Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Richard decided to travel with the alien refugees or Reans

as he thought of them, in their epic journey of finding a

new home in an exoplanet, when he heard that the survival

kit could be used for humans too!

The Reans could transform themselves into anything but

only in small sizes. They had b12

een seen often as dwarf humans less than a foot tall or

birds or monkeys… But they were deadly when they were

invisible. Their lifespan was ten thousand years of Earth

time and now these Reans were less than two thousand

years old. All the thirty two Reans were very fond of

Richard as they had seen him since he was a baby. Their

affection was the reason for Richard’s decision to

accompany them!

He never changed his decision and secretly he had

planned. He had collected few tools like knife, a big

cleaver, nail cutter, his personal toiletries, and cell phone.

He brought many other small things that could be kept in

his pockets and the gun that he borrowed from Frank.

When he entered into the spacecraft in the last minute only

the head of the group Re, the media in charge Zo and the

foreman Ro were conscious and others had already in

induced stupor using the survival kit.

The spacecraft was on auto manoeuvring for the set time

.

It was powered by MagLev for initial few minutes before

takeoff and then to particle power. Re had only minutes to

prepare Richard with the survival kits and Zo and Ro

helped him in a military precision. Richard required five

of the cylinders and found it hard to induce him to stupor

and secure him to all the bed posts with available magnets.

Re and others had done all that in record time and they had

barely few seconds left to prepare themselves before the

auto pilot switched on to the particle power.

Re had no hope that Richard would survive but felt such

affection for the fool of the human whom he had known

since his birth. His last thought was that he would do

anything to save the loveable human Richard.

The spacecraft Ave travelled steadily. The destination

coordinates and the time were set so it kept the steady

speed of hundred times that of the light.

It took exactly 15 days and 8 hours to reach the destination

and landed safely on the surface of Proxima Earth which

belonged to Alpha Proxima solar system in Milky Way

Galaxy.

Inside Ave the space craft, there were no movements,

even though their survival kits and their induced stupor

were set exactly to the travelling time, but it depended on

individual stamina.

Ge, the female was the first one to come out of the stupor.

Just one foot tall and exquisitely beautiful with striking

blonde hair framing her dark face, large blue eyes and her

chiselled features highlighted her beauty furthermore!

She looked around to see if others were conscious. Her

berth was the upper tier, so at first she did not see Richard

lying down in the aisle. When she climbed down from her

berth to check others, she saw him and screamed. No one

heard ...But she was so happy to see him as she had been

watching over him since his childhood... She came down

and touched to see if he was alive. He was cold to touch

and the pulse was very feeble...

Now few others started stirring and when they saw

Richard lying down like a giant, they were all talking in

excitement. Few seemed to be very happy others were

worried that he would not survive but no one was unhappy

to see him!

They waited for Re to wake up... Even though Re was of

their age, 1600 years old, he was considered their leader.

Their life span was nearly 10000 years and they were still

young ones who had just attained puberty...

Re was the last one to wake up and the Ave felt stuffy and

he asked Ro and Zo to open the craft and he stood near the

opening after a curious look at Richard.

Ge asked him about Richard and everyone become quite

as they all wanted to know about him...

Re couldn’t tell anything about Richard but he assured him

that he would be alright.

He continued, ‘We don’t know what to expect here in this

exoplanet. If the natives are hostile, we need to be

invisible until we find our own fortress and hide just like

how we did on Earth. But if we don’t find any hostility we

will check out the best place and settle. Few of you stay

here with Ave the spacecraft along with Ro. Remember;

we should protect the spacecraft even if we need to give

our life for it.’

Zo asked, ‘Why is that? We know the technology to make

it!’

‘Zo, it is true ...life is more precious no doubt. But until

we know the reaction of the natives, we cannot take any

risk with our Ave as it remains as the only escape route…’

Re replied.

Ro sounded highly excited, ‘but till now no one has

disturbed us, no noise from outside but the silence makes

it all the more ominous... So if two of us go out, observe

everything and come back to tell us, we could prepare

ourselves..!

Ge replied sarcastically, ‘two or more, what difference

would it make when we remain invisible? It is better to

have more eyes!’

Ro was furious as he never liked someone overruling him

and Ge had a knack of stinging him whenever possible!

