In this chapter, I add another character and a lesson from the Omaticaya. Next chapter I'll finish the cliffhanger, but in the meantime, if you feel like you are really connecting with the characters, it may be beneficial to play Memories by Maroon 5.
It's been a week since we first met the natives in the attack from the wild animals, and we had just arrived at the shuttle wreckage with two guides. I sent Gabe, Abigail and May to get the top two plasma turrets detached and salvaged from the front of the ship. The others and I went to dig a grave. Once the plasma turrets were detached and operational, we used it to burn a hole in the bottom of the ship so we could get into the pod bay. Once it was open, we could see that the interior was filled with ice, with someone sitting on the floor, hurt, but alive.
"Paul! You're alive!" I said. He looked up weakly and then collapsed completely. "May! Get the medipads!" Medipads were basically big bandages that accelerated healing. I grabbed Paul and took him out of the pod bay and lay him on the ground. His injuries were a lot worse than ours had been. May started applying medipads and antiseptic while the rest of us watched, not wanting to get in the way.
"He'll live, but it'll take at least three days before we can bring him back to Hometree. In the meantime, we'll have to stay here until he's ready to move, " May said.
"So there's nothing else we can do?" I asked.
"Not to speed up the healing process, no. "
"Alright. Then let's get back to the ship and get what we can use. " We all went back to salvaging, while Ben and I started moving the dead soldiers into the grave. I removed the dog tags as they were placed in. We filled the hole and made the Atlantian seal over it, an X with a vertical line through the center. On top of the center, I placed their dog tags. After that was done, we took all of the supplies from the pod bay and the supplies the other had gathered from the front of the ship and organized it inside the ship, mostly consisting of survival kits, light rifles, pistols, rations, two holo projectors, and a few other heavy weaponry.
We got the shield generator operational and turned it on to keep out wild animals and set the plasma cannons to patrol around the camp, and spent the next few days trying to repair the shuttle. Once Paul was better, we loaded up the plasma cannons with our gear and headed back to Hometree. Several of the plasma cannons' hover domes were destroyed in the crash, but we had managed to repair the legs so they could walk back to the tree. We took some extra rations and a mechanics tool set back and got to the tree a few days later.
"Welcome back, Atlantians. I see you have found another survivor. How was your trip?" Tsu'tey asked.
"We found some more supplies if we need it, but the shuttle is beyond repair. It might do short flights, but it won't be able to take us away from here. " I replied.
He nodded. "I need your group to meet at the stream in an hour. " He glanced at the plasma cannons. "Good luck getting everything up. " He left us and headed off in a different direction.
"ARC, send the plasma cannons up the stairs with all of our gear. We'll unpack later. "
"Yes sir, " ARC replied. We set all of our backpacks on the cannon, but kept our supply belts with a pistol, knife, and three grenades. Once they were loaded up, the cannons started walking up to our living place with Paul since he didn't know the language yet, while everyone else headed to the stream. I found Olo'eyktan and told him that Paul did not know the language, but we would teach him in our spare time.
"Why does he not know this language?"
"He was not taught it. We will teach him though, but it will take several weeks at least while he heals before he can converse without a translator. "
"He can learn while he heals, but we cannot teach him until he knows the language. "
"Thank you Olo'eyktan. " I left and went to meet the rest of the group at the stream.
"Hello John. I am Hund'ri, and I have been tasked with teaching your group about the planet. Today I was planning on covering some of the edible foods. Where is the other one that came back today?" Hund'ri was one of the higher ranking Omaticaya and had been friendly to us from the start.
"Paul does not know the language, but he will learn. Until then, we will teach him what you tell us. "
"Some lessons can only be learned from experience. "
"Then we will give him experience once he is healed. "
"Okay. Well, let's get started then. I can provide examples to take back to Paul if you like. "
"Thank you Hund'ri. "
After the day was over, we arrived at our area and found Paul wearing an ARC and rewiring what looked to have once been a hover dome.
"Paul? How does that ARC work for you? It was synced to neural passages, and only the bridge crew got those. "
He looked up at me. "ARC? Oh, the earpiece? One of the bridge crew members was my twin brother. I think I understand the language now though. This hoverdome should work now. The wiring was just knocked around a little in the crash. "
"Okay. How are you feeling? Hund'ri said this might plant help as a painkiller. "
"I'm mostly healed, it doesn't hurt much anymore, it's just hard to move certain ways. I spent two weeks in the dark healing, so the only injuries I have are hunger and a few bruises. "
"That's good. What else has the ARC done for you?"
"I know the names of the two leaders and the next pair of leaders and the person who taught you today. I was also able to see the botany lesson you got today, so I'm all caught up with the lessons and stuff. I can go to them tomorrow if you like. "
"Yes, that's good. "
"Sir, I have uncovered a critical piece of information. You need to see this now " Said my ARC.
"Send it to the others and tell them to review it, " I said.
"Already done sir. "
"Good. Show it to me then"