Chapter 31 – What happened?

Mk23 -IRJ Droplet – Class 7 – Carpe Victoria (Wrecked)

Sector - Unknown

Planet - Unknown

11th July 2342 (BSST)

Day 200

A momentous day for sure, 200 days surviving on a foreign planet, I doubt many could achieve such a feat. James is the most valuable member by far, although I doubt even he would have been able to survive if we hadn’t found the food shed early on. The camp had been stocked up before it was moved here and it’s invaluable. I imagine that the camp was preparing for the influx of tourists and guests that our appearance would have heralded. Things like flour and canned beans like lentils, chickpeas and more were fully stocked, from floor to ceiling.

Though the cans proved hard to get into at first, we managed. The old cans made good pots as well. Though whenever we wanted to store something properly it did mean eating a whole jar of pickles. Urgh. Disgusting. Why were the only suitable jars pickle ones? I mean who in their right mind likes pickles, and don’t get me started on the ones who profess to always have liked them, mentally disturbed, let me tell you. There’s something wrong with people like that. You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone decent who also liked pickles, it’s a tell. The type of person who likes pickles isn’t one to spend time around. Life lessons with Karen, who’d have thought this would be educational life lessons. Well whilst I’m at it I’ll stress once again. Avoid those who like pickles at all costs, nothing good will come of it.

Besides the 10 jars of pickles we’ve yet to eat through, the food is running out. There’s no meat left, that was consumed fairly early on in the course of things. Well it wouldn’t have kept anyway, perhaps it would have attracted predators as well. The cans are running out as well now, we’ve only a small pile left, I mean I guess we could eat the raw flour as we’ve a lot of that left, a couple of sacks of it, unappetising I know, but we do as we must.

I suppose it isn’t any wonder we’re running out, after 200 days of at least 10 people eating morning noon and night plus the other 40 that fell during those many long days. We probably should have started trying to find food out their whilst we still had a stock, but then we were all focused on today, you never knew what tomorrow would hold and if you had one, here more than ever that was true. We had a few foragers like Ed that seemed to grasp it, but they mostly went after materials and when they found a few berries we were reluctant to eat them, everyone has heard the stories of what happens when eating unknown berries after all. We weren’t stupid, or so we thought.

In terms of the camp, we’ve moved on from the lean-tos and progressed on to wooden huts now. James gets one of course. So does Max, Taylor and Jeremy, a family they are and so they deserve one. Kurt and Tom share another and so do George and Tony. The last one is reserved for the girls, Jenny and Myself. At least we all seem to get on rather well. No arguments so far so that’s good. I guess well have to see what comes and make of it what we will.

Day 221

So, its been another month or so and the food situation has only gotten worse, we’ve had to go out and actually start looking now, though nothing’s come of it yet we’re hopeful, we have to be.

Day 253

From when we first arrived to now, I’ve noticed a change. As Kurt and I walked through he forest together on that fifth day, the animals - and there were a lot of them (I don’t think I noted it at the time) were fairly passive. The squirrels in the trees, the birds roosting just behind watched on with serenity. A calm hoot hoot or tweet tweet followed us but that was all. The harsh sound of thrashing brush as the easily frightened ones bolted away from us.

Now though the animals seem more aggressive, they’re more on guard, defending their territory. The squirrels follow us, as if escorting us out of their territory like armed guards, Tony got bitten by one, quite a vicious little blighter really, the wound got infected and set him on his ass for a month. The wound is still raw and horrible but it has started to heal over now, which is good. He’s limping but mobile; I expect he’ll be able to walk again within the month.

The birds dive bomb us and quite a few times a last-second duck might have saved me. Quite frankly these kamikaze dive bombs scare the heck out of me, one moment it is peaceful and quiet and the next a furious arrow of bone and feathers charges from the sky.

Day 269

Something more drastic has happened now, the animals are no longer just changed in their temperament and behaviour, physically they are changing as well. I guess it could be the natural order of the world, defensive and territorial as their young grow or something but it seems strange to see a squirrel with horns and fangs, abnormally large bugs and many things besides. Very peculiar.

The animals are not just growing new features, they are getting larger as well. The bugs and critters are now twice as large as they nice were, seeing such a large snail is almost comical as it moves just as slow as before. You’d have thought that would be the change they would get, but no, now they’re just a slow moving behemoth. Strangely it doesn’t seem to have affected the food chain overly, I guess since everything is getting larger the snakes that would feed on frogs are just eating the larger ones just the same as before. The chameleons – if there are any ( how would I know) Ha ha (I’m just so funny) – will snap up the finger sized insects with enthusiastic relish.

Worryingly though we humans are not changing, I’m sure I wouldn’t like it in the first place, it would assure I couldn’t transition back if somehow we return to humanity but it would mean things were less dangerous.

I suppose this is evidence that it is the natural order and not some environmental stimulus causing change since we seem unaffected. I find my current size to be quite good and I’m not sure I’d like being eight feet tall.

Day 285

Today we just sat together by the walls and stared out into the forest worried. Last night George thought he saw something in the forest. A man he said. It stood tall and proud, unmoving. He looked away to call to us and then it was gone. Creepy. The rest of us dismissed it as a trick of the mind but we humoured him and stayed in.

