Chapter 12
The next morning they all awoke early. There was no need for alarms to wake them. They gathered back on the flight deck to go over the map again.
"Zev, can you put these co-ordinates into the computer and see what it comes up with?" Kerran asked. It was the first point, where the rebel ship was supposed to be.
Zev read the screen for a moment. "It's in a forested area." he said to them. "Doubt we'll be able to land the ship there. Unless we want to take out the forest and probably spear a few holes in our hull as well. Some of those trees are pretty big."
"What's the closest safe landing point?"
Zev tapped a few moments. "Probably about 15 kilometres away." he said.
"Will the cart make it?"
Zev shook his head. "Undergrowth is too thick."
"Then we walk." said Calan.
"I'll get packs ready." Veril said, moving off.
"Zev, log the co-ordinates. We may as well make a start." and Kerran settled herself into the flight chair and began lift preparations.
"Veril," Kerran called through the intercom. "Come up, we're about to move."
"On my way." came the answer.
When all were seated, they left their landing and made their way to the next spot.
"Picking up anything?" Kerran asked Zev, who was scanning the ground below them.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. The landing spot seems alright still."
"Good. Veril?"
"Nothing on the channels. There's not enough traffic through this sector to even keep them awake."
"All the better for us."
A short time later, "How's this?" Kerran asked.
"Set her down." Zev said, which she did.
Zev had chosen well, as close to the forest edge as he was able to do so. They all piled out and looked at the trees and lush growth in silence.
"Well, we had best start, I think." spoke up Calan, spurring them into action.
Veril went and soon returned with packs, one for each of them, whilst Kerran finished locking down the ship. When they were kitted out they began to head off, following Zev who had the co-ordinates set.
"Are we likely to meet any native animals to give us trouble?" Kerran asked, pushing past some bushes.
"The record banks didn't say there were any large carnivorous beasts." Calan said. "There are some smaller varieties which is what made this planet so ideal for the farmers originally. I don't know if anything else was introduced later but there didn't appear to be any reports of attacks or such that would indicate this."
"That's some comfort, at least." Veril put in, clambering over a fallen tree trunk covered with moss.
After a couple of hours they halted for a moment, each perching where it would be comfortable for them. Sweat streamed on all of them. They had arrived in the summer season and although it was cooler under the canopy of the trees it was hard enough going still. Veril wiped her brow.
"How much further?" she asked, fanning herself.
Zev checked his calculations. "Not far. Probably just another kilometre or so. Remember," he cautioned all of them. "We really don't know how much will be left, if anything. This heat and moisture would rust and corrode most things."
Kerran grimace a little. "We know, Zev." She looked at the others. "I guess we're all just hoping for.." she trailed off and shrugged. "I guess we don't know for what."
"It's kind of hard to take in at the moment. That we're so close. That they were here." Veril said.
"Or still here." Zev put in quietly, finally voicing the thought they all had, that this could be the final resting place of their parents, where they had died.
"Come on." Calan said briskly. "Sitting here changes nothing, no matter what, so we may as well keep on."
They all got to their feet, acknowledging the truth of his words and pushed on. True to his word, they reached what showed to be their destination where Zev had indicated. If they hadn't had their scanners they would never have found it. The forest had reclaimed the area, covering the signs of intrusion from long ago.
They began to move forward, when Calan stopped abruptly ad raised his hand, signalling for them all to do the same. They followed his lead, all remained silent. Calan looked around them, only moving his head, scanning the forest. Nothing appeared out of place, no sound emerged that didn't fit. He waited a few more moments but nothing new emerged. He then beckoned them over.
"What's up?" Zev asked, as they reached Calan.
He pointed down, showing them the outline of a boot print, squashed grasses and ferns showing it clearly.
"That's new." Veril said, and she too quickly glanced around.
"Local?" Kerran questioned.
"Maybe." Calan replied. "But here? And now?" he raised his eyebrows indicating the unlikelihood of it.
Keran nodded her head in agreement. Coincidences were stretching things again. "Go carefully." Calan cautioned and they all made their way forward again, slowly scanning the area as they went. They saw no other signs of disturbances in the undergrowth but this only reassured them a little.
With the help of the scanner they pulled and hacked undergrowth away and found metal underneath. They then were hours sifting through this, Zev and Calan dissecting, testing and cataloguing everything they kept. As the sun dipped lower into the sky, they stopped to confer.
"How are we going?" Kerran asked.
"Think we're just about done." Zev said, looking at Calan who nodded also. "We could try spending more time here to be completely thorough but I would questioned the effectiveness of doing such." he said.
"So?" Keran questioned.
"I think we should get back." Veril said. "We've got things to work on from here, and there's still the other site to get to yet. We may find more there."
Kerran looked at the other two but no-one put forward any other views or ideas. She glanced up at the sinking sun. "Then we had better go now if we're to make it back by dark. Despite there not supposed to be anything dangerous on this planet I don't fancy trying to put it to the test."
They gathered their belongings and made their way back to the ship. The going was a little easier as there were signs of their passage from the morning to lead them. Full dark had just come over as the outline of the ship could be seen.
"Thank goodness!" Kerran said, entering the door and dropping her pack to stretch. The others did likewise. Looking at them she thought, Don't we make a sorry bunch!
"Go on." she then said. "Get cleaned up and get some rest." and without any arguments they all went, this time to their separate rooms.
They all slept late the next morning, but as they really didn't have anywhere in particular to go urgently they didn't feel any guilt in this. They all refreshed themselves, relaxing. Zev and Calan laid their finds out on a work bench from the day before, checking labels were still attached.
Finally Kerran said, "Shall we go?"
Zev looked up. "May as well. See where we end up. Are we going to start today?"
"Maybe not. Let's see when we get there."
"Fair enough." Zev agreed, making his way to his console and locking in the secondary co-ordinates.
"Where will this take us?" Veril asked.
"Abe said it was the rebel base. Or what is left of it. And it's quite likely that there isn't anything there. Abe said he hadn't been back really since the destruction. Too many bad memories."
"So it could just be a pile of rubble?" Zev asked.
"Could be." Calan confirmed. "Only one way to find out otherwise."
"All set." Zev told Kerran.
"Okay."
They prepared for lift off, and just staying clear of the tree tops, skimmed across the planet's surface to the next destination.