Displaced

When the ramp opened, Murdock had been as far from the exit as possible. As everyone moved en masse toward the ramp, his claustrophobia increased — until his feet met the virgin ground. Once free of the others, he started to walk around the base of the transport. The pod looked larger from the outside than it had on the inside. The flattened oval shape did not surprise him — the interior rooms had already hinted at the general shape of the craft. As he walked around, Murdock took stock of the surroundings. By his approximation, the transport had landed in the middle of a grassy meadow fifty yards wide and one hundred yards long.

The land appeared lush and fertile and was not swampy as far as he could make out. At least it isn’t a high desert environment, he thought. He could hear water running not too far away and many trees surrounding the meadow. The area reminded him of Western Montana, Northern Idaho, or the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. The trees consisted of conifers, oak, maple, aspen, and birch. He noticed that everything was a different shade than he was used to — a bluish tint to vegetation that should be green — and no curious little creatures checked out the new arrivals.

Additionally, he heard no insects. All he could hear was a soft breeze in the trees and the running water, for he had tuned out the sounds his companions were making as they looked around and talked among themselves. On his second trip around the transport pod, he found the storage compartments and opened them. If you want something done, do it yourself, he thought. Don’t wait for others. He began by pulling out the items, leaving them on the ground where they fell. No one else moved to help him.