00096

Osmo Martin cashed in his picnic-in-the-park raincheck with Sheila. The cozy sun on the grass warmed him inside. His date spread a blanket on the lawn and set her basket upon it. When she began to unload the food, Omso rubbed his hands together, practically drooling.

Blocks preserving the wreckage of the Peace Lab were placed all about Hope Memorial Park's beautiful lawns and flower beds. In the center of the park was the main park plaza, and in the center of the plaza, in a ring of arranged preservation blocks, Mrs. Rubble stood and explained to the tourists about the accident of the Peace Lab, how the park had been named after Dr. Hope Martin, the hero, and the significance of the wreckage which was saved in the blocks that were all about the park. At the base of each block, some pretty flowers bloomed, a welcome addition to the sombre preservation cubes and to the park itself. As the park orator gave her usual speech, a few of the tourists wandered off, listening, but striking out on their own to explore the landmark.

Mrs. Rubble repeated the story every day, but now, with the pretty new red flowers, their fragrance filling the park, she once again enjoyed her job.

Sheila Bright watched the tourists, then she turned back to her picnic and her friend Osmo Martin. Jokingly, she told Osmo, "I made all this good food in order to take your mind off your annoying supervisor."

Osmo stuck his finger down his throat and gagged. "Yeah, and it almost worked, too, until you had to bring her up! I think I just lost my appetite. I complained to Gov. Bright about her lead-heavy hand in collecting from the tax delinquents, but he just dismissed it, telling me, like you did, to give her time, that she is just eager and excited over her new job. Besides, he told me, she has some very important things to worry about, which may create stress for her. He says she is worried about the safety of the people of Sparkle City because of the danger posed from the wild animals and renegades in the dessert beyond."

Sheila giggled. "Oops, sorry for reminding you of her, then."

"Sure you are. Quit toying with me!" Osmo Martin laughed. "Seriously, though, I was unaware that there was a problem with those critters- both two-legged and four-legged- out in the wilds causing such concern until the Governor told us about it at that meeting. And just before he told us, the travel warnings from Earth hinted there might be some trouble- Suddenly, now, it seems as if it has become a crisis. It doesn't make sense. First, hardly no news at all about that stuff, then, suddenly, it's a terrible emergency that needs attention immediately. The good news, anyway, is that Security Leader Morgan is diligently working on the matter, and will soon have it under control."

Sheila Bright chuckled some more, unsure where Osmo's sarcasm began and ended sometimes. "Well, then, Os, I guess we can rest at night, knowing our safety is in good hands."

An attractive, young tourist, barely older than Osmo Martin, passed by in their vicinity, walking over to a nearby block of enclosed space lab debris, to study the twisted, smashed fragment sealed inside. She glanced over at the two picnickers she caught out of the corner of her eye, and then she brightened, recognizing one of them. "You're Osmo Martin, Dr. Hope Martin's son, aren't you?"

Osmo smiled with his usual friendliness. "Guilty. How did you know? I hope you don't still remember the fire at Earth Leader Bigges' place?''

Sheila and the other woman laughed. The tourist admitted, "Yes, I do. But not only that. When I was in med school, I followed your antics as a diversion from all my workload. I know you were only a schoolboy back then, but, ahem, I think I developed a crush on you at the time."

"Woo-ooo-ooo," kidded Sheila. "You are so irrsesitible."

Osmo nodded and answered, "Hey, it's understandable, Miss...?”

The tourist became aware of her manners. "Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to intrude- You two go on with your picnic, and I will just mosey on back over to Mrs. Rubble the tour guide, to hear the rest of the story."

Osmo Martin, flattered, replied, "Oh, that's okay. We don't mind. We came here to celebrate this nice day with a nice picnic Sheila made- Oh, I did not introduce her yet, sorry. This is Sheila Bright, Gov. Bright's very attractive niece."

Sheila smiled. "Hi.”

The tourist smiled back. "Nice to meet you. I'm Veg Hoyle. Nice little world you have here, Miss Bright."

"Thanks. We like it. I am glad to see the tourists still come here, even if their numbers are not as big as before the travel advisory."

Veg Hoyle replied, "I know the World of Hope has its share of problems; so does Earth. I know unfortunate disasters, like the Incident, can happen on either world. But I try to see the good in things, not the bad. I try to be a positive person. I always wanted to go space traveling, and especially through a wormhole, and so, well, here I am."

"Anyway, don't believe all those rumors you might hear about this place," Osmo Martin said. “It's a bit exaggerated.”

"How long do you plan to stay? The Tourist Bureau can help you plan your vacation, so you get the most fun out of your time here,” suggested Sheila.

  

"I expect to go back to Earth in three weeks time. My family insisted I take a break for once, since I went straight from college into my internship, and then set up my practice immediately thereafter."

Sheila remarked, "Your practice? Are you a doctor? No offense, but you're awfully young for a doctor."

A commotion amongst the other tourists, those still gathered in the plaza with Mrs. Rubble, diverted the attention of the three by the picnic setting, who, as if one, all glanced over there toward the noise the same time.

"What the-" Osmo muttered.

A herd of mini-buffalo stampeded across the park from the direction of the wildlands, swarming around the tourists. The tiny creatures ran at their legs and gored their ankles and shins with their tiny buffalo horns. Yelling in pain, the people stomped or kicked at the tiny, rodent-sized genetic marvels. That failed to deter the stampede, though. The aggressive creatures kept coming back and attacking them, with more joining them, flowing from the same direction.

