THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE (standard:science fiction, 1376 words) [6/12] show all parts
Author: Danny Raven	Added: Mar 12 2016	Views/Reads: 1812/1269	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
PART 3 - CH 6

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Kane grinned. “Okay,” he said to Sarah, “take the Pod. I'll track you.” 

She had just rushed out the door when he called her back. She came back
in and saw Blaze who had materialized in the middle of the Bridge. He 
grinned and walked over to her, holding out his hand. There was a large 
beautiful yellow flower in it. 

“It just grew up out of the ground,” he told her. 

“They usually do,” Kane said dryly. 

“This was one was real quick!” Blaze said excitedly. “I was sitting on
some grass beside a waterfall. There was nothing on the ground at all 
then this just came right up, the whole thing, right next to me. 
Honest.” 

Kane looked disbelievingly at him. 

“It smells lovely!” Sarah said, sniffing it. 

Kane laughed and took if from her. 

“What's so funny?” she asked. 

“This is!” he replied, holding it up. “I could just see Tyler's face if
we had taken this back to him! Through a Corridor in a Black Hole to a 
whole new Universe and we bring him back a flower!!” 

***** 

Kane and Sarah took the Pod out later in the day and collected more
samples of water, soil and various fruits they found in a small forest. 


The water from various streams was pure and drinkable. The soil was rich
and excellent for growing crops. The fruit was edible and tasted 
delicious, reminding them of oranges, mangoes and pineapples. 

Blaze had been sent for one of the ‘hairy spheres' he told them about
and it turned out to be a coconut, complete with sweet milk. He had 
loved it. 

Once when Kane was taking a break from testing, drinking coffee and
looking out from the Bubble, he spotted Sarah strolling round the moor 
near the Ship. She was smiling all the time and every now and then she 
would kneel down and run her hand over the coarse grass. 

“Christ, she looks as if she's talking to the place!” he muttered,
shaking his head. 

Blaze had been allowed to go out on his own again mainly because there
was no way of keeping him in but Kane had warned him not to stay out 
for longer than thirty minutes, reporting to the Computer each time he 
came back. He brought back more flowers for Sarah and their beautiful 
scents drifted through the Ship. 

As Kane was setting up the last of the samples in the small lab, he
heard Sarah yelling for him. He raced along to the Bridge, pulling out 
his laser pistol on the way and burst through the door. 

She was standing in the middle of the Bridge with Blaze, staring at
something in the far corner and he quickly brought his laser up in that 
direction. 

There was a bird fluttering about in front of the Observation Screen! 

“Where the hell did that come from!?” he asked, clicking off the laser. 

“I found it when I was just out,” Blaze answered, walking over to the
bird and holding out his hand. It flew on to his fingers and he stroked 
its neck. 

It had beautiful bright red and green markings and a blue bill. It flew
from Blaze's hand and settled on Kane's shoulder, happily trilling. He 
lifted it down and examined it. 

“Seen anything like this before?” he asked Sarah. 

She held out her hand and it fluttered over to her. “Not with these
markings,” she replied, gently stroking its head. 

Kane frowned. “Computer – I thought you said earlier that the planet had
no life forms of any kind?” he asked. 

“Sorry, doing some vital checks on the Drive right now,” it replied
hastily. “I'll get back to you on that one later.” 

Kane glared at it and cursed it under his breath. 

Blaze disappeared down to the Galley and appeared again with some bread
then happily took the bird off to his cabin. 

When Sarah looked in later he was asleep in his bunk, the bird in a
makeshift nest of a blanket on a shelf next to him, softly trilling. 

***** 

A full moon rose that night, a gold disc that hung above the sea sending
shimmering reflections over it. Sarah dragged Kane out for a stroll 
before they turned in. 

Now that the rain had stopped and the wind had died down, a peaceful
calm hung over the planet. They could hear the waves lapping gently 
against the rocks as they walked along the foreshore and a clean, salty 
smell hung in the air. 

“I've decided we're staying one more day,” Kane said as they stopped and
looked out to sea. 

Sarah smiled at him and nestled closer, 

“It's nothing to do with you,” he went on, not fooling her for a moment.
“It's the samples. Some of them have to be re-run.” 

“Sure,” she said, standing on tiptoe and kissing him. “I can understand
that.” 

“But we're leaving as soon as the tests are completed.” 

“Anything you say, Captain!” she said, saluting him. 

He grinned and kissed her again. 

“Earlier on,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder, “when we
were walking across the moor, I was going to tell you something but I 
was sure you'd laugh.” 

“Probably. So tell me anyway.” 

She looked up at him. “Laugh if you want but it's this planet.” 

“What about it?” 

“I think it likes us.” 

He did laugh. All the way back to the Ship. Perhaps if he'd turned he
might have changed his mind. At the exact spot where they'd been 
standing near the rocks, a circle of flowers grew straight up out of 
the ground and bloomed, their scent mingling with the salty air. 


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