The inside of the holodeck shimmered as the program came on and the black room with yellow lines transformed into a broad plain covered in high grass. Far off in the distance, a lone hill could be seen with what looked like a small city atop it. Even further, just barely visible to the lone occupant of the room, were a series of mountain peaks. Large birds circled high overhead, and a steady but not unwelcome breeze blew the grasses and made the rustling sound Tressex heard so often in his dreams of home. The Antican took a deep breath, sensing the familiar smells and hearing the scurrying of the small animals that made the plains… his plains… their home.

Tressex was dressed in the utility clothes worn by his people when dealing with off-worlders. Typically, the Anticans didn’t wear anything unless they were heading into the main city, preferring to carry their possessions in a small pack and allowing them freedom of movement. The clothes he now wore were less constrictive than his uniform, a must for what he wanted to do right now.

Dropping to all fours, Bradar stretched and stretched. Too long confined in a ship, he wanted to run. And run he did. With a sudden burst of speed, the canine humanoid took off across the plains, running on all fours to maximize his speed. He was fast, even for his people. As he ran, he veered off to his right and slid to stop at the edge of a a small ravine. Looking down at the twenty foot drop he saw one of the many streams that meandered their way across the plains, hidden by the flat terrain and tall grasses. Smiling, Bradar leapt off the edge, slid down the side of the ravine, and landed with a splash in the knee deep water. He shook the water off as dogs do and then, with a smile showing his bright white incisors, he took off running; taking each sudden turn and sharp bend with practiced ease and sending water flying off behind him.

Tressex, Science JO