Squirrel in the Hole

Posted on Fri Jan 28th, 2022 @ 7:17pm by Ensign Nuna Lepine

Mission: Mission 5 - Babel
Location: Cavern Entrance, Planet Surface
612 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Eugene couldn't believe it. The bipeds were descending down into the hole. His hole! And one of the bipeds was HER!

His name really wasn't Eugene, of course. That was the vocal designation one of the bipeds would eventually give him, and which he would learn to respond to. Among Eugene's own species, designation of individuals involved experiential references as well as his species' collective method of communication. But for the purpose of our narrative, we'll just call him Eugene.

Eugene couldn't believe that the bipeds were descending into the hole where his colony lived. Most creatures on the planet knew better than to enter subterranean openings like the one where Eugene's colony lived. For one thing, a colony of giant six-legged squirrels were collectively the apex animal in practically every ecosystem on the planet. The fact that a colony of said squirrels had set up house at the entrance of a subterranean system was reason enough to avoid the entrance. At least, it was reason enough for most of the animals on the planet.

Then there were things that could be found underground that would give even a group of the apex giant squirrels pause.

And now a trio of bipeds was descending into the cavern entrance.

The colony of squirrels living in the bat-fruit tree were instantly aware of the bipeds' approach. Simply because they were on top of the ecosystem didn't mean they ignored everything around then.

The colony was just finishing its first storage of the season and had sent seedlings flying when the bipeds began their descent. Being less immersed than the continuous community "dialogue than the rest of the squirrels of the colony, it usually fell on Eugene to investigate new situations like the bipeds. Eugene was fascinated with all three of them, but for some reason, the darker skinned biped especially drew his attention.

Eugene noted with interest that the darker skinned biped grabbed one of the escaping seedlings. He personally didn't enjoy the taste of the overripe fruit that encapsulated the flying seedlings, but the younger squirrels would gorge themselves on overripe fruit if not prevented from doing so. Did the darker skinned biped's act of grabbing the flying seedling mark her as younger than her two companions? Other than the fact that the bipeds were mammals and female and wore strange skins, Eugene couldn't really tell much about the bipeds. Eugene hurried back to the colony tree to see what would happen next, once the bipeds reached the floor of the cavern entrance.

Eugene was rather pleased that SHE was the one who approached the colony tree first. The rest of the colony was aware of the biped's approach, but wasn't overly concerned. Larger, more aggressive animals had come at a mature colony before and instantly (and irrevocably) regretted their decision.

Eugene revealed himself to see the reaction of the dark skinned biped.

When one of the bipeds managed to light up the cavern entrance as if it were midday on the surface above, that got the entire colony's attention. When the bipeds didn't immediately flee at the appearance of an entire colony of giant squirrels, Eugene couldn't tell if they were brave, ignorant, foolhardy, or some combination of the three. Their reaction certainly piqued his curiosity!

When the colony came to the collective conclusion that the sudden light didn't represent an imminent threat to the colony, it went back to its own business. The investigation of the bipeds went back to being solely Eugene's business. Eugene decided to openly follow the bipeds. Their behavior indicated they might not be a danger to the colony, but they could be a danger to themselves.