Stepping out into the sunlight was like stepping into one of my nightmares. The jungle with its vines intertwining around the trunks and branches of trees, the flowers and fungi dotted amongst the green, the smell of earth and damp wood, the humidity crowding in on me. The memories it evoked were choking me.
I took a few deep breaths and tried to push my fears aside.
We’d touched down in a clearing in the jungle made by fallen trees and as I stood at the door of the shuttle battling my demons, I was struck by the sheer beauty of the trees and flowers that were growing beyond the immediate area and by the height of the tallest trees. They had to be at least sixty metres tall.
Despite the magnificence of my surroundings, my breathing became shallow. I had to fight to keep control of my emotions.
Moss grew on rocks and tree roots, vines hung from branches, and flowers of many different colours bloomed in amongst the greens and browns.
The sense of deja vu made both my hearts hammer wildly in my chest. The last time I did this — landing in the jungle — it had ended in tragedy.
The humidity pressed in on me, but, unlike the first time, it didn’t bother me. My skin drank in the moisture without causing the least bit of discomfort.
The other members of my team stepped down onto the ground but I hesitated. I forced myself to slow my breathing and calm my thoughts. I could do this if I concentrated on the present.
I forced myself to move and took the three steps to the soft earth and stood behind everyone in the clearing — if you could call it a clearing. It looked like a war zone. Trees strewn about the floor of the jungle, some of them caught by the branches of surrounding trees, which stopped them from reaching the ground. I gasped when I saw blood on one of the nearby tree trunks.
“Looks like a couple of dinos had a wrestling match,” Darion said with a chuckle.
That got a few laughs from some of the other men on our search team, but it had the opposite effect on me. It made me think of the two dinosaurs that fought right in front of me while I hid in a crevice between two rocks only a few weeks ago. One had resembled an Allosaurus from Earth’s distant past and the other looked like a giant crocodile.
My hearts picked up speed again just thinking about it. I could almost hear the horrific sounds of them fighting.
Darion turned to me. “Are you alright, Tamisan? You look a little pale.”
His voice brought me back to the present. “Uh… Yeah. I’m fine.”
I took a deep breath to try to relieve the tightness in my chest. I didn’t want any of them to know how much being back in the jungle again was affecting me. I needed to be strong. I’d spent a lot of time convincing Darion and our boss, Dr Aimery, that I was up to the task. I wanted to help in any way I could. After all, the man we were searching for was part of my original shuttle crew when I’d first arrived on the planet about six or seven weeks ago.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds and collected myself again. I can do this.
Boots crunched in the leaf litter and I opened my eyes to Darion’s open arms. I melted into them, needing to feel his arms around me. It grounded me. My heartbeats levelled out and my breathing slowed.
After a while, I reluctantly pulled away from him and gave him a warm smile. I used telepathy to send him a thank you.
He returned the smile and I melted a little. “Anytime, my love. Shall we get moving?”
I nodded and we turned our attention back to our mission.
Commander Totino Kozienko gave our team final instructions before heading out. I could see his bulging muscles on his bare arms and half a bare chest, but he didn’t look very ‘commanding’ dressed in a loincloth made of spotted hide. In fact, we all looked strange in skins. But blending in with the natives was key.
He turned to us. “You two, stay in the middle of the group.” When we both nodded, he turned back to the group. “Alright. Move out.”
As we moved further away from the ship, the fresh musty smell of earth and the refreshing scent of the nearby river filled my senses. Fragrances from the nearest flowers soon followed. It was such a nice change from the air conditioning in the underground base. I breathed in deeply and was hit with a wave of memories from the last time I was in the jungle.
So many things had happened to me after I escaped from the crazy scientist who thought he could play God and transfer my consciousness into the body of one of the natives of this planet, a young woman named Sifayah.
Sifayah was from a race of people known as the Waikari, who possessed psychic abilities. They could speak to each other using telepathy, which came in handy because they lived half their lives underwater. Certain members of the Waikari tribe also had the power of telekinesis. Sifayah was one of the strongest in the tribe with this Gift and had been trained well.
My consciousness had been transferred into her mind and I’d only had her left-over memories to guide me in how to use her Talent. I was still amazed at the things I could do now.
There were also physical differences. I still looked human, but I now had webbed hands and feet, and two hearts.
I’d gained a lot: power and gills and abilities. But I’d lost so much at the same time. My life. My friends. My identity. I didn’t really know who I was for a long time.
Things were better now, though. I had a new life and new friends, and my life had purpose again. I could use my abilities to help the Voyager Division study the people on this planet, and help find Janssen too.
I needed to stop thinking about it all and focus, though I was finding it difficult to do.
What was I thinking? I was so naïve to think I could just come back here and carry on like nothing was wrong, like nothing bad had happened to me out here.
Memories of being chased through the jungle and attacked by a man who thought he owned me came rushing up into my mind. My hearts were pounding again.
I can’t do this. Why did I think I could do this?
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Author's Note: What do you think of the story so far? Don't be afraid to tell me what you think. Let me know by leaving a comment or two. I read every single one.
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