His plan was simple: Head out to the communication bunker that was planted deep into unclaimed territory, and from there set a search grid with the drones stationed there. If he was lucky, the mechanized protection armor suits weren’t on lockdown and the ranger wouldn’t be so vulnerable to the elements or teeth and fangs. If there was something out here, he could put it down from the safety of the bunker. Unsportsmanlike, but he was not some big game hunter of old, and he considering anyone who thought he should be that was a clueless twit.

 

Now closer to the brambles and undergrowth, he confirmed that the explosive growth was unnatural. The leaves and stems of the plants here were a sickly pale color, drooping wilting towards the forest floor, while the bark of bushes and saplings were pulled away from each other like paint chipping from an old house. Sap bled from these wounds, and yet there was no signs of bug bites or scratch marks of passing animals to be seen. All around, there was an odd silence, only occasionally pierced by the call of some animals with shrill or panicked calls. He had lived here long enough to recognize what those meant: A predator was near.

 

The ranger moved deftly through the uneven ground, the area’s proximity to the mountain made hiking through difficult as cliff faces and boulders traveled from on high before humans first made planetfall stood in his path. But it was a trail he had made a hundred times before, if more dangerous from his solo journey. Every hump of dirt had doom hiding over it, and every stone had death behind it. An hour’s hike had Jeremy’s dread at his limit, but his calm and the duty he was performing checked his fear. It was only a few more moments before he reached the bunker.

 

Jeremy could feel the tension growing deep roots in his body, his muscles tensing up like belaying ropes dangling him inches from lethal heights. He held his weapon close, giving the stock of the weapon a good grip to force his welling fear away from his body. He dared not keep his finger away the trigger guard, lest a second lost fumbling for it would be the end of him. Its powerful caliber could pierce the thick skin of even hardened beasts, the short barrel let him turn in the branch infested woods and tight corridors, and when things looked dire the micro-rockets hidden within could knock even a light vehicle down a notch. It’s a good weapon, and right now it was that faith in steel and lead keeping the ranger’s wits about him.

 

Finally, the communication bunker came into view: Built into the side of a cliff face, its sloped face blending mostly with the sepia stone around it to make difficult to spot with the casual eye. For Jeremy, it was his morning commute, and he could trace the path leading through the trees and across the face of the cliff, to a path now overgrown as the rest of the grounds had been. The thick and thorny overgrowth made the already narrow passageway perilous, getting caught on their barbs would be as deadly as any trap.

 

It would take slow, dexterous work with a knife to progress through what he has been simply avoiding up to this point, and having his back turned for too long settled on his mind poorly. The ranger sighed, making a silent curse with a brief flash of his teeth, and turned the radio back on.

 

“You’re alive, Sunflower. I was beginning to worry.” Matilda’s voice came back through without hesitation, her voice still sounding unceasingly carefree. Jeremy couched down as he got further out from the cover of trees and and down into a clearing where long grass stretched out away from him. He gripped the corded handle at his shoulder and with a flick of his knife from its sheath he scythed down a few of the long strands, its curved edge perfect for hacking at obstructions and targets.  He worked his way through the path, making short order of the chaotic vegetation. “It’s not nice to ignore the people who are trying to help you, Sunflower!”

 

“I need you to watch my back.” Jeremy demanded as his knife lopped a few more branches down, keeping himself low. With his weapon secured to his back, there would be less sound, but he would be reliant on a piece of sharpened metal to save him if whatever was out here jumped him now.

 

“I would love to, little flower, but the cameras just can’t see you over the trees. Maybe if you gave me the password to the drone system, I’d be able to,” she fretted, her yearning pushed on with distressed coos.

 

Jeremy did not buy it for a second, staring sourly into some spot beyond him. He peered around him through the grass until he found what he needed: A bundle of wildflowers in bloom, their vibrant colors bursting through as a single spot of beauty through the rot and unkept weeds. He moved over and stood before them, giving them a look for a few seconds, before raising his boot up to snuff them out from existence.

 

“Jeremy, stop!” he heard the shout through his radio, a force of will breaking through the AI’s calm and civility that was both frightened and furious. The ranger stopped, the smirk on his face pushing his cheeks into his sight as he looked up to the sky. The artificial rings were thin lines across the blue expanse, technological marvels that allowed commerce and rest between human from every corner of the system - All while allowing for a beautiful view of the planet below, including with cameras accessible from base.

 

“Just watch my back,” Jeremy repeated, his smile still at its zenith as he got back to clearing a path. A few snappy comments and insults flew through his mind as he caught the AI on the back foot, but he knew not to push his luck while Matilda fumed. Considering the history of base accidents since the AI’s employment, it was a matter of when than if she would get back at him. Besides, getting her to use his real name was victory enough.

 

“You are a rude man, Sunflower.” Alas, it was short lived. The two were left in silence beyond the snicker-snack of his blade, Jeremy getting deeper into the bush and to the bunker.