Mysterious Alcent

Chapter One
Tonya
TIME: Day 43, 5:45 PM

On Alcent, the third planet of Alpha Centauri A, three small groups of interstellar pioneers united to form a new nation. To celebrate their union, they were having an all-day party on the sandy southern beach of Pioneer Island, the home of the Earth people. The other pioneers were from Zebron, a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B, and Proteus, a planet orbiting Delta Pavonis.

Trang, the Captain of the starship from Delta Pavonis, was sitting at a picnic table with Jerry, the Captain of the starship from Earth. Trang’s communicator beeped. After answering it, he turned to his wife Geniya and said, “It’s Tonya, she’s finally come back from the jungle.” Going back to his communicator, Trang said, “Glad you’re home, honey.”

“Dad, I always return safely,” Tonya replied.

“I know, but I always worry about you. I wish you would stay in touch with us while you’re gone.”

“I can’t do that. It would break my bond with the jungle. Achieving oneness with the jungle is how I stay alive. I sense where the dangers are and avoid them.”

“That’s what you always say, but we always worry about you. We wish you didn’t spend so much time in the wilderness.”

“I love it in the forest. I feel in harmony with the creatures that live there. Using my special telepathic gift, I influence the animals to accept my presence. Sometimes, I can even get certain creatures to befriend me.”

“I know you are gifted with special powers, but Geniya and I worry about you when you disappear for weeks at a time.”

“This time, you’ll be glad I went away, because I discovered something that will blow your mind.”

“What’s that?”

“We aren’t the first people to live here. I discovered some old caves that have artwork and script on the walls. The writing could only have been put there by intelligent beings.”

“I would like to see those caves.”

“I will show them to you, but where are you? There’s nobody here. Where is everybody?”

“That’s a long story. Great things have happened while you were gone. Our people on Aphrodite have been rescued. We have our starship back and under repair. And our space shuttle is back in operation.”

“WOW! How did you do all of that?”

“Some wonderful people have come here from Earth, and they helped us.”

“They must be really special. I’d like to meet them.”

“You will, because we’ve united with them and some people from Zebron (B-2) to form a nation. We are going to be working together to build a strong society.”

“This is very exciting news, but you still haven’t answered my question.

Where is everyone?”

“We’re having a party on Pioneer Island. This is where the Earth people live.”

“Where is Pioneer Island?”

“It’s in the middle of Clear Lake. That’s the big lake that Mystery Lagoon flows into.”

“Now, I know where you are. When are you coming home?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Good, I want to take you to the caves I found.”

“We also found some caves, and we think they were made by beings with high-tech equipment.”

“Really! Where?”

“We flew upriver from the falls in Mystery Lagoon. When we reached the foothills, we found caverns that were cut into a granite cliff.”

“You said we, who was with you?”

“Jerry, he is the Captain of the starship from Earth.”

“When will I meet him? I want to thank him for everything he’s done for us.”

“Hold on a minute, and I’ll find out.” Turning to Jerry, Trang asked, “Want to go cave exploring tomorrow?”

“Where?”

“Tonya found some in the jungle where we live, and there’s artwork on the walls.”

“That sounds interesting, and I don’t have any pressing plans for tomorrow.”

Speaking into his communicator, Trang said, “You will meet Jerry tomorrow. He wants to see the caves.”

“Good, I will show both of you my world before we get to the caves.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hiking through the jungle, it will take us about a week to get to the caves. That will give me a chance to show you my world.”

“A week in each direction is too much time. I really can’t be away that long. I now have a starship to repair. Maybe we can fly to the caves.”

“I am familiar with the jungle, but I don’t know if I can find the caves from the air.”

“Let’s try, because I can’t be gone for two weeks.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do, but I do want to show you some of my world.”

“Are you familiar with the jungle around the caves?”

“Yes.”

“After exploring the caves, you can show us that area.”

“That’s a deal. See you tomorrow morning.”

“Goodbye honey.”

Turning to Geniya, Trang said, “I wish she didn’t disappear into the jungle for weeks at a time.”

“She always comes back,” responded Geniya. “You have to respect her survival skills.”

“She doesn’t just survive,” stated Trang. “She actually thrives in the wilderness.”

“How does she deal with the lupusaurs?” Jerry asked.

“Tonya is blessed with unique telepathic powers,” responded Trang. “She is able to get into the heads of animals better than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“Lupusaurs are intelligent, aggressive hunters,” stated Jerry.

“I know, but Tonya is able to sense their presence from a great distance. Then, she can either avoid them or use her mental powers to influence their behavior.”

