oh and this little part has almost nothing to do with the main part of the story, but you'll see that if you read the whole thing, plus this is only the first rough draft.
Chapter one: Ranger
It was nearing the fith hour of the evening times at his best guess. Actually QForster knew it was earlier but he, after many years of practice, had developed a system for judgeing the time by looking at the Sun as it passed over head. By estimating its attitude from the horizon, he could get a time that was usually just a mear ten to fifteen minutes later than the actual time. Then, by checking with his wrist watch, he could find that is was just about the time he thought it was. By doing this he guessed the time and then his watch concured, and this kept his mind off of the boring taskes he had. Based on the time it ment that he had nearly half of an hour to get over the hill, set up his traps and be ready to chatch himself a Hyjacra . QForster knew that this was plenty of time, even if he were to happen into a Webja. So armed with this new found confidence he pushed on towards the hill and his destony.
To pass the time QForster thought back to the events that had got him on this mission. Before I begin to relate his thoughts to you I think I should puse to give you some background information on QForster. QForster is a Ranger, imployed by the Arm division. His job is to find, capture, classify, and study any and all animals. The Arm feels that it would be best for them to know all the details of every creature in their wilderness. The exact reason for this thought is not know to me. Anyway, as I was saying. QForster was thinking back on the events that had brought him to this mission. It started with the desition made by the Arm that several of the animals on Saturn did not have enough detailed information. So one day QForsters Commander came up to him and said.
"Lutenit QForster, I need you in my office in 10 minutes."
So QForster started for the commander's office. When he got there he proptly saluted his commander.
"Sir!" he said with a slightly louder than normal voice.
"Sit, Lutenit. I have a job for you, maybe. We need someone to go into the Sigari Jungle and bring us back some specimends, and other data. You, being the best man I got extractions, well I thought you should have first pick at it. Unfortunatly you'll be alone." Stated the Commander.
"Alone?" Thought QForster to himself. More like nobody would accept to travel with him. The only reason was because he was one of the several hundred Dungnohw who didn't leave with the others to go to the moons.
"So, do you accept?" Interupted the Commander.
"Yes!" said QForster without a second thought.
So that was how he wound up here, in the jungle. He was just walking through the trees, under the hot sun that was baking down on him. So far today he had caught a Quadrille which is sort of like a bird, only its body is only two feet tall and it has feathers that stick out that are about l 1/2 feet long. These feathers stick out all over the bird's body in all directions. The most distinctive feacher they have though is not the featurs. Their most exquiset feature is their four to five foot long legs! The legs enable the birds reach plants low to the ground as well as high up, with out having to fly. They also are able to run very swiftly, and fast, through the tall grassy plains that are in the middle of the jungles. It is these areas, the ones with tall grass, which the Quadrille inhabit. Despite their swiftness, they prove to be fairly easy to capture.As QForster recalled.
QForster had travled to one of the many fields where the Quadrille could be found drinking from the quiet, babbaling creeks that criss-crossed through the jungles, and feeding on the seeds droped by many of the surrounding grasses, and the grasses themselfs. He found a great specimend struting around the field. He, QForster, stared to lay a trap when he noticed something that had eludied he before. Two black stripes. The black stripes were only found on the beacks of the females. Two stripes had never been see before, though. After some thought QForster suddenly relised what it must mean. The struting of this bird was a show of dominace. That meant the females lead these birds. It had always been know that the females lead the flock in finding feeding grounds, but it was never proven that they had a single dominate female. As a rule you never remove the leader from the group. To capture this great bird QForster got out his small moving picture recorder and captured the bird on film. After using up the one hour tape on filming not only the "head" bird but the others as well, he put a way the camera and got out his traps.
The traps were very simple devices, they consisted of a small box with a rope coming out of one side, and the rope had a loop tied in it. The box contained a small proximity sensor. The sensor scans for objects moving towards it and measures their speed. Then at just the right time it draws the rope in with a quick jolt. To place the traps, QForster chose a small area the the West of his position where the trees started to thin out. This looked like the most likely excape route so QForster was almost one-hundred percent sure the Quadrille would flee through that area. He set his traps on the ground at verious intervals then proceaded around to the opposite side of the clearing. It took him a while to get to the other side of the field but now it came time for the fun to start. QForster headed out into the field, stayin low so as not to be seen. After many years of practice he had learned to be able to stay very low to the ground yet move with amazing swiftness. He moved on quietly toward the flock. Then when he was about ten to twenty meters away from the bird, he stood up. At first the birds seemed to not see him, then QForster charged the herd as fast as he could. As regular as a finely tuned German cu-cu-clock, the flock clustered around the two-striped female and ran straight for the thining of the trees and beyond to the protection of the jungle. They were heading straight for the traps. At this point QForster could not help but try to clock the speed of these magnifisant birds, for they were surly running at near top speed. The actual speed recorded has sence been lost to me so I cannot tell you that information, sorry. Now, almost at the same time, three of the birds fell to the ground. The flock split to go around them, just like the flowing of a river. Soon the whole flock was gone, except for the three of them that lay, slightly shocked, on the ground. Each of the specimends was very nice. Upon quick inspection QForster found that he had two females, one adult and one juvinel. The other was an adult male.
"Wait a minute." He thought to himself. QForster started to remember his early "Animal Behavior and Interaction" classes. The Quadrille are very social birds. The males and females stayed togeather for life and some times they would even adopet the young of killed parents. By the way the to adults were chattering back and forth, he guessed that they were most likely mates. What a great catch. With two "life partner" adult birds and an adoptable young bird, this would provide base with a whole functioning family. Considering that they had only asked for one bird, a whole family should provide an even greater wealth of information. So with this capture done QForster called his extraction team.
I just want to take a moment to explane the whole process of "Hunters" and "Extractors". You see when a Hunter is in the field he can't carry all of the equipment needed to catch and ship out all of the specimends, especially if they have more than one animal to capture. So when the Hunter is launched he carries with him a portible comm-box, or radio, a positioning becon with location finders, a standard laser rifle, and all the traps needed to catch his first animal, witch is usually the only animal to be traped. He also carries recorders that take down any aditional information that may be required. When the animal is found, the traps are set, and other data recorded such as speed, various social habits, and eating habits. Then the traps are sprung and the animal is captured. Next the becon is activated. When the Hunter has his corridinates he sends them to the Extractors. Finally they, the Extractors, come via a High Speed Shuttle with caging for the animals. Then, as in QForsters case, new traps are given and new data recorders are issued, then the old data is collected.