Man-Eater

Posted on Mon Apr 8th, 2019 @ 5:18am by Commodore Jane Saulitis

Mission: The Fool's Odyssey
Location: Marga III
Timeline: Stef's perception: weeks after disappearance
2923 words - 5.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Weeks had passed and Stef had waited in vain at first for the Majestic to retrieve him. He'd gone through several phases of emotion in those first weeks. First he had doubted himself: had he done something wrong that he got left behind?

Then, he had started to deny the first feelings. Of course he didn't really get left behind, did he? He had done nothing wrong, he'd done nothing to deserve being left here. After that he had gotten through a phase of anger, at himself, at his friends but more importantly, at Captain Saulitis. How dare they not try to get him back? How dare they leave him?

But now, weeks later, he was starting to accept that they weren't coming back. He went down to the store, got a few supplies and told some of his new friends he was going for a walk. Since he was still new here, and apparently having to make himself a home here, he wanted to explore a little. "I will be back before nightfall," he told the store owner, making sure that people knew he wasn't just going to go away now.

He had no idea how long he'd been walking before he came across a huge plant, which seemed to be in a phase just prior to bloom. "gorgeous," he breathed as he ventured closer, taking out his tricorder.

"No!" Razmi shrieked as she saw the young man approach the plant. He was obviously new, she'd not seen him around before and she'd thought that anyone who lived around the area would know to stay away from such things. Running at him she hit him as hard as she could on the shoulder, knocking him to the side. Then she danced out of the plants way as it sprang to life and tried to grab her ankles with it's vines. She tripped over one of the vines and found herself tumbling to the ground.

Stef stumbled and fell asleep he was unexpectedly knocked aside. He saw a young woman trip and fall, so he scrambled to his feet to help her. He was unaware of the wriggling vines and the plant looming over him. He felt something jab his neck before he was grabbed. He was just aware of being lifted off of his feet and landing on something slimy and soft before his world went dark.

By the time Razmi had climbed back to her feet there was a bulge in the planet and she knew immediately he'd been already swallowed. She paced around for a few seconds in a semi-panic and then remembered the scythe she'd been using to cull the wheat. She ran to the spot she'd left it in the field and sprang back at the plant, cutting at it below where she assumed any of the strangers appendages would be, she hoped. The plant made a high squeak, it's mouth opening involuntarily as it slumped to the ground dead, spewing out the contents of what would have seen been it's stomach. He was still breathing to completely unconscious, she let out a sigh of relief and ran to grab one of the field hands to bring him inside.

After an unknown length of time, the teenage alien bolted upright, gasping for air as he looked around in fear. The last thing he remembered was something closing around him. "Where am I?" He asked, then noticed that the clothes he was wearing weren't his own. "What did you do to me? Where are my clothes?"

"Woah, you're all right." Razmi held up her hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. You had plant goo all over you and it starts to burn after a while if you don't get it off. Your clothes are being washed as we speak and these are on loan. You got swallowed by a pusa plant. They're man-eaters and will kill you in minutes. I got you out of it and brought you here with some help, took your clothes off, bathed you, put those clothes on and let you sleep off the sedative." She took a breath because she felt like that was going to take a while to sink in. "I'm Razmi, I'm a friend."

Despite being not at all shy about his own body, the idea of being washed by anyone other than his girlfriend made him blush a little. "Thank you," he answered gratefully, "I did not know that it would eat me." He paused as he gathered his wits about him again. "I am Stef, Captain's yeoman and animal caretaker aboard the USS Majestic." He frowned. "I was," he amended, "for some reason I was left behind a few weeks ago. I have not been able to contact them."

"Ah, I didn't think I had seen you around before. You're not the only one who has had issues lately. Something about this region of space has changed, we are no longer to get signals out like we used to but the scientists don't understand why. I don't know much about it myself, I'm just a simple farmer."

"I am afraid that I may not be much help either on that aspect. But unless they come back soon, I need to find a way to be useful and contribute to the community. I wanted to specialize in animal caretaking, especially medically speaking. Treat the crew's pets, so to speak, when necessary, as well as learn about the fauna in alien cultures. Would you have any ideas?"

"You would probably need to talk to Dr. Lamter. He is elderly but he has a lot of knowledge about the local animals. Are you feeling all right" Razmi asked, putting the back of her hand against his forehead to make sure he was not running a fever.

