Mark quickly learned the small group of three that accompanied him. Gino was the guy with the piercings. Austin was the guy with the short hair and caramel skin. Addison was the girl. It was a relief to Mark to see that the feeling of new was wearing off pretty fast. He was glad to be on the ground, but it was something he would have been more excited about under normal circumstances.
"It's beautiful out here," Austin said.
He grabbed a branch and let the leaves slip through his fingers.
"It's hot, that's what it is," Addison said. "The air feels sticky."
"We must be somewhere tropical," Mark said. "The air is humid. It makes it feel hotter than normal."
She stripped off her jacket, revealing a dark tank top underneath. Austin stared at her for a second too long.
"Don't get any ideas," she said. "I'm no slut."
"I.. I didn't mean to-"
"Just... whatever."
Mark looked at Gino. Other than giving his name, he was being especially quiet. He kept looking around, expecting something to jump out at any given notice. He assumed it was just nerves. He might have been locked up longer than most. The newfound freedom was something he wasn't used to. Probably didn't like crowds, either, which could be why he decided to come along. Blaze looked at Gino playfully.
"You okay over there?" Mark asked him. "You look like you're lost."
He looked at Mark. He didn't speak.
"He's just scared," Addison said. "Just as well. I think a lot of us are."
"No shit," Austin said. "We're out here like sitting ducks with only one guy with a weapon."
"If you want something, just ask," Mark said.
"It would be nice if we had something to defend ourselves with. Just saying."
"Are you trained to use a sword?"
"Well... no."
"What about you, Addy?"
"Don't call me Addy. And no, I'm not."
He looked at the quiet one.
"Do you know how to use this?"
Gino looked at the sword on his back. He nodded. They stopped. Mark took off the katana and handed it to Gino. He looked up at Mark like he couldn't believe he was giving it to him.
"You're giving the quiet guy a weapon," Addison said. "That won't backfire."
"I don't know any of you," Mark said. "But it looks like we'll have time for it."
He put the sword in Gino's hand.
"The weapon is just an object," Mark said. "What matters is how the person holding it uses it. Be careful with it. It's sharp."
Gino muttered, "Thank you."
"Whoa, what about you?" Austin asked. "You're the one trained to use that thing."
Mark summoned Wolfbane. Austin jumped and fell on the ground.
"I have my weapon," he said. "We should keep an eye out on one for you guys, too."
Mark let Wolfbane fade away. Addison scoffed.
"You couldn't have told us about it sooner?" She asked. "That would have been more reassuring."
"Well, now you know." He said. "Come on, we're burning daylight. Officer Tanner doesn't have long."
~~~
Back at the camp, James was looking at the damage from the outside of the ship with Vera. There were heavy scratches underneath with a few tears in the metal hull.
"That's not good," she said. "The engines could have been punctured by the fall. I won't know how bad they are until I get inside and look."
"These ships are supposed to be tough," James said. "How did it get so damaged in the fall?"
"The TransArks have two systems that are supposed to activate during re-entry. One, the parachutes on the back are deployed to slow the ship's descent. Two, the ship's coolant system reduces the heat being absorbed into the metal. One of the parachutes ripped and made us spin out of control. The coolant was supposed to kick in when the ship started getting too hot. When the power went out, it must have reset the system before it could activate. The metal got too hot and made it warp when it hit the trees. This thing isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
"The heat got too high, and my dad turned into barbeque."
"Too bad it wasn't his stomach, or we could have some fresh ribs."
James gave her a look. Vera's smiled fell.
"I was trying to lighten the mood. Sorry. I'm also kinda hungry."
"Yeah, me too."
Whoops erupted from the other side of the ship. James shook his head.
"Sounds like they're having fun," Vera said.
"They should be looking for food and water," James said. "Getting a fire going or something."
"Relax, Lando. They're just excited to be on the ground. Aren't you?"
"No, not really," he said. "Our home just got destroyed. What's so exciting about that?"
"You don't realize, do you? We were imprisoned on the colony. To us, the evacuation was a blessing."
"What were you in prison for?"
She looked at him.
"Does it matter? Look at where we are. This is a fresh start. We can finally live how we want to. No rules. No colonial laws."
She laughed. "We're free!"
James didn't see it that way. They just barely survived a mass genocide, and they want to prance around like pixies in a magical garden.
"There's no food. No water. No electricity. The excitement won't last long."
"Come on. Live a little. What, do they scare you or something?"
"When they start getting hungry, that's when it gets scary. Hungry people become irrational. When that happens, the Drax are the least of my worries."
He walked away. She had to admit, he wasn't as dumb as she initially thought. Maybe intellectually poor, but he understood people. She touched a scratch on the hull and put her hands on her hips.
"This could take a while," she said.
On the other side, James checked on his father with Judy.
"How's he doing?"
"Since you asked me ten minutes ago," she said, "his condition hasn't changed."
He looked over at the group of teenagers. Some of them were sparring with the branches they had found. They were not skilled, but it seemed to entertain them. Aiden was smiling with his arms crossed. He was enjoying all of it.
