ON OUR OWN
Harlan sighed and rested his head on his folded arms. His eyes slowly drifted closed, only to snap open again as the professor raised his voice. Beside him, Catalina toyed with her pencil. Harlan watched her flip it with one hand and catch it with the other. He found this act far more interesting than the lecture that he was supposed to be listening to. Two seats behind him, Radu sat. As Harlan risked a glance over his shoulder, it appeared as if the Andromedan was hanging on every word. Harlan smiled, recognizing his friend's semi blank look. He knew Radu was listening, but not to the conversation in this room.
Survival 101. Every StarDog that wanted to become a captain or even a member of a spatial crew had to pass this course. Harlan sighed again and shifted his weight from his arms to his desk. The metal felt cool beneath his chin, but it didn't matter. Three weeks into the second semester at Starcademy and he was bored to tears already.
"For those who do well on the upcoming test," the professor said, "there will be a special training mission on an isolated planetary moon. For those who do not do well, there will be another class next year."
The bell rang and all the students jumped to their feet. Radu snapped out of his private conversation and headed down to where his two friends were. As he walked, a foot jutted out in front of him and he tripped. Harlan caught him as he fell and they both turned to hear the laughter of Peter Corwell.
"You fall almost as fast as your marks!" Peter laughed.
"Why I oughta . . . " Harlan sneered.
Peter laughed harder as Radu held his friend back. The arrogant Earther headed out of the room.
"We better do well on that test," Catalina remarked. "I don't know about you, but a training mission sound like more fun than this!"
"Training mission?" Radu asked.
Harlan laughed. "Where were you?"
Radu blushed. "Listening to the class on microbiology. Rosie was giving a lecture as part of an extra credit project."
Harlan winked knowingly, causing his friend to blush further. Cat grabbed both their arms and dragged them to their next class.
**********
"For those of you who think you're man enough to survive on an isolate planet should have no trouble with this!" Coach Fairhall shouted.
Harlan and Radu looked at the obstacle course the coach had set up. It consisted of climbing, vaulting, running, and crawling. Harlan shrugged and prepared to be off.
"First two," the Coach yelled. "Go!"
Harlan was off. Radu watched from where he waited and smiled as his friend took an early lead. He looked over to find out who he would be racing against and saw Peter, smiling evily next to him.
"Next two," the Coach yelled. "Go!"
Peter took the lead early, but failed to vault over the first obstacle. Radu cleared it without problems and headed to the ropes. He was half way up before he heard a strange snapping sound. He raised his head and saw that his rope had been nearly severed in two. As it snapped, he hurled himself to the other rope and swung down. Harlan cheered.
Peter ignored most of the obstacles, pushing things into Radu's way. The Coach seemed oblivious to this obvious trickery and Harlan could only watch in astonishment. As Radu climbed up a large wall, Peter waited at the bottom. Radu slid down the other side and landed on the mat. As he stood, a shadow loomed over him. He turned in time to see the wall he had just climbed over falling down on him. He raised his hands to catch it and sunk underneath it with the sudden weight. Peter laughed, thinking that the wall had crushed him. Suddenly, the wall was looming over him and Peter was forced to frantically dash to one side as it came crashing down.
"That's fifteen extra laps, Andromedan!" Coach Fairhall yelled. "Not everything is yours to break!"
Harlan opened his mouth to protest, but Radu silenced him.
"It's okay," he said. "At least now I know I can survive on an isolated planet."
Harlan smiled at the joke, remembering those weeks when the Christa had crashed.
**********
"Where's Radu?" Rosie asked at lunch.
"Running laps," Harlan said bitterly. "Peter tried to kill him and he's being punished for defending himself."
From the expression on his face, the Mercurian knew he wasn't exaggerating.
"How did your extra credit assignment go?" Harlan asked as he sipped his drink.
Rosie gave him a confused look. "How did you know?"
"Radu was listening to you as you gave it," Catalina explained. "He completely missed the last half hour of class because of it."
Rosie seemed to blush as her skin became a darker pink and she radiated more heat. On the tray in front of her, her plastic fork melted.