Knowing the undercurrent, Re ignored both, ‘ well Zo,

you and your own team can go out now and come back

exactly after two hours of the Earth time as we do not

know the time divisions here. But the light is dim so it

may become dark soon.’

Zo continued, ‘This planet Proxima Earth too revolves and

rotates just like the Earth. but Alpha Centauri is 10 percent

more massive than the sun, with the radius about 22

percent larger…so we must yet to calculate the speed at

which this planet moves ‘

Re was highly apprehensive but he couldn’t keep them

inside the spacecraft forever. He stood in the doorstep and

removed the outer door...

The first look was quite shocking. The space craft has

fallen in a forest obviously and the gigantic trees were

hovering near the spacecraft, almost touching the craft...as

Re was about to be invisible, one branch extended itself

and caught him. The others behind him became

invisible...Re struggled for sometime then went

limp...Everyone was horrified and tried to pry him out of

the clutches of the branches... The braches extended their

tentacles through the doorway into the space craft.

Ge and few tried to wake up Richard but by the time, one

of the branches touched his leg... Richard felt something

tugging at him forcefully and he slowly came to his

senses. He saw a peculiar reddish green colour creeper

tried to pull him. He sat down abruptly maKing all the

invisible Reans to fall. He removed the cleaver that he had

brought with him and chopped of the clutching creeper…

To his utter surprise a scream as he had never heard, came

out of the creeper. He threw the piece and it withered

immediately.

He could see now Re hanging from another branch. He

slowly crawled, even though he could stand inside Ave the

spacecraft. He still felt weak but seeing Re, hanging limp

he pushed himself forward. The tree moved back!!

Richard couldn’t believe his eyes when the tree moved

backwards and straightened itself... It had a peculiar colour

as the leaves were reddish green, the colour he had never

seen on Earth…It had such a huge base and the roots were

dangling around the base and few supporting the tree... He

did not think much before he acted...Jumped from the

spacecraft and cut off the branch that was holding Re. He

caught Re before he could fall down. The trees gave a

shrill noise and to his utter bewilderment, hopped back...

All the trees moved further away from the space craft and

made a circle around it. The noise was so irritating that he

lost his cool completely, went near them and started

cutting them at random. The trees started hopping further

and he chased them until all disappeared around a corner.

Once again, there was an absolute silence. He couldn’t see

anything other than the rocky terrain as far as he could see

on either side. He could hear the waves crashing on rocks

from somewhere and there was no sign of the walking

trees.

Re was not there where he was fallen and he ran back to

the space craft. He stood outside the entrance and peeped

in! He could see all Reans standing around looking at Re

helplessly as he was lying down without any movements!

Richard picked him up and started giving CPR. He tapped

on his chest gently, gave slight pressure using one hand,

opened his lips and blew into his mouth at intervals.

Suddenly Re started sputtering and Richard held him

upright and waited for him to recover completely...

There was a cheer around him, only then he realised that

all these Reans must have been really scared as they

wouldn’t have known what he was doing...

Re was fully recovered and looked around him and

Richard gently kept him down. It was so heartening to see

Re to be in command.

Re asked, ‘why are you all standing here? I told you to go

for a field observation! Richard it is nice to see you back

with us!

All laughed heartily including Richard…

Richard said, ‘It was not me, who was out of

circulation…it was you who fainted because the walking

trees squeezed you!’

Re looked horrified as his memory returned, ‘Oh yes now

I remembered! What happened to those strange beings?’

Ro replied, ‘Richard fought with them and cut off the

branches so they dropped you and ran away!’

‘Now it is the talking and walking trees and what other

creatures would be there I wonder’ Zo said with irritation.

Richard, ‘I will go around the place to see what other

things are lurking here! But I am glad everything is almost

similar to Earth except this yellowish dim light.’

‘No Richard, I don’t want you to go alone. Zo and group

will follow you and you wear your link at all the time so

that you can communicate any urgent messages. Once we

know the lay out, we will start planning for out settlement

here. Until then, it is prudent to hide somewhere. This

mountain looks perfect to hide. We will find some

temporary place. Meanwhile you go and explore’

Richard, ‘Zo follow me then. Unless it is absolutely

necessary, you don’t show your presence. Re keep

yourself safe all of you’ Richard took command naturally

and all nodded their head including Re!

*

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