Colony by Benjamin Cross (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

there’s much danger of them running away,” Callum said.

“No, they seem to be very interested in us. It could be because they have never seen human beings before.”

“Shouldn’t they be scared?”

“Sometimes it is the other way. Some new species are completely unafraid of humans, because they had never seen one. Their ecosystem is isolated.”

Callum nodded back towards the shore. “Do you think I should try and get closer?”

“Yes, but not too close… and still be gentle.”

He raised his paddle and manoeuvred them forward another few metres.

The creatures remained as they were, silent, their eyes fixed on the canoe’s every movement. From this distance, it was clear that their coats were feathered. The hind feet were taloned, and the slender fore-fingers were tipped with claws.

“Do you recognise them now?”

“No,” Darya replied. “At first I think that they were rodents of some kind, but I can see now that they are very different.”

Callum noted the streaks of dried blood on their chest plumage. “Whatever they are, they’re carnivorous.”

“This could be island adaptation,” she replied, continuing to photograph.

“Island adaptation?”

“Because they are isolated population they may have developed different to the parent group because of very different environment.

“Like the woolly mammoth on Wrangel Island,” Callum said. “They grew to be much smaller than the mainland group because of the limited food supply.”

“This is true, and Franz Josef Land is maybe similar situation. Remote island with limited terrestrial food supply.”

Time ticked over as they continued to observe. The creatures’ eyes were enormous, disproportionate against their tiny cocked heads. Their expressions made Callum uncomfortable; it was as if they were seeing something he wasn’t.

The creature on the right broke its vigil suddenly and turned its head. In an instant it had launched forward and latched on to the side of its neighbour’s neck, causing it to squeal out. Now the third creature turned and joined in, grabbing onto the victim’s tail. The two attackers began a tug of war, before their prey struggled free and pounced on the original attacker, pinning it to the floor with its hind legs. Again the third creature joined in, barging indiscriminately into the scuffle and causing the others to leap to their feet and scatter. Moments later, having seemingly expended their burst of energy, the three were back shoulder to shoulder, peering across at Callum.

There was something strange about this behaviour. It was boisterous and naïve. “Could they be youngsters?” Callum asked.

Darya stopped photographing and turned to him. “You are very observant,” she said. “I cannot be certain, but yes, this is not typical adult behaviour. They act like juveniles.”

Callum watched her raise the camera once again. But before she had taken any more photographs, she relowered it, a look of confusion spreading across her face.

“What is it?”

“Look at the water.”

Several metres ahead of them, the surface had begun to foam.

“It is a shoal of fish,” she said.

“What are they doing?”

She made no reply, watching as the shoal formed a frenzied arc around the prow.

“They are panicking,” she said at last. “Something has scared them.”

The words had barely left her lips when a large shadow darted through the centre of the shoal, causing it to splinter.

“What was that?”

She shook her head. “The narwhal would not come this close to shore.”

“Then what?”

“I do not know,” she replied. “It could be seals, but I do not like it. Something is wrong.”

There was a sudden crash and the canoe rocked as something collided with the underside. Darya screamed, and they both grabbed tightly on to the gunwales. Gradually, the craft shook itself steady and the water stilled.

Callum peered over into the calm grey-blue. The panicking fish had disappeared. All movement had stopped. Even the strands of kelp stood still and erect, barely rustling in the gentle current.

His gaze came to rest on something only an inch or so below the surface. He couldn’t make it out. It was dark and circular and…

…then it blinked.

3

The massive eye blinked again then disappeared into the shadows.

Callum jerked his head back from the edge just as a mouthful of teeth exploded up out of the water. He toppled backwards into the body of the canoe. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up across Darya’s face towards the sky. Both were pale. Darya was screaming out in terror, and he followed her gaze towards the stern.

Beside the aft seat, three clawed fingers were clamped over the side of the canoe like a grappling hook. They were followed by three more, and then by the unmistakable face of one of the creatures. It threw its head backwards and swallowed down the writhing fish that was speared onto its front teeth.

This was no juvenile. The snout was weathered and scarred. The eyes were ten times larger than those of the scrappers on the beach, and the grey-blue feathers along the back of the neck were thick and full. There was no mistaking that this thing, whatever it was, was a fully grown adult.

Callum grabbed the paddle and rammed it as hard as he could into the creature’s face. It screeched out as the wood splintered against its skull. Straight away Darya brought the other paddle down onto the back of its head, leaving it stunned, and Callum wasted no time landing a final blow to the side of its neck, sending it crashing backwards.

“Start the motor up!” he yelled.

Darya pushed past him, slung the outboard propeller over the stern and tore at the pull-cord. The engine spluttered then lapsed back into silence. She tugged at it again. This time the splutter was replaced by a low metallic whine.

“Let me,” he said, taking the handle and yanking it as hard as he could. Nothing. He tried again and again. But it was no use.

“Seawater must have mixed with the fuel,” Darya said.

At that moment there was another crash and they were both thrown onto their backs.

“Watch out!” Callum pulled Darya’s head out of the way just as a clawed foot shot over the side of the canoe and smashed