LIS Series End Challenge
Forces of Nature
Part 4
There wasn't much to see on the military base. Prefab buildings housed a med bay, dormitories, weapons facility and command post. The base was surrounded by an invisible force field, much like that of the Jupiter, to keep out the natural predators of the planet. Any excursion off base had to be approved by Colonel Bryce.
Lieutenant James Conway stood with a group of hopefuls who were vying to play tour guide to the Robinsons. With two young, beautiful women to escort, competition was fierce. Colonel Bryce narrowed the field down to five, and held straws in his hand for each of the men to choose. "Short straw gets the job," Tom told them.
Lieutenant Conway was the third to choose. He reached for one of the three that was left and grinned. "Game's over, boys, I got the job," he commented as he pulled the short straw.
"Lieutenant," Bryce acknowledged, "I don't need to tell you that you have to be in top form on this expedition. These are my friends."
The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand, sir."
Conway turned to leave, but Bryce stopped him. "And, Lieutenant..."
"Yes, sir?"
"No flirting."
Lieutenant Conway smiled and snapped a salute and he left to meet the family at the Jupiter 2. Despite being offered accommodations in the dormitories, they preferred to stay in the familiar surroundings of their ship.
The lieutenant entered the hatch and saluted Don. "Major West."
Don saluted him in return and said, "You can call me Don."
"I'm sorry, Major, that would be against regulations."
Don shrugged. "I guess I'll have to get used to military protocol again, Lieutenant. It's been a while."
Jim Conway noted the holsters strapped to Don's, John's and Will's hips and nodded in approval. "Um, I suggest that the women carry weapons also," he said.
As Don immediately unhooked his holster and held it out for Judy, John asked, "Is that really necessary, Lieutenant?"
Judy accepted the weapon from Don without comment. They had barely said two words to each other since they had landed. Her hand brushed against his, and their eyes locked long enough for both to feel the desire they had denied for so long well up inside them again. Don tore his eyes away, and he went to the weapons locker and pulled out two rifles and another pistol.
When he returned, he heard the lieutenant describing the predatory dangers that lurked beyond the force field. "We're the bottom of the food chain here, Professor Robinson. The chances of being stalked by prey is high, and the longer we're out, the more dangerous it'll get." John unhooked his holster and handed it to Maureen while Don handed the extra pistol to Penny and the second rifle to John. The lieutenant waited until the holsters were strapped on the women's hips and turned to lead them off the base.
The party approached the force field. "Seven-nine-eight-seven," the lieutenant announced as he punched in the code to open the force field. "Remember those numbers. You'll need that code to get back through the force field if we get separated," he told them.
"Lieutenant Conway, um, just how dangerous is it out here?" Penny asked.
"Well, Ms. Robinson, there are creatures out here that can have you peeled and quartered within two minutes. And you can call me Jim."
Penny glanced at Judy and smiled. "Jim," she repeated. "And you can call me Penny."
He smiled and said, "Just stay close to me, Penny, and you'll be fine."
There was nothing she would have liked more, Penny thought, as she admired his broad shoulders and chiseled nose. She guessed that he was about the same age as Judy, and she hoped that Judy wasn't thinking the same thing she was. She walked up beside the lieutenant as they walked outside of the force field. Then she glanced back to see her parents following, and Judy walking beside Will. Don brought up the rear, and Penny noted that he was already on high alert as he scanned the surroundings.
The sky was the bluest any of them had ever seen. Without pollution, there were no pink and orange tinted clouds. The foliage was dense and rich was life, and they heard the calls of thousands of creatures.
"Have you done any environmental studies?" John asked as they stepped between huge greenish blue leaves and purple black vines.
"Not yet, Professor."
"What about geological surveys or animal classifications?" Will asked.
"We don't really have the expertise to do that. We're here for defense, not scientific study," the lieutenant told them.
"There is so much vegetation," Penny commented, "a botanist could spend her life classifying plants here."
"And there must be thousands of species of animals," Judy added.
Jim turned towards her. He had heard that the oldest Robinson daughter was gorgeous, but no one had mentioned the sensual overtones of her voice. Colonel Bryce had warned him that she was coupled with the major, but it sure didn't seem that way to him.
"We've only seen a small portion of the life forms here, Ms. Robinson."
