Split
The sun glowed a tired orange on the distant horizon of planet Glimyr as evening began to wane and dusk began to approach. For most creatures, this was usually the time to hurry back to their nests and burrows before the larger inhabitants emerged to hunt. Others took advantage of their neighbours' absence and used the valuable time to forage in peace. Of course, to try and make use of that brief span of time, one would need to be skilled, strong or (in the absence of either) incredibly lucky. Even on a lush green planet such as Glimyr, life was often terrifyingly short for any creature that dared to let its guard down.
And for the cautious and herbivorous Emerack, luck was almost all they had.
Puck lay flat on his belly in the leaves of a Cimposte bush, staring rigidly forward and relying on his other senses to detect potential predators. His body was constantly in a state of tension, ready to flee further into the forest at the slightest hint of danger. But none came.
After several long minutes passed without any dangerous sights or sounds, Puck began to cautiously inch his way forward, never leaving the thin line of bushes and shrubs. This was the only way his grey-brown fur would fit in with his surroundings and his tail would remain hidden. If Puck was spotted by enemies, there was no real defence strategy but to run. The only weapons the Emerack possessed were a short spike on the end of their tails and some smaller spikes concealed in the fur on their necks. None of these gave much hope of survival to an Emerack in a full-blown battle with predators. In a very likely scenario of running, short fins along their backs might have helped if there was ever a need to swim, but Puck couldn't see any rivers nearby.
That just left instinct and teamwork.
Sneaking a glance to his left, Puck saw his pack-mate Kirett scurrying quickly through some tall glass until he reached a large shrub and froze again. A little way behind him, Puck saw Jacinth doing the same, weaving through dense clumps of grass. Soon the entire pack that had been fully covered by undergrowth had formed a discrete line, with Puck on one end and a larger Emerack called Mallis on the other. The line had reached a clearing in the forest, and all were eyeing the prize they had set out for:
A huge Freyola tree, branches covered in juicy yellow fruit.
The tree was only twenty metres away from the stretched-out group of Emerack, but the clearing was entirely open field with no cover; if the pack wanted to reach their potential meal, they had to
be absolutely certain they were safe. Puck took a few seconds to watch and listen intently before turning his head and nodding towards Kirett. All is well, the nod meant. Kirett waited a little longer and then nodded to Jacinth. She paused, and nodded up the line again. The process continued until every creature was positive that the pack was not under any threat. Then the feeding would begin.
As was the natural technique of the Emerack, very few members of the pack approached the tree; the rest stayed alert and listening as a precaution. Out of the pack of twenty-three, eighteen remained stationary while Puck, Jacinth, Mallis and two of the younger pack members went to take the fruit. Once they emerged from their cover, the only difference between life and death for the group of five was the rest of the pack's constant attention to the surroundings.
Still no sign of trouble.
Puck, Jacinth and the others moved at a steady pace across the clearing, trusting the observation of their comrades, yet still anxious to feed. Chances of hostile detection were becoming progressively slim.
They were fifteen metres from the tree.
Ten metres.
Five.
The splinter group spread out in a circle around the tree, and paused for one final time.
Not a whisper disturbed the evening silence.
Precautions over and done with, the ravenous Emerack pounced on the Freyola tree's branches, tearing off its fruit with lightning speed. Puck snatched a few handfuls of food and began to head back to the line of bushes and trees to divide the spoils, mouth watering with anticipation of the coming feast.
Wrrrr.
Puck froze. A few seconds passed.
Wrrrr.
A low humming noise in the distance. Puck turned to look at the others at the tree. They seemed to be just as vexed as he was.
Wrrrr.
That same noise again, louder this time. The Emerack at the tree stared at each other, unsure of what to do. Instincts clashed inside their heads, resolving nothing. Afraid, the younger pack members began to nervously chatter at each other. One member of the outer circle broke away and fled in panic.
Wrrrr.
The agitated pack stared up into the sky, fearing an attack by airborne predators. What came was infinitely more worrisome. The golden-red sky shimmered, like a ripple in a pool of water. Puck and Jacinth noticed it first, dropped the fruit and bolted for the tree line.
In the space of a heartbeat, a shining white craft materialised in mid-air, all but blocking out the evening sun. Dangerous-looking tubes swivelled and aimed at the Emerack in the clearing. A gleaming dart of white energy shot to the ground, knocking Puck off his feet. He came up in a roll and resumed sprinting towards the main group, who were already charging back through the forest. There was no chance of stopping the strange attacker.
Puck glanced over his shoulder, and saw his other three pack-mates struggling to stand up, having been almost directly hit by the energy weapon. Mallis was the first to his feet, and even had the courage (or downright stupidity) to pick up a rock and hurl it at his assailant. It bounced harmlessly off the craft's exterior. The being's only response was to launch a glowing beam of light from a hatch on its underside, centred directly on Mallis. Unseen forces dragged him helplessly into the air until he disappeared inside the ominous craft. The beam then began to target the two young scouts near the tree, unable to resist as the eerie light pulled them inside the craft.
Ahead of Puck, the pack was panicked and disorganised, not knowing whether to run or hide. Overhead, more of the stunning bolts of energy were being fired, splitting the Emerack apart before capturing them with its beam. Nearly blinded by the bright flashes, Puck barely managed to glimpse Kirett rushing alongside him and Jacinth in a jagged line, eyes squinting through the abnormal white light. The three were running deep into the forest, separated from the others by the constant onslaught of energy streaming from their attacker. Unable to see more than a few feet ahead of themselves, all three Emerack plunged through the trees . . .
. . . and into a ditch.
With a yelp, Puck plummeted downwards as his feet left the ground. A moment later he landed face down in mud with a splat. Two similar sounds on either side of him announced his friends' arrival as well. None of them made any attempt to rise, not while they knew their assailant was still searching for them. Painfully slowly, the noise of the energy bolts and the shrieks of the captured Emerack passed over them and away, before eventually ceasing altogether. Apparently the mysterious entity had taken enough victims.
The three did not move for several long minutes, until they were positive that the craft would not be returning for them. Gradually Puck raised himself slightly out of the mud, carefully checking his body for wounds. Kirett and Jacinth did likewise, staying low in the ditch. Almost miraculously, none of them appeared to have been injured by the fall or the explosions. They had been lucky, if "lucky" could have described the terrible attack. Puck rose into a standing position and clambered out of the filth, gesturing for his friends to follow. Night had now fallen but, if they hurried, the Emerack could make their way back to the burrows without being located by predators.
Still, it was a long way to travel on an empty stomach.
. . .
Eyes – Specimens obtained, prototype complete and ready for testing.
Ears – Begin experimentation as planned. Expecting results within 50 hours.