At the bright dawn of the next day, Buzz stood at the entrance of his teepee, inhaling the wintry winds. "Ahhhh…" he breathed in smiling. Such freshness Capital Planet never had to offer. Getting back in, he took an earthen bowl in his hand. It was full of aromatic, hot soup. A young village woman had brought it to him a few minutes ago, with a pail full of warmed water for washing. The delicious food fondled his stomach, putting new energy in him to face the morning. After finishing it, he washed and shaved his extra stubble in shape, jumping then to his space ranger suit.

A grating, tiny footpath took Lightyear's steps towards the village center. On the left, towards the river, opened a large round square. Skillfully made wooden and stony statues, presenting animals and human figures, surrounded it. A bundle of stalls huddled on the other side of it. Although Kalevans were mainly hunters, they obviously dealt in with the other tribes. The main street bypassed the statues from left, leading by the council tents to the river's edge. At a sheltered petite bight, were hand-made boats waiting for the fishers. Behind him, out of his sight, were the stables and other sheds for the domestic animals. And beyond, even some patches. The forest gave mostly the food for the people, but some denizens wanted variation to their tables.

Buzz turned his eyes to the right. And there walked Mira and Booster along the footpath towards him. They had left their official uniforms away, traipsing in suede and linen. The Captain looked at Mira with an odd mien. Although he had seen her in her pink princess dresses, definitely not before in an orange-purple, heavily embroidered flax, with a headscarf.   

"Morning, Buzz!" she chirped. "Oh, these people are so nice! Suuremo Vellamo's granddaughters brought us breakfast, towels and everything! The old lady is my neighbor."

"Umm… where's Mrs. Darkmatter?" he noticed her missing.

"Oh, she's checking out XR, now that we're not sloshing about in the forest any more."

"Yeah… better get him fixed. He might be our way to connect Star Command, maybe even the last means." The morning's unconcern began fading from his mind, bringing the stress with impatience back.

"Buzz, you're too nervous. We don't know anything about tomorrow. The villagers are friendly to us, so why won't we just settle down and relax for a few days?" she suggested.

"Yeah! They got really, really good food here!" Booster patted gratified his tummy.

"Uhm, well… maybe a small time. But don't forget, troops, that we're badly lost!"

Taking eased taps towards the river's edge, the three comrades gradually got used to their new surroundings. All in all, the village was not quite large, and eventually broadly organized. But some details started initially stinging in the eye. Mira did not like the way the women toiled with their sometimes over-exaggerative loads, and how the water was so strenuously dragged far, far from the river. Why was there no well in the village? Where were the carriages? Would it not have been easier to harness one of those strong-looking steeds some Kalevans rode, in front of a good cart? She tiptoed to a flock of girls who were labored with several large bails. Those must have weighed at least ten kilos each. With her handy communicator, she started a conversation. "Wouldn't it be easier if you'd use a barrow of some kind to pull your load?"

Whispers. They did the work just how they had used to do. What was that Visitor suggesting?

"I mean… you girls could use a barrow. Put one of your steeds in front of it, and it drags your buckets." More whispers came from the girls' side. They were shy to answer to that strange-looking creature. Buzz came following the Princess, scratching his head. Some kind of candle had been lit in his synapses.

"Do these guys know such thing as wheel?" he abruptly inquired. "I can't see actually those things anywhere."

Mira's eyes widened. The Captain was right. What reason was there to use a carriage, if there were no wheels available? Another questioning with the translator revealed the cold truth.

"Pyoerae? Pyoeriae? Ei, pyoerae. Haen tarkoittaa pyoeraeae!" the teens kept a palaver together. It seemed that in their language was a meaning, an abstraction for 'wheel', but no technical solution for it. Or maybe there had been, and it had been forgotten during the millennia.

"Could it be that these people don't know how to use a wheel?" Lightyear pursed. "Blast, we're definitely far away from home."

"I don't know… they seem to be artistically a developed civilization, but maybe they lack some things we keep as matters-of-facts. Have you ever read about such place as Tellus, Buzz?"