“That’s an amazing ability to have. I can see why she feels safe in the wilderness.”

In addition to her mental powers, she’s very good at using stealth. In the jungle, she’s as hard to find as a shadow on a dark night.”

“It sounds like she’s the best person to guide us in the forest.”

“No doubt about that, but she never wants to take anyone with her. She says people distract her and prevent her from becoming one with the jungle, which is what she needs to do to be safe.”

“Why is she making an exception this time?” Jerry asked.

“She wants to meet you and show us the caves.”

Jerry turned to his wife Connie and said, “It looks like I’ll be going cave exploring tomorrow.”

“That should be interesting, but I worry whenever you do something dangerous.”

“We’ll be armed and alert,” responded Jerry.

“And we’ll have a very well qualified guide,” added Trang.

TIME: Day 44, 7:00 AM

Connie accompanied Jerry to the south end of Stellar Plateau. When they stepped out of the ATV (all terrain vehicle), they embraced warmly. “Be careful today,” she said.

“You can count on that,” responded Jerry. He gave Connie a goodbye kiss and said, “See you tonight.”

Jerry stepped into the open, wooden cage elevator and descended the 150-foot cliff down to South Bay, where he joined his crew and Trang, who were waiting on the beach. They rode a boat out to Jerry’s cargo shuttle, which was anchored in the bay.

Jerry went directly to the cockpit and sat in the Captain’s seat. He invited Trang to sit in the copilot’s seat.

Wanting to depart immediately, Jerry pulled in the anchors, fired up the shuttle’s nuclear reactor, and activated the steam turbine. Shifting the marine propeller into gear, he taxied out of South Bay and brought the shuttle up to 40 mph. Now riding on its hydrofoils, the shuttle seemed to yearn for more speed. Suddenly, its NTR (nuclear thermal rocket) thundered into action with a deafening roar that shattered the early morning stillness over Clear Lake. The shuttle quickly accelerated to 200 mph and pitched into a steep climb.

Still standing on the south end of Stellar Plateau, Connie watched the shuttle take off and begin its ascent to space. When it reached the cold stratosphere, the water vapor pouring out of the NTR condensed into a brilliant white vapor trail. Connie beeped Jerry with her communicator and said, “Your climb into space is a spectacular sight.”

“We’ll be above the atmosphere shortly,” he responded.

Two minutes later, Jerry shut down the NTR, and the shuttle followed a ballistic trajectory toward Crater Lake, 1600 miles to the south. Less than 20 minutes after takeoff, the shuttle descended into the upper atmosphere. It made a steep descent to 5000 feet; then, it went into a moderate gliding descent to Crater Lake, where it landed on its hydrofoils at 195 mph. Its hydro-drogues deployed and quickly slowed it to less than 40 mph. Then, the shuttle floated on its hull and came to a stop.

“We’re here,” Jerry announced. “Let’s go to the cargo bay and help Jim get the chopper ready for flight.”

“Tonya has never been up in a helicopter,” commented Trang.

“Jim is an excellent pilot,” stated Jerry, “but he’s only 25 and still likes to fly aerial stunts. I’m sure he can make this a thrilling flight for her.”

“That may be, but I don’t think he’ll scare her.”

“Why is that?”

“Tonya has a fearless, daredevil personality. With nothing more than a rope, she’ll climb a tall tree and then use the rope to swing to a nearby tree.”

“It sounds like she and Jim have something in common. They just might get along quite well.”

Jerry and Trang went to the cargo bay. Jim was there and had already opened the cargo bay’s large upper doors. He pressed a button, and the cargo bay’s elevator deck rose to the top of the fuselage, where it served as the flight operations deck for the helicopter.

Turning to Jerry, the highly spirited Jim asked, “Would you mind helping me get this bird ready for flight?”

“Not at all,” replied Jerry.

“Count me in,” Trang said.

The men went to work on the helicopter. First, they deployed the rotor blades; then, they released the tie-down mechanisms.

“Let’s go pick up my daughter,” Trang said.

The men boarded the helicopter and flew four miles to the sandstone cliff that Trang and his people lived in. They had excavated caverns in the cliff with entrances well above ground. For extra safety, the entrances had sturdy doors that served as barricades.

Standing in one of the cave entrances, Tonya watched the helicopter land on the rocky open area in front of the cliff. She immediately climbed down a ladder and ran to meet her father, who had stepped out of the aircraft. He ran to his daughter and welcomed her with a big hug. “I’m glad you’re safely back,” he said.

