Page 26 of Experimental Voyage
While I managed to keep my grasp on my dignity, Alban lost the war, slid to the ground, and writhed from his general mirth. Fortunately, the Veloc’s claws were capped, so when he kicked several of the boxes, all I needed to do was keep the equipment from tumbling to the floor.
Muttering curses, Waldren fled the scene, and I waited until he disappeared down the hallway to burst into laughter.
NINE
“And that was impressively brutal,” I announced.
Two daysafter the gate mishap, we prepared to disembark and explore the beach. After running numerous tests, including a lengthy virology examination of air, water, and sand samples, Waldren decided we would make our visit without protective suits.
As the generalized test subject willing to deal with the quarantine bay, I volunteered to see howhomo sapiensmight handle the atmospheric conditions and general walk. As Alban viewed himself as plenty old and about to die at the claws of his wife anyway, he volunteered to go with me, carrying a large satchel around his neck filled with supplies for both of us.
Herserael wanted me to carry as little as possible in case the exercise proved too much for me so soon after my operation.
Waldren sulked on the bridge to monitor the outing, as everyone had vetoed his desire to take part of the initial expedition force.
He who flew the ship did not play on the beach without others verifying if the beach was safe first.
Once everyone was out of the quarantine bay and we finished setting up what would be our temporary quarters for the next day, Alban pressed a bunch of buttons near the ship’s bay doors, flooded the bay with the planet’s air, and waited.
Within a few minutes, I became aware of the slight change in my breathing. “It is thinner, isn’t it?”
Alban bobbed his head. “This is borderline survivable for Veloc,” he replied, giving himself a shake. “We can hunt in these conditions, but we cannot hunt for as long before we need to rest, and it could be a week before I adapt. You will have it easier. The air will just feel a little thin to you.”
“And this is ideal for Palta?”
“Very. To her, our air is a little heavy, but she can function and adapt in it. Her breed loves the high mountains, where the air is thin. The high mountains on this world would lack sufficient oxygen for her, I suspect.”
The bay doors turned out to be a ramp, which lowered to the sand. Waldren had parked the ship beyond where the waves crashed, angled to the side so we could get a good view of the water and the trees. While cooler than the interior of the ship, I savored the breeze and the crisp scent on the air, something new to me. “What is that smell?”
“That is the saltwater of the ocean. Decaying plant and animal life mixed with salt. Some like it. Others do not. I enjoy it, even when it can get overly fragrant.”
“It’s nice.” As breathing hadn’t led to any troubles, I hopped down the ramp until it met the sand, eyeing the beige substance with interest. “I’ve heard of sand. I’ve heard that some sand can kill. How do I know which type of sand this is?”
“Often, you do not until you step in it, but this sand should be safe enough. It is when the sand pools with water in specific conditions that it becomes dangerous. Where it meets the ocean will generally be solid enough, although you will sink in it some.That is why I have rope and you will go first. You are much easier to pull out of quicksand than I am. I am pleased they have taught you some common dangers.”
I stepped onto the sand, and my feet sank as warned, although not enough to alarm me. After a few steps, I realized I’d ventured onto tiring terrain, and I scowled. “This is not easy stuff to walk through.”
“Sand rarely is.” The Veloc hopped out, and he whistled at my expression. “The sand will be particularly troublesome where it is meeting the shore in some ways, so do be careful.” After a moment, Alban pointed at something farther up the beach. “A bird.”
Sure enough, a small, fluffy bird with long legs and white and black splotches covering its body and wings pecked at the sand with a needle-like beak. After a few attempts, it pulled out a small, multi-legged creature. “What is that?”
“It seems to be a species of crustacean. Something similar to a crab, which we have on our world, but not quite like these.”
We observed the bird take the wriggling, multi-legged creature away from the water before it shook its head, whipping its prey side to side. Once done, it dropped it and began ripping off the legs until certain its meal would not be running away.
“And that was impressively brutal,” I announced.
Alban hooted, then he lifted the small radio Waldren had given him, tapping on the button at its top. “There are small, predatory birds on this beach, worthy of any Veloc planet.”
After Alban released the button, Waldren replied, “I saw. I have visual from the ship, and I recorded the incident. I’m already running it through the database to see if I can find any matches. If not, it’ll go into our new species registration. See if you can retrieve one of those legs—assuming the bird doesn’t eat everything.”
“Roger,” Alban replied before stowing the radio in his satchel. “Do be particularly careful of any jellyfish you see on the beach. Those are found on most planets, and they can be quite lethal. And while Waldren dedicated much space to universal treatments, it is impossible to carry a cure for everything, so do not touch anything that is in the water that has a jelly-like consistency. In fact, do not go into the water at all. Should we find a jellyfish, we will catch it along with a sample of water and keep it on board. Jellyfish are on the universal allowed capture list for study—and a live specimen is worth quite a lot to various organizations.”
I searched the beach until I found a blob-like thing lying on the sand. “Like that?”
At Alban’s gesture, I followed him, drawing close to the thing I’d spotted. “Precisely like that.” Opening his satchel, he pulled out a plastic bag, a strange pole with a hoop, and rigged the bag to rest in the hoop. Using the bag as a shovel, he scooped up the jellyfish, added some water, and observed.
To my horror, the blob began to move, waving tentacles covered in fine hairs, shedding bits of sand into the bottom of the bag.