"Cool it, Rosie," Bova complained. "You're making my food warm!"
"Sorry," Rosie apologized as she reduced her temperature. "So, you guys are going on an isolated planetary mission, huh? Sounds fun!"
"Except for the fact that we don't get to pick our teams," Harlan complained. "I don't know about you, but I would rather stick with what I know."
"Not to mention poor Radu," Catalina added. "Imagine what will happen to him, especially after what Peter tried to pull."
Suddenly, the many different conversations fell to silence indicating the arrival of Starcademy's only Andromedan recruit. Radu ignored them all, as usual, and slid into his seat next to Harlan.
"Hi, guys," he said.
He was followed closely by Clito and Matt. The Neptunian glanced around the cafeteria as the conversations slowly began anew.
"Wow," she commented, "you sure know how to make an entrance."
"It's purely accidental," Radu assured her.
The volume of noise in the cafeteria rose to its usual level as the Starcademy cadets realized that one Andromedan couldn't possibly listen to all of them at once.
"Oh yeah," Mattar said suddenly. "Radu, I've been meaning to ask you. Remember the final attack during the war?"
Radu paled slightly, but nodded.
"That chant you hummed to make yourselves fight, what was that?"
"The Andromedan War Chant?" Radu said. "Why do you ask?"
"It's for a project I'm doing for my Alien Cultures class."
Radu took a deep breath. "Well, I guess you should know something about Andromedans before I tell you about the chant. From the day we're hatched, we're taught self control. It's kind of like we've built a wall around our minds so we would never lash out at the universe. By focusing on this wall, we can control our hearing, strength, and endurance."
Matt nodded, his eyes mirroring his interest. The others were listening closely as well, eager to learn something new about their friend.
"The war chant breaks that wall so we completely loose control of ourselves. We go berserk, destroying anything in our paths. During the war was the first time I'd ever experienced it and I don't think I'd ever want to do it again. It was like I wasn't in my own body. It was terrible!"
Rosie put her arm around Radu's shoulder as his voice broke.
"So, how do you become yourself again?" Matt asked.
"I - I don't really know," Radu replied. "I guess after a while, it wears off. I barely remember anything that happened during that time. When it wore off, I was back in the Andromedan camp, being held down by two officers. It took me a while to convince them I was fine before they released me."
Radu's voice trailed off and the other space cases snapped out of his story. Matt sat back and began furiously typing into his compupad. Harlan gave a low whistle. Bova began to eat again.
"Thanks, Radu," Matt said. "This is great for my project."
From a few seats away, Peter Corwell also broke free of Radu's story. He smiled to himself, rose, and left the cafeteria.
**********
"Congratulations, Harlan," the professor said. "I think this is the first test you've aced all semester."
"The year's not over yet, sir," Harlan replied, looking at his corrected test. "There are still plenty more tests for me to ace."
The professor nodded and finished returning the test. He walked back to the front of the room.
"Those of you who failed, and you know who you are, will not be going on the mission. Those of you who passed, I will read out the group assignments for you," the professor said.
Harlan leaned over to where Cat was sitting. She smiled and showed him her test. She had passed as well. Harlan smiled back and turned to see Radu. He looked less enthusiastic about his mark, but still managed to earn enough points to go on the trip.
"Harlan Band, you will lead Team Gama. Your team mates are: Catalina, Radu, and Peter Corwell," the professor announced.
"We're on the same team!" Harlan whispered to Cat.
"I know that!" Cat whispered back.
Harlan leaned back in his seat and tried to envision the trip. He would lead his team - Team Gama - deep into the wilderness. With Radu's sense of direction, Cat's sonic blasts for protection, and his incredible leadership, they would survive in luxury. The only problem was Peter.
Oh well, Harlan thought. Maybe Peter's not as bad as everyone thinks he is.
"Report at docking bay H for boarding tomorrow morning at 05:00 hours. Anyone who is late will be left behind," the professor said. The bell rang. "Class dismissed."
