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Chapter Nine
The Rescue
Teams
Back on the ship, as Rifkin slept fitfully in his
cave, the professor, Zorig, Falon, and his officers sat grimly in the officer’s
lounge. Along with most of the
ship’s company, the students and technicians were in their pods, as children
should be, their exhaustion too great for them to hold vigil any longer on
Rifkin’s behalf. Although the
professor was aware of Falon’s moods, he had never seen him this way
before. Falon, who had never liked
Rifkin, had almost written him off as a lost cause. Most of the commander’s officers felt the same way, and even
Arkru’s own chief technician was pessimistic about ever finding Rifkin on time.
“I
know you grieve for Rifkin,” Falon spoke gently at first, “but, while some of
us look for him, others must go on with our mission. The ark is far from being filled with Irignian
creatures. Professor, you think we
need four rescue teams—one to cover Zone One, one to cover Zone Two, and a
third and fourth to patrol the beaten paths. I’ve thought about this, and I partially agree. But we must face four concerns in this
dilemma: Rifkin’s limited supply of air, damaged radio, vulnerable life-support
system, and the possibility his suit might be torn. After the established time limit decided by his air supply,
we must go on from there. We must
finish our expeditions on this forsaken planet then rendezvous with the Mother
Ship as planned. Our emotions can
guide us only so far.”
Zorig,
who felt guilty for his wish that the troublesome Rifkin would never return,
was the only one at the informal meeting to side with the professor. Nevertheless, he spoke what was in his
heart.
“Rifkin
might already be dead,” he said, half hoping, himself, it was true.
“If
he isn’t yet dead,” Remgen exclaimed coldly, “he will be by morning!”
“As
I said,” Falon looked directly into Arkru’s eyes, “we can’t wait forever for
him. Unless he shows himself soon,
we’re not going to be able to find him in that thick cloak of green. He could be anywhere… if he even stays
alive in the darkness tonight.”
“I
don’t care how impossible it sounds,” the professor demanded, stomping his
foot, “we must do our best to find Rifkin. He’s alone out there.
We all heard his voice. He
said he was on a volcanic rock of some kind. Zither saw this rock Falon; so did your officers. Undoubtedly, he’ll head back to the
ship on his own. He might even
locate the crawler and find the ship by himself.”
“You’re
assuming he survives Irignum’s night,” Dazl countered, clasping his head with
his four digit hands. “It staggers the imagination to visualize what goes on
out there in the daytime! Can you
imagine what goes on at night?”
“We
must save poor Rifkin!” Arkru looked for agreement in the room.
At this point he needed his students’ support. Even the cautious Zorig seemed to see
Rifkin as a lost cause.
“There-there,” he murmured to the professor as if he was consoling a
small child.
The
professor was beside himself with worry and perhaps, they all suspected, a
measure of guilt. He now excused
himself abruptly from the meeting.
Zorig hastened after him to the bridge where Third Mate Kogin sat watch,
barely awake after today’s effort in the jungle. Several of the younger team members who admired Rifkin’s
spirit but resented the predicament he placed them in gave mixed responses to
Arkru’s call to action today.
Vimml, who should have been restricted indefinitely to the ship after
his performance with Zither, had volunteered immediately. Rezwit had wanted a search team to
plunge right into the forest today, blasting away with their stunners until
they found Rifkin alive and well.
Everyone else had expressed great alarm in Rifkin’s predicament, but
they also displayed irritation at his foolishness and the fact that his
recklessness would place them in danger now.
“I wish we didn’t have to use children in the
search,” the professor murmured to Zorig as he recalled their reaction this
evening. “Many of them are frightened at the prospect. It seems unfair that I’m placing them
in harm’s way.”
“Why
should we suffer for Rifkin foolishness?” groaned Zorig. “Everything was going
well until he began acting like a fool!”
“Nevertheless,”
Arkru said firmly, spreading his hands with finality, “we’re going to search
for Rifkin. Falon can’t stop
me. He wouldn’t dare. Since there are two possible directions
that Rifkin is heading—back to Zone Two to find his crawler or through Zone One
to reach the ship on foot, I will lead one expedition into the Zone One and
Imwep will lead another into Zone Two.
First Mate Remgen and you, Zorig, will lead a third and fourth rescue
team along the beaten paths of Zone One and Two, respectively, in the hopes
that Rifkin will emerge on one of the paths. Rescue Teams One and Two may have to search for him on foot!”
When
Zorig didn’t respond this time, he nudged him as they stood looking out into
the night.
“Come
on, Zorig,” he coaxed him gently, “you must do this willingly. If the situation was reversed, Rifkin
would save you.”
