Earth Camp
by James Rumpel
part 1
Samm 348 was beginning to have second thoughts about volunteering to lead the expedition. When the scoutmaster had taken ill and asked for someone to replace him on the camping trip, Samm had quickly offered his services. How hard could it be to supervise a handful of young scouts trying to earn merit badges by secretly camping on a primitive but intelligently populated planet? Samm was finding out just how difficult it could be, and they hadn’t even arrived on Earth yet.
“Mr. Samm, Orion keeps breaking off pieces of my tail,” whined Wo from the rear of the space shuttle.
“Big deal,” answered Orion in defense, “it grows back anyhow.”
“Yeah, but it still hurts.”
“Will both of you please be quiet.” Samm rotated one of his eyestalks to get a better view of exactly what was going on behind him. Wo, a lizard-like being with tiny arms, large legs, and a noticeably smaller than usual tail was pushed up against one side of the vehicle, attempting to get as far away from his persecutor as possible. Orion, who stood over seven feet tall and was covered with thick brown fur, was furiously attempting to grab the stub that had once been Wo’s tail.
“That’s enough! Don’t make me have to come back there and separate you two! Why can’t you behave like Bob and Aron?”
“Bob is just a jar of goo,” replied Orion. The pre-adolescent behemoth was basically correct. Bob appeared to be nothing more than a thick liquid in a clear cylindrical container. He was, in fact, a highly intelligent creature who, when old enough and trained, would be able to manipulate objects through telekinesis. For now, however, Bob could do little more than sit in his jar and observe his surroundings. Samm didn’t understand why Bob was even a member of the Space Scouts, let alone going on this camping trip.
Bob’s jar vibrated slightly, creating soundwaves as he spoke. “If I could, I would take both of you and stuff your carcasses in jars.”
The last member of the scout troop was Aron. He was a small, skinny, blue-skinned humanoid. He sat in his seat with his arms crossed, pouting.
“We are only a few time units from Earth. I’ll make a deal. If all of you can behave until we’ve landed, I will let each of you have one of the simulated Earth treats the scoutmaster packed. I’m sure all of you would like to try some ice cream.”
Wo and Orion nodded in unison and returned to a less adversarial seating arrangement. Aron didn’t acknowledge Samm in any way. Bob simply released a bubble through the top of his container and said, “Okay, but I would rather try cow entrails.”
* * *
Samm wasn’t sure where to land the small spaceship. He knew that it was important to avoid a heavily populated area and that he should find a spot with a great deal of vegetation. Eventually, he found a suitable site in a region referred to as Washington by the ship’s navigation computer. There was a small Earth settlement about a day’s travel away, but he figured his potential campsite was so deep in the forest that the planet’s sentient population would not be an issue.
Once Samm landed the ship in a small clearing, the campers went about setting up camp. Bob supervised as Orion and Wo pushed the button and activated their insta-tent and began putting their belongings inside. Samm took the opportunity to have a heart to heart talk with young Aron.
“You have been very quiet today,” began the assistant scout leader. “Do you miss your family that badly?”
“I don’t miss my family at all.”
“So why are you so out of sorts?” asked Samm.
“I think it’s a stupid that we couldn’t bring our computers along. A handheld unit wouldn’t take up too much room.”
“That’s not the reason computers are banned. First of all, if someone were to lose a computer and the Earth people were to find it, there could be drastic damage to their development as a society. Secondly, we are on this trip to learn about survival on a primitive planet. We are here to live off the land and deal with adversity. Now go have the mini-robot unload the dehydrated meals from the ship and help the other scouts set up the prefabricated dining area.”
“Okay, but this whole trip is going to be boring.”
* * *
When camp was set up and everyone had eaten or absorbed their ice cream, the group went for a short nature hike.
They had barely begun when Wo walked directly into one of the Earth trees. He fell backward onto the ground, his toothy snout pushed to one side. Orion burst into laughter at his scoutmate’s accident, nearly dropping Bob.
“Hey, watch it,” vibrated the purple jelly.
“Sorry,” said Orion. “But you have to admit that was funny.”
“How was I supposed to know that Earth trees don’t move out of the way? The trees on my planet step aside for pedestrians.”
Wo bowed his head far enough for his short arms to reach his nose and straighten it.
“If Samm had let me have my comp device, I could have recorded you bumping into the tree and posted it for everyone in the galaxy to see.”
Samm twirled his eyestalks as he smiled. Aron was attempting to participate in the activities, even if the constant complaining was going to prove annoying. “Now that we know the trees stay put, let’s continue our hike.”
As they walked, Samm attempted to impart what he knew about Earth to the children. He had never actually been to this planet but had skimmed the material the scoutmaster provided.
“There are many species of creatures on this planet. A huge majority of them are tiny creatures called insects. They are the masters of the planet but the next most influential beings don’t realize it. That second species is the human race.”
“I’ve seen pictures of humans,” interjected Orion. “They sort of look like Aron, only uglier.”
“We do not judge beings by their appearance,” corrected Samm before continuing his lesson. “We are going to do everything possible to avoid contact with humans. They are simply not ready to be told the truth about the universe and their role in it. They would not know how to deal with highly developed races like us.”
