Star Trek: Bendross

Episode 30
The end of the world as we know it
By
Jay P. Hailey
And
The Bendross Players

The re-entry into the Atmosphere of Bendross II-A went smoothly and without a hitch.

"Except it's not really a *re* entry." Hamilton thought to himself. "This is a First-Entry."

The process was mostly automated. Hamilton was a back-up in case Expedition Two got too far out of expected parameters. During this descent, everything went smoothly.

From Hypersonic speeds, Expedition Two went super sonic. Suddenly the plasma that bathed the ship was gone. All the sensors and communications equipment started working again.

Hamilton could feel the ship shuddering and slowing like a sports car on a muddy road. The Supersonic shock waves bled energy off the ship, and she slowed, down, down, down.

Hamilton looked on some of his repeater screens as Michelle, Eric and JonDou carefully gathered all the information they could. They had almost complete maps of the planet, thanks to the Bendross-I being left in orbit for eight years. Automatic sensors recorded the planet in detail.

What were the plants? What were the animals? What forces caused the formations that were seen? These questions would keep the science folks busy for years and life times. Hamilton's main question was "What, out of all that, is going to try and eat me?" That question was one with too few answers.

They went subsonic at 45,000 feet. Hamilton added a touch of forward throttle and started aiming with deliberation at their landing zone.

Down there, there was a large valley. Through it ran a sizable river. The floor of the valley was covered with grass and a few clumps of bushes and trees. To the South, a forest sprawled. To the east, a mountain range clawed at the sky. To the north, there was a desert, with honest-to-god ruins visible. To the west, the ocean rolled.

Gradieaux was in the forest, near the edge of the grassy valley plain.

"Doesn't look too bad, really." Hamilton said.

"I am thinking the same thing." Michelle said.

-*-

Stares-into-Night was breakfasting with Strong-Voice, the Chief of the Sunrise tribe. They were old friends, having grown up together, as partners in crime. Far-Eye was there, too, the Chief's best hunter and warrior.

"All your talk of Evil Stars worries me, Stares-into-Night." Strong Voice said. "Are you sure these aren't more hallucinations from your Shaman-herbs?"

Stares-into-Night looked into his bowel of nuts, fruit and jerky. It was a good breakfast. He resisted the urge to resent the lightness with which the Chief treated his worries.

"Strong-Voice, I can only relay to you what I have seen." Stares-into-Night said, softly.

Far-Eye chewed thoughtfully. "I can't fight an enemy that as not yet appeared, Stares-into-Night. The evil star is far out of the range of my spear and my atl-atl."

Stares-into-Night took a breath to reply, but was interrupted by a huge double bang. The sound was unlike anything the three senior Tribes-people had ever heard. It was as-though the sky itself had been cracked open.

Stares-into-Night froze with fear. The emotion was strong. Idly, he noticed that Strong-Voice and Far-Eye's eyes were as wide as saucers, and their tails poofed to three times their normal diameter.

"What in the name of ancient wizards was that?" Strong-voice whispered. Stares-into-night was as impressed by Strong-Voice being quiet as by anything else.

"I have no idea, whatsoever." Stares-into-Night said, frankly.

Strong-Voice rose and peeked out of the tent. A clever arrangement of poles and animal skins up in bole of a tree, it was home to the Chief of the Sunrise Tribe.

Stares-Into-Night and Far-Eye joined him. Out on the branches of neighboring trees the people of the Sunrise Tribe appeared. Everyone looked around with big eyes. Nothing different could be seen. No new smells carried on the wind to their sensitive noses.

Strong-Voice showed his mettle "Far-Eye, Stares-into-Night, take a group of hunters and find out what the hell that was. I will stay here and prepare the tribe to move. We will not be flushed like animals into a trap. You must discover for me what's happening, and bring word back immediately."

Far-Eye nodded.

Stares-into-Night grabbed the only clue he had. "I believe this relates to the Forest Demon. Perhaps if we can catch sight of him, we can learn more."

