“Didn’t anybody tell you that when you are in a hole of your own making, Don’t keep digging.”
Hwell called it a ‘fox hole’, but its dimensions were closer to that of an elephant. And it was now very deep, because the native pests had a long reach that went along with their fear of falling.
It was past dawn. They were gone, now.
“We’re in a hole,” said Hwell. “Um. Too wide to climb out. Loose soil, anyway. Wouldn’t work. Even if I hoisted you out, there’s nothing near that’d help you hoist me out…”
“That’s assuming I want to,” added Ax’and’l.
“There’s only one rational solution,” concluded Hwell. “Dig more!”
Ax’and’l hid the shovel behind his back. “Explain to me how digging ourselves deeper is in any way related to progress towards our escape?”
“Who said anything about digging deeper?” He grinned. “We gotta dig sideways.”
Ax’and’l checked the air for any trace of human intoxicants. Then he scanned Hwell’s breath.
The human used this as an opportunity to steal the shovel back and start attacking the walls of their hole. “No worries! I got this!”
*
It was later. They were successfully in orbit.
They were also covered in mud and Hwell had yet to let go of the stasis cage with a representative sample of the aggressively carnivorous birds. He was cackling.
“Gotcha ya little bastards. I gotcha little bastards… I gotcha. I gotcha.”
There was only one thing to do with Hwell when he was in this manic state of victory. That was agree with him until he calmed down.
“Yes,” intoned Ax’and’l. “You got them. And they’re little bastards.”
“That’ll teach ya. Oh yeah.”
“Never mess with a human,” recited Ax’and’l.
“Neeeee-ver mess with a human,” cackled Hwell.
Ax’and’l draped the misaphobic blanket over him and locked the console on autopilot. About all Hwell could do now was interfere with the music player. “Enjoy your victory, O mighty hunter,” he snarked. “I am going to enjoy a wash.”
Hwell continued to cackle. “I got ‘em. I got ‘em.”
It was going to be a long ride back to the gene-samplers.
[Muse food remaining: 17. Submit a prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!]
