"No telling, but probably if they can find the right sort of soil nourishment. We didn't see any while coming down, but they might've been there and we missed them, not expecting anything like this."
"We didn't see any other life-forms, either, that we could recognize. Maybe these're the dominant species here."
Jak rose to his feet and looked all about him. There were hundreds of the pyramids to be seen, some towering a dozen or more feet high and as large across each base line; others very small—babies, he thought with a grin.
Again he watched one of the smaller ones intently, noticing how it grew. Jon walked about, looking at the different structures of that mysterious, growing crystal.
Suddenly he stiffened, straining, listening. Then he called, "Hey, Jak, you hear anything?"
"Huh?" his brother tore his gaze from the crystallization he was watching. "Hear what?"
"Turn up the power of your suit receiver. There. There it is again.... Hey, sounds like our siren!"
"Yes, I heard it then. Mother must be in trouble, or something."
Jak's last words were flung back across his shoulder as he ran as fast as he could across the icy wastes of the valley floor. Nor was Jon far behind. In fact, after a few strides the younger, but longer-legged boy was beside him, then forged ahead.
"Hurry, Owl! Mom wouldn't signal unless it was urgent."