A pair of youngsters sped along the ground and skittered up the tree with speed and flexibility reserved for the young.

Sandy-Coat was the Chief's Son. His black face held large intelligent golden eyes. Stares-into-Night fondly recalled many late night observation and discussion sessions with the boy. If not for the fact that he was the Chief's son, Stares-into-night would have snapped him up as an apprentice this past season.

With Sand-Coat was Finds-Things, a female youngster. Stares-into-Night appreciated her form while feeling slightly perverse at doing so. Her soft gray coat with racing stripes in white and black down the sides were attractive. She'd matured from an adventurous child into a comely young woman. She had eyes only for Sandy-Coat and he for her.

"Did you hear that?" Sandy-Coat chittered excitedly. "It sounded as though the sky were cracked open like a nutshell!"

"Do you know what's going on?" Finds-Things asked. Her ears were canted well forward. Stares-into-Night noted that she was carrying her spear and hunting equipment. She was one of Far-Eyes better students.

Sandy-coat ducked into the tent he and his father shared, a moment later he came out with his gear. "Let's go!"

Strong-Voice's Ears lay flat back against his skull and his teeth were bared like those of a carnivore. He looked at Far-Eye "Will they serve you well?"

Far-Eye's body language was much less stressed. "If they can keep from grooming each other while we hunt, I believe so."

At the good natured jibe, Sandy-Coat and Finds-Things bounced to a totally unnatural three feet of separation between them, and came to attention. "What is the goal of our hunt, Sir?" Finds-Things said with exaggerated discipline.

"Discover the source of that noise." Strong-Voice said. "Do NOT engage, but report immediately to me what is seen."

Sandy-Coat and Finds-Things nodded Sharply and then bowed their bodies to the branch to show they considered Strong-Voice superior.

 

"Let's go, young ones. We need to gather up our party."

Stares-into-Night bounced up "I'll go, too. I want to see this." He hopped dexterously along the branch towards his own tent and equipment.

"Take care, Far-Eye." Strong-Voice said.

Far-Eye's Bow was shorter and more cursory, but sincere. "I will."

-*-

The Forest Demon cackled horribly. He pelted along the ground on his long, stiff legs, and covered ground at a rate the fastest of the people had trouble managing in the trees. Stares-into-Night hopped, jumped and climbed with grim determination. His throat burned, his chest heaved and his arms and legs felt like they were made out of thin reeds. He focused and kept going anyway.

Ahead, Sandy-Coat and Finds-Things easily kept pace with the demon, sprinting parallel to it, and watching head to see where it might be heading.

Stares-into-Night noted that the Demon was being utterly careless about who knew where he was, or who could see him. That had bad implications, but Stares-into-Night was so busy keeping up with him, that he couldn't think these things through.

In time, though, the Demon approached the edge of the forest. The grassy plain was dangerous place. Raptors owned it. Showing more intelligence and less bloody-mindedness than Stares-into-Night expected the Forest Demon stopped at the edge of the forest. He looked around. The odd flatness of the demon's face, his evil little eyes and the chaos of his mane all formed an impression in Stares-into-Night's mind.

Like a Hunter, the Forest Demon chose a large tree, and then climbed it. His climbing was ugly, slow, and clumsy, accomplished more by brute strength and determination than by natural inclination. The Forest Demon picked a hunter's spot, with his back covered and with a clear view around himself and settled down to wait there, looking out at the plain.

The party caught up with the Forest demon and at Far-Eye's direction cametogether.

"The Forest Demon definitely knows something." Stares-into-Night wheezed. He was sure the Forest Demon could hear his labored breathing and thumping heartbeat.

"He is being careless." Finds-Things said, breathing normally. "We could kill him."

"Not now." Far-Eye said. "Our hunt is complete when we bring back knowledge."

Stares-into-Night was happy. He didn't have the breath to try to explain why he wanted to keep watching the Forest Demon. This was his first close look at the creature.

