Chapter 10 — by PeerGlen 

Credit for the chapter soundtrack goes to Wuckster

"Sanju, help." The pre-recorded emergency signal flashed across the Corpse Clipper's control screen.

"H'ver! Do you read? Respond."

Silence.

"H'ver, my friend. Respond."

Again, silence.

Xeir long fingers slid awkwardly over the controls of the confiscated clipper. It took xem the longest time to remove the vile layers of Human dead skin cells and sweat that the moron crew had let build up on the vintage-style button activated hud. From the emergency message, Sanju was able to get a general reading on H'ver's location on the planet. Hopefully, the small droid would be found in one piece, although H'ver's last message before xe jumped some two weeks ago did raise a level of trepidation as to what was to come: The forest is more dangerous than they think.

Sanju checked the orientation of the ship to ensure xe wasn't facing one of the Wahangu system's two suns then gave the aft engine a pulse and lowered the jump shield. Xeir destination, the planet Jangal, shone in the distance; its dense atmosphere reflecting a grey-blue mixture of light from the binary suns.

For the short time they had been together, Sanju had become fond of xeir operational intercourse with the droid, a discourse that would occasionally border on social interaction. For now, the young agent would have to resort back to xeir internal monologue.

"Think, Sanju. What do we know about this place? Not a lot." Sanju had been able to find that there was an informal record of an ancient human colony located someplace in the system. Ruins had been found and recorded by long-dead explorers, but the exact coordinates of the location had been lost, or likely removed for unscrupulous purposes. "It would make sense for the Hana Human to make this colony an objective. Might this even be the location of the amber treasure?" The question resonated in xeir mind, thinking of a hidden tomb, deep inside a primitive Human temple set with puzzle traps designed to ward off or kill outsiders such as themselves.

A new transmission of H'ver's emergency message hit the comms, "Sanju, help."

Xe snapped out of xeir daydreaming over lost treasure, and was overcome by a flush of sudden anger. How could xe be so amateur? Some agent xe had become!

Sensors showed a cargo ship in orbit. Xe engaged thrusters and waited for a visual, wishing the whole agonizing wait xe was piloting a Hiwjshi Scouter.

The cargo vessel came into view, and Sanju issued a grunt of surprise. The color of the partially complete paint job was discordant, to say the least, and the ship was so old that its gravity rotor spun externally, more like an industrial scaffold than an interstellar vessel. The cargo hold had detached and was nowhere to be found on an extended scan of the clipper's sensors. This meant the cargo lander would be on the planet.

Sanju set a course for the planet and slapped the rusting engagement button with a growl. Xe would decide on the next action once inside Jangal's dense atmosphere—if the old ship was up to what would undoubtedly be a rough ride.

After a turbulent descent through Jangal's stormy atmosphere, Sanju skillfully navigated the Corpse Clipper into the calmer lower atmosphere. However, the landscape was a barren matte-gray surface marked by craters and canyons; a geography vastly different from the expected lush forests. Xeir heart dropped when they realized that H'ver might have been lost to them forever.

During the time it took to reach the planet, Sanju had nothing to do other than ponder a series of bleak scenarios; and this worry turned to devastation when the ship's outdated survey probe failed to calibrate in the lower atmosphere, making finding a forest on the planet's surface close to impossible. Still, Sanju would not give up and conducted a series of manual scans to locate any signs of life or vegetation, and after days of struggle Sanju's persistence paid off. Xe spotted a massive, shadow-filled caldera, an ancient impact crater, now teeming with dense forest. This discovery prompted Sanju to pilot the ship closer, buoyed by thoughts of finding H'ver in one piece.

The vast, fog-covered canopy presented a new challenge, and one that involved more days of meticulously scanning the area, until, finally, they uncovered remnants of what seemed to be an ancient human settlement, now reclaimed by nature. Xeir search eventually led to the sighting of a landed vessel, prompting a swift decision to land nearby. Despite the forest's daunting environment, Sanju knew xe were close to success or disaster. Everything rested on whether the droid was unharmed inside of the pink vessel that had landed in what must have been the only clearing in the forest.