Orix
appeared suddenly on the bridge with the request that they join the officers in
the dining hall for a late night snack.
As they followed the navigator, the professor suspected it was a sort of
peace offering by the commander for the hostility growing between them. He was hungry and suddenly very thirsty
for some cold Revekian beer. Falon
took the opportunity, as they waited for Wurbl and Imyor to arrive with their
snack, to remind the professor that his first responsibility as commander was
the operation of the ship.
“As long as the mother ship is deep in space,” he
told Arkru, “you remain in charge of this mission, but it’s my duty to protect
the crew and run this ship. The
ark’s capacity for alien specimens is a long way from reaching its limit. Within the next few weeks, when it’s
time to rendezvous with the mother ship, the collections will have to be
complete. You and your students must have everything done at that point so we
can depart.”
“I
understand your responsibilities.
I don’t need you to remind me of mine,” Arkru replied, smiling
forbearingly as Falon fidgeted in his chair.
He
realized now how very much the commander hated this hostile world and wanted to
leave. He and his officers would
be very happy if they left it a burnt cinder if it meant saving members of the
crew.
“We
have, I admit,” Arkru contemplated the jungle’s treasures, “a long way to go
before we can be satisfied with our collections for Irignum. There are so many different kinds of
creatures out there that must be included in the ark. But my only concern at this point is for Rifkin. He’s out in that nightmarish wilderness
right now.” “…. We have to find that young numbskull before we continue
collecting,” he whispered almost to himself. “I fear the worst has befallen my
star pupil, but I can’t give up!”
“For
Urlum’s sake,” Zorig blurted testily, “I agree. We’re honor bound to find him, but you must punish him this
time professor. Once and for all you must put him in his place!”
“You
never liked Rifkin,” Arkru frowned disapprovingly at his assistant. “Your
concern for your little sister’s feelings about Rifkin should be at the bottom
of this. I can understand these
sorts of cares. But I believe
there is something else in your attitude that belies your concern… something
less noble than brotherly affection…. Is it jealousy Zorig? Or are you afraid?”
“No
sir, that’s nonsense,” Zorig shook his head emphatically as he rose from his
seat. “I’m no more afraid than anyone else who must walk into that
deathtrap. But I am irritated. It’s just plain aggravation that you see. Nothing else. You’ve gone the limit in your patience with Rifkin. Everyone else, not just me, feels this
is so. Look what he’s gone and
done now. Do you know how
dangerous a rescue mission is going to be if we have to go deep into the
forest—especially on foot? Some of
us could die in the process! Is it so unnatural not to want to throw
you life away for someone who never follows the rules?”
“Makes
sense to me,” Falon said, pursing his lips.
“I’m
very well aware of the dangers Zorig.
I’m also aware the predicament Rifkin has placed us in,” Arkru sat back
wearily in his chair. “That’s why I need your cooperation. Only student and technician volunteers
will assist crewmembers in the rescue, and I will not allow your little sister
Urlum to tag along. This is going
to be dangerous. How do you think
it made me feel to suggest using force field trap poles as bombs? There’s simply no precedent for what
Rifkin is causing us to do. He has
placed us all in harm’s way, just as I did when I endangered my class in the
first place, but it has to be done. We simply can’t turn our backs on our
colleague and let him die. We have to try!”
“That
calls for a toast!” Remgen declared, watching Wurbl carry a platter of samgar
and vragga cold cuts to the table.
Imyor, who looked as if he might have been imbibing himself, carried a
tray of Revekian beer, the officers’ favorite beverage, in a second tray. The professor knew he was being foolish
again, but he was the first to grab his mug.
“My
shipmates and comrades,” Falon offered, as they were all poured a mug of cold
beer, “I make a toast to the brave students, technicians, crewmen, and officers
volunteering to find Rifkin in the jungle. May they return safely, with or without achieving their
goal!”
******
The adult volunteers slept more peacefully that
night than the student volunteers who would join them in the search for Rifkin
in the morning. Revekian beer was
an excellent sleep-aid, especially when drank to excess. Rifkin had slept soundly in a sitting
position for several hours, awakening with a stiff neck late at night. After rising shakily to his feet and
stretching his stiff neck, he stoked the fire, relieved to see the log only
partially burned. As the fire came
back to life, he remembered his pleasant dream about Urlum. So far nothing had disturbed him in his
small shelter. As he suspected,
the universal fear of fire exhibited by animals was strong on Irignum. There were a few insects that strayed
into the fire as the jummi might do, but he remained safe and secure behind his
barricade of flames. The cave he had selected was so shallow and small that
only the smallest of the forest’s denizens could have lived in it. He noticed in the firelight tracks and
spore, probably from a scaly crawler or one of those small furry creatures
darting through the forest. On the
wall, growing as a vine from an outside plant, he could also see tiny fruit
sprouting from a cluster of leaves.
