Jonas, Kemalia, and Mango are the only survivors from the crash site at the beach. They must find high ground in order to send a message to the Foundation and any other survivors.

“Mango, you saved us!” exclaimed Kemalia.

“You beautiful sonofabitch,” mumbled Jonas.

Mango nodded, “I’m glad there are other survivors. I came to on the beach but didn’t have a chance to seek out other survivors. I was almost immediately attacked by a large predator. It chased me into the jungle.”

Jonas pointed at the wrangled gargura, “That thing?”

“No. It was some kind of feline.”

“Was it Coconut?” asked Jonas.

Mango looked perplexed, “Maybe. I’m not familiar with this world’s wildlife. It stalked me through the jungle for hours. In fact, I was setting a trap for it when I heard you two. We probably shouldn’t linger here too long in case it finds us.”

“While I was up in the tree, I saw a second crash site. Have you been in contact with anyone from that crash? Or anyone from the Foundation at all?” said Kemalia.

Mango shook his head, “No. My comms were broken in the crash.”

Kemalia twisted a knob back and forth on her wristband. It emitted a high-pitched, oscillating whistle interrupted by occasional bursts of static.

“My radio works but I can’t tune it to anything. There’s just too much interference to get a strong signal. I saw a bluff about ten kilometers north. I think we should try to tag the Foundation before we head to the other crash site.”

“Good plan, officer. We’ll follow your lead—where’s the human?” They both looked around.

“Coconuuuuut!” yelled Jonas from somewhere nearby.

Mango found the professor and shook him, “Please quiet down, professor. Danger lurks all around us. Don’t go out of your way to summon it.” Mango sniffed a little and said, “Are you inebriated?”

“Yeah, but I gotta find my cat.”

“The cat will probably find us. We need to head for high ground and try to tag the Foundation on radio.”

Soon after, the party was trekking through the jungle and Jonas had found another alien coconut tree. Being drunk kept his mind off the more disgusting elements of their environment.

“I can’t believe you drank that stuff. You’re a scientist? You should know better!” said Kemalia.

“I gave it the smell test . . . and it passed with flying colors!” said Jonas. He spotted a singing beetle and tried to hum along with it.

“You’re a scientist!” she exclaimed.

Jonas shrugged and took another sip. He started thinking about the various cocktails he could make with his new discovery. Pina colada. Tom and Jerry. Pineapple Cream. White Russian—no, a Blue Russian. The professor was especially tickled by that idea and chuckled until he felt something light and furry land on his shoulder.

“Coconut!” he exclaimed, but when he turned to look he did not see Coconut.

A small marsupial had landed on its shoulder. It had gray fur, a narrow-pointed snout, big round ears, and black stripes across its back. A fat pouch of bare-skin hung beneath its chin, deflated and dangling like a chicken’s wattle.

“Argh!!” yelled Jonas as he jerked away.

The startled creature clung to his shoulder. Its neck pouch swelled up and the creature let loose an ear-shattering yowl that brought Jonas to his knees.

The whole right side of his head throbbed, originating from a sharp pain in his ear. He doubled over and the marsupial hopped off his shoulder, then there was a flash of white fur. After a few moments the pain receded and Jonas opened his eyes to see Coconut sitting in front of him, licking blood off its paws. Kemalia and Mango were staring at him, opening and closing their mouths silently.

Jonas realized they were talking, but the ringing in his ear was drowning everything else out.

“I’m okay, but I can’t hear anything,” said Jonas. The others shared a look of annoyance, then turned and walked away without saying anything, probably.

Soon after, they were standing at the foot of the bluff Kemalia had seen. It was a vertical rock wall, maybe sixty meters high with patches of net-like moss draped across its face. Mango and Kemalia circled the bluff to find a way up. Meanwhile, Jonas sat and leaned against the rocky wall and drank another fermented coconut while the cat napped in a sunny spot.

Eventually the other two returned to where the professor was sitting.

“It looks like we’ll have to climb,” said Mango.

“I am way too drunk for that,” said Jonas.

So for the second time in as many days, Jonas found himself being carried by Mango. This time he was strapped to Mango’s back while he and Kemalia ascended the bluff, belaying sticky rope along the way.

Man, this guy is strong, thought Jonas. It was a good reminder that the Foundation’s crew were not human. Jonas realized he didn’t even know what species they were. The attack on the Foundation had happened before Jonas had a chance to ask. Were they all so strong, or was Mango unique? The guy was hauling a grown man and a cat on his back while climbing a vertical bluff without complaint.

“Mango, how are you so strong?” asked Jonas, a little too loudly for how close they were.

“I am only strong compared to you, professor. I am the weakest of my siblings,” said Mango as hauled himself up with one hand.

A horrifying yowl came from nearby. Coconut panicked in Jonas’s arms. “Hey!” The cat twisted away, all claws, and scurried the rest of the way up the bluff on his own.

“What was that all about?” said Jonas. “And why am I carrying you if you can climb, you jerk?!”

Kemalia and Mango exchanged a concerned glance. “Let’s be quick about this,” he said.

They pulled themselves over the edge quickly. Kemalia pressed the comms button on her suit’s collar and said, “Chief Engineering Officer Kemalia to the Foundation. Please respond.” Seconds passed without a response. She repeated the call. More seconds passed.

Finally a voice answered, “Dr. Korl Borg responding. Is that really you, Kemalia?”

“Doctor! You’re alive! We weren’t sure if anyone else survived. Are you on board?”

The answer came fuzzy and distorted, “There is no one left on the Foundation. It’s derelict. I assumed the only survivors are those with me. Is anyone else with you?”

“Yes, Mango and the professor are both with me. We are the only survivors from the beach. Are the survivors with you from the crash site in the jungle?”

“The human survived?!” There followed a long pause. “Incredible. That is very auspicious news. Yes, my party is made up of survivors from the jungle crash site. I did not realize there was a beach crash site or we would have searched for you.”

“Did you hear that? Dr. Borg survived!” said Kemalia to Jonas.

“What? Karl’s alive?” He tugged at his ear and wiggled his jaw.

Kemalia rolled her eyes. “Dr. Borg, where are you? Where are we?”

“This planet is named Bogidogudu. It’s an uncharted port where anti-union pirate crews can gather safely. It’s a dangerous, lawless place, but I have a contact here who can help us. The jungle party is waiting at a designated location at the edge of the jungle just outside of the port. I’m meeting up with my contact inside the port. Rendezvous with the jungle party and wait for my return. I’ll hopefully have good news.”

After a sharing of coordinates and ETAs the beach party was preparing to rappel back down the bluff. They suddenly heard another horrible yowl, much closer than the first. It was the kind of sound that makes a person’s skin tighten and their hair stand on end.

“Did you guys hear that?” said Jonas. “Was that Coconut?”

“That was not Coconut. We need to go. Now.” said Mango. Kemalia had already begun her descent down the cliff-face.

“Coconut! Coconuuuut!” yelled Jonas as loud as he could.

“Professor! Cut that out!”

“I’ve got to find Coconut! He saved-”

The beast that appeared was feline, but it was definitely not Coconut. Two meters long, it was lithe and covered in dark green fur, with even darker green spots. It had two thickly muscled hind legs ending in powerful paws with curved claws. It had a single front leg in the center of its chest, supported by a dense set of torso muscles. The creature’s face was tiger-like, with shaggy jaws and white-line patterns to camouflage its face from its prey. It was crouched low, eye to eye with Jonas, ready to pounce.

The big cat took a menacing step forward, every muscle in its body coiled.

“You’re not Coconut!”

The creature leapt.