. It's an ambush predator, so it'll probably try to come at you from behind. It's too big for anything like a deadfall to work. We'd never be able to set up one big enough without heavy equipment. Our weapons are rather pitiful. Unless you managed to get a shot in the eye, you probably wouldn't be able to kill it."

Maternal instinct my....

 

Reva considered this, hands on hips.

"None of this sounds good," then she grinned, feeling oddly lighthearted, "but that seems to be normal on this planet. Could we draw it out in daylight, do you think? I know that when Derek and I had our run-in with it I saw shapes," Reva gestured, making arcs in the air with her hands, "in front of the trees. Could barely see anything but it was like shapes of nothing cutting the background."

She huffed a sigh knowing that sounded a little ridiculous, "It makes your eyes water but at least its something that shows where it is."

Reva pointed at Fox, "You had a good point about mutations. You can feel motion, I might be able to hear it coming...who has improved vision?"

Reva turned, surveying the group, her eyes settling on Chrys. Then she continued to pan the faces, Derek...what changes were occuring with him? Chad had his developing armor and that might be important...

But killing it...Allen was right, that would really be a trick.

 

Juliano raised his hand. "I've got better vision, but only at night, and we don't want to fight then."



Allen watched the others. Would they go with this? Would they actually be able to work together? Even he would do it. He could always kill Xare after the creature, and if the creature managed to kill him and not her, she didn't know what chance they might have to get off the planet. If a ship di hear the transmission and came they were far enough away that they wouldn't be found and they wouldn't know anybody came.

 

Fox speaks up, "You know, I just thought of something. Viva could easily keep is distracted. Remember what her power is. She creates illusions. She can make the beast believes that it sees it's baby in the area where we want it to go."

 

"You're assuming that the Beast's mind works similarly to ours. That Viva would be able to affect it." Reva paused, hating to shoot down a suggestion, "That may be too big of a risk to take."

"Juliano," Reva nodded to him, "we don't know yet how that might come in handy but I'm not counting you out just yet."

 

Smith had sat silently with Ray, while he listened to the others talk about the beast. "We still need someone willing to set the trap, taking the pup out their will be dangerous in it's own right, I'll do that, and possibly become bait if it's needed." He said the thought of that monster sneaking up on him sent a shiver down his spine.

 

Reva nodded to Chad, her brow furrowed from worry.

"We might need that, certainly. I would feel better if we had any idea...any idea at all how it might be killed."

 

"how about some good old fashion traps?" He said and then exsplained. "A log sharpened on one side fastened up into some trees with veins, cut the rope and it'll be a spear. Might not kill it, but'll do some damage."

 

"Maybe," Reva wasn't sure, "it moves so quickly, though, and we won't be really sure when it's in the trap. Somehow it would have to spring it."

 

Viva came running towards the discussion. She had been out of her mind, tucked in the cave for most of the time, but hearing her name being mentioned she decided to join.
"I'd help if it's needed."
She said, popping in between the conversation.

 

Tatee continues to rest on Fox's lap, on the verge of sleep. "Hey Viva, can you use that power of yours on animals? It would make fighting this beast thing a lot simpler." says Fox.

 

Tatee gave a loud mew from where Fox sat holding her now.

Reva stopped speaking as she heard a crackling in the brush, still far outside the camp from her estimation but moving toward them. She began to scan the surrounding area hoping to see approaching ceaders, or deer, but she heard a slithering accompaniment to the crackle and knew that what they would have to watch for in the failing light was shapes of nothing, arcs and fractures of the world around them that disappeared as soon as they were glimpsed.

"Light torches! Build up the fire! and GET INSIDE THE CAVE!" Reva shouted, pushing at anyone near her, "Get inside now!"

This resulted in a more inefficient panic than Reva had hoped for, everyone running and getting into each other's way. The light had burnished into evening while they had talked and so it was nearly impossible to see the arcs and whirls that filled the edges of her vision.

The others were getting inside quickly as possible when Bardon, running to throw wood on the fire, disappeared from head to knees. His feet whipped off of the ground and he vanished before he could yell.

Reva froze in place as others flowed past her, crowding into the cave. Two glowing orbs like humongous cat's eyes fixed on her from the other side of the fire.

The Beast had arrived.

 

Fox angryly stares into the eyes of the beast. This is the monster that killed Brit. She hands Tatee to Kat and goes into the back of the cave. She grabs the rifle, aims for the right eye. "You will not kill anyone else in my tribe." says Fox in a cold emotionless voice, as she fires the rifle.

 

Viva was about to answer in affirmative when panic hit their tribe. She stumbled as she ran back in. She grabbed onto a corner of the cave, and stretched out her other hand and pulled onto Fox's shirt as she shot.
"Tell me what to show her, now!"
She yelled in between the horror.

 

The bullet vanished with a solid 'thwip' and there was a roar that shook loose some surrounding rocks. With nothing more to see than speeding orbs of light that vanished then appeared again there was a snapping sound and the rifle was jerked from Fox's grip, practically pulling her off the ground with it befoire she was flung to the side, a heavy weight smashing into her midsection.

Reva heard the whistling helicopter-blade sound again and felt the breeze of something heavy as it went by.

It was disorienting, seeing and not seeing, feeling and not feeling the thing's presence.

She saw an arc of nothing striking toward where Fox lay, apparently winded, and Reva screamed and dived for her, rolling them both out of the way as a heavy blow struck where they had been, spraying them both with dirt.