“I love you dad. I will never let anything happen to me. I will always come back.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I want to meet your friends from Earth.”

“Only two of them are here.” Grasping one of Tonya’s hands, Trang walked side-by-side with her to Jim and Jerry, who were standing next to the helicopter. Facing them, he said, “I would like you to meet the spirit of the jungle, my daughter, Tonya.”

Jerry grinned at the title Trang gave his daughter; then, he said, “My name is Jerry and this is Jim.”

Tonya looked into Jerry’s eyes to sense his character and personality; then, she smiled broadly and said, “Thank you for helping us.”

Returning the smile, Jerry said, “You’re welcome.”

Tonya turned her attention to Jim, looking into his eyes to explore his inner being. The penetrating gaze galvanized Jim, who couldn’t help but notice the youthful beauty of the young woman facing him. He noted her lean, but ample figure, her brown eyes, and black hair. She seemed filled with a vibrant zest for life.

The silent evaluation of each other continued for several seconds until Jim started to sense that maybe Tonya could read his thoughts with her telepathic powers. This possibility made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t want her to know how she was affecting his feelings so soon after meeting her. He decided to break the mental connect. “Would you like to go flying?” he asked her.

“That might be exciting,” Tonya responded.

“It’s fun, and I can make it as exciting as you feel up for.”

“Maybe we should save the wild ride for another time and just go find the caves on this flight.”

Sounds like she wants to go flying with me again, Jim thought, as he tingled with excitement. He smiled and said, “Yesterday, you told your father that you didn’t know if you could find the caves from the air.”

“Since then, I’ve given it some thought in terms of what might be visible from the air, and I think I can get us pretty close.”

“You can sit in the copilot’s seat. That will give you a panoramic view of where we’re headed. I’ll follow your directions.”

“Let’s go find those caves,” stated Jerry.

Immediately after takeoff, Tonya pointed at the distant mountains. “That’s where we need to go,” she said.

Jim headed the helicopter toward the east as directed. “It’s an endless sea of green down there,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult to find caves in that.”

“Around the caves, the jungle is even thicker than it is here,” commented Tonya.

“How can it be thicker than that?” Jim asked, pointing at the dense treetops.

“It rains more there than here,” replied Tonya.

“That makes sense,” commented Trang. “Clouds coming in from the ocean are heavy with moisture. They lose much of that when they rise up to get over the mountains.”

“It does rain frequently,” Tonya said. “The area is steamy with humidity. Small ponds, marshes, and streams are everywhere. The abundance of water and the warm climate support a lush jungle of plant life, which supports a broad diversity of animal life. There is even a species of small monkeys living there that rarely come down out of the trees.”

“I wonder why we never see any monkeys in our area,” questioned Trang.

“We don’t have the right kind of trees,” responded Tonya. “The monkeys are supported by two species of trees; one produces fruit, and the other produces nuts with soft shells that they’re able to bite through.”

“I suppose you’ve climbed high into the trees to study the monkeys,” commented Trang.

“Of course.”

“How did they react to that?”

“I used my mental powers to convince them that I wasn’t a threat, and they accepted my presence. In fact, there was one that even seemed to like me.”

“How did that one behave toward you?”

“He brought me some fruit and sat on a branch next to me while I ate it.”

“I get the feeling you’ve spent a lot of time with those animals.”

“I have, and I even slept a few nights in a tree in their midst.”

“I’m starting to see why your father introduced you as the spirit of the jungle,” Jerry said.

“I am at home in the wilderness.”

“Can you telepathically identify the monkey that befriended you?” Jerry asked.

“Yes.”

“How far away from the caves does his group live?”

“About a mile to the south.”

“Can you telepathically locate them from a distance?”

“I can sense their presence from a half-mile away.”

“Maybe we can get close to the caves by finding them.”

“It’s worth a try,” responded Tonya.

Twenty minutes later, Tonya located the monkeys. Jim flew one mile to the north and slowly circled the area. “Do you see anything familiar out there?” he asked Tonya.

“Not a thing. It’s just a sea of green.”

“Well, this is your backyard, so pick a spot. I’ll hover and lower you and your guests to the surface.”

Gazing out over the area, Jerry said, “It would be nice if we could find a small break in the trees to drop down through.”

With her favorite rope coiled around her left shoulder, Tonya said, “If you’re in the mood for a little climbing, I can get us down to the surface from any treetop.”

“Those trees might be 200 feet tall,” commented Jerry.