For
the first time since his ordeal began, Rifkin realized how very hungry and
thirsty he was. He had no way of
knowing what was or wasn’t poisonous on this world. More importantly he could not, even if it was safe to do so,
eat one piece of its forbidden fruit nor, as he had done on his planet, lick
the dew from the leaves of bushes and trees. He was trapped in his life support system and shut off from
the touch, taste and smells of Irignum…. Yet he was alive, he reminded
himself. A battery powered air-conditioning
unit in his life support system kept his body at a comfortable temperature
regardless of the temperature outside.
His bodily wastes, broken down by chemicals, continued to accumulate, as
always, in a canister in his suit.
His gas gauge, he noted with satisfaction, registered three quarters
full. Now that he thought
about it, he realized he had probably used a fourth or fifth of his air supply
during his climb. According to the
professor, a team member used far more gas during activity than during
rest. During sleep they would use
even less. The trick was to ration
your use of gas by regulating your movement. As he sat staring at his fire, he recalled Doctor
Arkru’s lecture about the life support system and realized how difficult it was
to follow his rules.
His wrist communicator, though out of range of the
ship’s computer, was filled with useful information, including the Doctor
Arkru’s notes. In the dim
light, using the small magnifying glass stored in his communicator’s case, he
brought up from his database the Five Cardinal Rules of Life Support System
Use:
(1)
Frequently check your suit’s equipment and gauges (gas
supply, air conditioning, radio, and waste management) to
insure your
survival during exploration.
(2) While
on foot and not in the crawler, move slowly and deliberately to avoid physical
exertion in your suit.
(3) Avoid
jagged surfaces and corrosive material to maintain the integrity of the suit.
(4)
Never climb up a surface when you can go around it, for
takes twice as much effort and therefore twice as much
gas.
(5)
Though the life support system is watertight, avoid immersing
it in water, since the suit was not designed for aquatic
use.
Staring intently at the screen, he felt comforted,
if not edified, by the glow. Now
that his radio seemed dead, the small fluorescent crystal was his last link to
the ship. He had never kept the
first rule on the list, until this very hour, when he was forced to read his
gauges, but it was the one rule he would keep for now on. To move slowly through the forest,
however, as the second rule demanded seemed foolish, if he wanted to stay ahead
of predators on his trail. Twice
now, out of sheer necessity, he had broken the third and forth rules—once with
the professor and his classmates and now by himself, after climbing up the volcanic
neck. Not only did this feat break
cardinal rule three’s command to avoid jagged surfaces but he had, contrary to
the fourth rule, wasted much of his gas mixture climbing up the rock. As the first rule to avoid excessive
exercise, the rules to avoid jagged surfaces or unforeseen obstacles overlooked
the realities of this world. He
laughed light-headedly now as he recalled how he broke rule five during his
efforts to escape the river dragon.
That episode had cost him his radio and stunner. So much for rules, he thought, switching
off the screen. Revekian rules
don’t apply on this world!
Due to a limited supply of gas, he had only so much time, and yet he
had to move carefully and silently and, when necessary, quickly through the
jungle to avoid predators along the way… unless, he mused lazily, settling back
down against the cave wall… he could find a log and float down the river toward
the ship. That would take very
little energy. It would, give or
take a water dragon or two, be safer than trying to find the crawler and his
path through the trees. On the
other hand, the crawler still contained the remaining poles of Team Two’s trap
and was the quickest way back to the ship. His only other option was to climb back up the rock, build a
fire and stay put on top until he was discovered by a rescue team. This would force his shipmates to
endanger their lives for him, the very notion filling him with shame. It would also signal to the great flyer
that he was available again as its meal.
“Yes,” he told himself, trying not to think of his
hunger and thirst, “I have options.”
The question is, he thought, his eyelids falling to half-mast, which
option will work the best, and which will allow me to live?
This was, Rifkin knew from experience, not the leisurely timeless environment
of Revekia or Beskol, where trial and error was possible due to a breathable
atmosphere and friendlier environment.
This was Irignum, a planet of horrors and potential death at every turn. Time was at a premium now. When he finally fell back to sleep, it
was not with the pleasant image of Urlum in his mind. The darkness and terror he had envisioned followed him into
slumber and he was tormented with nightmares for the remainder of the night.
