Now being in the woods is a lot different than being on-board a ship. One can pretty much do what one pleases without offending anyone, or getting ones-self killed. So if one wanted to indulge, irregardless of what that indulgence was, who was around to correct?

Now that the Hish have landed, everyone, except Pearl, was beginning to enjoy all the "Fresh Air". Poor Pearl, having never smelled nature before, wasn't sure if the foul smells were supposed to smell that foul or if his camp mates were playing jokes on him. Looking around, He couldn't find one single clean spot to put his camping gear down, let alone where to put up his outside bed!

"Honored Parent! Where are the clean spots?"

"Your standing on one!" Wave replied, pointing to the moss covered area where Pearl was standing.

"This is a clean spot?" he asked looking down at his feet in amazement.

"Yes" answered his uncle, Ahnk, tossing his hammock up into a large tree which would fit all of them for the night.

"Don't set up there!" called out Uhlsa, "You will get cold and wet after night fall. Put your hammock in the tree next to your uncle Anhk's, it will be safer from the wild life there."

"Ok!" Pearl replied, picking up his bags, and going to stand next to his uncle, "How do I get up there?" He asked looking around for the ladder.

"Climb, like the rest of us." Anhk replied smiling at Pearl. "Before I forget, I brought along a mask I want you to use when-ever your not in camp. I think your Parent brought along a cloaking mesh too."

"Oh cool! I get to wear a mask like yours and Honored Parents?" Pearl exclaimed.

"Not like ours, since ours are hunting masks, but yes, just like ours." replied his uncle Uhlsa as he walked up and jumped onto a lower branch before climbing higher. "Toss me up your bag Pearl, then just do what I did, and I will help you set up."

"Hey Tammahree! Did you bring the video camera? My mask doesn't have enough room!" yelled Tavahree at his brother, while pointing at Pearl getting ready to make his first tree leap.

"It's here somewhere!" replied Tavahree, taking a quick video of Pearl almost falling out of the tree as he finally made it onto the branch. He quickly sent his brother a text message.

***Got it! Won't that be funny for the show! How about we do a lot of Pearl, since he's never been camping before! ^.^****

***LOL! Great idea! Wonder how much trouble he can get into!***

****Alot, knowing him :)~*****

(All earth translations of above and below video and sound footage and common dialog courtesy of the Ocean Clan Hish Multimedia Department)

Both brothers laughed out loud "Good jump Pearl!" Tammahree yelled.

"Thank you Honored Warrior Veteran Tammahree!" Pearl replied and almost missed his step on the branch he was standing on, while reaching up to hand his "Outdoor Bed" to his uncle. Now an "Outdoor Bed" was a hide lined rope hammock filled with bedding, and covered by another hide across the hanging branch, which when put together, looked a lot like little lit tents or lit spider egg sacks hanging in the trees. "Whups!" he stuttered, heart racing as he grabbed a hold of the tree trunk.

"Easy Pearl, tree branches are just like walking on slightly wet metal poles because of the bark. The easy part is the walking, learning how to look up and keep your balance is the hard part." Ahnk mentored. "Look up first, then move, its more natural to how you would normally walk."

"Thank you Honored Uncle Ahnk." Pearl replied taking his uncle's advice and managed to step away from the trunk long enough to hand his other uncle his bag as well.

"Here Pearl, hand these up to your uncle too. No sense in all of us trying to hang out the tents." Claw said passing the rest of the beds up to Pearl who passed them up to his uncle.

While Claw, Uhlsa and Pearl set up the tents, Sham began to set up the drying and trophy racks and with help from Paya, Wave, Hawk, Tammarhee and Tavahree and Ahnk, the rest of the camp quickly took shape.

There was the portable solar shower, the portable compost toilet (just in case somebody, no matter how hard he tried, just couldn't make "animal tracks" in the woods), the portable cooking stove, complete with bbq grill and kitchen sink, the portable eating table and chairs, and other associated camping stuff that was actually the outdoor extension of everything on the ship, which was really nothing more than a souped up rv. For although these things were on the ship, it had been voted on that since this was Pearl's first trip, "roughing it" so to speak, would make it more memorable for him.

And as night fell, and everyone settled in, the soft sounds of nature quietly slipped in.

Near to the campsite, yet hidden due to the Veil, Ohni and her cat had been gently placed in the center of the now fully charged and active biomechanoid plant. The Veils primary purpose had been to keep hatchlings safe, was now being used as a sort of living cage to prevent her escape. Unbeknownst to the "Gatherers" tho, this particular veil was also a teaching veil, and still had it's original programming and functions intact.

As the Hunters left, the Veil slowly lifted Ohni and her cat, and began to extend its vines to create a floor and walls for what the computer controlling it, now considered it's charges. For although the Veil was a wonder of biological and mechanical science, it also could destroy what it's programming would consider a threat. Luckily, Ohni and Rose fit the programming of helpless, since neither were conscious when placed withing it's confines, as was programmed as proper. Young ones who were newly hatched, should never be placed in danger, but always placed in a protected environment until either old enough or responsible enough to be allowed to venture out under limited guidance.

Suffice it to say, Ohni upon awakening, had some issues with not being able to leave what appeared to be a vine encrusted shelter, since each time she tried, what ever part of the machine she pushed against, became as hard and unyielding as an actual wall. It didn't help, she couldn't understand the machines constant request for her to say "Open Please". The teaching program recognized this and talked with the guardian program, which checked with the main computer, and decided that she needed some subconscious language and social programming. The guardian program also decided that Ohni also needed some much needed rest, and when she slumped against a wall in defeat, gently brushed a leaf against her neck, administering a gentle sedative, which worked rather quickly, putting Ohni to sleep.

Once she was out, the Veil placed a telepathic receiver bead, a dream time teaching wave receiver bead and a modified version of the "Happy Day, Happy Slave" without the slave programming control bead in her hair. The clan bead was left blank, since it would be marked with the clan of whomever was to become her "Life Mate"

Rose received a communications bead, attached to all of her ribbons and bling, since this would help the computer to take better care of her needs, not just Ohni's, which it had now classified as a fully grown child. It would take most of the day tomorrow to create a much smaller version which could be implanted below her skin, and which would also act as tracking device and identity device.

And as night fell, the veil extended it's hunting vines, since the first thing Ohni would need upon awakening, would be nourishment. It had already absorbed and analyzed Rose's food, so that her stuff could be kept without cluttering up the living space. It even made a special room for Rose's litter box and litter, and with a full half day's charging, be able to synthesize and create everything both would need.

Come morning, should anyone happen to be looking in that direction, one would see what appeared to be a beautiful flower covered clumped creeping vine, with a mix of flowers that glowed in the morning light, as the solar power collectors began to collect energy. It even emitted the scents of hyacinth, hydrangea, morning glory and honey suckle with a light lily to the mix. The guardian program had decided that the area was not safe, and that these pleasing scents, along with the night time corpse scent of its hunting vines, would create a more protective environment.

All over the forest, and on the other two planets, people began to settle for the night. The morning would bring a whole new adventure.