**********
Radu dropped his pack on the ground in front of him. To his left stood Harlan. The Earther had been almost too excited to sleep and had kept him up all night as he had delusions of grandeur. Radu rolled his eyes - a habit he had picked up while staying on Earth. He thought Harlan would have had enough of being leader after his encounter with the Hil people.
Catalina stood to his right, stifling a yawn. Her hair was upswept into a French twist that reminded him of Suzee. All three of them wore camouflage gear and had back packs loaded with everything they would need for two weeks alone in the bush.
"Team Gama," Coach Fairhall shouted.
"What's he doing here?" Harlan whispered loud enough for only Radu to hear.
Radu shrugged in reply as they marched forward for inspection. Peter had appeared as if by magic beside Catalina, his brown hair neatly combed.
Coach Fairhall looked each of them over and finally okayed them to pile onto the transport. Catalina took Radu's hand and squeezed it tightly.
I guess she's excited, too, Radu thought.
Radu tried to look happy, but as the transport lifted off the ground, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming amount of dread.
**********
Harlan readjusted his pack and took in a deep breath of fresh air. The moon they had landed on was called Alpha Prime 7 - one of the ten moons circling the inhabitable planet of Alpha Prime. They stood in a large field of tall grass with no signs of the civilization they had just left except for the small patch of burned grass where they had been dropped off. To the north was a large, dense forest that bordered a tall mountain range. Harlan could see the snow capped peaks from where they stood. The forest surrounded them to the east and south and their western front was a large freshwater lake.
Cat walked up to where Harlan stood after checking out their surroundings. Radu marked their drop-off position on the map and Peter sat down, almost completely lost from view in the tall grass.
"We should head to the lake first and test it for drinking water," Cat said. "Maybe we'll find a stream leading into the forest. It would be safer for us to camp in the forest than in the open."
Harlan nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Let's set out."
He led the way, followed by Cat and Radu. They had traveled a few meters before realizing that Peter was not following them. Harlan halted and turned.
"Hey Corwell!" he called. "C'mon! You're holding everything up!"
"You go ahead, Band," Peter called back. "I can survive on my own."
"Don't be a moron!" Catalina yelled. "We'll all get in trouble if you stay here alone."
Peter didn't answer.
"He's whistling to himself," Radu told them. "I think his fingers are in his ears."
Harlan sighed. "Forget him. Cat, record in the log that Corwell refused to come."
Cat nodded and punched a few buttons on her compupad. With a final look back, Harlan turned and began to head to the lake.
**********
When the space cases were out of view, Peter rose and ran to the forest's edge. He followed the trio from the safety of the bushes, hoping that the annoying Andromedan wouldn't hear him creeping.
He matched their pace step for step, walking over fallen logs as if they weren't there. All the while, he fingered a small recording device he had brought with him.
**********
Catalina rose from the edge of the water, holding a small sample of it in a test tube. She gave it to Harlan, who tested it to see if it was drinkable.
"Not bad," he said after a few minutes. "It's probably got a metallic-y taste to it because of the minerals nearby, but it is safe. I bet the river that feeds this lake would be purer, though."
Cat nodded and walked over to where Radu stood. He was deep in thought, head cocked and ears open. Catalina stepped on a twig and the snapping sound made Radu wince. He refocused his hearing to a more subdued level and turned to Cat.
"Sorry," she said.
Radu waved the apology aside. "I hear running water, only a few meters away."
They headed back to where Harlan waited with their gear. Soon, they were back on their feet, circling the lake. The river appeared in moments and they followed it into the northern forest. A clearing was soon found and camp was set up. Radu gathered wood as Harlan made dinner and Catalina pitched the tents. As the sun set over the isolated moon, the three Starcademy recruits were comfortable and warm.
**********
Peter crouched in the bushes, not daring to breath in case the Andromedan heard him. He waited patiently for them to sleep. They ate, talked, laughed and finally went into their separate tents to sleep. Peter almost shouted with relief as he moved his sore legs and crawled to where the Andromedan slept. Peter was thankful the creature enjoyed his privacy and had set up his tent further away from the others as he put the recorder next to the Andromedans head. He pushed the on button and a soft, humming music played. Smiling to himself, Peter dashed back into the forest to watch the prank he had been planning for months begin.