Day 286

We sat by the wall again and looked out, all of us are worried now. After finishing the last entry Tom said he saw one as well. This one was tall and stationary too, but he swore it looked straight at him. The rest of us didn’t see it, we called out to the man but he didn’t answer. One blink and he was gone. We’re thoroughly spooked, but our rational minds still prevail and we don’t really believe it.

Day 287

Nothing today

Day 288

Nothing again

Day 289

Nothing

Day 290

I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye today and now I’m joining on the bandwagon of not going out.

Day 291

Kurt and I were chatting when he paused, no response to my question. It was odd he’s normally very responsive. When I looked out over the wall from the cliff face I saw what he was locked onto. It was a misty day today, the wind having whipped up the water and rolled a thick fog upon us. Standing in the fog, not more than 40 yards from us was a deer. Well this place’s version of one, much larger with wicked looking antlers. In complete silence we stare at it, not even the gentle beat of our hearts could disturb us.

As if sensing our wonder it looked up startled and bolted away from the camp, not directly away however so I doubted we had scared it off. At the edge of my vision, where the wispy vapours and waves of fog coalesced with the shadows to create a whole new world something bowled out of the tree line, taking down the deer in seconds before slowly dragging its limp remains out of sight.

Day 292

When morning broke, we went to examine the scene, Kurt, George, Tom and myself having all seen something over the past few days were worried, but hopefully if it revealed nothing, we could put this behind us. James and Jenny being the more rational also joined us. As well as a splash of blood we found deep claw marks in the ground from where the beast had sprung, tracks leading off into the wilderness freaked us out so much we quickly retreated back to camp.

Day 321

Food shortage is now a serious problem, With little to eat and all the nutrients going to baby Jeremy we are irritable and hungry. Hangry is a term I think applies quite well here.

Day 327

The lack of food is causing problems now, Max and Taylor are concerned for Jeremy’s health and are starting to snap at us, asking why there’s no food, why we aren’t foraging for more. They haven’t seen anything in the forest and they don’t understand, it’s creating a divide among us.

Day 339

Suspicion and anger reigns supreme over our camp. James, Kurt, Tom, Jenny and Myself form one faction whilst Tony, Max, Taylor and Jeremy form the other. I think they think that we’re hiding food from them. Hopefully we can all pull together, otherwise I doubt we’ll last much longer. Here’s to hoping!

Day 342

Things came to a head today. We had a full on argument, They outright accused us of hiding food and resources away from camp and refusing to go get them. We denied of course, as any reasonable person would and they shouted at us, Tony is the most reasonable one but even he was livid beyond reason, I can’t get over this accusation. Why on earth do they think we’d do that. They think we’ve made up the mysterious sightings in the forest. In a fit of rage I said: “If you don’t believe us then go out there and explore it for yourself. If there’s nothing to be afraid of then you’ll be fine”

Well I never imagined they’d take me up on it. At midday they left carrying their stuff like a hobo, over the shoulder. They marched right out of the gate with not one look back. We just stood there watching in disbelief. I suppose they were right about one thing, without them there would be more food, though we’d gotten it in a way we never would have wanted.

Day 347

It’s been five days with no sign of them and we’re worried. We’ve calmed down, the righteous anger of the wrongly accused has faded and now we’re left wondering where they are. If they’re ok?

Day 351

I have to be quick but I thought a brief update would be good. This morning we heard the shouting of people in distress. In the clearing on the opposite side of the lake I can see them. They’re running flat out towards us, screaming help. I’m by the gate ready to open it for them as I’m writing this.

Somethings following them, what is it? I don’t know.

As it crosses the tree line the sun lights up the figure for a second and in the silhouette it looks like a man, he’s running after them, hunched over awkwardly, who is it?

As they get closer I can see it is no man at all, by god what the heck is it?

I have to put this down now to get the gate open.

James put his hand on me and stoped me doing it. Why would he do that? We’ve got to let them in, they’re fifty metres away now.

I ask why but I know the reason. To let them in is to sacrifice us all. They’re so harsh but they know it’s the only choice.

As the beasts approach them up against the gate I look away, I can’t watch this, I just can’t.

I can hear their cries as they’re circled, the prowling beasts that followed them here trace the perimeter ensuring there is no escape.

That’s it, I can bear it no longer I’m going to help, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t. God help us all.

Day 353

It is with a sad soul that I pick this up. To resume where it left off is hard. From the fifty or so we started with were down to five. James, Kurt, Tom, Jenny and myself.

The butchery at the gates turns my soul, I feel sick with regret and horror as it sinks in. Why I left them to die I’ll never know but it’s a decision I have to live with. A stain on my very existence that I’ll never be able to erase. That indecision cost five people their lives. An innocent life lost in the madness and frenzy that ensued first blood. I do not even have the guts to look down upon such a scene despite it being well over now.

They lie dead and gone, their remains scattered to the winds last reach: Max, Taylor and their innocent son Jeremy. Tony and of course Karen, The best among us. Though we didn’t interact much her departure to the land of the dead will leave us all poorer.

- Sincerely George Wellis.