Sandy-Coat Bounced on the branch and then took an exaggeratedly respectful pose parallel to the branch. "Tell me, hunt master, how shall we clean and dress out the knowledge we stick with our spears?"

That got a chuckle from some and a generous giggle from Finds-Things.

Far-Eye cuffed Sandy-Coat, not unkindly. "Focus, people. This is where we start to earn our feed for the day. We'll spread out so we have views of the demon, the plain and he surrounding area. Then simply be quiet and watch as I've taught you."

Nods and rough bows followed this. Stares-into-Night climbed up high and sought a hiding place with good visibility around. This made him vulnerable if he was picked out, but Stares-into-Night was more interested in seeing what was happening.

As Stares-into-Night attainted position, he noticed another figure not to far away.

The other was not part of the Sunrise Tribe hunting party. Stares-Into-Night recognized a hunter from the Rock-Skin tribe. "Ssst!"

The hunter looked at Stares-Into-Night and nodded solemnly. They weren't enemies today.

Stares-Into-Night observed the Forest Demon and took mental notes. The Forest Demon was carrying a spear that would over burden even the strongest hunter, but carried it like Far-Eye carried his own hunting spear. The Forest Demon had other tools visible, as well. What struck Stares-into-Night suddenly was the question. "Why does a forest demon need spears and tools I recognize? He moves like a hunter. He was oddly clumsy and inept some ways, frighteningly competent in others. Why would a demon need to learn the skills of a hunter? Demons were commonly said to be instruments of the purest evil and the purest destruction.

His hands seemed almost people like, except larger, and thicker. He had no tail. Some hunters claimed to have cut it off.

His face and eyes were simply disturbing, in the way a deformed child or animal was.

Stares-into-Night examined this idea. Could the Forest Demon be not a demon at all but some horribly mutated person? It was very unlikely, but possible. Stares-into-Night was pondering the story of mutated person, cast out by his tribe instead of being properly killed, and the raised on the plains by a pack of Raptors.

A noise caught Stares-into-Night's attention. It sounded like a waterfall, but faster. It sounded like thunder but weaker and more continuous. Stares-into-Night hunkered down and knew his fur was standing out all over. Then he caught what it was.

The Evil Star was out, in day light. It was moving across the sky.

It came closer and closer. Stares-Into-Night was stunned that such incredibly powerful magic was manifesting right in front of his eyes.

As it came closer, Stares-into-Night could see that the Evil Star was wearing a hat made of metal. It was a lopsided cone shape.

It came to within half a mile of the edge of the forest. The noise was strong at this point, as loud as a person yelling was. The Star began to settle towards the ground. As it did, it grew weaker and weaker.

A noise startled Stares-Into-Night. He gripped his tree tightly and risked a glance. The Rock-Skin hunter was in full-blown Panic. Screaming, the hunter did something Stares-Into-Night had never seen an adult do. He fell out of the tree. With a horrified shriek, he fell through the canopy to the floor.

Stares-Into-night hoped he survived the fall and risked a look at the Forest Demon. The Forest Demon wasn't there. Stares-Into-Night felt his heart explode until he caught sight of the Demon heading across the plain towards the Evil Star.

It wasn't much of a star now. It was just hat, the metal cone, settling towards the ground. It extended feet; the way a bird does in the last moment of flight before landing. The cone settled to the ground and came to rest

As it settled the Forest demon ran to it calling to it in alien cries.

Stares into Night realized that the Star's hat was as tall as a tree.

He has another frisson of horror. The side of the hat opened up, and out stepped, another Forest Demon. This one was bigger than the last, although its face was horribly bald. It was brightly colored and had some sort of a black stick it waved around with confident purpose.

The Original Forest Demon shrieked and yelled as he approached the new one, throwing away a fortune in tools as he ran.

Stares-Into-Night didn't know what to make of any of this directly, but he knew two things. There was more than one Forest Demon, now and he didn't like the idea a single, solitary bit.

-TBC-