Close to the location of the Human's vessel, xe found the first evidence that this location had once, long ago been a Human habitation. Large moss-covered blocks of a cured ceramic material lay scattered on the ground ahead.

The Humans' lander sat upright in an old plaza; the gantry ramp was down but there was no sign of life other than the forest trees. If not for the trees, this would be a dead planet.

Xe tilted xeir head, to focus on the open cargo bay and could hear neither the hum of standby generators nor the random beeps of on-board systems.

Sanju cautiously moved up the ramp. The plan of the cargo bay, as provided by H'ver in an earlier communique, was fresh in xeir head, and, as xe reached the top of the ramp, xe peered into the darkness lit only by the specular shape of xeir torchlight. Xe pushed a nearby crate to the side; it grated along the floor.

"H'ver, can you hear me?" xe called and spun around at a misperceived sound from behind. Half expecting the missing crew at the base of the ramp, their gun pointed directly at xem—still, there was nothing—no one.

In the far port side corner, xe clicked the latch on an old maintenance box. This was where H'ver had been hiding. The lid popped open. The golden globe of the droid was there as xe had left it, although now it had somehow been disabled, but hopefully not damaged.

Xe carefully lifted the droid and found the triangular indent of the maintenance panel. Sanju placed the three talons of xeir right hand over the triangle space and expertly tapped out the ternary code for start-up. Xe set the inactive droid on the floor and took a step back as the droid's start-up sequence activated. This, Sanju thought, is a pleasing development. However, just as the globe began to glow and lift, it gave an electronic shriek and fell back down to the ground with a clank.

Sanju recalled from xeir DFM (droid functional manual, which every agent must memorize if they are to be assigned a droid) that certain electromagnetic fields were capable of interfering with the default communications bus within the unit. The workaround would be to disrupt such a field. The ship's maintenance suits, if xe could find them, would contain degauss units for instantly demagnetizing boots during a space walk. If xe degaussed H'ver long enough for it to counter any field himself, then the problem would be solved. Only, if.

Sanju easily found a maintenance space suit, archaic and not quite up to par, still, it harbored the required degauss mechanism. A bare wire, ingeniously jury-rigged with multi-purpose tape to H'ver's private port, was the makeshift solution; the droid bleeped back to life. Its circuits, like the embers of a dormant star, glowed, rekindling H'ver's golden incandescence.

"Before you ask questions," Sanju addressed the droid with a sense of urgency, "I need you to reverse the polarity of your network bus. Let me know when you have completed this request."

Circuits blinked. "Operation complete. Gratitude."

"Good. You are welcome, and I am glad to have you back." Sanju removed the taped wire, with a brief apology, and let the droid float freely in the air. "Report."

With its short punctuated functional speech protocol, the small droid excitedly related the details of everything that had been experienced from the time it had last been in contact with its master. "Piggyback ship sensors to follow Humans till forest altercation. Trees alive, advanced sentience. Became hostile, overcame ship systems. Sent emergency beacon before electromagnetic interference and system failure."

"I want to understand more about this myth-chasing explorer and his son, Leo. I think the best way will be to follow the footsteps of the Humans to the location of the altercation. Do you believe the forest will be hostile to us?"

The droid replied, "Uncertain. Not source carbon. Harvesting carbon anger forest."

Sanju considered what 'angering a forest' would entail as a concept, "Okay. Do you believe this lander to be functional?"

"Affirmative. Must eliminate electromagnetic fields of organic origin."

"Good. If the Humans are dead, we may need to change our objective to one of salvage. Even a pink cargo ship would be an upgrade compared to the clipper I have commandeered."

Sanju turned and walked down the landing ramp into the dark. Xeir droid followed closely behind at shoulder height, and Sanju was glad for its company.

Having left the clearing where the Human's ship landed, the depths of the woods unfolded before Sanju, a mere mite crawling in the sands of a great canyon, the giant forest sentinels. Sanju asked xeir droid, xeir tone hushed in the silent wooded cathedral. "Are you sure this is the way?"

"Certain. Tracking precise."

The hiss of a steam vent made the agent spin to the side quickly, xeir weapon raised and ready.

"This humidity, it reeks!" Xe retrieved a nasal mask from a pouch on xeir utility belt and placed it over xeir nostrils. The mask dried the air and, free from the excessive moisture, Sanju was able to better focus on the task ahead.