“That’s true, but they’re easy to climb.”

“Let’s look for a break,” Jerry insisted.

“Over there,” Trang said, pointing to the right.

Jim turned to the right, and in a few moments, he brought the helicopter to a hover over the opening in the forest. Looking down into the jungle, Jerry said, “There’s a large rock formation down there.”

“That’s where we need to go,” stated Tonya. “I think we’ll find the caves there.”

“Let’s go down and take a look,” Jerry said.

Jerry, Trang, and Tonya entered the helicopter’s cargo bay and stepped onto the center section of its floor, which was detachable and could be lowered to the surface with a ceiling-mounted winch.

The floor panel was equipped with safety rails that Jerry deployed to form an open cage. “Is everyone ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes,” they eagerly responded.

“We’re going down,” Jerry said to Jim.

“I’ll hold this bird steady,” he replied.

Jerry pressed a button, and the floor section released and began dropping away from the helicopter as the winch played out cable. As the trio steadily descended, Tonya’s finely tuned senses seemed to meld with the surrounding jungle. Jerry was impressed with the change in her demeanor. She reminded him of a tigress with kittens to protect. She appeared totally focused and alert, but seemed relaxed and ready to pounce. I can see why she thrives in the jungle, Jerry thought.

When the cage landed on the rock formation, everyone stepped out, and Jerry sent it back up to the hovering helicopter. “We’ll call you when we’re ready to be picked up,” Jerry said to Jim.

“I’ll be waiting,” Jim replied, as he began the flight back to the shuttle.

The rock formation the trio landed on was free of tall trees, but because of frequent rain, it was covered with a thick carpet of moss punctuated by numerous ferns. Toward the west, the rock formation abruptly ended with a 60-foot drop over a nearly vertical cliff. Toward the east, it was buried by a jungle-covered hill that gradually rose nearly 300 feet. It was only 30 to 40 feet from the cliff to the hillside. From north to south, the rock formation stretched only 200 feet before the dense jungle took over.

Tonya led the way to the south and entered the jungle, her senses on full alert. Carefully picking her way through the thick vegetation, it took several minutes to descend a landslide to the base of the cliff. She turned north, and in a few minutes, the trio emerged from the jungle and was once again on a carpet of moss and ferns covering the rocky area at the cliff’s base.
Tonya pointed upward and said, “There’s a large opening up there that is sealed with a transparent cover. I believe it is the outside end of a skylight that illuminates the five rooms in the underground complex.”

“You might be right,” Trang said. “The caves we discovered also have skylights.”

“It looks like the Ancient Ones started more than one colony on this planet,” Jerry said.

“That’s possible,” agreed Trang, “but why would they divide themselves? It seems like one large colony would be stronger than two or more smaller ones.”

“Maybe not,” argued Jerry. “A natural tragedy could wipe out an entire colony, but if they are divided into several smaller colonies, the tragedy would only take out part of the whole.”

“Good point.”

“Let’s go in and look at the artwork,” suggested Tonya.

“How good are your senses?” Jerry asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know with certainty that we aren’t going to be ambushed by some wild animal looking for an easy meal?”

“I am familiar with the animals in this area, and there’s nothing of consequence in the cave.”

“It looks like a good place for lupusaurs to raise their pups.”

“There is evidence that it has been an animal den, but it’s vacant at present. Are you ready to go in?”

Without waiting for an answer, Tonya headed for the cave entrance. Trang and Jerry followed, but despite Tonya’s assurance that the cave was deserted, they were alert with their rifles ready. The trio entered the tunnel, which was lit by soft, diffuse light from ceiling panels. “This looks like the same kind of lighting system that was in the cave we discovered,” Jerry said.

“Apparently, light carrying tunnels extend from these ceiling panels to the outside skylight,” noted Trang. “And since it’s fairly well lit in here, the tunnels must have mirror finishes to prevent loss of light as they bend and turn to get to these ceiling panels.”

Twenty feet inside the cave, the trio came to the first side rooms. The entrances were seven feet high with round tops. Trang and Jerry looked into the rooms, which were 20 by 25 feet. “Nothing here except some old bones with teeth marks on them,” noted Jerry.

“All five rooms have old, chewed-on bones in them,” stated Tonya. “That’s why I think animals have lived in them from time to time over the centuries.”

“Have you found any human artifacts?” Jerry asked.

“Everything is gone except for the artwork on the walls in the last room.”

“The caves we found were also free of artifacts,” stated Jerry.

“All we have from the Ancient Ones is a knife and a belt buckle emblem that we recovered from the bottom of Mystery Lagoon.”