"Uh-huh."

"I read somewhere that there was a race called Incas once. They were high in rank with art handicraft, architecture and even mathematics, but they didn't know the concept of wheel."

"Hmh", the male nodded. He had heard about those. "But what's hindering us to teach them how to use a wheel? Craters, at least we'd have something to do here than just the wandering."

"Great idea! So we could help the whole village, if possible!" she cheered. "What if I go to ask about the well thing –since it would be a lot easier way to get water- and you invent the wheel?"

In a few hours half of the residents were goggling at Buzz and Mira's work on the different sides of the settlement. With Booster's laser, the man had in a breeze made some kind of demonstration issue of a wheel, and manufactured small wheelbarrows by cutting a small tree to pieces, and nailing the parts together. The blacksmiths and carpenters left all their workshops to see, what the bustle was about. They turned around and measured with their eyes Lightyear's composition. Sudden bees of inspiration stung them, making them dash to their shops and imitate what this short man from the sky had done. Fast learners they were, as something was at first taught them. And Buzz could bask sleekly. If he yesterday was not praised, today he had become a careerist.

And what came to Nova, she was teeming with the well operation. The chief announced that it had been deliberated years ago, but with no results. A proper water vain had not been discovered, and so the river was the only source for this vital liquid. However, as certain parts of her wrist communicator worked, it was not quite much of an effort to localize a pouring bilge spring. Yet, it was quite deep in the soil, so a lot of digging would have to be done. But as the sandy ground was not yet fully frozen, it maybe could be delved. And the Jo-Adian's laser would of course help with harder stone.

The late afternoon's hot sun made Buzz' back sweat. He had been for a while assisting the young men who strived with shovels almost amidst the huts. The excavation had been begun, since an ideal place for a common pit was cottoned on. The crowds had piecemeal scattered to their own apis, so that the gawpers were not so many any more. Either some young women came there to bring food and drink to their husbands, or teens came to titter there for other reasons. Especially their shy smiles and blushing cheeks were directed to Buzz, who occasionally turned his crimson red face away from them. Those kinds of stares made him flush all over. Especially the giggles made him turn red, when he was forced to throw his shirt away due to the blazing heat. A genial waft came from the river, but it did not much cool down the perspiring in the hard physical work.

In front of him, on a small fence, were sitting those chirping teens. As he shifted his eyes there the next time, an older, taller figure had appeared there among the girls. It had fresh hunt hanging from its backpack, and it kept whispering something with the younger ones.

"Isn't that the one we met yesterday in the forest?" Buzz thought en passant. It had to be she. Now what was it whispering with the teasers? Wasn't she a bit too old for that? Some kind of other reflexions sneaked in his mind, too. After all, he believed he could have very well beaten up yesterday's beasts without her. She had just reached there before him, was it so? It was a bit of a vinegary gulp for him to swallow, that a woman had saved his life. "I could have done it myself. Buzz Lightyear doesn't need to be saved…" he hummed to himself.

Yoka-hanen at the fence had been watching the show for a few minutes. She had slinked to the edge of the village from the forest. The day's hunt was over, and fresh food would soon be brought under the roof. But the ballyhoo beside Kalervo's large teepee had attached her interest. Yes, it was the funny short man toiling there. From the sky or not, funny in every case. She leaned to the upper bar of the fence, laughing at herself. Didn't the person just shine with his huge alter ego? His overconfidence could be seen miles ahead. That proud pose, the wrinkled brows, the determined expression. She found him rather comical. And what was it with the height? Nearly all the village's men were at least one or two feet taller than this amusing, bearded male. His impossibly wide chest contrasted rather ludicrously with the short legs. Anyhow she did not detest that foreigner, just found him funny. Yoka started keeping her own show up with the teens. Why not to imitate that Mr. Ego a bit? She crumpled her thick brows, puckered up her lips, boasted her pose and took a lonely shovel in her hands. There she was supposedly digging the empty air, pretending to be that over-masculine hero. This made the youngsters howl with laugher, and clap their hands.

