As the pair crossed the the roaring river, they noticed a figure waiting for them on the other side. Black against the sun behind it, was the silohete of a man. Caleo and Vera both instinctively stoped in the mist of the unforgiving current at their feet, nothing, after all, could be more fearsome than a man on what was supposed to be a deserted planet. The man stood incredibly still, except for the arm that he swung in the air repeatedly, rhythmically. Vera, thought it to be a strange greeting, Caleo, however, took it for some kind of warning. He stepped back slightly thinking that perhaps it was best to remain on their side of the river rather than risk entering into interplanetary diplomatic relations. After all, however great Vera might be at diplomacy, she had never had to deal with a thing like this. Vera placed her hand on Caleo’s shoulder “We cannot turn back” she said. Caleo looked back at the terrain they had come from, muddy, barely walkable and absolutely covered in that horrendous poison plant that made skin and lungs burn alike. They couldn’t walk that way anymore. They had to follow the river from somewhere else, but this… “Vera, we were prepared for a hostile planet, a hostile, deserted planet, this isn’t a hostile planet, but that” He pointed at the waving silhouetted man -“Could very well be a hostile person.”

“Well we don’t very well have a choice, either we cross the river or give up our entire expedition” she said making a move to walk past him but he started walking towards the man before she could. “alright then, your most diplomatic smile please” he said.

“Of course” she answered. The nearer they got to the figure, the more it disturbed Caleo, the man would not stop waving. It was so insistent that Caleo felt certain it must be some kind of scare tactic. Finally they made it to the rivers edge and it was then that Caleo realized why the man would not stop waving. “He’s not a man at all” Vera said walking towards the figure the arm waving in the air was nothing more than a shirt sleeve and the body of the so called man was but a few pieces of wood nailed together and dressed up as a man. “It’s some kind of doll” Vera said. “It could be an idol of sorts, a religious figure, or perhaps it has some practical use.” Caleo speculated walking up to the curious thing.

“What practical use could there be for dressing up wood as a man” Vera answered.

“I don’t know, there’s a lot we don’t know about this planet” Caleo said crouching to examine the terrain.

“Well whatever this is, it is certainly disturbing”

“Down here, this vegetation, it’s growing in rows” Caleo said pointing out towards the land.

“Like a planter”

“Yes, except this is out in the open, not like the ones back home”

“What are you talking about Caleo, that wasn’t home… this is. Earth… the world of our forefathers. The home of humanity’s ruins, its past” Vera said walking off towards an abandoned looking building.

“And hopefully, of its future” Caleo said softly as he followed.