Opal 77: Skewed Space (Jerrie)

Part 4

It had been four days since Thirlwall Inc.'s 73rd courier ship had crashed on this mysterious jungle planet. During this time, Jesy and Lauren have been hunting, Leigh-Anne and Claud have been cleaning up camp, and Jade has been moping around. Subject 77, now called Perrie, has been watching from the background and analyzing each individual. She would occasionally help Leigh, or Leigh Leigh as she started calling her, move heavy objects around to her exact specifications. Everyone had come to learn that Perrie doesn't talk that much.

"Perrie, do you think you could pick up that stone? It would be perfect as a table over here." Leigh-Anne said, pointing to a big, flat, square shaped rock and then motioning to where she wanted it. So far Leigh-Anne and Claud had completely changed the arrangement of their little camp. They had set up a hammock on the left side, with logs surrounding the fire pit in the middle. To the right they had a few crates pushed together. They were leaning on the face of the pod like stairs to get on the "roof". During the first day, Lauren and Jesy had cleared the camp of little twigs and saplings, but they didn't have to do that much since the pod had gotten rid of most of the brush when it had crashed.

"Why do we need a table? Are you expecting company." Jade mocked followed by an amused snort. She thought she was hilarious. Leigh-Anne put her hands on her hips as she turned to Jade, very acquainted with her attitude already.

"I'm just trying to make this place feel more like home." She replied. "You should try having a more positive attitude."

"What is there to be positive about?" Jade asked, though it wasn't a question she was expecting an answer to. "We are stuck on this godforsaken, uninhabited planet! No one is going to save us! We're all going to die." She dramatically threw herself onto the hammock. Perrie was surprised at the girls skill. When she had tried to sit on the hammock, the thing swung her all the way around and she had fallen on the ground.

"God, I am so sick and tired of your attitude!" Leigh-Anne shouted, tightly balling her fists. "You're whining is really getting on my nerves."

"Now hold on girls. Don't start again." Claud tried to interject. Even though he loved Jade as a friend, he was getting tired of her attitude, and defending her.

"I haven't started anything, I'm just stating facts." Jade says with her hands lifted in defense. Leigh-Anne rolls her eyes and decides to give up, it wasn't worth it.

"I think Jade has a point." Perrie suddenly spoke up, scaring the three as she stepped out of the shadows.

"What do you mean?" Claud asked.

"We need to develop a game plan," Perrie responded, stepping closer to the other three. "All of us have been doing our own thing... but we need to work together. Start focusing on how we're going to get out of here."

Jade sat up and folded her arms. "And how do you suggest we do that?" She asked.

Perrie thought for a second, relying on her training and instincts to think of a solution. "Well, in a couple of days the fires surrounding the ship should be out, meaning we can explore it. We can find the command center and do a scan of the planet to see if we can find any civilization, send a destress signal."

"Meanwhile, we could explore more of the surrounding area and stock up on food." Claud added eagerly. Slowly this new plan started to form in everyone's mind.

"And we could learn to shoot!" Leigh joined in, becoming excited at the prospect of this plan. "Perrie, you could teach us how to fight as well. If you want." Leigh added the last part quickly, unsure if Perrie would be comfortable given her mysterious past. Leigh-Anne knew how uncomfortable it made her.