Sapling

The quartet fell silent as Jamie pointed through the underbrush at what he had heard. Ahead of them in a clearing another of the groups were busy harvesting some wood sorrel from beneath the shady roots of a large oak tree. None of them had noticed the tiny pink saplings that had emerged from the opposite treeline and were ominously arranged in a circle around the group. Jamie’s enhanced sense of jungle danger was on high alert and he backed the dwarfers away slightly. The movement was noticed by one of the other group who stood up and shouted. The saplings responded by rustling and slowly edging forward in response to the movement. He realised his folly as he saw the pink saplings surrounding the group.

“Oh. Smeg.” He muttered, and with as little movement as possible kicked one of the people on the floor.

“Oh… oh no… We have to do something.” Jade muttered.

“What?” Jay whispered.

“The trees… they are going to kill them…” Jade said, not really knowing how she knew, but knowing and understanding the trees intent. Jay looked at her sideways, knowing that she hadn’t been on board during the original hallucinogen outbreak. Perhaps just being around Keto in the medi-bay had been enough, even across dimensions? Perhaps it was just luck?

“Help.” One of the trapped crewmembers said, pleading with the quartet of PC’s, as the saplings advanced inexorably in reply to his standing up. The group looked at each other and all agreed that none could leave these people to die. Cass, upon recognising the man who had propositioned her earlier, started forwards. One of the saplings turned, rotating its roots in the ground and shambled slowly towards her, a spindly branch seeming to extend and reach out for her.

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