"Look, don't worry about them," Judy said. "Everything is still new. Your dad is the farthest thing from their mind."
He shook his head. "I just don't like it."
"Well... do something to occupy yourself. Maybe join them or something. I don't know. You could probably teach them a thing or two in combat. It would boost morale and help with your reputation."
"My reputation? What does that have to do with anything.?"
"Your dad is head of security for the colony. You're his son. They're going to project their anger on you. It's human nature."
"Someone needs to start getting firewood and looking for food."
"Okay. Just saying. You better start making friends because it looks like he is going to have a lot very soon."
James crossed his arms and watched. He wanted to get people on his side, but time was ticking. They needed to start looking for supplies. Food and water was essential. Their shelter was in need of repair. They needed tools. He couldn't do it by himself.
"Ah, what the hell," he said.
He walked forward into the crowd. He pushed himself to the front so he could watch the fight. He had just enough time to see one of the opponent's weapon get smacked out of his hand. The other guy tried to block the branch with his arms, but the force was too much for them. He took a hit and went down. The guy was about to swing when James jumped in.
"Wait!" He said. "He's down. You win."
"Oh, come on, James," Aiden said. "They're just having fun."
James helped the fallen teen.
"You okay?"
He nodded. Someone came over and led him out of the makeshift arena.
"That was pretty good," James said to the winner. "Want to spar with me?"
"He doesn't, but I do," Aiden said.
"Let the champion speak," James said. "What do you say?"
He looked a little awkward. He shook his head.
"Nah. I'm good. You'd probably kick my ass, anyway."
"Just saying. You're good. You got potential."
"I saw the expert takes me on," Aiden said. "Let's see what wins. Brawns or brains."
"I don't have anything to prove," he said defensively. "Besides, I'm not asking for a fight."
"Well, I am."
He pushed James.
"Come on, James. Show us your badass skills that you learned in school. Or do you need Daddy to protect you?"
James started feeling angry. The situation was beginning to get out of control. He didn't want to fight and was sure they would let him walk away if he wanted to. But... no one would listen to him if he chickened out.
"I was offering some pointers," James said. "That's all."
"Then come on. Show us what you can do. Enlighten us."
"Okay. I'll try to go easy. I don't want anyone seriously hurt."
He looked at the guy that had won. He handed him his sword.
"Hold it for me?" He asked.
"Sure."
James rolled the sleeves up on his suit.
"One quick round," James said. "We need to find some supplies if we're going to make it out here."
"We'll make it just fine," he said.
Aiden hopped on his feet and brought his fists up. James stood steady and raised his hands up to his face. He made sure to keep a comfortable distance from him.
"What are you waiting for?" Aiden teased. "Come at me, already!"
James took a couple of steps forward, but he kept a safe distance. He watched Aiden hop around, playfully swinging his fists. He looked like he wasn't an experienced fighter, but he was loose and fast. He would just have to be faster.
Aiden moved in closer. James stayed his ground.
"Watch this," Aiden said.
He swung his fist, which James blocked and pushed him back. Aiden made an "oh" face.
"Okay. You know what you're doing. Serious time."
Aiden moved in fast and threw a quick jab. James dodged it. Aiden threw two more. He blocked them with his arms. Aiden swung his arm again. James grabbed it and hooked it over his other arm using the arm he was pinning it with as a pivot. Aiden's arm couldn't turn backward that fast, so he was immediately pinned from the front. Pushing any more would have broken his radial.
"Aah!" Aiden shouted in pain.
"Tap out," James said.
He did quickly. He let go, and Aiden punched him in the side with his left fist. James grunted. The hit was strong, and he wasn't prepared for it. Aiden sneered. He made an opening for himself. James realized this guy had some brains under all of that talk.
Aiden made a kick to his legs. James turned and kneeled. Hitting from the side risked a fracture, but turning it forward reduced pain and damage. Aiden grabbed the cuff of his uniform and pulled him up. James grabbed his wrist and jerked his own body to get Aiden's grip off. He launched his leg just under Aiden's ribs. He was aiming for the kidney, but it was close enough. It seemed to knock the wind out of him.
"Had enough, yet?" James asked.
Aiden shook his head. He jabbed at James's face. He smirked and locked his arm with his armpit and threw three quick jabs to Aiden's face. He let him go. Aiden wiped his face.
"Don't worry," James said. "You're not bleeding."
Aiden growled and tried to kick him again. James pushed his leg away and swept the floor, dodging Aiden's fist and knocking him to the ground.
"Alright! I'm done," he said.
James offered his hand, but Aiden just pushed it away. He got up on his own and brushed off the dirt on his clothes.
"I want a rematch later," he said.
"Sounds good," James said.
The guy with James's sword walked up and handed it to him.
"Think you could teach me that?" He said.
"Sure," he said. "Come see me later. Right now, we need to get some work done."
James looked at the crowd of juveniles. What Vera said was true. They might have been labeled criminals in the colony, but all of that changed when they landed.
