Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Richard was wondering how after almost 16 days he

could feel so energetic and he was not even feeling

hungry. He felt as excited as he had never felt before and

glad that he accompanied them. He held the big cleaver in

his hand and started moving towards the way the trees

disappeared.

Zo and group changed into bird form and disappeared.

Richard could sense them and he touched the link that now

adorned his neck, it gave him a sense of comfort. He

thought of Frank and Redim fleetingly but decided to link

with them later so that he would have some news to tell

them.

He looked at the sun Alpha Centauri, it was little low not

directly above, and so it must be just past noon. He

couldn’t see any big trees but only few flowering plants

could be seen. But strangely they moved out of his way as

he walked and when he turned back to look, they were

once again skipped back. He bent down to pick a flower

but the flower moved away and made some noise. Richard

felt it was trying to say something …

‘

I am Richard from Earth....’ he felt foolish telling the

beautiful strange grey and red flower.

But the flower made some noise and to his amazement he

understood the meaning... it warned him not to go any

further as walKing trees were there and they would attack

him…

He asked the flower what other creatures were there… but

there was no reply. He waited for some time and slowly

straightened up but the beautiful flower touched him and

he bent again to hear. Now he couldn’t understand

properly... It said something about water repeatedly! He

felt that it was trying to convey something but as much as

he tried he couldn’t get the meaning.

He moved away but to his surprise, they followed him...

He walked on...now he could hear a waterfall nearby He

hoped that the water would be drinkable as he felt thirsty.

So he moved fast towards the sound of the waterfall.

He couldn’t see the waterfall but by the sound of it, it must

be very close. There was fallen rock and he had to go

around it. What he saw took his breath away …it was a

small creek which was surrounded by small hillocks in

three sides and one side was connected to the land where

he was standing. The water was cascading from one of the

hillocks into the creek. The water reflected the yellow

light and it looked as if liquid gold was flowing. But

strangely there were no plants but behind him the

flowering plants that followed him were there! He thought

they were watching him and he would never have felt like

that while he was on Earth but now he was adjusting to the

fact that plants move and talk!

He moved down on the slope to reach the creek and the

unbearable screeching noise started all of a sudden from

the flowering plants! He stopped and the plants came

hopping near him and few even jumped on to his feet. He

looked at them helplessly and behind him the water

erupted as if a clumsy giant dived in to the creek.

He turned to look but he couldn’t see anything other than

the disturbed water. The creek must be as big as a football

field and the entire creek now looked as if it was stirred by

a huge hand. Now he was really puzzled as he didn’t see

any creatures in the water. The water was so clear and not

deep so if any creatures were there it would be visible. But

nothing could be seen!

But the flowering plants around his feet were agitated and

moved back from the way they came…

Richard was thirsty enough to face any menace that was

lurking in the water, so he moved towards the water body.

He heard clearly, ‘No… No… Richard don’t go any

further....’

He stopped and since he was called by his name, he knew

that it was one of the Reans that was cautioning him. He

felt the fear and moved away from the water. The plants

jumped and the flowers were moving as if they were

dancing to a silent music!

Richard was happy that he made a prudent decision of

moving from the water. But he needed to drink water and

he shouted as the silence was awful, ‘I want water...I am

thirsty!’

His voice echoed from the hills...first loudly and then the

slowly the echo died...

He heard an unmistakable answer from the flowers...It was

now very clear. He wondered how he understood the

words they spoke...Perhaps a kind of a telepathy!

‘Come with us … we will show you a safe place’

He looked at them keenly but he couldn’t guess from

where the voice was emanating! But somehow he felt like

believing them...Now the plants started skipping along the

way they came and turned left and moved in a single

file…he followed them as they climbed higher and higher.

There was not a single tree and there were neither any

birds nor any insects…He must have climbed 100 metres

when the plants stopped and parted to give him place. he

walked through them, carefully looking down so that he

wouldn’t stamp on any plants...

Finally when he saw what was in front of him he was

speechless. He had never seen such a beautiful scene

anywhere. The hill that he climbed had a circular tabletop

filled with liquid gold! The lake water was reflecting the

yellow light and was very clear. Richard was used to

Earth’s polluted water so looking at the clear water

surprised him. One of the plants jumped into the water and

floated as if inviting him to go down.

Richard bent down and scooped some water in both his

hands and tasted it cautiously. It tasted good ...fresh water

so he drank as much as he could felt so refreshed!

He had taken a gamble when he decided to travel with

Reans as he called them now...he knew he would die if

there were no water or oxygen. He was confident about the

oxygen in the atmosphere as Frank had explained that this

exoplanet Proxima Centauri was similar to that of Earth’s

atmosphere… But he was not sure about water because no

one had given him an assurance about finding water in this

exoplanet!

He looked around the tabletop. It was perfectly shaped

circle and the banks of the lake was narrow except in one

place... He moved towards the flat area where the edge of

the lake was extended up to the mountainside. He walked

around the flat area and observed that on either side it had

narrow banks that went around the lake... There was a

small cave opening, perfectly placed at the middle of the

side, overlooking the flat area. The cave opening was

around seven feet by four feet and he could easily enter.

He looked at the plants that were following him and they

did not show any agitation so he entered the cave and it

was a huge cave with high ceiling. It did not smell stuffy

and it was totally empty of any living things!

He heard Zo’s voice, ‘perfect place for settlement... no

need to search further! Come let us go bring everyone

here... easy to defend and build our dwelling... What do

you think Richard?’

Richard was thinKing the same, ‘yes Zo... but we need

some place for cultivation and when the animals are

propagated, and need a place for them too! So it can be a

temporary place until we find a larger area for a fortress

and city!’

Zo was grateful, ‘All us were very happy that you came

with us and now I could see we were justified…Your

different thoughts always help us... Yes I agree with you

.

This place could be a temporary hideout for the time

being... Come let us go back. Re will be getting worried!’

Richard drank from the lake once again and returned back

to the way that he had come. The flowering plants

followed him like some perfect pets...

Richard couldn’t see any of the trees that he had

encountered and no other creatures were there. The silence

was almost suffocating as he was used to the Earth’s noise

pollution. The Alpha was almost near the horizon and he

walked fast followed by the skipping plants.

Richard was relieved to see the Ave the spacecraft intact.

Standing as he saw it last. When he approached the

spacecraft, Re appeared in the entry hole and he could see

others emanating one by one behind Re. Zo and group

were in the form of birds and they sat on the top of the

spacecraft!

Richard briefed Re about what he saw and hurried them to

settle in the lake side...Re felt it was a very good idea and

he called everyone to enter the spacecraft but Richard said

he would prefer to walk...

The spacecraft now powered by MagLev, followed

Richard as he walked towards the lake It was heartening to

see the plants following him once again…

Richard was tired by the time he climbed the hill and

reached the flat tabletop. He directed the spacecraft to the

cave entrance. It slowly floated inside till the end of the

cave and stopped when it couldn’t go any further near the

inner wall of the cave... The spacecraft slowly settled at

the far end of the cave! Reans came out and were very

happy to see that it was indeed a safe place!

Richard was hungry but he never thought about the

mundane facts when he decided to accompany them. Now

he knew this would be the toughest problem to solve... he

did not see any other creatures that he could hunt and eat

like the settlers on Earth did. He saw Re coming from

where he sat near the entrance of the cave and he looked at

him blankly.

Re understood his dilemma and he wanted to help him.

But their one year food would be used by him in a week’s

time! He had brought the seeds for cereals and plusses and

oocytes to propagate the cattle. They would start

cultivation soon but in the meantime Richard should be

fed. Re was ready to give him whatever they had.

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