“How could an ancient, apparently high-tech, people disappear without leaving anything behind?” questioned Tonya. “There should be weapons, tools, pottery… something.”

“That’s our thinking too,” commented Trang.

“Let’s go look at the artwork,” suggested Jerry.

“It’s in the room at the end of the hallway,” responded Tonya, as she headed for the room.

On the way, the trio briefly stopped at the other two side rooms, which looked like the two already visited. After a quick inspection, Trang said, “Nothing new here.”

Upon entering the last room, Jerry and Trang were surprised at the amount of artwork carved into the stone walls on all sides of the room. One scene immediately caught Jerry’s attention. “That’s the same scene that’s on the belt buckle emblem,” he exclaimed, “but a great deal of detail has been added to the wall.”

Trang looked at all four walls and said, “My daughter has found a treasure trove of information here. There are not only pictures and diagrams, but also lots of text that might give us some answers if we can figure out how to read it.”

“We’ll have to do that another time,” stated Tonya. “The local pack of lupusaurs is headed this way. We have to leave or deal with them when they arrive.”

“I need to get detailed video of this and put it in the computer,” stated Jerry. “How much time do I have?”

“I’ll go meet the lupusaurs,” responded Tonya. “Maybe I can delay them for a while.”

“How are you going to do that?” Jerry asked.

“Oh, I have my ways,” responded Tonya, as she turned and ran to the cave exit. Once outside, her telepathic powers were no longer dampened by being inside a rock formation. Using her mental gift, she began a search for the lupusaurs. She quickly found and recognized the energy field emanating from the pack leader’s brain.

She had experience with this pack and its viciously aggressive leader. She had taunted him from the safety of a tree, throwing baseball-sized nuts at him.

Trang followed Tonya out of the cave. She turned to him and said, “Please stay here until I return.”

Before Trang could object, Tonya raced into the jungle on a well used game trail. Light on her feet, she moved swiftly toward the advancing lupusaurs. When she was 400 yards away from the cave, she sensed that she was close to the animals, so she stopped to put her plan into action.

She spotted a tree with a large low branch that extended across the trail. A few yards up the trail from the overhanging branch, Tonya dropped her shorts, squatted, and urinated on the trail. With a stick, she spread some of the urine soaked soil across the trail and onto the bushes on either side. On the way back to the tree, she picked up several golf-ball-sized rocks and put them in a pouch attached to her belt. Then, she climbed the tree and made herself comfortable on the overhanging branch, which was only 13 feet
above the trail.

In less than a minute, the lupusaurus pack leader trotted around a bend in the trail. Picking up the urine scent, he growled angrily and approached the urine-soaked line across the trail. He stopped and smelled it, recognizing it as the scent of one who had teased and eluded him before. Loudly, he howled out a fierce challenge. How dare this human thing intrude in his territory and mark it as her own.

“I am up here,” Tonya screamed. “Come and get me.”

The lupusaurus glared at Tonya, barked menacingly, and charged. He jumped as high as he could and snapped his jaws shut, but he was a couple feet short of grabbing Tonya’s feet, which were hanging down from the branch. The lupusaurus howled in angry frustration.

Tonya laughed loudly, moved her feet in a dancing motion, and said, “What’s bugging you? Is there something in your territory that you can’t attack?”

The lupusaurus howled fiercely and glowered at Tonya’s teasing movements. He gathered all of his strength and jumped straight up with total determination. The height of the leap surprised Tonya. The animal’s jaws snapped shut only inches from her feet.

“That was good,” exclaimed Tonya, “but you’re going to have to do better if you want me.”

Tonya looked into the lupusaur’s eyes and felt his hatred and determination. The animal stared back. His jaws rapidly opened and
closed several times, while saliva flowed out of his mouth.

“Do I look that tasty? It must be maddening to know that you can’t have me.”

Being a cunning animal, the lupusaurus began looking for a way to get to his prey. His eyes followed the branch to the tree trunk. He charged toward the trunk, leapt up the trunk, and tried to claw his way up to the branch. But he came up short and fell back to the ground, where he howled and barked in frustration.

The 21 animals making up the rest of the pack were also howling and barking as they milled around under Tonya. The noise was deafening. The pack leader barked out a command, and his pack became silent as all stared at Tonya. They seemed to be thinking about how to get to her.