Xe noticed a slight dip in the terrain, the mist intensified and the air cooled a degree. "Corpse ahead," chirped H'ver.

Sanju recalled xeir droid's description of his observations, of the Humans' odd encounter at a small makeshift hut. Events unbelievable, had they not been told by a droid incapable of subterfuge or exaggeration.

"Twenty meters. Danger."

The cross was barely perceivable in the mist ahead. The shape, however, was ominous; representing, for xeir kind, the r'shepta, or the long death. The symbology, Sanju recalled, held significance for other biologicals also.

Xe readied xeir weapon and moved forward slowly. At each step, the details of the grotesque site ahead of them became more apparent. A sapling, perverse in its mimicry of life, had grown up, thrust through the torso of a Human body. Two branches splayed outwards in a cruciform of arms. Where the trunk ceased, a bearded man's head rested in grisly stasis. The skin of the impaled form was drawn tight over bone to the point of cracking, but another quality beyond desiccation made it seem like no decomposition Sanju had seen before: a white powder was present; this was a kind of eerie organic preservation.

Sanju stopped about as close as xe was inclined to be before the human-tree hybrid. A makeshift shelter could be seen through the fog behind the cross where pieces of rustic furniture lay strewn about. Whoever had been living there, perhaps the one defiled had been well established and living at this place for some time.

Xe removed xeir dehumidifier mask and turned to the droid. It was still hovering conveniently at xeir shoulder. "You mentioned this thing here interwoven with the tree was an explorer known to the Humans?"

"Affirmative. Father beget Leo."

"And, you said that this thing"—Sanju indicated to the cross—"was animated, living somehow?"

"Negative on living. Animated is affirmative." The droid continued with a speedy string of economic, albeit almost unintelligible words, "Audio only available to self. Surmising sounds indicate corpse possessed by forest intelligence, where word 'possessed' as assigned by Humans. Role: intimidation, warning."

"Well, it is not animated for us."

"Sanju, H'ver: not Human."

"Perhaps." Sanju took a step forward and reached up to poke the body near where the tree had entered it. The corpse hung still. The vacant gaze of the head bore down on them, voided sockets staring back shadow.

"Following the 'visitation' by the forest intelligence, you described one of the Humans having become infirm of mind?"

"Affirmative, colloquial description is apt. Leo overcome by neurological stressors in search for father's data file."

"He went crazy, looking for the explorer's life work?"

"Affirmative, crazy"—the droid paused, as if the drama of the statement was not lost on its programmatic sensibilities—"note: crazy Leo possessed ax."

Suddenly excited by the turn of events in his retelling, H'ver moved off into the mist in the direction east of the hut. "Follow."

For Sanju, it was as if xe was following the events of someone else's dream, or rather, nightmare. If not for the droid, xe would be completely lost in the dreamscape, as xe passed large tree after large tree. It would be almost impossible for xem to locate the clipper on xeir own now.

Sanju stopped and stooped to inspect a growth nodule that pierced up through the ground. Xe extended a claw and gently touched the bright red dome shape that was peppered with small white flakes.

"Lifeform nomenclature: Mushroom. Humans excited by discovery," explained H'ver. "Genus amanita identified by one, Amphilion. Contains psychoactive constituents. Legendary status, thought extinct."

"Here is another, growing from this fallen log." Sanju pointed to a white growth. "Fascinating."

"New species nomenclature: Shrooms. Formed by complex structured celluliodal chitins. Amphillion analysis: substance unique. Discovery: Shrooms attached to tree roots in symbiosis. Nervous system for sentient forest. Hypothesis: Vast subterranean neural network. Genomic compendium index preserved."

"The complete biological datasets are preserved where?"

"Humans uploaded explorer's data files to lander. H'ver intercept."

"Good work, we might find this information useful, especially about their celluloid make-up. Did your data file mention anything about these shrooms moving?" Xe pointed to a second white growth as it appeared over the top of the fallen tree to join the first. Its method of locomotion was a mystery. A third and then a fourth appeared, followed by more of the shrooms. At this rate, they would soon cover the log.

