Chapter 5: Chapter 5

When Richard got up in the morning, he could see the

settlement was already busy. Few Reans were setting up

their kitchen. He saw them fixing some foldable counter

top parallel to the mountain wall at the far end of the flat

area where it was closer to the lake.

Few of them were carrying, what looked like magnetic

induction stove and arranged them on the counter top. It

looked like a doll house kitchen. He wondered what he

would do for food and if he had to share their food it

would be so unfair as he would eat all their weekly portion

at one time… he must find a way... must get a bigger stove

and cook for himself … get the cutleries ,containers,

cooking utensils…he never planned for any of these

practicalities.

He decided to climb up and see if it was really safe. He

circled around the lake to find a suitable place to climb the

hill and he found a good rocky terrain that could be easily

climbed. He followed the fallen rocks and it was

reasonably easy to climb, not very steep or slippery. He

climbed fast for some time and came to the summit,

looked around and the view was spectacular! The hill had

a vast water body directly opposite and to the right! it was

glittering in the rising Alpha and the other two sides were

the land. The land looked very dark and gloomy. The trees

were of a peculiar blue green or reddish green and it

looked as if the trees were constantly on the move…

The water body was similar to the Earth’s ocean and the

waves were crashing on the beach. The beach was a

beautiful sandy beach and he could see some creatures

running around in the sandy beach. He couldn’t see what

kind of creatures they were but they were not some tiny

creatures, easily four to five feet. They were hopping in a

peculiar way and suddenly as he was looking, they

disappeared into the water…

The summit was not flat like the tabletop below and he

walked around and as he came to the other side he saw

that the hill was an extension of a mountain range that

bordered the land as far as he could see! He saw a slope

that led to a narrow valley. He must have climbed down

only few feet when he came across a natural cave. The

cave entrance was like an arch and he had to bend a little

to enter the cave. The cave was just like a room with a low

ceiling and the floor was flat. He walked around the

cave...it would make a perfect place for his private

quarters!

He came out of the cave... He was pleased with himself as

he never knew that he could adapt so well to different

circumstances!

He walked on the ledge in front of the cave; the ledge ran

all around the rise just below the summit. When he came

to the side overlooking the lake and the ocean, he saw a

small rivulet running down to the lake below…Obviously

the source must be an underground water spring that was

gushing out like a fountain! Richard tasted the water

cautiously and tasted sweet.

He was satisfied with finding everything to his advantage

but he knew that this place should be only a temporary

place. Reans needed to establish a city if they have to take

this planet as their home. So far there was nothing that

they had encountered could be a threat to their dream!

He sat there for some time, thinking things over and he

decided that his priority was to plan for his cooking

facilities…vessels...stove…

He heard someone calling his name and looked up to see...

He saw a colourful bird, flying down to meet him and that

was calling his name too!

Reans never failed to amaze him! ‘I am Zo...Richard come

down and see ... we have a surprise for you.’

‘Zo kindly keep the same bird form for yourself ...all your

fancy forms are difficult to recognise!’ Richard

admonished him kindly...

‘My intention is that... you or anyone for that matter must

not recognise me easily’ Zo joked…

Richard walked down slowly back to the camp... the busy

Reans had transformed the place. There were many small

tents, a kitchen unit, restrooms and lecture hall with a

small podium... It looked like a fairytale scene.

Re came near him and showed him a larger tent at one end

of the campsite, ‘Richard we had to stitch four of our tents

to have a tent for you! Just check if it is ok!’

Richard had tears as no one had thought of him as he grew

up alone. The gesture touched him so much and he just

peeped in to the tent to hide his emotion! There was a

small table, a mattress and four MagLev lights. It was the

cutest thing he had seen and told so…

Re asked him to follow him and walked with him. Once

again he was so touched to see a small cubicle of a

chemical toilet which could fit him just so!

Ro called him from the kitchen area and showed him few

large bowls that he had made using some strange

metal...He could see few Reans were busy maKing a kind

of a stove using four of their regular one!

He was speechless and finally thanked Re for going to this

extent to make him feel at home.

Re replied, ‘Compared to your sacrifice, what we have

done is nothing… so don’t be a perfect human with empty

emotions! We learnt this affection from you’

They heard a commotion from down and in minutes the

whole campsite was filled with the plants... They were

coming in droves and all wanted to come near Richard and

offer him something or other.

Richard thought of putting an end to this kind of invasion

once for all! He raised his voice and called the plants to

pay attention...

The clamour abruptly stopped as the plants stopped

maKing noise and stood…

‘You have helped us a lot and we are going to be together

here. You should not enter our camp without our

permission...if you come like this, we may mistake this as

an attack and we will attack you. So don’t enter here

without any announcement... This is the first agreement

made between the flowering plants and Reans... Do you all

agree?’