Tonya noted that the jungle had become deathly still. “It appears that you and your pack have terrified everything into silence except me,” taunted Tonya, as she removed a rock from her pouch and threw it at the lupusaurus leader. It struck him on top of his nose. He howled at the insult and the pain. He became more determined than ever to kill his tormentor. His eyes followed the branch out to its end. Suddenly, the animal charged into the bushes, leapt on top of a boulder, then onto the branch Tonya was sitting on.

Tonya drew her pistol and aimed at the lupusaurus, but she did not fire. Instead, she stared into the animal’s eyes, and using her telepathic powers, she projected an image of a large, angry, sabertoothed cat into its brain.
On the ground, a lone saber-tooth could be quickly killed by a lupusaurus pack. But the lupusaurus pack leader wasn’t on the ground. He was alone in a tree, and what looked like an easy meal had suddenly become a huge, angry saber-toothed cat. It was a shocking surprise, and the lupusaurus instantly froze in position.

Tonya telepathically projected saber-tooth snarling sounds into the lupusaur’s brain to reinforce the saber-tooth image. She began slowly approaching the animal while increasing the strength of her telepathic intrusion into his brain.

The lupusaurus remained frozen in position, determined to stand his ground. Tonya telepathically suggested retreat while continuing to inch closer. She suggested the position of strength the animal could have by being on the ground with his pack.

It was a war of nerves that Tonya was determined to win. Confident in her telepathic ability to control animals, she continued the face-off. She sensed that this lupusaurus was ready to bolt and just needed an extra push, so she added a second saber-tooth to her message. She placed this one on the branch directly above the lupusaurus causing him to look up. Convinced that he was facing two deadly enemies, the lupusaurus jumped off the branch and joined his pack.

Wanting to go back to the cave, Tonya needed to get the lupusaurus pack out of the area. She decided to try appealing to their hunger. Into the mind of the pack leader, she placed an image of a herd of antelope back up the trail from which the pack came. The strategy worked. Surrounded by his pack, the pack leader barked out a fierce challenge to what he thought were a pair of saber-toothed cats in the tree above him. Then, he turned and headed west in search of antelope. One by one, the pack members turned
away from the tree and followed him.

Tonya waited for the pack to clear the area; then, she nimbly dropped to the ground and headed back to the cavern. When she arrived, she found Trang and Jerry waiting for her in front of the cliff.

“Did you find the lupusaurs?” Jerry asked.

“Yes.”

“How far away are they?”

“They left the area. They’re headed west.”

“I thought they were coming this way.”

“They were, but I had a little communication session with their leader, and they left.”

“Let me get this straight. A pack of vicious hunters were headed this way, and you went out and talked to them, and they left.”

“That pretty well sums it up.”

“That’s incredible. I’d like to know how you did that.”

Tonya told Jerry and her father the complete story. When she finished, Jerry asked, “What will they do when they find out that you sent them on a wild goose chase?”

“By the time they figure that out, they’ll be miles from here. Anyway, this jungle is so full of life that they’ll find something else to kill and eat. They won’t be back today.”

“You sound very sure about that,” noted Jerry.

“I was only 15 when I started making solo trips into the jungle. Since then, I’ve spent more time in the forest than out of it. I’ve studied the lifestyles of the creatures that live here, and I have a very good understanding of lupusaurs. This pack will find something to kill and eat. Then, they will contentedly sleep for a few hours.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word for that, but I’m surprised that your parents allowed you to go into the wilderness alone at age 15.”

“We didn’t have much choice!” exclaimed Trang. “She had a mind of her own and sneaked off for a few hours at a time. We would’ve had to lock her up to keep her home, and we couldn’t do that.”

“I might’ve been rebellious,” stated Tonya, “but I was never irresponsible. I was always tuned in to my surroundings, so that I could avoid danger. I became very good with stealth techniques.”

“Geniya and I recognized your capability and sense of responsibility. That’s why we gave you as much freedom as we did.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. I’ve become very comfortable in the jungle, and now, I’m going to show you some of its beauties.”

Tonya became very still. Her mind was telepathically searching the nearby trees. When she found what she was looking for, she said, “Stay relaxed and don’t make any sudden movements.”

Jerry and Trang did as requested, and Tonya walked about 20 feet toward a tree. She stopped and extended her right arm.

Momentarily, a bird with a 12-inch wingspan and brilliant red and green feathers flew down from the tree and landed on her arm. Tonya turned her head and faced the bird. In just a few seconds, it started chirping a happy song. Tonya turned her attention back to the tree and extended her left
arm. The bird’s mate glided down from a branch and landed on her
arm. The birds started chirping back and forth with their singing communication. Tonya listened to their cheerful sounds for a couple
minutes; then, she lifted her arms a bit, and the birds flew back into
the tree.

