Part One.

“This is sort of nice.” Sanjiv tried to speak just loudly enough that he could be heard over the rustling of the leaves that parted before them, though he quieted every other moment to listen to the sounds on the wind for any hint of their quarry. “I haven’t had much opportunity to go on away missions in my career, much less ones focused on exploration. No strange new worlds, or anything. If I weren’t so worried about that thick-headed family, this would be rather enjoyable.”

Just then, he saw movement in the underbrush: a quick, fluid streak of motion that ignited a spark in his subconscious. Before he could even get a word of warning out, he found himself automatically grasping for the back of Aakon’s shirt. Sanjiv tugged him back, just out of the serpent’s striking range.

“Uh, s-snake,” he managed at last.

Aakon’s eyes shot downwards in just enough time to see the serpent slither by. Despite the heat and humidity of the jungle, he felt a shiver go down his spine.

“I hate snakes. I can handle all sorts of creatures, but not those.”

He pulled out his tricorder and scanned the area for reptilian life, thankful to find none in the immediate vicinity. “Looks like we’re free of slithering friends for a bit. Let’s pick up the pace, we aren’t far from where that emergency laser was used.”

The pace was picked up yet again, and soon, Sanjiv found himself too winded to make any sort of conversation. He kept his eyes on the uneven ground under his feet, and just managed to keep himself from colliding with Aakon when the other man stopped short in front of him. Before Sanjiv could ask why, the acrid scent of smoke filled his nostrils. Peering around Aakon, he saw a number of scorch marks scattered around the clearing before them. It was difficult to tell, as whomever had been firing was no marksman, but it almost appeared as if an energy weapon had been shot at a moving target.

Sanjiv nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a shout from high above them.

“HEY!!”

It was difficult to make out his form through the branches, but the voice coming from the canopy of the trees was clearly that of the middle-aged Zaldan gentleman who had gone storming off into the forest earlier that day. Sanjiv hoped desperately that his wife and children were up there somewhere with him.

“HEY!” the Zaldan called again. “Is that beast gone? Is it safe to come down?”

Sanjiv’s eyebrows jumped up his forehead, and he shot Aakon a worried look. “Beast?”

Aakon glanced around the area of forest that had been ‘artfully’ decorated with laser scorch marks. There was a pile of shrubbery in the corner, arranged in a telltale fashion that told Aakon the family had stumbled into a large something’s nest. He pulled out the tricorder, checking the screen before tilting it towards his traveling companion.

“There are several mammalian creatures of various sizes around the north and east sides of the jungle surrounding the clearing. This gentleman stumbled on something and then proceeded to shoot up its home. I’d rather not be here when said family gets home.” He kept his voice low so that only Sanjiv could hear.

He looked up at the man in the tree. “Yes. The beast is gone.” Aakon’s tone was not convincing but the man seemed to not notice. “You and your family need to get down here before it gets back.”

“Or maybe I should just wait for it to come back and eat you two!” the Zaldan shouted, having quickly regained some of his bluster. “I could stay up here all day, and that seems like– hey!” There was another sound of rustling in the trees, and it was gradually making its way lower. “Doran, you come back up here right now!”

Soon, Sanjiv caught sight of the Zaldan’s son slowly and purposefully making his way down the nearest tree. He couldn’t have been more than five or six, and would barely have reached the lowest branch even with his father’s help.

Doran now sat perched on that branch, pondering his next move. Sanjiv lifted his arms, gesturing for the boy to jump. With little hesitation, Doran pushed himself out of the tree.

Sanjiv stumbled a bit when he caught him, but pivoted it into a graceful landing with both of Doran’s feet safely on the ground. “I didn’t like it up there,” Doran admitted.

Doran’s father followed him down with considerably more grunting and cursing, and lost his breath for one pleasant moment when he jumped from the tree. “Well,” he gasped, “Now that we’re all back on dangerous ground again, we’d better get moving.”

“Where are your wife and daughter,” Sanjiv asked, plainly exasperated.

“Needa was being contrary and decided to head back to that death-trap of a shuttle. I could hardly stop her–you know how teenagers are–so my wife went after her.” The Zaldan was gesturing angrily in the direction that Sanjiv and Aakon had just come from.

Sanjiv glanced at Aakon, then stated the obvious: “We didn’t see any sign of them on our way up here.”

Aakon sighed. “No, we didn’t. Let’s back track and hope we find them.”

They’d have to rely on more primitive skills if they wanted to find the rest of the group. The Tricorder hadn’t spotted any of rest of the group on their way up here, so he doubted they’d quickly pick them up on the way back.

He turned and pointed to the Zaldan father. “You. You keep your mouth shut and do what we say. You’ve caused enough trouble today and I’m done chasing you around the damn jungle.” He wasn’t particularly well versed on being belligerent, but hopefully it was enough that the Zaldan wouldn’t be insulted.

The Zaldan glared at Aakon, then turned to glance back at the scorch marks in the clearing, and after several more back-and-forths he seemed to decide that Aakon was the more tolerable option and grumbled his assent.

Aakon turned to Sanjiv. “Times like this make me wish the Tricorder had a footprint tracking mode.”

Sanjiv chuckled. “Based on this excursion, I’d assumed that you have a footprint tracking mode!”

Aakon shook his head. “Sadly no. I opted to not purchase that updated when I was promoted to Captain.”

Continued in Part Three.