The target of the raillery happened to cast his regard back there just when Yoka was in the middle of her silly game. But the effect was the opposite to him. Was that woman mocking him? She did that on purpose? Was she paying him back this way yesterday's tumble? She had seen his 'incompetence', had she?

The chief's daughter from the stage noticed his frown, and sneered back with a wide smirk. Was that man a bit grumpy? Even funnier he looked with that expression. He tried grinning back from his side, but got only some kind of wry smile to hide his little irritation. But soon the woman was gone, had jumped over the fence and vanished towards her lodge. But a nasty taste stayed in his palate. No one would mock Buzz Lightyear!

A couple of days passed. The success of the inventions Team Lightyear with Zarah had made was monumental. The respect among the Kalevans grew, at least as they had suddenly done so much to aid the simple tasks of life. Carts and other kinds of objects the skyfallen had taught them to use, were manufactured with a breeze in the workshops. The old chief was more than gratified with the Visitors, and would give his own gift to Buzz as the time was mature.

One day Lightyear was invited to a hunting-trip. Its mere purpose was to gather food for the beginning winter, and for the feast that would be later arranged for the honorable Guests. Zarah, Mira and Booster stayed in the village since they had plentiful of enlightening work to do among the natives. But the Captain was almost against his own will dragged with a pack of hunter women and a very few men to the journey, to the meadows of Lemminkainen. He was put to sit on a fast steed. Soon two hours of light galloping over the dry forests and moors were behind. He partly shivered with cold, partly hesitated what to do. He had been obliged to dress some uncanny garments again, and so light that the air felt icy. The translator was miles behind; the language of Kalevans felt more like crazy Martian natter. And if this was not enough, there was still one shadow of discomfort with. That certain ragging female was again present. And hadn't she thrown dozens of chaffing regards towards him? Wasn't that comedy in the village already enough? Now what? More mocking?

Yoka was truly on a certain amused mood. As a skilled hunter, she of course was with, even guiding some of the younger women who were not yet capable enough. She was curious to see, how that foreigner could tide over an excursion like this. This was not a pique-nique, but would require a lot of carefulness and heed. The shoot was clustered under some small willows, at the edge of a large field where tens of hairy, heavy beasts grazed. Those would be tried to slay as much as possible. The winter's supplies of food would quite a lot depend on the booty. Of course, other hunting trips would be made here still this autumn. But if today would be successful, fewer dangers were needed. Namely, it was not very riskless to go after those buffalo-like creatures, jauhajokottajas, just with arrows and lances. Well, those were the most efficient weapons the Kalevans had. They were not militant people, but concentrated on peaceful living among the other tribes. It was not even made legends about wars among the natives. There was space and food enough on this planet for everyone, no border conflicts were needed.

However, the actions were suddenly started. A tall woman blew into a horn, letting a hollow sound ring out. The hunters spurred their steeds, and bolted towards the open land. Buzz was for a fraction of time a bit dizzy, but gathered his brains together, starting to follow the lead. The arrows already whizzed around him, spears were thrown. The animals got into panic, and a stampede soon beat the soil. The goading cries, whoops, and the bang of the steeds' hooves made a dissonance with the chaos of life and death. Maybe it was cruel to slaughter animals like this, but how would the families feed their children? A tradition beyond centuries did not fade, but was gone through every year with the course of sun and moons.

Somehow Buzz and this target of his pooh-poohing, Yoka-hanen, had ended up chasing two beasts barging to the same direction. They were harmed already by several arrows, but still kept running with their last forces. Yoka speeded up her steed. The second jauhajokottaja galloped right beside her, in a furious panic. She glanced over her shoulder, and behind her Buzz careered with a stern face. Giggling she decided to play with that proud foreigner a bit. The girl knew it was expressly stupid and careless to do what she had in mind, but could not resist the bantering. She wanted to see, if Buzz would get along in the game.

She led the steed right towards the flank of the hairy beast. Rising up to stand on its back, she took a leap in the air.