“That was quite a demonstration,” noted Jerry, as he and Trang approached Tonya. “Can you influence all creatures like that?”

“Enough of them to keep myself entertained. Would you like to walk into the jungle and meet more of the creatures that live here?”

“Sounds like fun,” responded Jerry.

Pointing down the game trail to the west, Tonya said, “Somewhere down that trail, there is a lupusaurus pack.”

“No thanks!” exclaimed Jerry. “I’ve already had enough experience with lupusaurs.”

“Okay, then we’ll head down that trail.” Tonya pointed toward the north and headed for the trail. Trang and Jerry followed her into the dense rainforest.

Two hours later, they returned to the top of the rock formation. “Have you seen enough?” Tonya asked.

“That was a very interesting nature tour,” responded Trang.

“Too bad Jim wasn’t with us,” commented Jerry. “He would’ve enjoyed it. Dianne has trained him to be a biologist, and he is keenly interested in the plants and creatures that live on this planet.”

“Really!” exclaimed Tonya. “Maybe there are some things he can teach me. Do you need to go back to Pioneer Island right away?”

“What do you have in mind?” Jerry asked.

“I’d like to take Jim on the same tour I just gave you and Dad.”

“He’d like that,” stated Jerry. “How much time do you need?”

“A couple hours should be enough,” responded Tonya with a bright-eyed smile.

Noticing Tonya’s demeanor, Jerry said, “I sense that there’s more involved here than just a nature walk.”

Tonya gave Jerry a silent smile that spoke volumes. He grinned in return and called Jim. “We’re ready for pickup,” he said.

“I’ll be right there,” responded Jim.

“We have a tour guide here, who would like to show you some of what lives here. I have to tell you that there’s an amazing diversity of life here.”

“I’d love to see some of it,” Jim said, sounding excited.

Twenty minutes later, the helicopter arrived. Jim lowered the cage into the clearing, and Jerry stepped aboard, but Trang hesitated.

“I’d like to do the nature hike again, in case I missed something,” he said.

“Dad, I promise, I’ll take you into the jungle again, but not now.”

Trang grinned and stepped into the cage. “I wonder why she doesn’t want me along,” he said.

“That’s a big mystery,” replied Jerry with a smile. Facing Tonya, he said, “Jim will be down shortly.” Then, he pressed a button and the winch inside the helicopter started pulling the cage skyward.

When they arrived on the chopper, Jerry took control and sent Jim down. “Call us when you’re ready for pickup,” he said.

“Will do,” Jim replied, as he began his descent. Jim alertly looked into the surrounding trees while steadily dropping into the clearing. However, the leaves were so thick that he couldn’t see beyond them. He wondered how many different kinds of creatures lived in the trees. What would Tonya show him?

She was now only ten yards below him. He looked down at her. She was smiling and seemed filled with enthusiasm. Jim returned the smile and thought, she sure is beautiful.

Momentarily, Jim landed, stepped out of the cage, and pressed a button to send it back to the hovering helicopter. He turned and began walking toward Tonya, but she didn’t wait for him, she met him halfway. They stopped a few feet apart and silently looked into each others eyes. The eye contact was electrifying. Involuntarily, they stepped into a tight embrace followed by a tender, loving kiss.

“Welcome to my world,” Tonya whispered.

“This isn’t the kind of welcome I was expecting.”

“I wasn’t planning to greet you this way; it just happened.”

“I’m very happy that it did,” responded Jim, while still holding Tonya in a warm embrace.

“I am too,” she whispered softly. Looking into Jim’s eyes, Tonya exuded a kind of sweetness that captivated Jim and filled him with desire. Unable to resist her charm, Jim kissed her passionately, freely allowing his rapidly growing desire to flow into the kiss. He felt a mild tremble pass through her. She sighed and seemed to grow weak in his arms. Jim held her with a gentle kind of strength that firmly supported her.

“This is all happening so fast,” Tonya whispered. “We just met and you’re knocking me off my feet.”

“Are we moving too fast for you?”

“No, I like what you’re doing to me. You have me churning inside, and I love it.”

“What do you think you’re doing to me?”

“I know what’s happening to you, but I want to hear you tell me.”

“You’ve got me burning up with desire, and I don’t know how much longer I can control myself.”

Tonya snuggled tightly against Jim. “Who said you have to control yourself?” she asked sweetly.

“No one,” responded Jim, breathing hard.

