The Dreaming – Chapter 2

The ground beneath my feet

A few hours earlier...

"By the great god Make Make this is not good!" exclaimed Hawk as he sank up to his leather clad knees in swampy, stagnant water and decaying foliage. With increasing horror, he realised that there appeared to be no bottom to the pit.

The Searcher's continuing mission to find the lost tribes of Earth had found Hawk and his companion and fellow shipmate, Captain Buck Rogers, exploring a small and as yet unnamed planet on the far side of the quadrant. Research had revealed that the planet had contained the right levels of carbon dioxide, oxygen and water vapour to make it habitable to human life. Their search had yielded no results as yet.

Hawk now found himself in a terrible predicament as the ground beneath his feet attempted to swallow him whole, feathers and all. The dank stench of the bog permeated his nostrils as he struggled to try and free himself of the cloying mixture. The more he struggled however, the deeper he sank.

Buck who was a few paces behind quickly back-stepped just in time to avoid stepping into the swamp himself. He tried in vain to pull his friend to safety. "Quicksand – Quick! Grab my hand!" he yelled. "And try not to struggle as that will only pull you under quicker."

"I can't – reach!" was the anguished response. "I'm sinking too fast."

The bog had obtained quite a hold of the poor bird-man and by then, he was already buried up to his chest in rotting leaves and filthy water.

"Hold on and try to keep still whilst I find something to pull you out with."

Buck started searching frantically until he found a long, fallen branch. It was damp and half rotten, but it offered a glimmer of hope to his friend who was now up to his neck in the slimy bog. Hawk managed to reach out and grab the proffered stick but couldn't get a good grip as it was too slippery.

"It...It is no use Buck!"

"Hawk!" Buck yelled but it was too late. Hawk's hand slid off the branch and his head disappeared beneath the surface. The ex United States astronaut could only stare in shock, as the last few air bubbles floated to the surface.

Then he sprang into action, "Hawk!" he repeated, as he frantically poked at the pile of leaves.

For a moment there was only silence in the forest, then, suddenly, a black, leather clad arm flew out of the murk and fastened onto the slippery wooden limb. Seconds later this was followed by Hawk's head and chest. Buck heaved on the branch and slowly, reluctantly, the deadly assassin had no choice but to relinquish its prize.

Buck grabbed hold of Hawk's left bicep and managed to pull him further out of the swamp. Gripping the branch with his right hand, Hawk grabbed Buck's arm with the other and with a huge effort managed to haul himself out. The bird-man crouched down on one knee as he took a few moments to recover his breath. The water had been cold and despite his moulded leather clothing, he was chilled to the bone and had started shivering.

Buck breathed a huge sigh of relief. "C'mon Hawk, you're freezing, let's get back to the ship. We have enough samples for Dr Goodfellow."

Hawk nodded and they decided to turn around and make their way back to the shuttle.

"I think," he panted, indicating the branch, "that we should take that with us and use it to check that our path is safe."

"Good idea," buck said in agreement.

Using the branch to feel the solidity of the ground, they carefully picked their way back through the forest.

"Well our instruments are registering life forms but there is no sign of any life so far," Hawk frowned and said thoughtfully, "according to this though, there is life all around us."

"Ah!" Buck replied, "I think I know why, and it is all around us – look, down at the ground."

Hawk looked to see what Buck was talking about. On the forest floor, thousands of beetles were milling around amongst the decaying flora. The two men started carefully turning to look all around them. Then Buck's foot hit something hard. He bent down and carefully shifted the leaves away from the object. It was a skull similar in size and shape to a large dog. Hawk uncovered a couple more of them. Taking a cloth from his back pack, he carefully removed the skull and packed it away for the ship's chief scientist, Dr Goodfellow, to examine. "Looks like some kind of animal, whatever it is, it's long dead anyway."

Buck shook his leg to loosen the bugs that were crawling over his boots and seemed hell-bent on invading his clothing.

We've found nothing on this planet, but a few insects and skulls, thanks fellas. What a way to spend New Year's Eve!" he grumbled, looking skyward.

"New Years Eve?" queried Hawk, "What is that, an old Earth custom?"

"That's exactly what it is," his friend informed him. "It's when in the old Earth calendar, the old year ended. At the stroke of midnight on the last day in December, or Decco as it's now known, people would have a party or just call up friends and family and wish them happiness and luck for the year ahead."

"That sounds like a pleasant custom," Hawk replied, "so that is what people will do on the Searcher tonight?"

Buck shook his head sadly. "I doubt it, judging by last year, it's yet another time old tradition that's gone by the wayside along with most of Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving." Seeing his friend's confused expression, he added, "I'll explain those others some other time Hawk, Let's just get back to the Searcher – before I pick up any more stowaways and you get pneumonia.

"I get a new what?" was the puzzled reply.

"Never mind, let's just get back to the shuttle."

But the insects weren't the only life forms on this damp and dreary world and soon Buck and Hawk were going to have a lot more to worry about than a few bugs!

To be continued

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