Don't Split the Party.

It was getting dark when Jade came across someone else, was a bit of a lie. As a sentence, it assumed the jungle on Fernando's had any light levels other than ‘barely visible undergrowth’ and ‘pitch black’. There were of course, the patches of clearer greenery when light filtered in stronger, creating patches of mist in the heat as the rays of light traversed the shadows. Jade was slick with sweat, the straps of her pack over her shoulders were wet, causing them to start to rub and blister. The old combat fatigues and space corps uniform tattered and damp from fighting through the stubborn growth. She stopped to take the combat jacket off finally, relinquishing the protection against the thorns and scratches for a cooler body temperature, stuffing the jacket into the pack. She was just shouldering the pack again to carry on searching for the others when she heard movement and noise coming from behind her. She quickly scurried into a dense patch of bushes and fished out the combat knife she had packed, putting down the stout branch that she had been using to fight through the jungle. This time, she had been prepared for Fernando’s, it was a small miracle that her pack had been in the same section of Starbug she had when they crashed.

Jade breathed a sigh of relief as Eve came into view, following the trail of broken vegetation that the Doctor had left. She emerged, startling Eve who quickly recognised Jade.

“I thought I’d lost everyone, I’ve been following this trail for hours now hoping to find someone.” Eve said, sitting down for a rest and pulling out a canteen of water from her own pack. She looked perfect, Jade assumed it was her genetic coding designed to make her only glow rather than sweat. Eve offered Jade the canteen and she drank from the small container.

“We need to find the others.” Jade said, standing up and offering a hand to Eve, her face a mask of concern and worry for everyone else.

“Yeah…” Eve said, grabbing the stout branch Jade had just discarded and swiped at some thorny branches in their way. “I hope Jaxx is ok.”

After another hour they came across a river and began to follow it, Eve suggested Downstream, as that’s what they did in all the movies. With no other clues to go on, Jade agreed, although added the proviso that she was able to wash off first. So slightly fresher and cleaner, the two travelled along the slightly easier to traverse riverbank. When it started getting rocky, both girls noticed the plume of smoke in the distance, a camp fire of sorts. The light faded from the world and the girls were working with only the glow sticks that jade insisted they light. She gripped hers for grim death and focused on the small pool of light, one foot in front of another until they caught the sound of voices on the breeze.

“It’s Jamie and Cass!” Eve said excitedly hurrying forwards towards the camp fire.

“It’s good to see you.” Jade said, falling exhausted into the pool of firelight, still clutching her glow stick. Cass, wasn’t sure if she was talking to them, or to the friendly glowing light and warmth of the fire, although knowing Jade, most likely, both statements were true.

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