“Is that why we are camping in such a deep, dark forest?” inquired Wo.
“Exactly. We should not run into any humans on this trip. We picked this location because it is very far away from any roadways or structures. If we do meet any of them, it is imperative that we remain hidden. If I have to, I have a neural eraser back at the camp that we could use on them, but I would prefer not to use it.”
“What other kinds of creatures are on this planet?” asked Aron. He was starting to show interest, despite his desire not to.
“There are a number of flying creatures that they call birds. Many of the other animals we might be lucky enough to see are fur-covered. There are squirrels, raccoons, dogs, cats and many others of varying sizes and shapes.”
“Orion is a fur-covered animal,” announced Wo.
Even while carrying Bob’s jar, Orion managed to stick out one of his oversized feet and trip Wo.
Wo went flying directly at a large pine tree. The tree made no attempt to get out of the way.
* * *
The sound of supplies being tossed about and a low rumbling growl met the proxy leader and his scouts when they got back to their campsite. As they neared the clearing where their rents were, Samm extended his arm, a signal for the group to stop and be silent. The action did not yield the desired result.
Wo ran ahead of the others, calling out, “Maybe it’s an Earth animal,” as he raced towards the open area. He stopped suddenly and turned back to his comrades. “Yes, I think it’s a squirrel.”
“Let me chase it off,” commanded Samm as he pushed his way past Wo. “You stay here.”
It took only a few steps for Samm to realize that Wo had incorrectly identified the animal invading their camp. What stood before him was a large, black-furred creature with extremely sharp claws and even sharper teeth.
Startled by Samm’s arrival, the creature instinctively charged. The animal knocked him to the ground and began clawing and biting the gangly alien. Samm screamed for help as yellow blood began to flow from multiple wounds.
Samm lost consciousness.
* * *
Orion handed Bob to Aron and sprinted into the clearing. He yelled as loudly as he could to draw the attacker’s attention from its prey. The Earth creature recoiled when it observed the large alien recklessly charging toward it. After one final swipe of its claw, it scurried away on all fours, growling loudly as it did so.
The damage had been done, however. Samm lay motionless on the ground. A puddle of thick amber liquid collecting around his body.
Aron set Bob’s jar on the ground and raced to his tent.
“Where is he going?” asked Wo.
“It doesn’t matter,” vibrated Bob. “We have to perform first aid on Mr. Samm. Do any of you have your first aid certificate?”
Orion shook his head.
“No,” replied Wo. “I’m still working on my creature identification badge.” He bent down and examined the fallen troop leader. “He seems to be breathing. I think he is still alive.”
“Move back,” shouted Aron as he emerged from his tent carrying a first aid kit and a handheld computer.
“Hey, we weren’t supposed to bring computer devices on this trip,” said Wo.
“I smuggled it in. I thought I would get bored,” answered Aron. “It’s a good thing I did, too. The information I looked up says that we need to apply a tourniquet to Samm’s neck.”
“That doesn’t sound right,” cautioned Bob, his jar still sitting on the outskirts of the camp.
“It is correct,” replied Aron, vehemently. “His race has all of their vital organs in their head. The tourniquet will keep him alive, but we also have to find a way to stop the bleeding and seal the wounds.”
Wo and Orion followed Aron’s directions and wrapped a tight band around Samm’s neck. They also attempted to bandage all the other wounds on their leader’s body. The bleeding slowed but did not appear to be stopping.
“But how do we close the wounds?” asked Orion.
“It says here, that we can close the wounds by applying a specific compound. On his planet, it is called ‘Naclion’. Check our supplies to see if we have any in the first aid kit or on the ship.”
A hasty search was unable to locate any of the substance. It was Wo who found the correctly labeled container lying empty where the Earth animal had rummaged through their supplies. “What are we going to do now?” he asked dejectedly.
Aron consulted his computer. “It says, that the compound we need is available on Earth. Here they call is ‘salt’. It occurs naturally in their oceans, but we’re nowhere near one of them. However,” the young alien paused and reread the information, “Earthlings use it in food preparation, and it can be found at almost all establishments that sell consumables.”
“What good does that do us?” asked Bob, His anxiety was clearly displayed by the large number of gas bubbles rising to the surface of his container.
Aron knew what had to be done. “We need to go get some. My computer says that a place that probably has salt is located a day’s walk from here. I’ll go.”
“That’s too dangerous,” interjected Orion. “What if you meet another squirrel? Let me go.”
“No, it has to be me. I know how to use my computer. The rest of you can stay here and protect Mr. Samm. You should move him inside the ship and then cover the ship with branches and stuff to make it harder for squirrels to find.”
Wo walked over to stand next to Aron. “I will go with you. You might need help.”
“Are you sure? It might be dangerous.”
“I’m sure. I’d rather go with you than be stuck here with Orion.”
“Okay, then it is settled,” said Aron. “Wo and I will leave to get the salt so we can rub it in Samm’s wounds. Bob and Orion, you stay here and protect the camp.”
With that, the two adventurers turned and began walking in the direction Aron’s computer indicated.
“Good luck,” shouted Orion.
“You’ll need it,” vibrated Bob.
* * *
Copyright © 2021 by James Rumpel