**********
Something woke Harlan in the middle of the night. He tried to ignore it as he turned over to go back to sleep, but a nagging sensation told him to check it out. He remembered Commander Goddard telling him to always listen to his instincts and he crept out of his tent.
It was music. Blinking sleepily, Harlan wondered who would be playing music this late at night. Suddenly, realization snapped in his head. He knew the song that was being played. It was the same quiet, repetitive, tuneless song the Andromedans had hummed during the war. It was the same song that had won the war for the UPP. He was now wide awake as he saw Radu's sleeping form toss and turn in his tent.
He can't help himself, Harlan thought. The War chant will make him go berserk!
Harlan turned on his heel and ran to where Catalina still slept. He burst into her tent and shook her hard. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him crossly.
"Harlan, go away," she whispered.
"Listen Cat," Harlan said seriously. "We have to get out of here. Someone slipped the Andromedan War Chant into Radu's tent and he's getting restless. Remember what he told Mattar at lunch that day?"
"The War Chant?" Catalina said. "But we're the only people on this planet, except . . . "
Harlan and Cat stared into each other's eyes. "Peter."
An angry roar and the sound of a tent being ripped to shreds told them that Radu was awake and fully under the influence of the chant. Harlan dragged Catalina to her feet and pushed her out of the tent, grabbing her half unpacked bag as he jumped out. As Cat ran, Harlan turned to look over his shoulder at his best friend.
Radu was like an animal. He seemed taller than normal and his hair flew everywhere like a wild creature's fur. He pushed over a tree as if it were a building block and it landed with a thud on Harlan's tent. Radu raised his head and his eyes locked with Harlan's. Harlan saw nothing of his friend, only the raw anger of an awakened beast. Turning, he ran after Cat.
"Faster!" he yelled as Radu began to chase them.
"Put your hands over your ears," Cat called.
Harlan did as he was told a split second before a piercing sonic blast rocked the lunar surface. Radu screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Catalina felt an overpowering urge to run to him and help him up, but Harlan grabbed her as he ran past, pulling her away.
**********
The sun rose over the forest, shining its light down on the deserted planet. The insects were the first to awaken, chirping and going about their business. Large birds of prey swooped down to catch their breakfast or flew lazily home to sleep for the day.
Harlan woke up with his head resting on a rotting log and one arm protectively around Catalina. He wore his Starcademy uniform pants and only a thin yellow shirt against the coolness of the early morning. Beside him was the backpack he had grabbed as they had fled their camp.
As the memories of the previous night came flooding back, Harlan froze. He listened for any sounds of his best friend coming crashing through the forest. Beside him, Catalina stirred and woke. She looked confused for a split second before the fear returned into her eyes. Harlan eased his arm free of her and rose quietly to peer into the still forest.
"He's not there," he whispered.
"Poor Radu," Catalina said. "I wonder where he is."
"I wonder if that rampage has worn off yet," Harlan replied. "We don't know how to stop it and obviously neither does he. When I get my hands on that miserable little squirt, I'll - "
"Shhh!" Catalina silenced him.
Harlan paused in his ranting to listen. Footsteps were heading their way. Both Starcademy students froze again and waited patiently. The bushes ahead of them moved and a mother pig came out, followed by three tiny piglets. She grunted as she walked by, warning the humanoids not to try and eat her litter. Harlan relaxed the fighting stance he had not realized he had taken and laughed. The pigs passed back into the forest. Harlan slid down the rotting log at sat beside Catalina.
"We need a plan," he said.
"Well," Cat began. "First, I think we should head back to the camp and see if anything is salvageable."
"Good idea," Harlan agreed. "Then we should try and catch Radu and keep him locked up until the mission is over or until that chant wears off."
"What are we going to do?" Catalina asked. "Sneak up behind him and whack him over the head with a stick? He'll hear us coming, you know."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Harlan demanded angrily. "Dodge him for the next thirteen days?"
Catalina didn't reply. Harlan picked up her pack and began rummaging through it.
"Didn't you pack any food?" Harlan asked.
