The Rarest of Prey
Meat did not seem like a luxury on earth. It was not remembered as indulgence. But the colonists on Spartan, a remote dwarf planet located at the very edge of a vast solar system orbiting Epsilon Indi, approximately 12 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Indus turned from skeletons back into humans once they finally found local species to hunt and use as an addition to their meals.
Spartan was a desolate planet with few lakes and rivers but lacked any type of sea or oceans. Insects, insects, and more insects. That's what you'll find on this planet in terms of animal life. There are a few dozen fish species, but everything else is either a microbe or an insect except for the Black Water Buffalo, the last mammal that managed to survive the planet's slow deterioration into its current barren condition. The magnificent creature considered holly on Spartan and the colony is in a constant struggle to balance their need for its meat and the need to allow de-extinction of the species.
As a spotter, my mission is to locate and mark the beast with a microscopic locator allowing the colony to follow where the buffalo migrate to. It took me three months to reach the white lakes at the edge of the desert where satellite images showed signs of movement and life and to my surprise, as I stepped a few meters into the lake water to replenish my water supply – there – I saw a female and her calf were standing there, staring at me. I could feel my heart pumping in my chest, getting faster and faster as the panic set in. Panic that I wouldn't make it. Panic that I would miss that special opportunity to operate the locator and attach it to the massive creature. My hands move slowly. They feel disconnected, not really mine, as I fumble at the locator control and shot it at the massive body in front of me. It attached itself perfectly and the female seem to not notice the microscopic attachment.
The majestic beast and her calf were both looking at me in wonder. I wasn’t sure who feared who in this situation, but it all felt calm as if they knew I meant no harm and simply gazed at me.
My god, they look so beautiful.