He didn't feel feverish but he knew his normal temperature was warmer than that of a Human. "I feel a little disoriented," he replied, "but otherwise I feel fine. Can you take me to see this doctor? Perhaps he is willing to take on an apprentice? I might be young, but I know a good deal about Earth animals." He smiled wryly. "Especially chickens."

"Not right this minute. No offense but you were just swallowed by a man eating plant, I'd like to keep an eye on you before you go running off and collapse somewhere. So what was your ship like? I've never been in space, it must be so interesting."

"She is a big ship, with hundreds of people living on it. We are explorers, and we were here on leave. Most of our crew held vacation right here on this planet." He ran his hands through his hair, revealing his pointed ears. "I spent time here too, mostly at the beach and some time in town. Are you certain you have seen none of the crew? All would have been alien to you."

She shrugged. "I might have, but I don't go to town much and I doubt they'd be this far out for any kind of holiday purposes unless they wanted to see a grain farm. I have seen aliens before." Razmi got up from her chair and stretched. She was not used to sitting for so long.

Following her with his eyes, Stef shrugged. "I could show you a picture... I have one on my PADD, probably." He looked around, then made to stand as he searched for his bag. "Where is the bag I had with me?"

"I don't know, I didn't notice you had one. I was too busy trying to save your life. It might still be inside the plant, but don't worry. I killed it so your stuff is probably fine. Are you sure you're up for a walk? I'll take you to it."

"I feel fine," Stef answered, looking down at his bare feet. "Did my boots survive? Can I wear them, or do you want me to go barefoot?" He took a few uncertain steps as he followed her. "How long was I inside that plant for? How long did I sleep?"

Razmi reached out her arm just in case he needed steadying. This one was going to keep her on her toes with all his questions. "They are still wet, but I guess you can wear them if you don't mind wet feet. Otherwise you'll have to borrow mine and my feet are considerably smaller, you'd have to walk on your toes. You were inside the plant for less than a minute. And you've been asleep about twelve hours."

"Barefoot it is," Stef concluded, gingerly taking her arm just in case. "What was this...Pusa plant? Is it like a property guard? If they are so dangerous, why let them grow so...large?" He knew his questions must be annoying her, but without his tricorder all he had was his questions. He'd been here a few weeks now, but he'd not encountered anything like this before. before he was left behind, he had stayed in the tourist areas.

She chuckled. "No, they grow around here very quickly and they can make themselves small and hardly noticeable. if we see one we kill it but obviously no one had noticed the one that swallowed you. And you, not knowing about them did not know the danger of approaching one."

"It looked like a normal plant to me," the Vulcan admitted sheepishly. "Perhaps there is a way to weed them out? Are there any animals that could possibly...well...use them as a snack?"

"No, there aren't any animals big enough on this planet to be natural predators for the planet. We've tried to think of things over the years, but their roots run so deep that the results often end up hurting the plants surrounding them. Maybe this is why the Goddess brought you to us, to rid us of the Pusa." She grinned at him to let him know she was teasing.

"I am not a botanist," Stef replied seriously, not even realising she was teasing him. "However if there was an animal that could uproot them when they are still saplings, would that help?"

"As long as they did not get eaten by the plant, then yes, very much so." She let the seriousness of his answer to her teasing pass. "Don't go getting eaten again, they're only a mild annoyance most of the time. We teach the children from a young age to avoid them."

"I shall endeavour not to go near them again," Stef promised solemnly, "at least not any live ones but I would like as many samples as I can from the dead ones. It sedated me with something, it may be useful in the future to know what properties it has and if we can somehow reproduce them artificially." It was of course the scientist talking, even if he didn't consider himself to be one. It was simply how he worked, thinking in solutions, now that he had to.

"You can study the dead one as much as you like." Razmi led him over to where she had sliced the neck of the pusa and it had released him. Your bag must be deeper in the throat. Wait a moment, let me get you some gloves." When she was satisfied that he would not fall over she returned to a shed and came back with a pair that she handed to him.

As she went to fetch the gloves Stef just stared at the remains of the plant until she handed him the gloves. Pulling them on, he crouched down and reached inside, his skin partly protected by his new shirt, and partly by the glove. He grimaced as he dug around until his fingers finally found the strap of his bag and he retrieved it. "Ew," he complained as he held up the dripping bag.