"No," Cat replied. "You and Radu were carrying the food. I was carrying the log, the first aid, and two tents."
Harlan threw the bag in disgust. "I guess we better move out."
"You guess?" Cat repeated, standing. "Well, as long as you're sure, fearless leader!"
Harlan shot her a dirty look as they began retracing their steps back to the camp.
**********
The camp was a disaster area. The three tents had been torn to shreds and scattered around the camp area. Food was mostly eaten or destroyed and several large trees had been knocked over. Rocks around the stream were red with blood and Catalina stared at them in horror.
"He's hurt!" she gasped.
Harlan knelt and followed the trail of blood with his eyes. It disappeared into the forest.
"We better follow it," he said. "The last thing we need is someone dying."
Catalina said nothing but followed Harlan back into the forest. They had been walking for several minutes before Harlan halted.
"Do you hear something?" he asked.
"You sound like Radu," Catalina remarked.
Harlan rolled his eyes. "No, listen."
Catalina cocked her head to one side and her eyes widened in shock.
"It sounds like someone's calling for help!" she said.
Harlan nodded. "It must be Peter."
He turned toward the sound of the cries for help and began to run.
"What are you doing?" Cat demanded.
"Saving him."
"Why?"
"What kind of a leader would I be if I let a member of my team get killed?"
"The same kind of leader that would let a member of your team go on a killing rampage," she replied.
Harlan choose to ignore the comment as he kept running up the steep hill toward the sounds of Peter screaming. Catalina followed him as quickly as she could.
"Stupid course," she muttered to herself. "Next semester, I'm taking Spatial Living instead!"
**********
Harlan crashed through a thicket and into a semi open area. A thin stream rolled by - no doubt on its way to the large lake. Several large trees were in the area, along with waist high bushes and knee high grass. Harlan's eyes scanned the area quickly for either Radu or Peter and he was shocked to see neither.
Behind him, Catalina made a more dignified entrance, sweeping away branches with her arms. She was panting slightly from the long, uphill run to the clearing.
"Where is he?" she asked.
Harlan didn't know if she was referring to Radu or Peter. Either way, his answer was the same. "I don't know."
"Keep your eyes peeled," she said.
They crept more slowly into the clearing, barely making a sound as they walked.
"Hey! Up here!" a voice called.
Catalina raised her head and saw Peter sitting in one of the trees. His clothes were dirty and torn and his hair its usual disheveled self. His face was smeared with dirt and blood.
"Peter?" she asked.
"Who did you expect it to be Rainbow Brain?" Peter yelled. "Get me down from here before it gets back!"
"It?" Harlan asked.
"That Andromedan! It chased me up here and now I can't get down!"
Harlan raised his fist and shook it at Peter. He started to walk to the base of the tree when Catalina held him back.
"Please," she said. "Allow me."
She judged the distance to be about five meters high as she inhaled deeply. Harlan covered his ears seconds before Catalina released her sonic blast. The tree branch that Peter occupied rocked once and broke, sending the arrogant Earther tumbling to the ground.
He stood up and dusted himself off. Catalina smiled at him smugly.
"You're welcome," she said.
Harlan charged past his friend and grabbed Peter by the collar. He held the smaller boy up until they were eye-to-eye. Harlan shook him until he could have sworn he heard Peter's teeth rattle.
"You idiot!" Harlan yelled. "You complete and total moron! Do you realize what you've done? Can you see the danger we're all in?"
"Harlan, calm down," Catalina said quietly. "If that blast didn't alert Radu as to where we are, your shouting will."
Harlan shook Peter a few more times and dropped him to the ground. Peter stood again and dusted off his uniform.
"For your information," Peter said tartly. "I was planning on getting off this rock before the tape took effect. I had no idea that he'd react so quickly. A separate transport was supposed to come and get me out of here, but your barbarian friend scared it off!"
Anger flooded into Catalina's eyes and she hit Peter square across the jaw. Harlan's eyes widened with shock and his lips parted into a smile as Peter fell for the third time, to the ground. Catalina stood over him.
"Never, ever, blame Radu for this," she snarled.