The clamour started once again and one plant said in a

loud and clear voice, ‘Yes we agree and in the same way,

you should not raid our storage and cut us down’

Re replied, ‘we may start cultivating few plants for our

food shortly. If they need anything from their storage, we

will ask you. You need not give us free but you can ask for

some service in return…’

The plants made a cheerful noise that indicated that they

were happy.

Richard was profoundly happy to help these Reans .There

was a gong and he was startled to hear and vaguely he

remembered hearing the same sound while roaming freely

in the Tim’s Land on Earth… It was the call for breakfast

and he was served some porridge which was very tasty

and few small balls of cereals marinated in very spicy

gravy… then he was served some piping hot drink that

smelt like peppermint!

Ge and another male, obviously appointed as his aides ,

were looking up at him. He asked the male his name and

Ge replied, ‘I am Ge and he is Ve… Hope you like what

we gave you... We had a long discussion about the menu

and finally Re decided to give you our standard breakfast

instead of preparing something that of your choice…’

Richard smiled, ‘Re knows me well. Yes I would prefer to

eat what you have rather than some special items prepared

for me... It is the most delicious breakfast that I had for a

while! Ask Re to come and see me when he is free’

Ve laughed, ‘you will wait for a long time then...Re would

never be free!’

Richard chuckled and carried the bowls to the kitchen

even though Ve insisted they carry them but he felt that

was least that he could do.

Re was very busy supervising the work that was going on

inside the cave.

He saw few Reans looking down at the ramp which was

the only way to come up to the tabletop lake!

He walked towards them as he recognised Ro among

them…

But before he could go near them, they disappeared from

his sight… He ran to the place where he saw them and to

his horror, he could see the three Reans carried away by

some creepers. The creepers were completely covered the

ramp and the base of the hill…

He ran down and pulling at the creepers that were trying

to entangle him. Ro was calling him loudly and all the

Reans came to see the commotion…

Richard could easily tear of the creepers but he knew it

was not possible for the Reans...He reached Ro and pulled

them out of the creepers clutch and placed them on his

shoulder and tore the creepers into pieces!

All the creepers that were spread over the slope and the

base of the hill crept towards him. He wished he had his

cleaver with him.

He told Ro to change into a bird and fly away but he

refused. The other two Reans flew away but Ro now as a

bird perched on his shoulder. The creepers climbed all

over him with lightening speed …He was immobilised as

soon as his legs were tied. He tried valiantly to pull the

creepers that were climbing on his body... But when he

pulled one, there were another ten and slowly he was

losing the battle when he saw the birds flying with some

kind of aerosols in its legs. They flew around him and

sprayed the aerosol at the creepers around him... The

creepers became dark and fell down dead. But the

numbers of creepers were too many and Richard was

brought down slowly and he was completely covered from

neck to toe… The flowering plants was standing still and

watching what was going on.

Richard saw few birds that came close to him were caught

by the creepers and that gave him the strength... he jumped

to his feet and kicked with all his might. He heard the

creepers screaming in pain and the same way he pulled his

hands free of the clutches of the creepers and pulled the

creeper that caught the birds. He freed the birds and they

flew away... He shouted at the birds to move from the

area... Ro was perched on his shoulder and one of his

wings was caught by the creeper... Richard tore the

creeper and pushed Ro from his shoulder and he flew

around his head refusing to leave…

Suddenly the creepers fell from him and started moving

from the slope! Richard couldn’t understand why they

were moving when he saw the walking trees arriving. The

branches of the trees scooped the creepers and the creepers

screamed.

Now Richard was completely free and shouted at the top

of his voice, ‘stop everyone… I don’t want the land

creatures to fight each other. Now tell me what other

creatures are there on land? Why are these creepers

attacKing us?’

One of the trees replied, ‘they attack anything and

everything … Just their protective instinct... we all have an

understanding with them. so they will not attack us...even

the flowering plants are safe!’

Richard spoke directly to the creepers who were down in

one place!

‘We are not your enemies but if you attack us again we

will use all our weapons and wipe you off this planet! Not

a single creeper will be left!’

One creeper lifted itself like snake, ‘we leave you ...we

will not attack you again… we thought you are the enemy

that our forerunners told about!’

Re flew and perched on his shoulder and he told in a very

loud voice, ‘We have weapons that would completely

wipe all the livings things on land... but we did not come

here to fight. We will have our own area and we will not

invade your area ‘

Re demonstrated one of their small luminous particle

powers by throwing a bead size bomb on the land below

and devastation was abrupt and horrible! The blast that

occurred shook the hills, reverberated throughout the hills

and mountains and the trees and the creepers were

petrified!

Richard, ‘Do you have any questions? Go now... If we

need you we will send word through these plants and until

we find a suitable place to have our city, we will use this

place. This place is forbidden to all of you! You have to

report if you see nay aquatic creatures and we will come

and protect you. You will be protected by us!’

All of them the trees, creepers and the flowering plants

agreed and were sounded cheerful!

They left as they had come except the flowering plants as

they took position over the hillsides. Everything looked

perfect and peace reigned!

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