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Anora looked at her, then moved to grab a nutrient pack. Lifting the top on her fluids pack. She had Dramen twisting the disc on the top of hers suit over her shoulder, to open the access port. Pouring the dust in, until the last flecks. Shutting off the port, closing the flap, he stepped to one side and looked at Anora. “As you walk, it will mix, but don’t drink for at least ten minutes.“ Colfra muttered some words on those, who forgot the basics, when it came to nutrition? They would not be stopping, for at least the next two hours!
"Walking consumes calories, energy that needs to be replenished. Sodium and other chemicals where the body’s muscles were concerned to avoid cramp, sudden tiredness, confusion. Inoleu had overheard Colfra’s remarks, she felt a fool. but said nothing as Torvan smiled at her. “I wondered whether to add my nutrient pack or not. I don’t always, if I’m on local field trips. Usually you don’t need them, they’re just there as a precaution.“
Anora glared at him as she followed Colfra. Started to catch him up to talk to him. “Don’t be such a grouch! It's an easy enough mistake to make and anyway, if we don’t get a move on we’re never going to get there ahead of the others, which means we’re up against those teams, to seize the hut.“ Uanita had now moved up close to Colfra she glared at Anora. “Cistera’s in charge, we do as she says, not what you say.“
Sisica let out a howl. Her hands, wildly slapping at herself, as they fell about laughing. “It’s horrible.“ Ah yes flying spiders? In true realform VERY realistic. Pasa’s were eight legged creatures with wings, not very big and perhaps lucky for some, didn’t have an appetite for Kets. Lucky for her, because at this moment in time one might have supposed, they would have eaten Sisica just to shut her up! Small furry with little wings, somehow their wings did not look as though, they could support the body they were attached to. Yet these things, could certainly fly .
At the front, a thinner line of fur and set back, within it, beady eyes. Sisica disliked, what we might call, ‘Creepy crawlies’. She thought it was probably, a good idea, that Illia was not with them? Where these things were concerned, she was definitelly, feeling queasy. Those eyes, that penetrating stare? Thankfully they left Sisica in peace, as they flew towards Torvan, who let some rest in the palm of his hand, consoling them? Seconds later, they vanished. Sisica stared at him. She had stopped flinging her arms around. “They’re harmless.“ Eula laughed
“Not armless, they’ve plenty of them.“ She laughed. “Oooh horrible things.“ Torvan growled at her. “You’d have killed them, because you allowed your so called fears, to overrule what so called, intelligence you have. Tell me, do you always, kill things you know little or nothing about. Should I be worried? Sisica glared, there was a definite look of contempt in her eyes, at that moment in time, 'many a true word said in jest' could indeed have been fact not fiction!
Moving past him, she was making it more than obvious, she was going to ignore him. Picked up her pack muttering. “The Jogarth always said you were never any good as slaves, now I know why.” Eula grinned looking at Torvan. “She hasn’t got a clue has she, what to expect.“ He nodded, smiling, whispering, so she couldn’t hear him. “Wait till she meets an Acaran.“ They giggled as Esru looked back at them, frowned, turned to continue talking with Roaen. “Of course I knew what it was.“ (She didn’t) “They give me the e b jeebies.”
So that was it. Yellow team was now on their way. Serenia looked at the time and then at them all, so far so good. Torvan had gained them 50 merits for his actions. Someone watching and scoring them, who had liked the way, he had handled those creatures. Pleased to see him, showing them for what they were, harmless.
What Torvan was NOT to know, was how invaluable those creatures would be to the team. But they still had a lot more hours to go. She knew Sisica wanted to win at all costs, whatever the price, and if it meant sacrificing members of the team, to do so, she would. Serenia was not alone in her thoughts. Cistera reasoned as long as I am in charge, she has to be kept in check.
Sisica could be a problem. She was too used to home comforts and certainly NOT to the rough coarse and often variable conditions she was about to encounter. She was intolerant. Used to having servants, no, slaves doing her bidding. Every whim catered for? Faced with this situation, without her brother to back her up? There had been a distinct sense of aggression towards several of her team members, especially an outburst earlier at Torvan; it was however not a surprise to Cistera OR several of the other Kets. She did have medication with her that calmed her down. It was good to see her taking some of that and at last, relaxing.
Margise stared at her coms unit and then at the satellite monitor. Cistera was doing well, she had her team on the move. The only real threat to Cistera, or so she believed; was Narya. They had a margin of about ten minutes. However Narya was in a different zone from Cistera. The terrain was about the same but a portion of it was marshland, as we know it. They had to figure a way through that to safely reach their objective. Serenia had noticed a small flash of light, some distance from them, towards their left?
It seemed that none of the others had been paying attention to the area around them? Concentrating too much on the ground ahead? Comparing it to the image, from the wire frame? Making decisions on how to overcome any obstacles? “Now I wonder what that could be?” Several of the other Kets glanced at her. She pointed to her left as they stared, then muttered amongst themselves. Taon? “Whatever that is, is getting closer and it, whatever it is, is getting larger.”
“Anyone carrying jxagi?" (Binoculars is close) Taon put her pack down, opened it and withdrew a small monoptic unit. “Txagi monoptic unit. One of the best ever made. Always carry it with me.“ She handed it to Serenia who peered through it. “Anyone ever see a silver scaled creature with large talons and two sharp teeth, protruding from its jaws? Looks very much like a Zancaru beast?“ “Realform.“
“Not at the speed its moving at, given its size and the amount of dust its kicked up, some clouds of it behind it. That’s no realform.” “Did anyone read up on the native wildlife on this planet?“ Serenia glanced at them after lowering the monoptic. “Uh well, never really gave it any thought.” “So we’re on a challenge, on a new planet, strangers here and no one thought to question what sort of creatures, we might come up against? Realform or otherwise? I think we should find somewhere to hide and pretty dammed quick. It might, whatever it is have a taste for Kets.“ Hide? But WHERE?.
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