Ronald was a tall man with a long nose. He had walked out from the crowd and now shook hands with Idris. His tousled red hair blew in the wind as he spoke. “Hey guys. All right, I have no idea what we are going to be dealing with, but I knew that when I came here. I can already see some trees, but we are going to have to be careful when removing any as the planet already has low oxygen. I need help tonight harvesting about twenty moderately-sized trees. After tonight, the urgency will no longer be present, and I have other plans for shelter. For tonight, though, we have to rely on our primitive roots. Who would like to volunteer? I’m going to need about ten people, so please raise your hands.”
Every single person standing in the crowd raised their hands. I looked around in shock at the amount of team spirit and eagerness to help. This was definitely a different planet.
“Wow. Okay, I didn’t expect this kind of reaction.” Ronald smiled. “Well, if everyone really wants to help, let’s just divide the jobs up, I guess. Is that alright with everyone?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Okay, I want one person from each team to step over by Idris to help with harvesting materials,” He extended an arm in Idris’ direction.
I explained to my team that I wanted to go so I could check out the plants along the way. They agreed. I quickly went to stand among the other people gathering around Idris. We all shook hands and greeted each other. I assumed it would also be a great way to get to talk with people from other teams as well. Once the greetings were done, we stood quietly, listening and watching as the next groups were formed.
“All right. First thing is out of the way. While they’re gathering materials, some of us can unpack or find our architectural supplies from the supply hull. One person from each team, please step out and to the left,” Ronald called.
A quiet hush of conversation ran rampant among the groups but soon enough, one person from each team did as they were told.
“Next is going to be the more difficult task. Spencer, from the agricultural team, and Idris have discussed that we have very little rations left. They would like to save these for emergency uses now that we are here,” he explained. “So, would one person from each team please volunteer to help Spencer cull some of his pigs from the herd? They will need help butchering and preparing a few hogs for tonight’s meal. I understand this is difficult, but it is necessary.”
I expected more people to object, or at least hesitate, but one person from each team quickly came forward to help. Spencer stood to the side of the crowd with one arm in the air. Once his group was formed, they took off with flashlights to go retrieve the pigs. I could only imagine what that task would be like.
“It would also be very nice if we could form a team to prepare the meat and cook tonight. We need a fire built and cooking utensils gathered from the supply hull. Please, one person from each group come forward,” Ronald said.
People came forward as they were asked, and went immediately to work searching for supplies in the hull.
“All right, let’s get to work,” Ronald said.
As soon as he gave us the okay, my group turned on their flashlights, illuminating the dark that had consumed the sky, and took off into the night.
Chapter Ten
It was scary going into the dark on a foreign planet, but also exciting. We were all alone, or so we hoped, and it was exhilarating. Every breath of fresh air was a brand-new breath. Every step was a new one. In everything we did, we were first. I had always liked being the first to do something, or the first to see something, but this was on another level.
The cameramen followed us into the wilderness, but we didn’t mind. We would have to start getting used to it, as they would be here for the entire endeavor. There was no use getting worked up. It was a necessary evil, and the reason for the trip.
We trampled through the empty fields toward the line of trees. The silence was deafening as we walked; each of our footsteps amplified in the abyss of solitude. After a twenty-minute hike, we arrived at the edge of the woods. The short, purple trees creaked and shook with each gust of wind.
What had appeared to be darkness at the rendezvous spot was outdone by the darkness in the woods. The canopy of the trees blocked out any light from Earth’s moon and lights. Flashlights seemed to make our vision worse unless we were looking into the beams of light.
“Okay, ten trees, right? Or twenty?” one man asked.
“Twenty,” I replied, “and no more than that.”
“Right! Twenty moderately-sized trees. Ronald handed me two, two-person hand saws before we left, so I guess four people can be sawing while the others hold the lights,” another said. “Once the first four people have sawed a tree down, they can hand it off to the next group of people. We can take turns like this until all of the trees are down. Once all the trees are down, everyone can grab a branch and help haul them out,” he finished.
“If there are twenty trees we have to cut down, it’s going to take a few trips,” I said. “There are only ten of us, and it’s going to take more than one person to haul one of those trees out of here, let alone two per person.”
We looked around at each other and frowned, until