Dr. Veg Hoyle, wide-eyed, said, "I thought those mini-buffalo things were only on farms."

Osmo hopped to his feet. He pulled his Security Agency communications unit from his pocket. To the Doctor, he said, "Gov. Bright had said how the beasts in the wilds were building up in numbers. I guess they have officially become a problem." He talked on his comm unit, "This is Agent Martin. You won't believe this, but Hope Memorial Park is overrun with buffalo! That's right, mini-buffalo! No, thankfully, I don't see any flying buffalo in this herd!"

"Well, the Travel Department on Earth did warn us, I guess," said Veg Hoyle.

Sheila Bright said, “This is the first time our city has been attacked by wild animals like this. At least, the first time for many, many years.”

Veg Hoyle nodded. "I hope it's also the last time for awhile. I think those tourists are having a hard time getting rid of the pests!”

Osmo Martin yanked up the picnic blanket- "Save the food!" he shouted- and he ran toward the main concentration of the attacking herd, holding the blanket overhead. When he reached the horde, he hollered and whooped at them as he swatted them aside with the blanket, trying to break up the herd and chase them away from the startled and disgruntled and frightened- and wounded- tourists, who continued their battle against their diminutive attackers.

Some of the tourists tried to climb to the top of the preservation cubes, following the example of Mrs. Rubble. Others just screamed and ran. One man hopped about on one foot, holding his other leg's bleeding shin. He tripped and fell smack into the midst of the herd. They ran right over him, leaving tiny hoofprints all over his clothes, but not doing much else, except crushing his pride.

A handful of the tourist Earthers saw Osmo's attempts to break up the herd, and joined in, swinging backpacks and lunchboxes at the creatures. Sheila and Veg also helped in the effort.

In less than a minute since Security Agent Osmo Martin had placed the call, the Security Agents who were patrolling in and near the park, arrived on the scene. They shouted for the tourists to stand aside, and as the tourists tried to obey, the Agents took out their weapons and blasted buffalo here and there, zapping away until they finally got the attention of the rest of the berserk bison. The herd scattered and ran from the tourists and the basters, fleeing from the park, scared out of their wild fits. The Agents had made short work of the buffalo attack.

After the excitement subsided, Veg Hoyle helped the Security Agents tend to the wounded ankles of the tourists. She assured the more upset of them, "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Sheila watched Dr. Hoyle at work. Veg Hoyle said to her, "If my family could only see me now. This isn't the relaxation they had in mind for me.”

When Sec. Ldr. Morgan showed up, she nodded approvingly, seeing that the buffalo pack had been dispersed. "Good work, Security Agents. It's good you were here, Agent Martin, and you thought quickly and acted quickly, and called in the threat quickly. I appreciate that in my Security Agents."

Osmo Martin forced himself to thank Mita Morgan for the compliment. He also said, "It's strange that such a large herd managed to slip past the robots guarding the perimeter of Sparkle City.”

Sec. Ldr. Mita Morgan sighed. "Well, you know, most robots are not very smart. Apparently, even these dumb animals can outwit them. A new low for robot intelligence, frankly." She looked at all the wounded. "I guess the problem with the wild animals becoming a menace is an even bigger problem than the recent reports indicated. Don't worry, though. I have some plans, and if Gov. Bright allows me to implement my plans, I think we can prevent such things like this from happening in the very near future."

"Like what kind of plans?" asked Sheila, curious.

“Oh, stuff you probably wouldn't be too interested in right now, Sheila. I won't say too much, until Gov. Bright gives me the go-ahead. Then, you will see my ideas. You will be surprised, I can guarantee it."

As some Agents helped Mrs. Rubble down from a preservation block, Sr. Veg Hoyle noticed for the first time, really noticed, the flowers freshly planted at the bases of the cubes to decorate the park. These caught Veg's attention. She went over to a nearby cube, to look at the flowers more closely. She then went to a few more of the blocks, noticing that they all had the same type of flowers planted at their bases.

Sheila watched, wondering why the flowers interested the Doctor so much. A bit strange, considering there were still some injured to take care of.

Sec. Ldr. Mita Morgan ordered Agent Osmo Martin, "Be sure to make out a report. I cannot stay here any longer. I am taking the on-duty Agents with me. We must track down that herd, and either capture or get rid of them." She called the Security Agents over to her side. Mita Morgan gave a few orders and delegated to some the task of helping the tourists, but most of the Agents she took with her, and they took off on the trail of the buffalo, following their tiny hoofprints.

When Veg Hoyle returned to Osmo and Sheila's company, Sheila asked, "Dr. Hoyle, what's with admiring the flowers?"

"I am not exactly admiring them. They are very curious, to say the least, considering the circumstances."

"Oh?" Sheila Bright didn't understand.

The young Doctor explained. "Back at my clinic, I wanted some nice landscaping, and I loved these here beautiful, fragrant flowers. A very charming new breed. However, one of the first things they warn you about, when you want to plant these in large quantity, is that these flowers attract some genetically varied species, and can bring out their aggressive side. How could anybody make such a mistake and plant them throughout a public park? Even if the landscaper did not know there might be a problem with a large pack of genetically modified animals in the wild, still it is stupid to risk attracting even a few of the wild animals that might be out there, to bring them here to become a public nuisance.”

Osmo Martin shook his head, dismayed. "Talk about a bone-headed blunder!"

Sheila scowled. "The park landscaper should certainly have known better! Just how can such a mistake even be possible?!"

"Hmph, ya got me," confessed Dr. Veg Hoyle. "I just cannot imagine it.”

(c) drk 2012