Terrance and Trudy walked arm in arm through the now open stockade gate as Moira ran toward them.

“Just look at what I’ve got.”

She unfurled the long dress with the distinctive colour and twirled.

“Looks lovely,” Trudy said.

“You look radiant,” Moira said.

“After six months I should be.”

They laughed as they strolled into the Indian market.

“A lot has changed you know since we arrived,” Terrance muttered.

“I know, just look at the teepees.”

Terrance smiled as he looked over at the grassy plain. Teepees dotted the ground, and happy warriors played with the many children.
Trudy stopped at a small stall that displayed traditional jewellery.

“These look wonderful,” she commented.

The squaw smiled and said, “Terah hotep jansy?”

The couple glanced at each other.

“I think she’s asking do you want to buy.”

Terrance pointed to a lovely silver necklace.

“How much?”

The squaw seemed to think.

“Terra dong hotep.”

As a way of explanation, she counted two fingers.

“That’s quite reasonable,” Terrance said.

He reached into his pocket and handed over two of the simple crystals that the settlers now used as currency. The happy squaw handed over the necklace and bowed politely.

“Shall we move on?” Terrance asked.

A sudden call made them look and Sammy dashed up.

“We need your help.”

They followed him toward the teepees, and saw John and Terry plucking arrows from the target bale.

“What’s up?” Terrance asked.

“They are thrashing us,” John explained. “They keep getting bulls eyes.”

Trudy laughed and whispered, “You should have a go.”

A brave smiled and handed him the bow and Terrance shrugged.

“I had better at least hit the target.”

As the braves watched, the leader took careful aim and let the string go. The arrow hurtled toward the target, striking the blue zone.

“Pretty good,” Terry said.

The brave waited a moment and then took aim. As everyone watched, his arrow slammed into the red zone.

As the brave whooped, Terrance shook his head.

“We need to be trained up I see.”

Another call drew them back toward the market where Dudley was busy studying something.

“What have we got here?” Trudy asked.

Dudley handed over the strange looking object. It was a simply a large metallic ball with a glass top. As Terrance examined it he hissed, “This is advanced technology. These people didn’t build it.”

The squaw snatched it back and placed it upon her stall.

“Yanah sol...”

She tapped the glass and a holographic image was at once projected. As they watched, images showed humanoid machines with antenna for ears doing battle with laser rifles. The last images showed them climbing inside oblong chambers that looked like tubes.

As the images ended, Terrance became very worried.

“Suspended animation Dudley?”

“Certainly looks like it.”

“That would explain why they were not detected by the late commodore. We need to know where this was found.”

He tried to explain in words and hand signals to the poor squaw, but to her it was double Dutch.

As Terrance shook his head, Dudley pointed.

“Perhaps the old chief could help?”

Terrance took the device and ran over.

“Where did you find? Eh...Hotep?”

The chief smiled and pointed towards the far west.

“At least we have the general direction,” Dudley said. “Do you want an expedition?”

Terrance shook his head.

“Not for the present eh.”

Karen suddenly ran up carrying what looked like a large yam.

“Look what the boys found?”

As Terrance gazed the old chief became quite agitated.

“Soleh yosun ka. Dell non se pa...”

“What do you think he’s saying?” Trudy asked.

“Whatever it is he looks fairly worried.

”Karen shook her head and ran off shouting, “Spoilsport!”

The intensely happy event had gone off without a hitch, and as
Terrance and Trudy relaxed in their new cabin she was smiling.

“The brave’s seem happy that our men are fraternising with their women.”

“I’m glad they don’t mind. With kids on the way, our friendship with the natives has given our colony an extra boost.

“Not to mention a new fighting chance,” Trudy pointed out.

“That too.”
...
Across the settlement, Karen had finally decided to cut the large fruit open. As she took the knife, the four residents watched with interest.

“What do you intend to do with it?”

“I hope to boil the contents of course. It should make an
interesting addition to hog soup.”

As the others laughed, she pressed the blade against the egg like top and it suddenly cracked open. A white mist immediately shot out and engulfed her. As she coughed and spluttered, the residents stopped laughing.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so,” she stammered. “I reckon this fruit should be left alone after all.”

She rinsed her face in the water bowl and settled upon the floor to sleep. As the hours passed, she became increasingly restless.

“What’s up now?”

“I eh, have to go outside for a moment.”

She staggered from the hut and towards the communal fire. As she did so, sweat began pouring from her brow.

Her knees suddenly buckled and she fell.

“Help me!”

The plaintive cry was heard, and Sammy dashed out with Terrance, Dudley, and Larry closely following.

“What’s wrong with her?” Sammy asked.

“Medic!” Terrance yelled as Trudy hobbled up.

Karen was now gasping for air as the medic reached her. He took the scanner from his satchel and stared at the readout.

“Her temperature is at 105 degrees. We have to cool her down. Help me to get her into the healing room.”

The ill woman was carried into the hut and gently laid down, as she began coughing up a thick white sputum.

“Sammy,” Terrance said. “Go to her home and find out what happened now!”

When the kid dashed off, the medic took a sponge and bowl and began dabbing at her forehead.

“Could it be poisoning from that yam thing?” Trudy asked.

“The chief certainly didn’t like it when she carried it over,” Terrance said. “I just hope she hasn’t eaten it.”

When Sammy returned he told the story and the medic looked grimly up.

“The spores may have entered her lungs sir.”

“What’s her chances?” Dudley asked.

“Less than ten percent I’m afraid.”

Green tendrils suddenly appeared from her mouth and everyone leapt back.

“The damn thing is consuming her from the inside!” Terrance said sharply. “Everyone get out.”

Before a muscle had moved, the woman’s familiar body crumbled and a writhing mass of plant tissue swayed in their direction.

“Out now!” Terrance screamed.

As they reached the outside world, Terrance ran to the fire and lit a torch. As he returned, the plant like creature appeared in the open doorway.

“Let's see how you like this!”

He tossed the torch at the base of the monstrosity and the flames took hold. They stepped back as it burned fiercely.

“What about the hut sir?” the medic asked.

“Let it burn,” Terrance said grimly. “We can always build another. Anyway, you have the other one.”

The flaming creature collapsed as the entire building went up. The loud crackles bought others out to watch.

“What happened?”

The leader turned to the crowd and said, “We lost Karen. No one touch those ruddy yams!”

“The chief knew,” Trudy reminded him.

“I wish she had listened,” her partner muttered.

By morning, the hut had been reduced to a smoking hulk and the settlers broke down the remaining wall. The old chief knocked and Terrance let him inside their happy home.

“Hotep condrill tan.”

As they gazed in bewilderment, he took the viewing device from a satchel and handed it over.

“For us?” the leader asked.

The old man screwed his eyes and repeated very slowly.

“For...You...”