the shallow river, for two reasons: it was faster going, and it would throw off anyone (or anything) that might be tracking them. The woman followed, but more carefully, as she was carrying the baby.
Eventually, the man found a rock face that rose up high into a hill. There was a sheltered area in front of the riverbank and also an opening that went back into a small cave, under the hill. He directed the woman to stay outside while he went in to check it out.
He stood at the opening of the cave and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darker area inside. Reaching down, his hand touched some small, round rocks, and he grabbed a handful of these. He threw the rocks into the cave while making noises with his mouth, in order to scare out any animals that might be there. He just hoped there were no humans in there with bad intent. But the only things that rustled in the cave were some insects and a couple of bats that flew over his head, heading out as night came on.
He took a few more steps into the cave and stood there, listening. He turned around and it seemed safe. He could see the opening easily from the back of the cave; the colors of the sky as the sun set could be seen through the trees. The cave didn't go very far in, but the back was sealed as far as he could tell. This would do, at least for tonight, maybe even longer, he thought. He'd have to see how they fared that night in the new place, though, to be sure.
He stepped out into the twilight, and the smile on his face must have given him away, because the woman smiled back and made her way to him. He looked down at the child as the woman passed by and was happy he could find them a safe place for the night. He bounded ahead, then waved for her to enter, going in ahead of her. The woman stepped into the cave and looked around; it seemed alright to her, too. She found a dry spot on some sand and sat down with the child. The child was sleeping peacefully. The man yawned, seeing her sleeping so well, but knew his job wasn't done, yet. He gestured to the woman that he was going out but would return.
Outside the cave, the man used the last of the daylight to find what leaves he could. He gathered up a great armful of them and took them into the cave, making a bed they could lay upon. That done, he sat at the entrance of the cave, not moving, just listening and observing as night descended. Sometimes animals sought out caves at night, he knew, and he had to be on guard. But no animals came to use the cave, only the insects of the night, which bothered him a little.
The stars came out. He had almost nodded off sitting there, guarding the entrance. He looked up and wondered why they were different from the stars he used to know. What had happened to him and brought him here? Perhaps he'd never know. He shrugged it off and wished he had some fire to light their cave. That was one thing that was still rare to him, and to the humans he used to live with.
He went inside the cave to sleep beside the woman and the child on the bed of leaves.
CHAPTER 15
The Watchers allowed the humans they had brought from Earth to spread out on their planet. It was easy for the Watchers to track them all at a moment's notice and retrieve any of them; little did the humans know there were many robots watching them at all times, disguised as large birds roaming the skies. The robots would stop any altercations between humans if they happened, either by the use of sleep drugs that they could administer as a gas or loaded on a small dart, or by direct, physical intervention.
But that didn't happen much, as there were few humans on the planet, and they had been placed far away from each other. The robots had other jobs too, like seeing the humans weren't attacked by any of the wild animals. But mainly the robots were there to observe and be able to retrieve selected humans when the time was right.
The Watchers planned to return some of the humans with still-pure DNA back to
Eventually, the man found a rock face that rose up high into a hill. There was a sheltered area in front of the riverbank and also an opening that went back into a small cave, under the hill. He directed the woman to stay outside while he went in to check it out.
He stood at the opening of the cave and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darker area inside. Reaching down, his hand touched some small, round rocks, and he grabbed a handful of these. He threw the rocks into the cave while making noises with his mouth, in order to scare out any animals that might be there. He just hoped there were no humans in there with bad intent. But the only things that rustled in the cave were some insects and a couple of bats that flew over his head, heading out as night came on.
He took a few more steps into the cave and stood there, listening. He turned around and it seemed safe. He could see the opening easily from the back of the cave; the colors of the sky as the sun set could be seen through the trees. The cave didn't go very far in, but the back was sealed as far as he could tell. This would do, at least for tonight, maybe even longer, he thought. He'd have to see how they fared that night in the new place, though, to be sure.
He stepped out into the twilight, and the smile on his face must have given him away, because the woman smiled back and made her way to him. He looked down at the child as the woman passed by and was happy he could find them a safe place for the night. He bounded ahead, then waved for her to enter, going in ahead of her. The woman stepped into the cave and looked around; it seemed alright to her, too. She found a dry spot on some sand and sat down with the child. The child was sleeping peacefully. The man yawned, seeing her sleeping so well, but knew his job wasn't done, yet. He gestured to the woman that he was going out but would return.
Outside the cave, the man used the last of the daylight to find what leaves he could. He gathered up a great armful of them and took them into the cave, making a bed they could lay upon. That done, he sat at the entrance of the cave, not moving, just listening and observing as night descended. Sometimes animals sought out caves at night, he knew, and he had to be on guard. But no animals came to use the cave, only the insects of the night, which bothered him a little.
The stars came out. He had almost nodded off sitting there, guarding the entrance. He looked up and wondered why they were different from the stars he used to know. What had happened to him and brought him here? Perhaps he'd never know. He shrugged it off and wished he had some fire to light their cave. That was one thing that was still rare to him, and to the humans he used to live with.
He went inside the cave to sleep beside the woman and the child on the bed of leaves.
CHAPTER 15
The Watchers allowed the humans they had brought from Earth to spread out on their planet. It was easy for the Watchers to track them all at a moment's notice and retrieve any of them; little did the humans know there were many robots watching them at all times, disguised as large birds roaming the skies. The robots would stop any altercations between humans if they happened, either by the use of sleep drugs that they could administer as a gas or loaded on a small dart, or by direct, physical intervention.
But that didn't happen much, as there were few humans on the planet, and they had been placed far away from each other. The robots had other jobs too, like seeing the humans weren't attacked by any of the wild animals. But mainly the robots were there to observe and be able to retrieve selected humans when the time was right.
The Watchers planned to return some of the humans with still-pure DNA back to
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