The Land Before Cheese

Mauzarella's ship arrives on an earth-type planet with medium/high temperature, where most of the habitable territory is a large savannah with few trees and a lot of rocky terrain.

The color of the soil is reddish, there's a lot of fauna that feeds on low grasslands and great volcanic activity.

The ship flies low altitude scanning the terrain, and as would be expected on an unregistered planet, wildlife is primitive, with no trace of advanced civilizations.

Mauzarella: Are you sure this is the place, Doc?

Dr. Braun: Must be. The planet is just as the texts describe it.

Mauzarella: In that case, let's keep looking.

The autopilot is in charge of making the overflight, while the passengers, at least most of them, look for some clue of the ruins mentioned in the texts.

Maple, as usual, was relaxed in a seat, doing nothing.

Mauzarella: Maple, you could help looking, you know?

Maple: But, you guys are doing sooooo well….

Mauzarella: Don't make me...

Maple: If there is something here, we would surely see it coming...

Suddenly, a proton shot hits the ship and knocks it off course, causing it to plummet to the ground.

Maple: WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!

Before any of the crew could take the wheel, the automatic systems awkwardly landed the ship.

Mauzarella: Quick, everyone out.

The four rodents come out and hide among the nearby rocks, as more proton shots pass over them.

Mauzarella: Maple! Can you see who's attacking us?

Maple: I see an anti-aircraft proton cannon, but nothing else.

Mauzarella: You get ready to engage from the front, while I approach from the side!

Maple: Got it!

Maple climbs over the rocks to get a better view. The attackers don't seem to know where they are, as none of the shots are fired directly at them.

Maple: I have the target in my sights, I can deactivate the cannon no problem.

Maple materializes her gun in a sniper rifle configuration.

Mauzarella: Wait for my signal.

Maple: I'm going to take the shot.

The impatient squirrel fires her gun, getting the gamma pulse right into the muzzle of the proton cannon, causing it to explode.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

Maple: HA, HAAAAA, DID YOU SEE THAT?

Mauzarella: I TOLD YOU TO WAIT!

Maple: WHAT! WHY?

Mauzarella: CIVILIANS, WE HAVE CIVILIANS HERE!

Maple: Civilians? NUTS!

Maple, the Doctor and Hazel reach Mauzarella, who is checking the bodies of the attackers. Turns out they are all mice way taller than any of the crew, dressed in animal skins and very buff.

Maple: Who or what are they?

Mauzarella: They look like mice native to the planet.

Dr. Braun: It's like we're looking at the missing link.

Hazel: And look at their antennae. They are huge!

Maple: Are they…

Mauzarella: No…

Hazel: I say we get back to the ship and get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this.

Just as Hazel finishes speaking, a group of natives emerge from the rocks, armed with spears and clubs.

Maple immediately materializes her weapon and aims it at their assailants.

Mauzarella: Do not shoot; We don't know what we're up against.

Maple: They were the ones who attacked first.

Mauzarella: Calm down, let me do the talking.

Mauzarella raises her hands and approaches one of the huge mice.

Mauzarella: Hello. Do you understand me? We are agents of R.O.E.S. and we come in peace.

The mice exchange glances and jump into an attack stance.

Maple: Yes, it seems that they understand you perfectly. Can I shoot now?

Mauzarella turns to Maple

Mauzarella: Maple, control yourself, don't make things wor…

¡TUNK!

A sudden blow to the head catches Mauzarella off guard making her fall unconscious to the floor.

Maple, Dr Braun and Hazel want to fight back, but they are surrounded by many spears, so they have to surrender and play nice.

Maple: Fine, fine, you win. Take us to your leader.

Mauzarella awakens to discover that she is in a cage made of wooden sticks tied together, and her companions are locked in with her.

From there, a village full of small wooden huts along dirt roads and some altars with clay statues can be seen. The large mice that inhabit it are dressed just like the ones that attacked them, all with fur barely covering their bodies.

Maple: Hey… you're still alive.

Mauzarella: What happened?

Maple: One of those big ass mice hit you with a club and dragged you here by the hair.

Mauzarella: Quit fooling around, Maple!

Hazel: She's not kidding, they literally dragged us in.

Mauzarella: AND… WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

Maple: The same as you.

Mauzarella looks down and notices that she is dressed in tiny animal skins, covering the bare essentials.

Feeling naked, she covers herself with her hands as she screams.

Mauzarella: EEEEEP! WHERE IS MY UNIFORM?

Maple: Your friends took everything from us, and locked us in.

Dr. Braun: I must say that this has been extremely interesting, it is as if we have traveled in time.

Hazel: Well, all I ask is… to go back to the future.

Mauzarella: Not funny! I want to talk to whoever's in charge!

The Ranger approaches what appears to be the cage door, but immediately a spear enters through the bars, threatening her.

Mauzarella: Hey! You're going to poke someone's eye out with that!

A deep voice, from outside the cage, finally speaks to the prisoners.

Voice: You "Space Mice" are going to pay for what you did.

Maple: Hey, they speak our language!

Mauzarella: We did not do anything!

Maple: The proton cannon?

Mauzarella: That was you!

Maple: You told me to engage!

Voice: SILENCE! I, THE GREAT CHIEF YOINK, ORDER YOU TO SHUT UP!

A huge brown mouse, dressed in fur and bone ornaments, approaches the cage.

Chief Yoink: That cannon, as you call it, was a gift from our gods. And now it is destroyed.

Mauzarella: Gods…?

Chief Yoink: It was what protected us from "The Great Furious''. And now we have no way to stop it, so we are forced to go back to sacrifices and you are perfect to start with.

Maple: Go sacrifice your mom!

Chief Yoink: The rude squirrel will be the first. Enjoy your last night, cause tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we'll take you to "The Great Furious". May the grace of the "Great Serpent" give you peace.

Mauzarella: The "Great Serpent''? Not that again…

Chief Yoink goes away, leaving the four prisoners with nothing to do but wait for their sacrifice.

Hazel: How are we going to get out of this?

Mauzarella: Don't worry, tomorrow I'll try to reason with them.

Maple: What if that doesn't work?

Mauzarella: Then... we'll do things your way...

Maple: That's what I wanted to hear!

Everyone settles down to rest, and despite the situation, they manage to fall asleep.

Like other nights, Mauzarella has the same dream, only this time the screaming starts a little earlier than usual, causing her to wake up immediately.

Despite being awake, the screams continue, so the Ranger sits up suddenly and notices that the inhabitants of the village are fleeing, completely terrified of something that could not yet be seen.

The other prisoners were already on alert and looking for a way out.

Maple: Good morning, sleepyhead! I thought you'd never wake up.

Mauzarella: What's going on?

Maple: Dunno, but this is our chance to get the FLAX out of here.

Amid the commotion, they could barely make out something that was being repeated over and over.

Voice: THE GREAT FURIOUS IS COMING! THE GREAT FURIOUS IS COMING!

Mauzarella: The Great Furious? Maple, we have to help these mice!

Maple: Why us?

Mauzarella: Because that's what we Rangers do!

Mauzarella hits the cage bars with her right arm, smashing it to pieces.

Maple: COULDN'T YOU DO THAT EARLIER?

Mauzarella: SHUT UP AND FOLLOW ME!

The Rangers exit the cage leaving Dr Barun and Hazel inside, who takes the sticks that fell to the floor and tries to close the hole Mauzarella had made.

The Doctor stares at him in disapproval.

Hazel: What?

The Gerbil pushes Hazel aside, and goes out to try to help.

Hazel: NUTS!

The cage is left empty, when the fearful mouse also follows the Doctor.