"Judy," she corrected him.
He turned to her and stared into her deep blue eyes longer than he needed to and repeated, "Judy." In those few seconds, Penny had gotten a few steps ahead of him and tripped into a patch of thorny vines. She screamed as the thorns scratched her skin and tore her clothes.
"Penny!" John exclaimed as he hurried to help his daughter. The lieutenant turned beet red in embarrassment as he and John helped her out of the bush.
Don reprimanded the lieutenant with a look, and Lieutenant Conway averted his gaze. He knew he should have been more vigilant. "I'm afraid we'll have to go back," Jim told them. "She could have an allergic reaction to these plants. They have a salve in the med bay that will help."
"But we've only been out for fifteen minutes," Will said. "Do we all have to go?"
"Maureen and I can find our way back. We'll take care of her," John told them.
"Are you sure, Professor?" Jim asked.
"Knowing my son, he'll find some way to sneak out to do some research. He might as well stay out with you rather than come out on his own."
Penny's face showed her sorrow. She didn't want to leave, but the scratches hurt and were beginning to swell. She glanced back at Judy as she was led away by her parents. Judy now walked beside the handsome lieutenant who seemed to be mesmerized. Penny sighed. Her sister had struck again, she mourned to herself as she walked the path back to the base.
The remaining explorers continued to walk through the undergrowth until they reached a clearing. A field of yellow tinged green grasses stretched out for miles and was rimmed by a ridge of purple mountains. A voluminous green/blue waterfall cascaded down the mountainside to their left. No one spoke as the sight took their breaths away.
Will strode over to the base of the waterfall to examine the rocks and Judy followed him. As he chipped at the formations to extract samples for study, Judy admired the exotic plants that lined the lake at the base of the waterfall. Huge trees, as large as the sequoias back home hung over the rocks. Judy took a few steps closer to the plants to snare a few for Penny to study.
Jim admired her legs as she bent down to snap a blossom, but then he saw her take a step closer to another plant in a marshy spot and he shouted, "No!" His warning was a second too late as her right foot stepped into the ground and was sucked under the surface.
"Quicksand!" Will shouted as he reached for her hand, but he couldn't reach her as she had fallen even further into the pit. She was now up to her thighs and sinking fast. Jim joined Will and grabbed her arm, and they both tried to pull her out, but she was in up to her waist, and the suction was too great.
Don dropped his rifle and looked around for inspiration. High above her hung the branches of a tree with vines curling around it. Don ran to the tree and climbed. He shimmied along the branch and untangled the vine, and then wrapped it around his waist and arm. He swung away from the tree like a pendulum and lowered himself as far as he could to slow his momentum. The vine swayed over the very spot where Judy was fast disappearing.
He reached down to her. "Grab my arm!" he yelled. Judy held both arms overhead as the ground was now up to her chest. Don hung onto the vine with his right arm and grabbed Judy with his left. He tugged and pulled her up, but was only able to move her a few inches. He lowered himself even farther, holding only onto the end of the vine with his hand.
He instructed Judy to put her arms around his neck. "Don't let go!" he shouted as he reached for the vine with his left hand and pulled her out a few inches more. He climbed up the vine hand over hand, each time pulling her a little further out of the gunk until the suction was broken when her hips cleared the pit.
They finally reached the top of the vine and Don threw his leg over the branch. They moved together down towards the trunk until they settled safely into a niche of the tree. He held her against his chest, breathing heavily and feeling her heart race against his own. Judy lay against his chest and held him tightly. She looked up at him with her doe-like eyes, and he put his hand against her cheek. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded, her lips within kissing distance of his own.
"Major!" Conway called, "You need to get down from there – fast!"
Don looked up and saw that the vine he had abandoned was moving towards them. The end he had been grasping was now a large mouth with fang-like teeth and was crawling along the branch. He helped Judy lower herself to a lower branch. The vine was inches from his leg as he swung down beside her. The vine lunged at him, but he shimmied out of its reach and they landed safely on the ground.
"I think we need to go back," Lieutenant Conway told them.
"But there's so much more to see," Will told him.
"It doesn't take much for the life forms here to be disturbed," Jim told him. "Did you see all those vines we stepped over on our way out here?" he asked. Will nodded. "They're going to be giving us a whole lot of trouble on our way back," Jim finished. "It's like they're all connected and when one gets angry, the rest follow."
