Linda tries to contact her friends.

I slipped the rebreather onto my head and accessed the communicator.

"Trask to Westland and LaSalle! Do you guys read me?" I called out desperately. There was no response. The surface must have been too far out of communication range to contact them.

Before I could try again, the creature grabbed me. It held my arms down and yanked off my mask before making an upset grunt. It crumpled up the mask between its fingers and tossed it to the ground, opting to carry me the rest of he way to wherever we were going.

We delved deeper into the dense jungle. I guessed correctly that I was being taken to the creature's lair which was, to my surprise, a metal spacecraft! Was this a space faring beast? Could it communicate? I chagrined my loss of communicator and translator... if maybe I had tried to talk with it we could have sorted this thing out. I still didn't know what it wanted from me.

It stopped by the craft and put me down. I stepped a short distance away but made no move to run, in case it might upset the ape creature. It banged on the metal and grunted out as if expecting something to happen. We stood there silently before a figure emerged from the ship. It was humanoid and dressed in a space suit. There were ridges on its head where my hair is and its eyes were speckled purple, contrasting with its pale green skin.

"It seems you've brought me a visitor..." the being remarked.

"I can understand you!" I remarked, realizing I was naked and covering up at the same time.

"Yes and you me. That's good. It's been a while since I've conversed with someone." The being said, "My name is Jaquon. I am an Endian from Mava IV."

"Uh... Ensign Linda Trask of the starship Ishtar..." I bowed slightly, really regretting that this was how my first personal first contact mission was going.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ensign Linda Trask," the Endian replied politely. "So, tell me, how does a star traveller come across this land with... well... nothing at all on you."

I blushed again as the alien looked me over with curiosity.

"We came to meet with the people of this planet and I sort of got taken away by your friend here.... is he your pet?" I replied, changing the topic.

Joquan looked over to the ape beast and smiled, "Ah, Chirrup. I believe he is indigenous to this jungle, but has taken a liking to me since I've arrived, moons ago. We sort of help each other out now. I gather he saw you and decided I needed a companion more to my type."

Chirrup grunted in approval.

"Intelligent being, just doesn't speak. I've managed to learn what he is implying for the most part but, can't really have meaningful conversations with him," Jaquon explained. "But you say you have friends here? Perhaps a ship?"

"Yes, I was trying to contact them but Chirrup destroyed my communictor." I explained.

"Is that true, Chirrup?" Jaquon asked his companion.

Chirrup grunted and thumped, making gestures to his friend. Jaquon nodded and translated, "He claims you were trying to suffocate yourself and he saved you."

I frowned, "Well that's one way of interpreting it... " I looked to Jaquon, "Do you have a communicator on your ship? Maybe I can contact the Ishtar directly and get a transport back."

"I do. I would ask a favor from you though. I did not travel here by choice. My ship was actually damaged and crashed onto this planet. If it were possible, I was hoping you and your people could assist me with repairs."

"I could run it by my captain, but I'm pretty sure I could help you out," I replied.