******
Awakening
with a jolt after several hours of sleep, he looked about himself and realized
that the first rays of sunlight were creeping finally through the trees. The noises of the jungle, always the
same it seemed, sounded much louder to him this morning. The fire had almost gone out, its smoke
a mere filament rising in front of the cave. Without further hesitation now, Rifkin struggled to his feet
and gingerly moved around the edge of the campfire, looking both ways before
stepping out fully into the world outside his cave. Looking back at his temporary shelter, he smiled fondly at
his refuge. Feeling a warmth for
his cave that he couldn’t define, he set out carefully and watchfully down the
animal-beaten path and looked back, after walking only a short distance, up to
the rock.
Rifkin knew he couldn’t stay where he was. His shipmates would never find
him. The notion of climbing back
up to build a signal fire was also not an option. Other than walk back to the ship in the hopes of being found
or reaching the vessel on his own, it seemed he had only two other options: he
could find his crawler, or, if this was impossible, somehow build a raft and
float down the river through Zone One toward the ship. As he retraced the path through the
forest that had led to the volcanic neck, he realized how ridiculous his raft
idea had been. This feat, as
building a fire on the rock, would be too big a task, if it was possible at
all. Returning to the scene to
find the crawler where the river monster lay in wait, for that matter, filled
him with dread. Though the river
dropped suddenly in a southerly direction, which brought it closer to the ship,
it led him back through impenetrable jungle and a waterway ruled by water
dragons.
Suddenly,
as he followed the beaten path, he felt an abrupt silence in the jungle and
felt a rumbling below his feet reminiscent of earthquakes he had experienced on
other worlds. Stopping just long
enough to watch, with horror, as several duckbilled creatures moved past him on
all sides, he realized that a great leaper was chasing them and was heading his
way.
Thump-thump,
thumpety-thump… RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Rifkin
looked around for cover, immediately scurried up a low-lying tree trunk nearby
and managed to reach a point directly above the passing head of a tyrannosaurus
in pursuit of its prey. The tree
that he had climbed up was host to countless smaller creatures who hissed and
chattered at him now that he had disturbed their nests. A tiny snake slithered over his arm
just as a giant cockroach appeared suddenly on his leg. Small furry creatures skittered and
scampered above. More fearful of
the creature below than those in the trees right now, Rifkin ignored the
reptile and insect as they crawled over him on their way up the tree. He also ignored the menacing hiss of a
large lizard on an adjacent limb and a pair of primitive feathered flyers, who
squawked at him and dive bombed his head.
When the sound of the charging leaper had died down and it appeared as
if the threat had passed, Rifkin reluctantly slid and climbed down the tree.
The
sounds of the jungle, were, he realized abstractedly, mainly from feathered
flyers. Their constant chirps,
whistles, and squawks had already returned now that the tyrannosaurus was gone,
but he knew there were countless predators roaming around quietly in the forest
and flying overhead. There simply
were no safe paths in the jungle.
In spite of his misgiving about returning to the river, he decided to concentrate
on finding the crawler, which might be his only hope of getting out of the
forest alive.
******
Breakfast
for the ships’ company this morning was noisy and chaotic. The student and technician volunteers
did not share the carefree enthusiasm for adventure of the officers who had
volunteered for the operation. The
cavalier attitude of the officers toward this enterprise irked Rifkin’s
colleagues. Arkru’s thought that
the last minute wagering at the breakfast tables between Imwep, Kogin, and
Remgen on who would “fry the most beasties,” shouldn’t have been tolerated by
the commander. The most irksome
event occurring to the professor this morning, however, was when Falon informed
him that Chief Engineer Dazl would be on his team. Unless he left Alafa or Jitso behind, which he refused to
do, Arkru would now have a five-member team, when the commander knew perfectly
well that the crawler was designed for only four. The precedent had already been set, the commander reminded
him, when the class took its safari into Zone Three. At that time, Urlum had been squeezed in between two
technicians, Ibris and Tobit, a fact that had slipped the professor’s
mind. Moreover, according to
Falon, it was important that the operation be done quickly and expeditiously,
but it must also be done right.
Dazl could fix the crawlers if anything went wrong. Falon also insisted that Varik, the
assistant medic, go along with Rescue Team One, since they were the most likely
to find Rifkin today.
“Both
of these additions,” Arkru whispered heatedly to Zorig, “are merely excuses for
them to join in the sport!”
Not
wanting to create dissention, the professor swallowed his anger and
concentrated on the students and technicians sitting around the room. He felt very paternalistic toward them
now. He had promised their
parents, who were left behind on their dying world, that he would teach them
the mysteries of the universe, so that someday, when they grew up, they would
become scientists and collectors just like him. He had also promised to take care of their children on the
trip. It seemed clear to him this
hour that he had failed to keep this promise to Rifkin’s parents, who had such
high expectations for their son.