"Ayayayayayyyyyyyaaaaah!" A somersault, and she ended up balancing on that jauhajokottaja's back. With a swing of lasso, the rope was hung around the beast's neck, giving her the perfect bridles. Dangerous, foolish was her teasing, but caused in Lightyear right ahead the reaction she had wanted.

The Captain jealously frowned at her from the saddle of his riding animal. What did that girl think she was? Why did she wink to him like that, then laughing rallied something in that Gibberish? This truly knocked his pride. It was enough that she had put the bears down alone, she did not have to show off any more. "I can do that, and a lot better." He knit a plan. "Haven't I ridden with Zurg's hornets, rockets, and everything else? What's so special in this tricking? I'll show that stubborn girl she's not better than Buzz Lightyear is!" So the contest had begun. Steering his animal right beside the second, wild-rushing jauhajokottaja, he rose up, bounced, and ended up similarly to stand on the creature. He tried the same rope trick, somehow succeeding. But… oh the pride, oh the need to swank. Buzz had no idea what kind of freaks those brutes could be. Both he and Yoka were riding towards a small pond. She waved him her fingers, grinning widely and sarcastically. This if what irritated him. But abruptly she decided to jump off from the beast's back, setting up a few hip-swing-ups, at next already laughing on the grass. The other women hunters careered from behind her, shooting more arrows towards the booty. And Buzz did not even notice where he was going. Just there and then he decided to watch forwards, observe the road where the manic ox bolted.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" his eyes widened, as the water's edge glimmered right ahead of him. The animal hopped there. Water splashed and spluttered, and he lastly lost his balance. Possibly he would have got crushed under the brute's weight, unless… one teasing girl had led her steed right behind the jauhajokottaja. A rope appeared around Lightyear's body, and he was snatched on the mount. There he lied on his stomach, yelling.

Still the play was not yet over. The second beast was lassoed tight, and would soon die to bleeding. And the partly-tied Buzz struggled to get Yoka's rope away from around his torso. He had achieved a sitting pose, but had his nose pointing at the mount's hind legs. And… she had decided to stop the jogging mare, with a forceful jerk. And so, as he was holding nothing or not supporting himself anyhow, he was thrown right in the pond in a curve.

Loud giggles and laughters hurt his ears, as Buzz spat the muddy water out of his mouth. The pond was not deep, but even mirier. He supported himself with his arms. When he opened his eyes, he saw a flock of those tall Amazons surrounding him, and initially howling with laughter.

"Oh, craters!" he cursed aloud, trying to get up. But he slipped due to the pond's muddy bed. More titters haunting him. He felt completely stupid, offended, and his whole dignity was taken away. And who did offer him a hand to heave him up?  Was not that the one who started all this? Yoka-hanen. She, she again! Lightyear scrambled up, throwing a deadly glance towards her. That woman would never, ever tease or insult him any more, if it would be in his hands to order it. But she only grinned at him with a wide smirk, humming something less pleasing in Sivakka.

Wet, cold, tired Buzz was, as he huffing and puffing jogged back to his teepee. The hunting was over, and plentiful of quarry had been got. Twelve fat jauhajokottajas one by one were dragged to the village with the new wheel-added carriages, by some young men. Tomorrow would begin the celebration, a grand feast for the visitors!

But Lightyear went to sulk on his mattress. Women. Always teasing and chaffing men, was it so? And particularly this one. He did not need saving, he was Buzz Lightyear. The bears he could still stand somehow, but this went over his haughtiness. He could have even tamed that blasted hair carpet, if he had been given a bit more time. Such, partly resentful thoughts spun around his mind. But… how about his team members? Mira was a woman. Well… he had had quite a lot of problems to accept her doings. He recalled the times, when Warp had eventually turned to the dark side, to serve Zurg as Agent Z. Alpha One's hijacking, Mira's inflexibility… well, by time he had used to it. But this was a different case. That Yucca-hana… or whatever, seemingly enjoyed seeing him in dilemma, was it so? "Hmph! That's it. Stuck up here, and I'm even losing my eminence? Hmm… or maybe I'm exaggerating. But it just doesn't quite feel like that."