The Edge of the Map, Daniel Lucas [book club recommendations .TXT] 📗

and that Willson was to stay where he was.

Willson watched as Rodregiez approach the clearing from the far side. He took aim and fired on the little creature and hit it perfectly on the side just as every recruit is instructed to do so. The creature reacted violently by tuning a much brighter shade of green and, dropping to the ground in a heap. Rodregiez stood up from the place were he had fired from and approached the creature. He waved for Willson to approach as he neared the stunned creature he noticed a smell that got through.
The filters and commented to Rodregiez.

“Do you smell that?”

“Ya, I do I thought these were supposed to keep things like this out.” Said Rodregiez

“No, only harmful compounds, nobody ever died of a bad smell that was not chemical in nature.”

“Guess you’re right but, dam that really is bad it smells like you’re boots.”

“What are you doing smelling my boot any way?” Said Willson somewhat absentmindedly starring at the creature. He bent over it and reached out to touch it’s skin before he could Rodregiez grabbed his hand and said” What the hell are you thinking! We can’t touch him before we check to see if his skin will melt our hands off or turn us green like him or some dam thing like that.”

“Yak you’re right that would be bad. I don’t what I was thinking it was just that his skin looks like bark off of a tree doesn’t it.”

Rodregiez just grunted in response. He walked around to the ship and opened a panel to use the ship sensors. He ran a full spectrum analysis on the native. HE waited while the computer aboard the ship analyzed the sensor readings. It beeped when it was finished. He glanced at the readings the computer analyzed, and at the findings then he pronounced it safe to carry it on board; as long as it was shielded by a force field and under sedation the whole time it was on board the ship. They picked up the small figure surprised at its weight. They were able to carry it as far as the foot of the ladder.

“Look it’s another one.” Said Willson.

“Crap. Were is he at?” asked Rodregiez

“Don’t worry he’s way over there in the foliage on the other side of the clearing.”

“What if he saw us with his buddy sleeping beauty here?”

“So what if he did he can’t do any thing to us from way over there.” These words were barely out of Wilson’s mouth when Rodregiez cried out in pain.

“Ouch! What the hell was that?” Asked Rodregiez


“What is the matter?” Asked Willson

“Something hit me it the back that’s all. It felt like a rock or something.” Said Rodregiez looking around at the clearing and neighboring forest. He saw another one of the little creatures and said.” Crap, I guess that solves that question doesn’t “

“ What?”

“Oh, there seems to be a friend of our little buddy here at the edge of the clearing over there.” Said Rodregeiz, indicating the far side of the clearing, behind them in the tree line.


“Did he through the rock at you?”

“Ya, it would seem so, can you blame him were taking his buddy to only god knows where and he doesn’t like it one bit.”

“Is your suit still intact?”

“Hold on waiting for a diagnostic from the computer.”

Willson heard a beep from the computer in Rodregiez’s suit over the open com. channel.

“Diagnostic complete. Suit intact no breaches detected.” Replied the computer in his suit.

“See no problems my suit is still intact.” Said Rodregeiz who then looked around the clearing and then continued “ Let’s get him onboard.”

They continued up the ladder and entered the main laboratory, which doubled as their living quarters and the main cabin, carrying the creature. They placed the creature on an examination table and erected a force field around the table and the surrounding area. They then stepped back to the air lock to remove their exposure suits while the ship decontaminated the laboratory of any possible contaminates bought on board by the creature or their samples. They examined the suits to be sure there was no spots on the fabric of the suits that could crack in extreme temperatures. Finding none the proceeded to step through the decontamination showers themselves.

The quite was deafening in the small room, as they did not speak while in the showers to avoid the chemicals that were in use in the showers. They completed the showers when the computer notified them that the decontamination of the laboratory was finished.

“Well shall we see what secrets or little friend is hiding?” asked Rodregiez

“Why not,” replied Wilson.

“Damn that stuff always makes me itch like mad.” Said Rodregiez, scratching at his back.

“Maybe the mix is off I’ll look at when were through here okay?”