"Heck of a paradise," Don quipped.
"Now you know why we stay close to the base," Jim told him. "Get your weapons ready. We might have to clear a path back, but the more we shoot, the more aggressive they'll get."
"Just let me get one plant for Penny," Judy said.
"I'll do it," Jim said as he glanced at Don and pulled out his pocket knife. He stepped gingerly towards the plants and clipped not one, but two of the flowers. He handed them to Judy.
"Thank you," Judy told him.
The ground seemed to be moving beneath the leaves covering the vines and soil as they started to walk back towards the base. The lieutenant unholstered his pistol and held it before him as he led the way back to the base. Will followed suit as he stepped along the foot prints that Jim left.
Don slung the rifle over his shoulder. It wouldn't be much help if he needed to shoot at close range. He reached out and snatched Judy's pistol from her hip as she walked in front of him. She barely noticed as she concentrated on the placement of her feet. The vines seemed to slither and slide along the ground, almost daring them to make a move against them. They were within sight of the base when the vines seemed to join together and surround them. The vines grew into a wall, blocking their way.
"Lieutenant?" Don asked.
"This has happened to me before, but I was alone. All we can do is shoot a hole and make a run for it," Jim told him.
"You shoot. Will, Judy, you both run like hell after him," Don told them.
"What about you?" Judy asked.
"I'll be fine. Just do as I say!" Don replied. "Shoot!" Don shouted.
Jim shot his weapon towards the growing wall in front of him and plunged through the falling vines. Will followed him through, but the vines regrouped and trapped Judy. Don aimed his pistol and shot at the vines that were crawling up Judy's legs and they fell away, but seemed to regroup just as quickly. He pushed her through the closing hole he had made and became trapped himself. The vines were circling around his neck as he shot at the ones closest to him. He was beginning to lose consciousness, but the vines withered as both Jim and Will shot at them and pulled Don out of their grasp.
Judy had run to the force field and entered the code. The four of them fell into the safety of the base and Judy re-entered the code, closing the invisible door behind them. The vines crawled against the force field, but were unable to penetrate its barrier.
Don pulled his collar away from his neck and gulped the air. "Whew!" he exclaimed as he tried not to hyperventilate. He shook his head to clear it and found Judy kneeling by his side, a look of concern on her face. "I'm okay," he reassured her with a crooked smile. "You?"
She nodded. "We're both okay," she told him and she pressed her lips to his.
Jim turned to Will and saw a wide grin light up his face at the sight of his sister kissing the major. "I, um, I guess they really are together," he said to Will.
Will nodded. "Don't know why they were ever apart," he told Jim. "But I have another sister…"
"Lieutenant!" Don barked as he pushed himself up off the ground.
Jim cringed, ready for a reprimand. He offered Don a hand and replied, "Yes, sir," as he helped Don up to a standing position.
Don folded his arms. "I, uh, I know how distracting Judy can be. Next time… keep your eyes on the path… and not on her."
"Yes, sir," Jim replied.
Don decided that the young man reminded him a great deal of himself. "Besides," he told the Lieutenant with a grin, "she has a sister."
"In fact," Judy said as she handed Jim the flowers, "you can give these to Penny yourself while I go clean up."
When they reached the Jupiter 2, Colonel Bryce was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. "Lieutenant Conway!" he barked.
"Sir!" Jim replied as he stood at attention, flowers in hand.
"I thought I told you to be in top form?"
"Uh… yes, sir!"
Don walked up to Tom and placed his hand on Tom's shoulder. "He did okay," Don told him. Colonel Bryce raised his eyebrows at Don. "Trust me. He was, uh, distracted by the, um, forces of nature, but I think he'll be okay from now on," Don said as his eyes twinkled. "Besides, he and Will saved my life."
Tom looked at Judy who smiled serenely and nodded. "After Don saved mine," she added.
Tom crossed his arms. "Forces of nature?" he asked.
Don tilted his head towards the hatch of the Jupiter and told Lieutenant Conway, "Go ahead. I'm sure Penny will be thrilled to have those specimens." Don reached out for Judy's hand and walked her up the ramp. "Forces of nature," he repeated to Tom over his shoulder.