Fortunately
for many of the parents, only half of the children could actually serve as
volunteers on rescue teams regardless if they volunteered or not. Urlum, who was sick with worry, was
refused a place in a rescue team.
Omrik, Yorzl, Lumnal, Zeppa, and Grummel (who seemed mentally
unbalanced) were also excused from service with little argument on their parts.
The professor decided, they would be put to work helping Ibris and Tobit build
the enclosures when the rescue operation was complete.
Vimml,
Arkru recalled with disgust, would have been permanently restricted to the ship
after his performance yesterday with Rescue Team One had Rezwit not made such a
fuss. Now he was on Rezwit’s team
and would be carrying a weapon. In
a decision that also filled him with misgivings, he authorized the remaining
five students, including Illiakim, and Shizwit, who had not yet proven their
marksmanship to the professor, to carry guns. Zither and Rezwit, who would act as guides for Rescue Teams
One and Three, respectively, would assist himself and the officers in
supervising Illiakim and Shizwit, the novice weapon-carriers. Arkru had lost a great deal of confidence
in the hotheaded Rezwit and the faltering Zither. Alafa had showed a dark side to herself in her actions
during Collection Team Three’s nearly disastrous performance in Zone Three. Since Alafa would be on the professor’s
team, Arkru was not worried about her behavior this time, but he wasn’t so sure
about the others. What if Rezwit
lost his temper with Remgen, as he had yesterday with Zither, and went
berserk? He might end up blowing
them all up with one of the bombs.
What if Imwep and Kogin placed Zither and Illiakim in danger by their
exploits? Would Zither have the
sense or courage to call him for help over the radio or would he become
fearfully tongue-tied and mute as he had the day before?
Only
Rescue Team Two, which the professor commanded, himself inspired Arkru with any
confidence at all. Zorig’s Rescue
Team Four, which contained almost all of his technicians, were all certified to
use the stunner, and yet Zorig, of all the leaders selected, was the most
reluctant of them to go.
The
professor had done everything he could think of to minimize the potential for
conflict and danger today. Since
Rezwit couldn’t get along with Zither, he was moved to Remgen’s team and was
replaced by Illiakim, who had fit in well with Zither and Collection Team
Two. Although it seemed logical to
place Shizwit with her old friend Zither, the professor felt that she might
have some influence over the easily provoked Rezwit and unstable Vimml
too. He was, on second thought,
not so sure about this now.
Rezwit, like Rifkin, hated authority, and Vimml could be downright
incorrigible. Over this
potentially volatile group, Falon had placed Remgen, whom he felt would make
them all behave. It was Arkru’s
fervent prayer that the first mate could do just that, but he would feel much
better right now if Vimml was staying on the ship and Rezwit was not carrying a
gun.
Rescue
Team Two, the professor had learned last night, would have to put up with Chief
Engineer Dazl, who wanted “his time in the jungle” before they left Irignum
behind. Arkru wished he could have
argued with Falon about this, but relations were already worn thin between the
two leaders. Whether they liked it
or not, Imwep, Kogin, Zither, and Illiakim would be accompanied by the medic
Varik, who considered himself to be an excellent marksmen but, like Dazl, had
no business on this trip. The two
reluctant technicians, Ibris and Tobit, would ride with their leader Zorig on
patrol, with volunteer Hobi, who was a fairly good marksman, and was the only
full fledged adult aboard Rescue Team Four.
Orix,
as some of the other officers, had wanted his experience in the forest too, but
the commander could ill afford to lose his navigator for Rifkin’s sake. Eglin, the ship’s doctor, the chef
Wurbl, and the Communications Officer Abwur were also not expendable and were
denied the privilege to volunteer.
Although Jitso had been the first member in ship’s stores to volunteer for
Rescue Team Two and Hobi had quickly volunteered to accompany Zorig in Rescue
Team Four, their good friend Gennep happily declined the opportunity. He was satisfied to join the student
shut-ins and other reluctant crewmen in acting as a cheering section for the
rescuers when they disembarked.
Virtually
none of Falon’s officers believed they would find the young student alive. Their main reason for going out with
the teams, Falon and Arkru clearly understood, was for the sake of adventure. They now had guns and bombs to play
with and a vast jungle for such recreation before returning to their humdrum
occupations aboard ship. Some of
them had actually made wagers against Rifkin chances for survival with their
shipmates. Perhaps no one but the
professor and Urlum believed he would be found at all.