Untitled Book Pt.2

He laughs softly as he makes his way back to his cabin, ready to grab his gear and head down to explore the unmapped sector the ship was stationed near. James grabs his rucksack and sifts through it, making sure he had all of his supplies he would need. Some tools were strapped to the back, the weathered edges reminds James that he needs to get them repaired soon. He slung his gear over his shoulders and heads out, making sure the door is locked once more before quickly making his way to the staging area, doing his best to avoid anyone who would need a word with him.

Exhaling in relief, he steps onto the circular platform that would taxi him down to the forest floor and pushes the lever forward. He hears the click of the platform disengaging and holds onto the control console as it slowly descends, watching birds fly around him, either curious or disturbed by the platform. James holds his hand out as a bright yellow feather floats down from above as a small flock of larger yellow birds fly overhead. He stashes the feather in a larger container pocket to preserve it before stepping off as the metallic plate gently grounds itself.

The ground had a thick layer of fog that had not burned up with the rising sun as the denser area protected the low hanging gas, larger flowers seeming to sprout up from it. The pink and white petals looked like they were floating on water as they laid on top, a faint sweet smell floating on a gentle breeze. Smaller animals played in the fog, plumes of fog swirling as they jumped in and out. The forest was rampant with life and James was finally ready to step forward into the unknown.

James pulls free some bright red ribbon and tears a piece, using it to mark where the platform is, tying it around a nearby slender tree. He figures he would need to keep trails marked until they can start to set up pathing markers as they explore the area more. Raising his arm, he steps forward, adjusting the dial of the compass on his wrist so he could track his path towards the floating boulder that looms ahead.

Small birds fly overhead as James walks through the overgrowth, careful to avoid the tangle of vines that drape over the lower limbs, creating curtains that guide him forward. Smaller mammals chitter about as they scurry along, surprising him with how close they stay to him. As he starts to get closer, the forest seems to be quieter, nearly silent. It was like the forest was giving a warning, telling him not to go, to turn back and explore another path.

As James nears the roots that anchors the floating rock he begins to see what he believes to be white thorns dotting the tough green fiber, his steps more cautious now that he's closing in on the odd floating mass. It seems to expand and contract, like it was breathing, unseen from the ship but now that he was up close and personal it still feels like James is imagining it.

“What is that smell?” He whispers as he covers his nose with his sleeve, trying to avoid the sickly sweet effluvium that persists around the object of his interest. Stepping closer towards the main vine with thorns he saw the source of the pungent smell, the bloated corpse of an herbivore, judging by what remained of its hooves. “That’s not a thorn.” He whispers, feeling a knot in his stomach, seeing the corpse’s hide punctured by the same white thorns.

“I’m not prepared for this.” James says after plucking one from the dead animal, studying it, looking at the large sharp ivory like claw. A cold chill runs down his spine as he realizes he is completely unarmed with predators in the area. “I need to get back to the sh-” His words trail off as he finally hears the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping animal above him.

Looking up slowly into the dense foliage he saw rock-like formations clinging to the trunk and branches; they were not as big as the floating mass but had a similar texture. He slowly begins to back away from the area, pocketing the claw and retreating back towards the platform. “I have to warn Sera, they have to avoid them.” His voice a harsh whisper as he backs away from the sleeping horrors, doing his best to avoid anything that would make a loud enough noise to wake them.

His pace quickens until he’s in a full on sprint, stumbling over roots as he races towards the platform, grunting as he shifts the heavy pack to a more comfortable position. Eyes darting from tree to tree, following the markers he left. He grunts as he's caught by vines, rolling him up as his feet leave the forest floor before being immediately dropped. Gasping for air he looks up, seeing a small scout vessel undocking with a drill attachment, he claws at the earth, pulling himself back up to his feet.

“No no no, don’t leave the ship!” He yells as he stumbles onto the disc and throws the lever, the brake unlocking as it begins to ascend. “Come on you stupid lift, go faster!” He curses as he looks up, seeing the small ship sliding free and hovering just outside the hull. He waves his arms, trying to get the scouts attention as the lift slowly pulls him into the hull as the hatch closes behind the small scout ship. “Damn it all!” He yells, shrugging off his rucksack, making a mad dash towards the door.