"Two-point-five living Human biometrics nearby," exclaimed H'ver as if keen to remove itself from the amassing shrooms.

Sanju shared the sentiment, "Let's go."

Deeper into the forest, towards the center of the caldera, the trees had become monolithic in their size. Some were so wide that Sanju estimated that it would take over twenty Hiwjshi to link hands to surround it. Mushrooms had become common, scattered over the floor and emerging in clumps from beneath the ruins of fallen mossy giants. Some mushrooms glowed deep green, illuminating the mist like the very soul of the dark forest.

"Close now." The droid's synthesized voice cut through the mist, "Count: three-point-five human biologicals; status: one deceased; other biometrics in a restful state. Hypothesis: induced sleep. Analysis: strong signal match for mass of...shrooms."

Xe advanced, and the abundance of glowing mushrooms bathed the area in a soft green glow, allowing Sanju to turn off xeir spotlights. Ahead, a denser, more concentrated luminescence marked xeir destination.

"Greetings reptoid and spherical company." The words met Sanju from everywhere and nowhere; the voice was pleasant and peaceful. Sanju and H'ver continued to the source of the concentrated light and were met with a scene of terror and wonder. The terror: an arm attached to an ax buried deep in the thick bark of a newly felled monster tree. The arm's body lay a few feet away, its head yet to be located. The wonder: two Human bodies appeared to be hovering above the ground.

After closer inspection, Sanju noticed that a network of fine webs had created a nest for each of the unconscious Humans while the glow-in-the-dark green of the mycelia-mass heaved slightly in a sine wave pattern. A stream of blue-red, anaglyphic lights pulsed along the mycelium that grew into the Humans' ears, noses and mouths; like a data stream, the lights traveled into a conglomeration of large, intensely glowing shrooms in the background.

Sanju hissed; xeir skin spots shifted to a deep orange. "The Humans and their information belongs to me. Release them!"

The voice returned. "We will accept no demands in our realm. We have stood here millennia on our terms and the terms of no others."

At least they seem open to parley, thought Sanju and decided to take another approach. "I apologize. You must understand that my droid and I have been chasing these fugitives across the galaxy. They have vital information my agency of justice is desperate to acquire."

The forest replied, "We understand that you too find the Human species to be a blight upon the cosmos that can not be tolerated. Our collective consciousness, woven through eons, must deny your plea. This decision is not a whim, but a dire necessity for survival. We, the ancient sentinels of Sequoia, have stood envoys to the ages and experienced the rapacious grasp of humanity. Now, they are in the possession of a datastore that harbors the histories of Earth; it is a beacon to their destructive tide, and we cannot risk exposure. To reveal ourselves is to invite annihilation. This data now contained in the explorer's datastore is the key to the transformation of our sanctuary and all of the knowledge contained herein into a mere footnote in the history of the galaxy."

Sanju looked to H'ver and whispered, "A datastore? Did you know about this?"

H'ver's golden incandescence flashed on and off, glitch-like.

"Then why didn't you mention it?"

"You not ask."

"Grrr."

The trees explained: "When the explorer wandered into our realm, we allowed him to dwell amongst us; to learn from our whispered secrets in the hope that his race had evolved beyond their petty greed. However, our hope was gorbed by rot when his treacherous mission consumed him. He had found our knowledge encoded in a solid state within our rings, and it became his mission to harvest our most venerable secrets through the murder of our most ancient member, one whom had existed since our beginnings. The one laid before you."

"We are sorry for your loss. Still, would the Humans be able to function normally if they were removed from your web? I am willing to negotiate to take one of them and will leave the blue one for you. They are a librarian, like yourselves, and would be much more useful to you than the female."

The trees paused for a moment as if considering. "The Humans could be restored easily; they are in no way bruised and will grow old and die having traveled a lifetime of peaceful dreams. For the given reason we are, regrettably, unable to negotiate. Further, you are an unknown species to us and our data extraction techniques are incompatible with your genetics, your termination will be, by necessity"—the last words spoken by a golem-avatar that had formed from the mass of shrooms—"less hospitable."