“Sure, but I hope that I don’t get a chemical burn because of those damn things. I would hate to have to go though more of your bedside manor last time it made my injury worse than better.” Grumped Rodregeiz

“Hey, it’s not my fault that you would not hold still while I applied the meds to your
‘Wound’ if you can call it that.”
“It sure felt like nothing I have ever ran into before.” whined Rodregeiz

“Man it was not even serious the computer liked it to a bee sting nothing more. You’re not even allergic to them let alone real bees!” chastised Willson

“How do we know that there won’t be an allergic reaction to it like that stuff James and David ran into on that ice planet in the Grecian sector?” asked Rodregeiz

“Because we weren’t stupid enough to take off our suits no matter how hot they were in the sun. They were using the crap for bedding because they thought it might be softer then their bedding.” noted Willson. “ Maybe you should not go around picking up every shinny thing you see huh?” He said under his breath while Rodregiz’s back was turned away from Willson.

They were interrupted by a beeping from behind. They turned at the same moment and saw that the alien was beginning to awaken and they went to their science stations.

“Begin neurological scans as I do the metabolism scans and well go from there.” Said Rodregeiz

They began their study of this new species of animal. A few moments into their work they discovered that they were things that they could not even guess about.

“ Holy shit!” said Willson “Come over here and look at these neuro scans It looks like our friend here is a bought as smart as a pile of rocks and at that I think Is being generous. Look how small his brain is, it is probably a worker or something because he does not have any real weapons so he could not be a real effective warrior. Take a look at that.” Said Willson pointing at a small unidentified mass on the computer screen right behind the nerve center for the eyes.” Want to bet that they have some really good eyesight? That mass could be a sort of internal infrared sensor.” Mused Willson who leaned back in his chair and continued. “I bet that is why we found him staring at the ship like we did. He was probably looking for us. That is all based on guesswork of coures because, the computer could not even tell what it uses that for. Maybe if we could get him to use it we might be able to tell what he uses it for.”
Willson looked around to see where Rodregiz was he saw him starring of into space he called his name several time with no effect at all. Willson stood up and walked over to Rodregeiz and touched his shoulder and Rodregiez gave a small shout and jumped away from Willson and said “ What the hell you trying to do to me?”

“What do you mean I barely touched you. You would not respond to any of the numerous times that I called you. Are you ok? I think that you should let me do another scan on you just for safety’s sake. It won’t hurt you and only take a few minutes.” Requested Willson

Rodregiez seemed to think it over and then he said, “Maybe later, right now we have to finish these scans and get our gets on his way.”

“I disagree we have to look after each other because out here nobody else will. I insist that you be scanned. It will only take a few moments and our little buddy here won’t be hurt for spending a few more minutes with us.” Said Willson indicating the alien behind the force field with a sweep of his arm.

Rodregiez hesitated a moment then nodded his head a little numbly and walked over to the small alcove that served as the whole medical bay in the tiny ship. Rodregiez stood there like a statue not moving to sit on the examining table, as he knew he was supposed to. Willson waited for him to set himself on the table when Willson realized that Rodregiez was not going to sit down on the table with out some prompting he said. “Why don’t you sit down that way I’ll be able to get a clear picture of what the hell is going on in that body of yours.”

Rodregiez sat upon the table only partially as he put his weight on the table he almost fell off because he did not sit all the way on the table. Willson caught him before he fell to the floor. When he put him on the table, he noticed that there was some thing wrong with Rodregiez’s back. Willson tried to look down the back of Rodregeiz uniform when he pulled the garment away from the neck he form that it was sticking to the skin at the sight of the suspect spot. He started the scan at that point on Rodergiez’s back when the computer started to beep franticly he turned and saw that the scanner was saying that his heart had stopped. Willson spin around and saw that Rodregiez had begun to slump over.

He quickly laid Rodregeiz on his back and ripped his uniform away from his chest and said” Computer begin heart restart sequence,” he steeped back so that the computer would have a clear shot at the chest of his friend. When the computer signaled he waited for the shock to be administered to the heart when the shock finally was administered, he stepped back to the table he felt at the neck for a pulse. He said ”still no pulse, recharge and fire again.”

The computer responded by saying, “Stand back please.”


Willson stepped back away from the table and the computer went into its automatic mode of life recitation. It ran for what seamed like an eternity for Willson. He wanted to step in and take over from the computer but he knew that his medical skills were so lacking that he might kill his friend instead of saving him. He watched as the computer sent in its probes for another life preservation procedure.

The computer said “ Starting interracial Electro-shock therapy.’’

Willson watched as the probes inserted themselves into his friends chest he thought to himself that this was probably a last ditch