Orange.
Crew B23-F:
Commander ' Kennedy.
Sub-Commander ' Bullock.
Leader Section 1 ' Black.
Cadets - Smith (female), Jones (female).
Leader Section 2 ' Stevens.
Cadets ' Ortell, Britton
I.
I am cadet Britton, formerly of the second colonization fleet from earth, destined for the planet Alcron. We set out from earth on the sixth of July 2054, headed for a new home in a distant galaxy.
The discovery of how displacement of matter takes place in space made it possible for man to travel vast distances in relatively short periods of time. It became possible to build craft that could disappear at a point close to earth and reappear and any given destination in the universe seconds later.
These craft were at other times propelled at a speed fractionally less than that of light. This speed was maintained whenever the destination was of close proximity.
Because of the virtually inevitable destruction of our home world, it was decided to send
out fleets of settlers to planets capable of sustaining life. A fleet consisted of twenty six craft manned by eight persons each. A total of two hundred and eight people.
The fleet re-grouped once every craft there-of had emerged from no-where at a point in space of a distant galaxy. Then the fleet set out in formation for our destination world; Alcron. It was said to be a paradise with only primitive humanoids inhabiting it. They were not technologically evolved at all and few in number, thus they posed no threat to us. The first fleet had already landed a few weeks ago and we quickly established contact with them. It seemed that their attempt at colonizing was progressing better than expected. They had found no life threatening bacteria in the region and the primitives had received them as gods from the heavens.
Our commander, however, had other plans. He was privy to information that there was another habitable planet close by that Star-Command had considered for habitation but had eventually discarded in favor of Alcron.
He managed to convince the rest of the crew, including myself, quite easily of his plan of abandoning the fleet. He told us of the alternative destination and embroided on the benefits of abandoning the fleet and its oppressive implication; Star-Command. He told us that our little band could build a new and truly free world, once free of all the shackles of the old one. We all agreed and as the fleet headed serenely for Alcron we slowly drifted away.
The fleet commander saw what was happening but was powerless to stop our departure. These colonizing craft had no offensive armoury and it would be pointless to try and outrun us as we could disappear to any given and unknown destination. To chase us would have been a waste of time and effort.
So we veered away and headed for our own new world that Commander Kennedy had named; Beta.
II.
The craft B 23-F, settled lightly in the dusty orange soil and the crew disembarked. We stood in a small group and surveyed our surroundings.
The foliage; grass, plants and trees, were green as they should be. The rocks were gray and black. The sky was blue. Yet everything had an orange tinge, as of billions of dust particles that would never quite settle. We found a nice isolated spot among some tall trees, which had a clear water pool nearby. The pool was part of a fresh mountain stream that ran down from the higher ground; misty orange mountains in the distance.
We set up a camp, which was built with our space age materials. The buildings could have stood for hundreds of years.
It was decided by the commander and sub-commander that the two females in the group, Smith and Jones, would be their companions, they being the leaders. It was accepted by all the other males as acceptable and even understandable. Initially everyone was just glad to have arrived at their destination safely.
We reconnoitered the area thoroughly and found a multitude of animal and bird life. Huge primeval buffalo roamed the plains in vast herds along side millions of buck, of varying description. They were in turn hunted by massive pre-historic cats, which we realized would also be a threat to us.
The plains stretched out endlessly in front of us with their beautiful orange tint. We found great rifts and valleys and we knew, somewhere in the distance, lay vast oceans. Somewhere on this planet also, there was a great desert.
We found that there were no indigenous people or even primitive primates, on the planet.
We were the sole higher life forms here.
Our living arrangements were as follows. Ortell and I shared a room. The two section leaders; Black and Stevens shared another, and the two commanders and their female companions occupied the last living quarters.
Then there was a kitchen; ablution facilities and a mutual living quarter were we discussed our aims and projects. The complex had six rooms in all. Outside we cleared a large area close to the craft as a workplace for such activities as food preparation, construction or anything that involved manual labor.
Commander Kennedy, who was a devout Christian of some obscure order, decided that we should base our social code on the Bible and thus, the Ten Commandments and an eye for an eye. (He also seemed to have some notion about the divine right of Authority.)
Every Seventh day, named Sunday, we would gather for a progress report from the section leaders discussing the progress of our efforts. (Which were actually the efforts of myself and Ortell, when described in real terms.) At the close of the meeting commander Kennedy would read the Ten Commandments and when he came to "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors ass¦ he would glance meaningfully at the section leaders; Black and Stevens, and I imagined, even Ortell and myself.