Peter lay on the ground, too dazed to stand. Harlan smiled at his girlfriend as she massaged her sore hand.
**********
Radu stalked with animal like instincts. He could hear his prey talking to themselves - the female defending him and the dominant male asserting his supremacy. It was odd that he no longer thought of them as friends or even as separate beings. He only saw intruders and prey.
Stop this! part of him screamed. Cat's the one who's helped you through all the tough times and Harlan's your best friend!
Radu ignored the last few scattered thoughts of sympathy that rummaged through his brain. His stomach rumbled for food and his keen hearing soon detected easier prey. Abandoning his former classmates, he set out for a quick meal.
**********
"It'll wear off," Peter said. "The brute said so himself."
Catalina glared at him and Peter shrunk away from her stare. He pressed the bag of cool water onto his sore jaw and tried to make the best of his unpleasant situation.
"He listened to that chant for about a minute when he fought in the war and it took him almost three days for it to 'wear off'," Harlan reminded Peter. "This time, he listened for almost three minutes."
"Which means we could be dodging him for a long time," Catalina said.
Peter shrugged. "All we have to do is sedate him."
"With what?" Harlan asked.
Peter patted his backpack. "A good genius always has an emergency plan. I have tranquilizers and sedative darts in here in case he gets out of control."
"He already is out of control," Harlan remarked.
"Let me see that," Cat said, grabbing the bag.
Before Peter could protest, Cat was taking out all his darts and drugs. She inspected each of the labels carefully. Finally, she threw them all back into the bag.
"Careful!" Peter hissed. "Don't break any."
"Suzee says that one dose of any of these would completely alter Andromedan biology," Catalina said. "We could make his rampage worse, or kill him."
Peter shrugged. Harlan punched him in the shoulder.
"We're not using any of these," Cat said.
"Why?" Peter demanded. "Because your pretend friend thinks it may hurt the beast? I would rather have it be his life than mine!"
"So speaks the man who caused all this in the first place!" Harlan snapped. "Maybe we should just tie you up and wait for Radu to come and get you."
"Suzee isn't pretend," Catalina said in her own defense.
A large object fell from above them, landing at Harlan's feet. He kicked it with one foot and it rolled over, revealing the features of a dead animal. Harlan's face mirrored complete disgust as he kicked the decapitated head out of their small circle.
"He's waiting," Harlan remarked.
Catalina stood and shouldered her bag. Peter did the same, taking his pack from where Catalina had thrown it.
"What should we do?" Peter asked.
"Run," Catalina said, turning sharply.
As they made a run for the cover of the forest, Radu jumped out from behind one of the nearby bushes. Peter screamed and ran faster, outdistancing both Harlan and Catalina. Radu ran with the steady pace of an Andromedan, eating up the distance between them.
Suddenly, Catalina felt something whiz by her face. She turned and saw Radu fall down, a small point of red forming on his shoulder. Cat turned again and saw Peter, holding a small tranquilizer gun with smoke coming from the barrel.
"Quick!" Peter said. "Let's go!"
Catalina stared at him in shock. She turned again and ran back to where Radu lay on the ground in pain. Harlan called out for her to come back, but she didn't listen. She came to Radu and knelt beside him.
He lay on his face, breathing more rapidly than usual. Carefully, she turned him over and saw that he was unconscious, but his eyes were open. She closed them and tried to find his heartbeat.
"Harlan," she called. "Did you take alien biology?"
"Yeah," he answered, "but I failed it."
"This is important," Cat continued. "What's an Andromedan's average heartbeats per minute supposed to be?"
Harlan ran over and knelt beside her, feeling Radu's pulse.
"Whoa! Way less than that!" Harlan exclaimed.
Radu's face was flushed and getting hotter by the instant. Steam came from his ears and his limbs started to twitch.
"Suzee!" Catalina cried. "What do I do?"
Harlan stared at his friend's face and wondered if it would be the last time it would be alive. Behind them, Peter dropped the gun with a loud thud and fled into the forest.
