Dynamic Patrol: Gel-Squad (Remastering!)

Chapter 7: Deserted

Tommy blacked out but hadn't returned to his puddle state this time. Although he preferred to rest in a gooey state, he could regenerate energy, sleeping like a solid being. Still, to maximize his regeneration cycle, every 48 hours, he had to revert to that liquid form. He spent some time as goo in that cell, but that was only for an hour or so. 48 solid, 48 a viscous blob... or solid form if one felt like sleeping for two days straight, maybe more. That was the rule for his entire species.

Wherever here was. He sat up and looked around; he noticed a warmer climate surrounding him; he glimpsed right outside the mouth of a cave, as evidenced by the thick layers of rock walls around him. From the only exit in the structure, he observed trees and a small river that continuously ran through waves of sand, which was naturally colored and healthy-looking. Extending from the river was a mighty ocean that projected a serene blue. He was definitely home. Classified as a standard planet with a breathable atmosphere— comparable to Earth, but slightly larger than Earth, Omeocoon maintained a heightened level of gravity, making stretching a bit more complicated, ironically, but if an Omeocoon traveled to a planet like Earth, then their shifting abilities would've been easier to use. The planet itself was beautiful as previously described: tropical-oriented and covered in large bodies of water— many islands sprinkled across the planet, each with its own ecosystem containing dense but poisonous vegetation. The temperature ranged from 75°F to 89°F, and there were two suns to warm the planet during the day, and one moon stood in the sky at night.

Tommy stood up, still sore, and noticed D1 did a little field nursing and bandaged his taser injury. Where was she? Looking around, Tommy couldn't see her anywhere. He observed that he had one strong leg and one bruised leg, which he limped around on as he scanned for his droid companion. He spotted the remainder of their escape pod as he hobbled over, and upon arriving, he peeked his head in the hatch. "D1?" He exited the pod without response, hugging himself tightly with worry as he proceeded toward the oceanfront. He approached the waterline. The soft surface of grass was interwoven into the orange-pinkish sand; it was alive and nothing like the sterile nature of the ship he was on. His eyes widened as he realized he wasn't on the mainland. He was on one of the islands, great. "D1," He barked louder. Then he heard the soft whirring of her motorized treads as she quickly approached with three logs of firewood seated atop her twig-like arms. She paused to scan Tommy with just her optical scanner before she turned her head in the direction she wanted to go and then proceeded in that direction quietly, leaving a trail behind her in the sand.

Tommy followed her, limping as he moved along. "What are you doing?" Tommy asked quietly as they made it to the small cave, which D1 logically claimed as shelter. D1 deposited the wood onto the ground in a designated place. Tommy examined the area, seeing she'd been busy while he was resting, already having deployed the emergency kit from the escape pod. That was where she got the bandages for his wound. "I am preparing for nightfall. It was difficult to move you into the cave. You are too heavy."

"Well... thanks for putting up with me," Tommy said, sitting on the ground to rest his leg. D1 held out a ration bar, "Eat; you require nutrients." Tommy shook his head. She was still learning about his species; they did not eat. She stowed the bar back in the stock of supplies.

Which was certainly abundant for an escape pod, but then again, it was designed to support the entire bridge crew of the transport. "I have attempted to establish communications with the mainland, but with no success," D1 commented as she saw Tommy rest on the ground, sitting crisscrossed. "I have calculated that nightfall shall occur in approximately 35 minutes. I would not recommend exploring. So I suggest you relax. From what I understand, you seem best rested in your gelatinous state. Perhaps you will heal faster that way. But only you can tell me how your biology works. As you are the only specimen, I am building my database purely on your example. I do have questions."

Tommy ignored D1 and moved to get the fire started, pulling some of the wood into a central place within the cave and signaling for the droid's assistance. Omeocoon were sensitive to the cold, and Tommy hated it more than anything, so he wanted that fire to start before it got too late. D1 responded by deploying a small lighter in her chest cavity, hidden behind one of her many utility panels on her front. She ignited the wood, and it burst into a flurry of flames. "Did you need me to repeat?" She inquired again. "No, I heard you," Tommy replied. D1 chirped; that seemed to be her way of gasping. "I have prepared a container for you so you are not sloshing around." She said, pointing toward it with a claw. It was a bucket or at least an attempt at one. A hollowed-out log. It was definitely found somewhere out in the forest, but the effort was appreciated. "It was to be the toilet, but I predict you won't require it."

Tommy snickered, amused by how she spoke. He warmed himself by the fire. It burned brighter as the suns of Omeocoon began to settle into the horizon, moving toward pitch darkness, leaving nothing but the orange glow of their heat source and their shadows being cast on the cave walls. "When was the last time you regenerated before the taser event?" She continued to ask, treading over to him, and when he didn't have an answer, she realized it had been far too long. "I will stand guard while you rest." She pointed to the bucket again. Then, when he did not answer, she chirped at his hesitation. "Why do you wait? You should begin now." Tommy let out an uninterested 'heh' before scanning the droid with his eyes. "What about you? Do you think you can be without me for a couple of days? You know it takes two days for me to be fully rested." He said, "A mere two seconds for me." She picked up before continuing, "I will be able to save the energy now that I won't have to speak with you continuously."

"Are you saying I talk too much?" Tommy said, being playfully offended. "Yes," She said bluntly, moving up to him and forcing him on his feet before going for his lower back again just as she had tried on the ship, pushing him forward, her treads spinning out against the ground as loose gravel kicked up. "Wait," Tommy said as he was forced closer to the bucket. "Just wait a second..!" She did as she was ordered to, ceasing her movements. "What is it?" Tommy crossed his arms, with his eyes moving toward the ground in embarrassment, "It's just that... I'm not comfortable." D1 did not understand just what the problem was. She stared at him blankly, "Why?" She asked unemotionally, "Why are you not comfortable? Is it because of the conditions of our living situation? Or do you not want me to watch you sleep?"

He blinked, staring at her lifeless camera eye, which was staring back at him; he could see a tiny bit of his reflection in her black optical sensor. "Watching me. That's weird. I don't really like to do it in front of other people; it feels weird being vulnerable like that, on the ship, I was electrocuted. And it's different when I'm stretching to do my job, but anything other than that feels... strange. If you want me to relax, leave the cave and watch out front." He said, turning his back toward the droid. Tommy rubbed the back of his right palm nervously. "Very well. I will return in the morning for you." The droid did not protest; her treads spun as she rotated to face forward, and then she moved toward the cave entrance. Before stopping silently in the position where she would take the watch and when he was sure she was out of earshot. He had removed D1's makeshift bandage from his taser injury, then reduced himself to his natural state and entered the bucket.