So life passed slowly those first few weeks with myself and Ortell learning the rudimentaries of hunting. Our section leaders were mostly idle, watching our efforts and mulling about the mistresses of their leaders. One day I overheard Black say to Stevens after the Sunday meeting; "Thou shallt not covet thy neighbors ass¦ my ass. And they both laughed softly at their private joke.
III.
A neuro-incapacitator is a small weapon that looks like the remote of any electrical appliance. It has one large button; red. If pointed at a biological being and the button is pressed, it results in total failure of the nervous system in the recipient. The consequence is death after severe muscular spasm.
Each crew has only one and the crew commander keeps it. Kennedy's neuro-incapacitator is lying about five meters from him as he is lying naked in the pool alongside Sub-Commander Bullock. They are entertaining themselves with drinks and old jokes while they assume the other men are away hunting.
But close by, in the thicket, Black lies and waits for his opportunity. The ladies must be relaxing in their quarters, he presumes, for they are no-where to be seen. He sees Kennedy floating deeper into the pool while lying on his back. Bullock, half submerged approaches the floating commander like a crocodile. Black calculates subconsciously that he has enough time to get the weapon before either victim can recover their wits.
He darts from the secure seclusion of the undergrowth and scoops up the bathing men's garments. Quickly he finds the weapon. Kennedy and Bullock had at this moment realized something is amiss and had come to their feet, still half submerged in water.
Black points the weapon at Kennedy and pushes the red button. Kennedy collapses and thrashes about like a landed fish in shallow water. Bullock heads for the side and is busy climbing out of the pool when the weapon is pointed at him and the button pushed. He collapses on the bank also in painful spasmodic contractions.
Then all is quiet except for the chirping off birds in the trees. A man stands with a remote in his hands and a dead man lying at his feet, and another dead man is floating in the pool close by.
IV.
When Ortell and I returned to camp Black and Stevens were waiting. Black stood with the remote in his hand and explained the new arrangements to us.
He said they had disposed of Kennedy and Bullock and were consequently the leaders now. This he said should not affect Ortell and me because our status remained unchanged. Our services were still needed and as such we would remain in the group as servants. Black and Stevens also took custody of the two women.
We were not happy with the turn of events and secretly planned the overthrow of the two usurpers. But their end came unannounced disguised as a badly timed joke.
It was about two weeks after the end of the previous establishment. I was sent to collect wild vegetables for a stew we were preparing. Ortell remained behind to attend to preparing the fire. He chopped pieces of wood into more manageable sections with a machete, for building the fire.
Nearby on a log sat Stevens and Black consuming alcohol that they had also appropriated from their erstwhile masters. The women were preparing the meat in the kitchen.
Black said to Stevens "Maybe we should let Ortell have a go, he'll make us some fine workhorses. He laughed as he said this but had forgotten that the remote was not in his hand as this was engaged in pouring drink down his throat and the other being idle.
He was still laughing when he realized that Ortell was approaching him with the machete. Ortell armed with a machete was a fearful sight, as Ortell was an extremely masculine man. Black reached for the remote but it was a fraction too late. Ortell chopped off his hand at the wrist and it landed still groping, inches from the deadly remote.
Black screamed as his lifeblood quickly pumped from the stump he clenched to his side with his remaining hand. Stevens dove in attempt to retrieve the remote. He succeeded and only had a second to aim it at Ortell and as he pushed the button Ortell de-capitated him with one foul stroke.
As Stevens severed head hit the ground, Ortell lay in the spasm of death. Black was still screaming as he died when the women came to inspect the commotion.
They told me what had transpired when I returned. I buried all three men alongside the first two deceased and there were five neat mounds close to the camp. Of the dead men the only one I would miss would be Ortell.
Both the women were pregnant and I was now their sole male companion. We had no means of departing from this planet as none of us could pilot the craft, and we were out of reach of any communication. We had to make the most of our new world and each other's company.
V.
Ten years has passed since that day. We have four children with each of the women having had two. Two boys and two girls. We are planning on having as many as we possibly can.
Life is as comfortable as it can be on an uninhabited planet. We have more than enough to eat and no direct competition. Our offspring will flourish.
In our little world we are the only masters and in celebration of our freedom we renamed it; Orange.
We are truly free and hope that our descendants will be the same. We hope that they can love each other, as we do, each other.
