For our second design, we took eight thick center stalks from the fern leaves and laid them out on the ground in a star shape. We bound the center where these eight stalks intersected with cordage, and then we weaved one of the stalks using an alternating pattern of up and over or down and under each of the star arms.
The concept was pretty simple, and we were able to push the weaved parts closer to the intersection and create a similar base to what we had with our leaf designed basket. It wasn’t nearly as liquid-tight, but it was strong, and I was confident the bottom wouldn’t fall out if we put weight on it. When we were happy with the size of the base, we just bent up the arms of the star and then wove more of the stalks through the arms. This basket wasn’t near as air-tight as the first one, but it would be able to hold leaves, firewood, and trap fish just fine. It also didn’t use the same parts of the fern as the earlier design. We might even be able to craft stronger baskets with this design if we used really thin tree stalks.
We didn’t hear anymore roars from distant dinosaurs while we puzzled through the baskets, and my friends quickly began chatting about plans for the fort, starting a farm, and building fish traps. Kacerie didn’t really participate in the conversation, but I noticed she was exceptionally skilled at winding the cordage. She wasn’t as quick as Trel, but I could tell that her background in hair styling had given her a lot of finger dexterity.
After we finished the first two baskets, Trel and I showed the other women the designs. Galmine continued with her cordage making, but Sheela and Kacerie switched tasks and went to work building more baskets.
“I am going to go work on the saddle replacement,” Trel said as she grabbed a coil of rope from the floor of the tent.
“It is dark out there,” I said.
“I can see in the dark,” she said. “I’ll return for dinner. I believe you have another job to attend to?”
“Yeah,” I replied, and I saw Sheela shoot me a questioning look.
Trel left without saying another word, and I turned my attention to Kacerie. I didn’t really know how to approach the subject. It seemed as if I was being a bit of a dick by asking these women to leave the hut so that Trel and I could make love.
“Kacerie, you are doing a great job weaving those baskets,” I said.
“Ahh, thanks,” she said as she looked up from her work. “It’s pretty simple.”
“It’s a big help. I know this has been a hard transition for you,” I said.
“You have no idea.” The woman sighed and closed her light-blue eyes.
“Well, I kind of do,” I said. “We all do. We were all taken from our worlds without any explanation and then just put here. We know what you are going through.”
“Do you?” she said as her eyes narrowed. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I’d like to know more,” I said with a shrug. “I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
“What do you mean by wrong foot? I took my shoes off when you asked me.”
“Oh, sorry,” I said. “It’s a saying from my world. It means that we didn’t really get a chance to talk or become friends quickly. I just grabbed you from the raptors and got you back here.”
“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “I already thanked you for that.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said. “Can you tell us a bit about yourself?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell us about your world, and how you grew up, and your job. Did you have a family, or husband, or kids?”
“Oh ewwww no,” she said with a sour look on her beautiful face. “Kids are annoying. No husband either. I never found anyone good enough to marry, but I was dating four different men. All rich, of course, I was heading to meet one when I ended up here.”
“Like a date?” I asked.
“Sure.” She shrugged. “It was this expensive party-- look, you all don’t care, and I don’t care to talk about it. I’m here, working on this basket instead of lounging around my apartment, or going on dates, or working. It’s terrible.”
“Yeah, I get--”
“I could be dead,” she interrupted me, “but I’m guessing you saving me is just delaying the inevitable.”
“No,” I said. “We are going to live. We have a plan, and--”
“Weaving baskets?” she asked with disgust in her voice. “Did you hear the same roar I heard? Whatever made that sound isn’t going to care about the walls you built or the baskets we are making. You don’t even think you can fight it. How are we supposed to survive on this world? Everything wants to kill us. I thought you and Sheela were dead when Hope came back. I’m thankful you aren’t, but what about tomorrow?”
“You are right to be afraid,” I said, “but we can’t control the big dinosaur out there. All we can do is what we can do with what we have. Tonight we are weaving baskets, tomorrow we’ll be getting clay and making pots, then we’ll be making sinew rope and I’ll tame a larger dinosaur. We’ll build a bigger wall. We’ll build a farm. We’ll get stronger. In a few months, we’ll hear that roar and laugh about how worried we once were. We just have to keep moving and trying to survive. We can’t do anything about it now, but we will in a month.”
“So, just pray it doesn’t come eat us?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said. “Or don’t bother. Just focus on what is in front of you.”
“Alright,” she said with a sigh. Then she looked down at her basket and continued her work.
I puzzled through how I was going to tell the three women that Trel and I needed the hut. It had been easier with Galmine, because I’d just come in last night to sleep, and the gray-skinned woman followed me inside. Now I was pretty much telling them that they needed to leave and stand outside while Trel and I had sex.
“So, I need to talk to the three of you about something,” I said after a few more minutes of pondering my words.
“Yes, Victor?” Galmine asked as she smiled at me.
“I have feelings for you, Galmine,” I said. “I had a wonderful time last night, and this morning.”
“I know.” She smiled sweetly at me.
“I also have feelings for Trel. I know we didn’t start off as friends, but we get along well together. She thinks I’ll be able to get her pregnant, but I don’t--”
“Victor!” I heard Trel hiss from outside of our hut, and I turned around to look out the curtain.
“What’s--”
“Come out here, please,” she asked, and I felt a little concerned because I’d never heard her use the word “please.”
I quickly stepped out of the hut and heard Sheela following me. The light from the white moon was pretty bright, so I could see the entire area of our walled-in camp.
“What is wrong?” I whispered to Trel.
“Come look,” she urged as she gestured toward the door. Sheela and I walked with her, and I started to hear angry squawks in the distance.
“Can you climb up the wall?” Trel asked as she pointed.
“I will lift you,” Sheela answered before I could, and the cat-woman held out her hands in a cradle as soon as we reached the logs.
I put my left boot in her hands, felt her pulse her arms two times, and then I pushed off the ground with my right leg as she lifted. Sheela was crazy strong, and I was easily able to pull myself up to the top points of our fort wall. Trel skittered up easily, and Sheela climbed up with only a little more effort.
“What am I looking at?” I asked as I felt a bit of fear descend my spine. I could smell something off in the air. Kind of like the time when I drove past farmlands that had just been fertilized.
“Look by the corpses you put down,” Trel said, and I glanced off into the darkness.
“I can’t really see anything,” I said.
“I can,” Sheela replied with a sigh.
“Oh wait,” I hissed as I started to see shapes move across the ground and lift into the air.