“What are we waiting for?” Tonya asked, with her very being radiating the inner glow of overpowering passion.

“Where can we go that will be safe?”

Tonya closed her eyes and used her telepathic powers to search the surrounding jungle. A half-minute went by. “We’ll be safe for a while, and we can go over there.” Tonya pointed at some giant ferns.

“There’s a soft bed of moss in that fern garden. We’ll be comfortable there.”
Grasping Jim’s right hand, Tonya led him toward the ferns at the edge of the forest. The ferns were nine feet tall. Their large fronds were forest green and made a natural umbrella over the moss bed. Pushing the fronds apart, Jim and Tonya entered the secluded natural garden.

A half-hour later, they emerged from seclusion. “I’ve never been made welcome like that before,” Jim said.

“I hope that wasn’t a complaint.”

“Definitely not, in fact, I’d like to go through the welcoming procedure again.”

“So soon?”

“I might need to catch my breath first.”

Tonya smiled, “I’m ready anytime you are.”

“Why don’t we go for a walk in the jungle first?”

“Are you more interested in the jungle than in me?”

“You fascinate me, and the jungle is your home. I will learn more about you if you show me why you enjoy the jungle so much.”

“I was only teasing you, but that was a great comeback. What would you like to see?”

“This whole area is new to me, so show me the things that are of greatest interest to you.”

“Right now, food is of interest to me. I’m hungry, how about you?”

“I’m starving, what’s good to eat around here?”

“Fruit, nuts, berries, and mushrooms are plentiful. Some plants grow tubers that are quite tasty. Streams and ponds have fish in them, but that requires a campfire. I’m not into eating raw fish.”

“Let’s save the fish dinner until we get to Pioneer Island.”

“Did you just invite me to the island?”

“Yes, do you want to come?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On what kind of welcome I will get.”

“What kind of welcome do you want?”

Tonya smiled invitingly.

“It’s going to be difficult for me to top the welcome you gave me, but I’ll try.”

“Okay, I accept your invitation. Now, let’s find something to eat.”

Holding hands, Tonya and Jim walked to the north end of the clearing. Several squirrel nut bushes were growing in a sunny area at the edge of the forest. They were healthy and loaded with nuts.

“Let’s start with these,” Tonya said.

A few minutes after they started eating the delicious nuts, Jim’s communicator beeped. It was Jerry. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but an emergency has come up, and we need to go back to Pioneer Island. How long will it take you to get to the clearing?”

“We’re in the clearing,” Jim replied.

“Good, we’re on the way.”

“What’s the emergency?”

“I’ll explain after we pick you up. See you in 20 minutes.”

“We’ll be ready.”

Speaking to Tonya, Jim asked, “Are you ready to visit Pioneer Island?”

“Will I be with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I’m ready. Why are we leaving so soon?”

“I don’t know. All Jerry said was an emergency has come up, and he would explain later.”

“I hope it’s not serious.”

“He sounded like it is.”

Twenty minutes later, Tonya and Jim heard the sound of a hovering helicopter. They looked up and saw the cage descending. When it arrived, they stepped into it and were lifted to the helicopter.

Jim entered the cockpit. “What’s the big emergency?” he asked Jerry.

“We have to go to Alpha Centauri B.”

“Why?”

“Rex called. There are terrorists operating in his area, and they’ve kidnapped his wife, son, and daughter.”

“What do the terrorists want?”

“I think they want our starship.”

“Why do you think that?” Jim asked.

“They’ve told Rex that he has to find them a ride back to their homeland, or he’ll never again see his family alive.”

“The Great War totally destroyed Rex’s country, so they have no way to return the terrorists to their homeland.”

“That’s the point, and the terrorists know that. They also know, or should know, that Rex and his wife Shannon have been in daily contact with us. They should know that Rex will ask us for help. If we agree to help, that will bring us and our starship to them.”

“And you think they want revenge for what we did to them?”

“That’s a possibility,” stated Jerry. “We did blast their chemical warfare weapons out of existence.”

“Revenge might be their objective, but they still have the problem of getting to our starship, which will be in orbit. How are they going to do that?”

“That’s what we have to figure out. When we get home, we’ll have a meeting to brainstorm that question and develop our strategy.”

“You need to have your chief engineer at that meeting,” stated Trang. “I have direct experience at confronting his military mind, and he’s good.”

“Mike and his wife Michelle will be there,” responded Jerry.

“Michelle has been in daily contact with Rex and Shannon. She understands their language and has taught them English.”