"I know that you were considered juveniles in the colony," James said, "but that changes now. Everything that we know changed when we crashed. We don't know if anyone else survived, but I know that we survived. We're here for a reason. We are the last humans alive! Let's not waste this opportunity by fighting each other. We need to work together before we run out of time."
"Why do you sound like we're dying?" Aiden pointed out.
"Because, in a way, we already are. Every minute, every second, is crucial in our survival. The longer we sit and wait, the hungrier we get. We'll get tired. We'll be thirsty. What happens then? We fall apart. We don't survive. We die."
"I'm looking around at everyone right now and see the potential that we have to survive. If we start now, everyone can make it. We can do this. Now... who's wants to survive? Raise your hand. Come on, raise them!"
Slowly, all of their hands went up. Vera was standing in the back, watching and listening.
"Yeah. That's what I like to see. Don't waste this opportunity to start over. It's going to be hard, I won't lie about that, but we can do it. Our ancestors survived so much worse in the past. Let's start something that can make them proud. We're the beginning of a new civilization. Let's make it one worth living."
Some people cheered at that last statement. Others just clapped. Vera smiled. James caught her face and almost blushed. He had to smile back.
"Alright. We need some people to gather firewood. Foraging parties. We need weapons! Scouts! There's a lot to be done, and not a lot of time to do it. Come on, now! Let's show this Earth that we're back, baby!"
Now everyone was cheering. James was excited. He passed the test.
"Let's go!" James clapped.
~~~
Austin smacked his neck.
"Damn mosquitos," he said. "When the records said they were annoying, I almost didn't believe it. Now I feel like an idiot."
"You don't feel like anything," Addison said with a slap to her leg. "You are."
Gino smiled a little bit. Mark thought he looked more comfortable carrying a weapon. Maybe more confident.
"Mosquitos... live around water," Austin finished.
"You hear that?" Mark said.
They stopped walking and listened.
"It sounds like a river," Addison said. "Thank god!"
She started running after the noise.
"Wait, don't go too far!" Mark ran after her.
Gino looked at Austin and shrugged. He kept walking, swinging the sword happily in his hand.
"Great," Austin said. "We're just like my family. Dysfunctional."
He ran to catch up with Mark. Gino picked up his pace and stayed with him. The trees and brush cleared. A large river, moving softly across the channel, glowed in the rising sun. The bugs were getting thicker and in small swarms. Gino swiped at his face to brush them away. Austin stood above the cleared area. Mark was following Addison to the edge of the lazy river. She started taking off her pants.
"No," Mark said. "Don't get in the water!"
"Relax!" She said. "I'm just testing the waters."
She dipped her foot in.
"Ooh," she shivered. "It's cold."
"Great. Come back before something swims out and eats you."
She looked back at Mark.
"Come and stop me."
She ran into the shallows.
"Addison!" He said.
She laughed and dove deeper into the water. She went under for several painstaking seconds. Mark was debating jumping in after her when she resurfaced.
"Wow! This water is really cold!"
"Great. Get out already," Mark said.
"Don't be such a Debbie Downer. Jump in. It'll help with those bruises."
Not really, Mark thought, but the water was enticing.
"You. Austin," she said. "Since Mark wants to play hero, why don't you be the sidekick? Do the dirty work and poison test the water."
"Drink it? Not a chance. It could have bacteria."
"Yeah," Mark said. "Flesh-eating bacteria."
"I don't feel anything except water between my toes."
Gino was admiring the bickering between the members of the group. He didn't feel so out of place knowing he wasn't the only oddball. He looked up and down the river. It was about fifty feet across and looked endless going either way. There was a ripple across the water on the other edge of the river.
Oh, look! There's fish in here! We have some food to eat, now.
The ripple churned and got larger. Gino's grin settled into a frown.
"Addison," he warned. "Get out of the water."
"What?" She said. She wasn't used to hearing his voice.
"There's something in the water!" Austin said.
Blaez started barking. Mark looked. There was something large sitting on the other side of the bank. It was long and scaly, a dark shade of gray, and had two eyes with irises like a snake's.
"It's an alligator," he said. "Addison, come over here. Move. Slowly."
She looked back and almost screamed. She gasped and started moving backwards. It didn't look like it had noticed her, even though one eye was looking across the water definitely at her. She kept moving, daring the creature to move. It didn't move until she started splashing the water with her feet. It disappeared into the water. Mark grabbed her arm and pulled her up.
"Okay. That was scary," she said.
"I told you," Mark said. "There's a lot we don't know about this place yet. The water could have had piranhas for all we knew."
"Good thing there wasn't," Austin said. "You would have been dead as soon as you went under the water."
Addison looked at the large, scaly creature. It had to be at least thirteen feet long.
"This isn't fun anymore," she said. "Can we go back?"
"We can't," Mark said. "We have to get across."
"How?"
Mark looked at the alligator. Another one crawled out of the woods and sat in the sun on the sand.
"I... I don't know."