Humanoid in shape, the creature bore a soft, white skin like the texture of the shroom from which it formed. Its spherical head swayed back and forth with mycelium hair floating as if cradled by the mist that swirled all about. Large round eyes stood out as beacons above the maw, a round, jawless void rimmed by small blade-like teeth. Sanju expected the human-sized creature to lunge forward, but it was not yet fully formed, still attached to the felled tree as it attracted its mass from the surrounding shrooms that hurried to join the emerging golem. One boneless arm detached and flayed forward.

Sanju anticipated the coming physical confrontation. There was not much time; xe rushed to the female Human. Reaching into the nest, xe heaved the figure away from the attachments that had been embedded inside facial orifices. Xe placed the body on the ground a few feet away and moved to the next, a blue-skinned male. "H'ver! Are you able to revive the Human?" xe asked eagerly as xe lifted the slight body, this time purposefully pulling out the attachments that were inserted deeper into this one. Xe placed the body next to the first and glanced to H'ver as the droid injected a stimulant into the chest of the first body. The body heaved and the one called Hana began to cough violently.

Sanju turned to confront the creature and was met with a winding blow to the gut. The creature had grown a third, tentacle-like arm that flayed in the air both club and whip.

Xe recovered quickly from the blow and spun away as fast as a sitaki bird, drew xeir blaster and fired into the chest of the creature. Despite a perfect shot, the weapon did not affect the golem.

Sanju needed to buy time. Xe raised xeir arms and shouted to the forest's avatar, "Wait. Consider one more request."

The creature, now freed and fully formed, ceased its advance. The words now emanated from the mouth hole of the creature. "There is no more to say. Your presence here is an existential concern, and unfortunately, your existence is no longer required."

"So be it," acknowledged Sanju as xe turned to the Humans who were recovering, dazed and confused. "You must hurry to your ship. This droid will be your guide. You must protect the droid."

The one, Hana, barely coherent, seemed to understand.

Sanju motioned to the droid, "H'ver, do not delay, I will follow if I can."

As the Humans followed the droid and disappeared into the misty woods, Sanju, xeir purple skin now flashing animated spots of indigo and red, turned on the forest's golem. Xe knew xe could not defeat the forest by taking out an avatar manifestation, but H'ver and the Humans needed as much time as possible. Sha'arp was the natural weapon of the Hiwjshi, by locking the joints of xeir three fingers to form a claw-like blade suitable for close combat.

The golem, now free from the tree, moved spider-like on several leg appendages. The creature was built for deadly efficiency, but like any newborn needed time to adjust to walking for the first time. This was Sanju's advantage and xe moved in.

As a tentacle arm flicked forth, xe blocked it with a confident extension of xeir forearm. The golem's head was only slightly higher than the Hiwjshi; in one motion, xe crouched, pivoted on xeir right foot and thrust out xeir left Sha'arp. The claw buried deep into the mouth hole of the creature. In xeir next movement, Sanju snatched xeir arm back, and xeir Sha'arp talon ripped a gash through the side of the monster's head.

Sanju was taken aback when the golem moved forward unfazed after what should have been an effective attack. The creature took the advantage and wrapped one of its many arms around Sanju's waist.

The agent had run out of time, and xe only hoped H'ver would be able to escape this accursed planet. Xe relaxed the talons on xeir right hand and reached for the fire starter attached to the left arm utility of xeir field suit. A simple click and a spark flew out landing in the mass of mycelium hair of xeir foe. Flames rapidly spread over the head of the golem, which Sanju knew was crafted from nitrocellulose; a volatile material that exposed the creature's devastating vulnerability to the elemental force of fire.

This time the avatar was affected by Sanju's attack. Fire was foreign on this planet; while the high humidity of the cool, damp and misty environment normally suppressed any natural ignition, the shrooms burned at such a high intensity that they formed the catalyst for a wildfire that would soon envelop the whole forest. An event to which Sanju suspected, the forest had no defense.

As the flames engulfed the golem, Sanju too burned, yet xe staggered back towards the forest in the direction H'ver and the Humans had escaped. While survival seemed hopeless, Sanju was Hiwjshi, and Hiwjshi did not give up.

this Chapter is dedicated to jeshi99 and Cool05guy2000 

Interview with the author of the chapter