A few bugs in your plan.

Of the trees around the ship, only stumps were left and most of the area was picked clean of any foliage. You saw with horror an army of giant red ants swarming over the crashed ship.

They were over a foot long and looked menacing. You could spot some coming in and out of the hatch you left open when leaving the ship. Others were building over the damaged hull with some cement made of the trees they cut. More worrying were those that squirted acid on the metal hull plates to slowly corrode it and create new openings inside the hull.

"Diana, please tell me you purged the reactor and we won't be pulverized when those creatures pierce it." A power core explosion would turn everything to ashes for miles around and start a big fire that could reach the town.

"If I hadn't we would already be dead, it was overloading when we hit the ground." She answered you. It was the most comforting word she ever spoke to you. With your life on this world getting better, even without salvaging gear from your ship, and dying was more of a concern than on the first say following the crash. The simple knowledge that you would probably have a girl in your bed most nights was enough to give you the will to survive at all cost.

Any doubt you had about the dangerous nature of these creatures was dashed whe group of ants came into the large clearing, carrying a giant predator looking like a scorched cat that would weight close to two tons. The insects used their numbers and great strength to put it in front of the entrance where smaller ones swarmed it by the hundreds to strip it down of its flesh.

"Guys, we should go back. I have only 30 bullets and there are way more than that of them. I don't even know if this antique could pierce their carapace. " Lisa had a noticeable fear in her voice.

It was a sad walk, back to the town. Lisa had given no explanation when you left so she had you collect fruits and berries on the way back, filling large bags that were folded on the bottom of the backpack you carried. She had planned to bring back a bunch of the high-tech stuff, but instead you had fruit.

Once back you could eat or sell the contents, but mostly use it to explain your trip into the jungle.

The plan was a failure and with the antenna colony siting on top of it the ship was as good as lost. You comforted yourself by thinking of Naim be that would wait for you tonight and of the burnt line that would soon mark your hip, one step closer to earn your freedom.