He rummaged around in the bag and pulled out his still running tricorder, not really remembering having stuffed it inside while still active. "Oh...that certainly drained the power cell," he muttered, snapping the device closed. "Well there goes that idea then, I will have to find another means to study it." He turned his head towards Razmi. "Do you have anything i could store some samples in? For later ah...study?"

"Maybe some glass jars. You're welcome to anything in the shed or the house." She really didn't own anything of value but was always willing to help out a new friend, and Razmi wasn't going to admit to herself how much she needed a new friend.

Stef nodded. "Can we take the whole thing back with us? Haul it to the shed together?" He smiled at her, grateful for her assistance. "Not right now of course, if you do not trust me to be able to do this." he frowned. "Usually, I am a fair bit stronger than I appear to be. This...goo...seems to have weakened me. I feel much weaker than normal."

"Yes, it weakens the muscles so that you don't fight back." Razmi frowned slightly, she wasn't sure she wanted it in her shed but she reluctantly nodded. "I'll have someone do it for you. Oh, I forgot about my scythe. Now I'll have to buy a new one." She sighed as she looked it over.

"Why?" Confusion crossed the young man's face as he studied her. "What is wrong with it?"

Razmi held it up to him. "If the acid or whatever it is gets into the crops it kills them. And if I wash it off, then the metal rusts. Oh well, gives me an excuse to go to town. Want to come with me? Tomorrow?" She clarified. "Do you have a place to stay? You can sleep in the bed you woke up in."

"I have a room in town, though I am considering finding my own place and settle, since I do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I need room if I am to find work, and study. My PADD will not last forever, so I must use it sparsely. I will need space for books, and journals." He nodded, realizing he was babbling. "Yes I will go with you, tomorrow." He bit his lip, looking away. "Perhaps I should go back to bed, I feel very lightheaded all of a sudden."

Razmi offered her arm again. "Yes, that's a good idea. Don't want to do too much too soon." She led him back to the house. "Since you're a captive audience I'll tell you stories."

"I am?" He arched an eyebrow at her as he accepted the support. "What kind of stories? Man eating plants?"

"Oh not really, I mean you can run away from me screaming if you want. You wouldn't be the first man. I'm harmless, I just like to tease. No man eating plant stories I promise. I'll tell you boring things about growing crops and this stupid festival I'm getting really nervous about that I always make myself attend."

"Well, at present I do not believe I will be running anywhere," Stef smiled as they re-entered the house, "why do you make yourself attend a festival if clearly, you would rather not go? What is the point of that?"

"Oh because it's tradition and it was how my mother met my father. And I keep telling myself that some day I'll find someone who won't think I'm so odd." Razmi seemed to slump into the chair across from his bed where she had been keeping vigil when he'd slept.

"Why do others think you are odd?" He sat down on the bed, watching her. "Why do you think you are? Different maybe... that is like saying I am odd... I am different than most Vulcans. Some may consider it odd, but I am me..who are they to judge?"

"I don't know, because I don't conform to the way they run their society. I don't expect anyone to take care of me. I run my own farm and I don't cater to tourists." She shrugged.

"Present company excluded," Stef chuckled, "because technically I am a tourist. I am not from this planet and technically, I am not supposed to be here. Anyway, I do not conform to the norm of my species either." He settled back on the bed and shifted a little, making himself comfortable. "As a Vulcan, I am supposed to be emotionless and i am not supposed to feel, yet I choose to express how I feel and find a balance between logic and emotions as I believe I can have both." he reached to touch her hand, however briefly. "You are who you are."

"True," she admitted that she had catered to him. "Hmmm, wise beyond your years I suppose." As Razmi had never met a Vulcan before she did not know if that was normal. She'd seen other pointy-eared creatures like him from a distance but certainly had never spoken to one. "Thank you." She said finally, getting to her feet. "I will let you rest."

Stef nodded. "If there is anything I can do to help you here, on the farm, let me know? I would like to earn my keep." He smiled. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"You're welcome." As Razmi left, she thought about it. She really could use another hand, if only temporarily.

---

Razmi
Farm Owner
Marga III Resident
pncp by Saulitis

Crewman Apprentice Stef
Stranded crewmember
USS Majestic
pnpc Lhaes