**********
Radu woke to the sounds of a forest full of life. The sky was dark - or was he blind? No, there were stars above him. It was night time. He heard insects, nocturnal animals, and the crackling of a nearby fire. Gingerly, he raised his head and saw the flames. The sudden light made his head ache more and he lay back down with a moan. As he fell back asleep, he wondered why his limbs felt as heavy as led and where Harlan and Catalina were.
**********
When he next opened his eyes, the sun greeted him. He blinked furiously and heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He still found he could not move and turned his head to see who was coming. By the lightness of the steps and the nervous heartbeat, he guessed it was Catalina. He was right.
"Radu?" she whispered. "Are you all right?"
Something deep within him begged him to jump to his feet and tear her head off. He pushed that feeling back down and smiled.
"Cat? Is that you?" he said. "I was afraid I might have - "
Catalina smiled back. "We're all safe. I'm glad you're back to normal."
He slowly raised himself up to a half sitting position, his body weight supported by his arms behind him. His vision spun for a second and he was forced to close his eyes until his head returned to normal. When he opened them again, Catalina was rummaging through her pack and Harlan was cooking something over a small fire. The Earther saw his friend was awake and smiled.
"Hey, Radu!" he called. "Want some breakfast?"
"Sure," Radu called back. "What are we having?"
Harlan held up a stick. On it was a freshly caught and skinned animal. Radu could still see the raw meat and the pile of bloody skins nearby. Again, he fought down the urge to eat the meat as it was.
"Squirrel," Harlan replied. "It was all I could catch."
Cat made a face. "Harlan, I told you not to tell me what we're eating! Now when I see another squirrel, I'll feel guilty I ate this one."
Radu slowly rose to his feet, the smell of blood drawing him back into his berserk state. His head spun again, and he ignored it as he walked purposely forward.
The creature that had caught the prey knelt over it, guarding it from other predators. Radu's lips curled back into a snarl and he prepared to strike . . .
"Radu," Catalina called.
Snap out of it! he yelled at himself.
He shook his head and looked at Catalina. She was looking at him with concern. In each of her hands, she held a small pail. She motioned over her shoulder to the distant stream.
"Will you come with me to get water while Harlan cooks?" she asked.
"S - Sure," Radu answered, rubbing his face with both hands. "I - I guess I'm just not myself right now."
He meant for it to be a warning, but Catalina only smiled warmly and handed him a pail. They started off to the stream.
**********
Harlan ate his small portion of squirrel and waited for Cat and Radu to return. They had been gone for some time and he knew that it took a while to reach the faster moving stream - especially since they were higher up than the lake.
Out of boredom, he picked up the log and read what Catalina had put about their adventure. He skimmed through the days that had already passed until he got to the student evaluation that was to be completed at the end. Curiously, he read his own evaluation:
BAND, HARLAN - Shows excellent leadership abilities in the face of danger. Resourceful and competent.
Harlan smiled and put the compupad down and noticed that it was getting darker out. The small fire had gone out and the meat was getting cold. Taking only a flashlight, Harlan ran towards the stream.
**********
He jumped from the last rock to the opposite side of the stream. The water flowed more quietly at this point and, after scouting further downstream, Harlan had decided that this was the safest point to cross. He had spotted both water pails on the far bank and several spots of blood on the ground. He remembered what Radu had said back at Starcademy
iIt took me a while to convince them that I was fine before they released me./i
"Of course!" Harlan said aloud. "How dumb can I be? The reason it took them a while was because he wasn't completely out of it! That means . . . Oh no! Cat!"
Forgetting stealth, Harlan spun on his heels and ran. Before him, the stream became a river and the river became a waterfall.
**********
"Catalina!" Harlan called, stumbling over rocks.
The roar of the raging water was almost deafening. The banks of the river had become rocky and difficult to walk on. Harlan cursed himself for waiting so long before he went after them.
"Catalina!" he yelled again.
"Catalina! . . . Catalina! . . . Catalina! . . . " his echo replied.
Harlan slipped and almost rolled into the water. The sun was setting rapidly now, casting long shadows over the rocks and making the journey all the more dangerous. Falling again, Harlan picked himself up and kept moving forward. Finally, his persistence was rewarded.
