Justice by S.J. Bryant Page B

reveal the surface of
Drigoon.
    The plants
pressed in close to the exit door as if trying to get inside. The
thick foliage pressed so close it created an almost impenetrable
wall. Nova imagined the scent of green leaves and earth that must
lie over the planet. The forest was silent except for the
occasional faint whisper of wind that would make the leaves rustle
against one another.
    “ I guess we should get moving,” Nova whispered over the
intercom.
    “ Is it too late to change my mind?” Jack said. His head
swivelled from side to side as they stood at the very edge of the
airlock chamber.
    “ Yep. I’m not going out there by myself.”
    “ Okay, but you’re going first,” he said.
    Nova snorted.
She took a deep breath and put her fears behind her. She slowed her
racing heart and stepped out of the airlock onto the rich dirt. It
was soft compared to the hard metal floor of the complex and she
was bathed in bright sunlight. It shone down through the small gap
between the complex and the forest canopy. Deeper into the trees
the light became muted and dull, blocked by the many leaves and
trees that packed so closely against one another.
    She stepped
forward with Jack right behind her. His breathing kept a steady
rhythm over her intercom. It was comforting to hear another human
in this alien environment. She scanned the ground for clues. The
last thing she wanted to do was walk off in any direction and then
wander aimlessly through the forests of Drigoon.
    The dirt
around the airlock was covered in footprints; evidence of
maintenance crews, both human and robot, which had come out during
the complex’s construction. Another, fresher, set led away from the
complex into the trees. Beside the footprints ran a continuous line
of disturbed dirt.
    “ I think we have our second clue,” said Nova.
    Jack whistled.
“It sure looks bad.”
    “ What do you mean?” Nova asked, stepping forward to more
closely examine the footprint.
    “ I’m no expert but that looks suspiciously like someone
dragging someone else along the ground.”
    Nova’s eyes
widened as she looked down; Jack was right. The way the footsteps
dug deep into the ground, suggested they were pulling something and
the long line of disturbed ground left little doubt.
    “ Why would anyone bring him out here?” she asked.
    “ Or who was he bringing out here?” Jack said.
    “ You’re right. These damn suits all look the same. It’s
impossible to tell what sort of person was doing the
walking.”
    “ All we can do is follow the trail.”
    “ Just keep your eyes peeled and your gun ready,” Nova
said.
    They set off
down the trail left by the footprints. They made a clear path
through the forest. Even in areas where thick leaves covered the
ground, the drag marks made a clear track. Broken leaves and bushes
gave even more proof that something heavy had been taken
through.
    Nova was
grateful that the suit included environmental control because the
thick trees blocked any rays of sunlight from filtering through.
The wet and oppressive atmosphere would have had her shivering if
it wasn’t for the suit.
    She tried not
to think about the other bodies that were probably lying amongst
the trees. Even in its short history Drigoon was considered one of
the most haunted planets. While most of the original construction
was done by robots, there was a lot done by maintenance crews.
Three separate people had gone missing from those crews without
anyone seeing what had happened. The current theory was that they
were dragged away by some massive creature living amongst the
trees.
    After the
complex was finished and the maintenance crews stopped going out,
there were others that had disappeared. While the planet was
supposed to be closed until the grand opening, Geron had allowed
certain visitors, mostly journalists, to look around. He’d probably
been trying to create some pre-opening buzz. Two journalists went
missing after going out into the wilderness. He definitely