Trial by Ordeal

  **********

  Tyler and Appolon had just finished talking over their problem when they heard a prolonged burst of Phaser fire coming from the jungle just ahead of them.

  “It seems that there must be a native population living in this domain, and they appear to have run into the landing party, Appolon.” Tyler said to his friend.

  Tryon and Cimon now moved along the branches of the massive tree to join in this new conversation, as more Phaser fire was heard from further along the animal track. They now also heard the sound of people rushing back along the track towards the portal, so they concluded that the landing party was in full retreat now. Just six members of the party rushed towards them to disappear into the portal, following closely on their heels were a large party of natives armed with blowpipes, spears and bows, but they stopped short of the portal. Obviously, something about it scared them, and after a hurried discussion, they turned about and walked back the way that they had come.

  “I think that we should wait for an hour or so and then return to the dinosaur world, they appear to be a little friendlier than the natives hereabouts.” Tyler said, and his friends agreed with him.

  “We were lucky that there wasn`t so much as a breeze blowing towards them from our direction Tyler, for they could easily have detected our scent and attacked us.” Cimon said. It was then that they heard a familiar but muffled voice coming softly over their short wave radio.

  “Tyler, Appolon can you hear me, it is Caroline in the Defender, we are above the portal that leads into the third domain, we are watching six crewmen from the Helionian space cruisers, and they appear to be high tailing it along the track that leads to the emergency exit portal in the second domain.”

  Tyler pulled out their radio from within his backpack and answered the welcome call.

  “Hi Caroline, we will be outside of the portal that leads into the third domain in just two minutes, please land close by so that we can board, over and out.”

  The four Orionists quickly clambered down from the tree and hurried back along the track and into the portal, seconds later they were delighted to see and hear the Orion Defender landing just one hundred feet away.

  Two hours later the depleted Helionian landing party had reached the maintenance portal, and after putting on their space suits, they rushed through the portal to report to their captain, telling him of the savage attack by the natives that lived within the third of the domains. They also believed that the four Orionists that they had tracked into that domain must have met with a similar reception, and were most probably dead by now.