Radu stood just ahead of him, holding something in his arms. The Andromedan stood at the edge of the waterfall, gazing down the cliff side into the seemingly small pool of water far below. As Harlan came closer, he whirled around and the Earther saw Catalina unconscious in Radu's arms.
"Cat!" Harlan cried.
"Don't come any closer!" Radu growled.
From the wild look in Radu's eyes, Harlan decided to obey. He froze where he stood and held up his hands in surrender. Radu stared at him with anger in his eyes.
"The prey thought it could be the hunter," Radu snarled. He extended the still form of Catalina over the edge of the falls. "The prey must pay the price!"
Harlan watched helplessly as Radu prepared to throw his friend into the waterfall. Before he could release her, his keen hearing picked something up. Radu turned around quickly, dropping Catalina to the rocky ground with an audible thud. Harlan winced in sympathy as she connected with the earth. At the forest's rim, the bushes rustled. As quick as lightning, Radu pounced on the bush and pulled out Peter.
Harlan ran to where Catalina lay and inspected her. She had received a nasty blow to the head, which had left the rocks that Harlan had found blood stained. She was unconscious, but other than that had no obvious injuries. Harlan cradled her in his arms and watched Radu go after Peter.
The Andromedan held Peter by his neck, which caused the tranquilizer gun to fall from Peter's limp fingers. Radu shook him and prepared to tighten his grasp on the boys neck.
"Radu! Wait!" Harlan shouted.
Radu turned and stared at Harlan again. Peter made a strange gurgling noise from where he hung.
"It's me," the Earther said. "Harlan. You have to fight it, buddy. Put that wall back up and control yourself."
Radu shook his head and released Peter. The boy slid to the ground, gasping for air. Radu clenched at his temples, battling the effects of the war chant.
"That's it," Harlan encouraged. "Get it out of your system."
Radu screamed. His voice let out the pent up rage he felt and made the top of the trees rattle. Peter looked up in terror from where he sat at the Andromedan's feet. Wearily, Radu sank to his knees. Peter scurried backwards, staying out of arms reach.
Harlan gently lay Catalina back down and walked over to where his best friend sat. Radu seemed tired and worn, but unhurt. Harlan knelt beside him and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," Harlan said quietly. "How are you?"
Radu rubbed his face with his hands, as if trying to scrub off everything he had done. "I - I think I'm okay, now."
Harlan smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good. Now, let's head back to camp and actually finish the mission."
Radu smiled wryly. "You think we'll get A's for surviving this?"
"We better," Harlan laughed.
**********
The transport landed in the same field where it had dropped them off. Catalina's head was bandaged, but she was fine. Peter was still shaken and had lost his voice and Radu kept his eyes downcast, refusing to look at anyone.
The rest of the mission had flown by, with all four members of the team working together. They had drawn a rough map of their designated area and had completed all the skills necessary for survival. They all agreed that it was time to go home.
Radu sat next to Catalina on the transport as it headed into orbit. He stared at his boots until she put her hand on his. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and she smiled.
"I'm sorry," Radu said for the millionth time.
Catalina said nothing, but handed him the log of their mission. Radu looked at her questioningly, but she had turned away again to talk to Harlan. Radu scanned the compupad and read the final entry that Catalina had written.
LOG, FINAL ENTRY - The mission was successful. Minor injuries to Catalina after she slipped on a rock and hit her head as well as to Peter after he was stung by an insect and received a swollen throat. First Aid administered by Harlan Band.
Puzzled by the entry, Radu read the rest of the log. He found no mention of the tape Peter had played or his berserk rampage. He raised his head and saw Catalina smiling at him again.
"But - " Radu stammered.
"Peter won't say a thing," Catalina promised, her eyes penetrating the other boys. Peter nodded furiously. "I calmly explained to him that if he said anything, the principal would know that he caused it."
Radu smiled and blushed. "Thank you," he said.
Catalina patted him on the shoulder. "Don't mention it," she said. "After all, you are the reason we're all passing this course!"
Radu laughed as they headed back to the Starcademy.