by Jake Bible
“Very nice,” Raff agreed.
“Easier to listen,” Cash called down. “If you all would shut the fuck up.”
“Trying to, buddy,” Raff said.
“Same,” Haskins said.
“Oh, well, I suppose that means I’m—” Dr. Xipan started then shut up as a loud call from outside the speed roller startled her into silence.
Barbara dropped down into the hold and was quickly followed by Cash. Cash firmly closed and locked the hatch above them.
“I don’t know that call,” Raff said.
“Me neither,” Cash said and squeezed his bulk through the hatch up front and crawled into the cab.
“Winger or teeth?” Raff asked.
“I don’t know,” Cash said. “That’s why I’m in the vehicle with you and not still up top.”
“Smart move, buddy.”
“Thanks.”
The call came again, much closer.
“I don’t see movement,” Raff whispered.
“Could be out of our line of sight,” Cash whispered back.
The speed roller shook violently as something collided with the right side of the hold. The call came a third time and there was no mistaking the fact it was directly outside the speed roller. The vehicle shook again.
“Shit,” Raff exclaimed and pointed. “There!”
The world outside the windshield was pitch black, but even in that blackness movement could be seen. A lot of movement. Large shapes were thrashing around in the grasses. It was impossible to see any details, but the shapes were big enough that they created nearly unseen silhouettes against the parts of the sky not covered by clouds.
The speed roller rocked from the other side then slid to the left about half a meter before coming to a stop.
“Fuck me,” Haskins said as he stuck his head in through the hatch. “What the hell is big enough around here to shove a speed roller across dry ground?”
“I don’t want to find out,” Raff said. “So shush the mouth, buddy.”
“Right,” Haskins whispered.
“Can it get inside?” Dr. Xipan cried.
“Jesus Christ,” Cash said. “No, Doctor, it can’t get inside.”
“How can you be sure?” Dr. Xipan asked.
“Shut up,” Barbara hissed.
“Good idea,” Cash agreed.
“Can it get inside?” Haskins whispered. “That was a big hit.”
The shapes outside the windshield continued moving about. Cash, Raff, and Haskins stared at them.
Then staying quiet was no longer an option as the windshield was splattered with blood and gore just before something large and long was slammed into the mesh reinforced glass. The something squirmed for a moment then went still and slowly slid off the windshield and onto the stubby hood of the speed roller.
Cash, Raff, and Haskins leaned forward.
“I can’t see,” Haskins whispered. “What is it?”
Cash fished a flashlight from his belt and twisted the cap until red light illuminated the speed roller’s cab. Then he aimed the light out the windshield and onto whatever was still on the hood.
“Snake,” Cash said. “Big snake. Gutted.”
“Yeah, buddy, I can see the guts,” Raff said and pointed at the offal still affixed to part of the windshield. “But is it dead?”
“Looks dead,” Cash said. “I’m not going out to check.”
The snake was whisked off the hood as a massive set of jaws clamped down on it and yanked the body back into the darkness. More thrashing shapes were silhouetted against the brief view of stars. Several calls shook the night then the shapes were gone. The calls came again one last time, much farther off, then the night returned to stillness.
“Nope,” Haskins said. “Not sleeping tonight.”
“No shit,” Raff said. “I thought I’d seen it all in Flipside.”
Dr. Xipan laughed loudly then quieted down. “We have seen nothing this land has to offer.”
***
Wellstone’s throat felt raw and constricted. He swallowed hard and opened his eyes as the warmth of the sunrise hit his face.
Then he cried out as he stared directly into the curious eyes of a dinosaur he did not recognize.
The dino squawked loudly and fell back away from the top of the speed roller. It had been clinging to the side rail, but let go as it leapt into the air, twisted, and landed on all fours down in the dirt. The creature scrambled away as Wellstone pushed up onto his knees and grabbed for his rifle.
Wellstone racked the slide and paused. Too many targets to take aim at.
The speed roller was surrounded by two dozen of the creatures. They stood on hind legs or crouched on all fours in a nearly perfect circle set back about twenty meters from the vehicle.
“Lewis,” Wellstone said. “You still with me?”
Wellstone turned in a slow circle on his knees, confirming that the speed roller was surrounded. He also confirmed that Lewis was still with him by the unsteady rise and fall of her chest. The breathing was a good sign, but her pallor was gray and she had dried blood crusted around her nostrils.
“Shit. That ain’t good,” Wellstone said before he tucked his face into the crook of his arm and coughed hard. He pulled back and saw flecks of blood against his shirt sleeve. “No. Not good at all.”
His coughing was answered by several curious squawks from the strange dinos. The circle shifted and three of the dinos came in closer, the rest closing ranks, keeping the circle tight.
“Hold up now,” Wellstone grunted.
The more he spoke, the more pain erupted in his throat. It felt like knives were digging into his trachea. He took a deep breath, hoping that would soothe things, but the pain doubled.
“Nochez?” Wellstone called down through the top hatch of the speed roller. “Nochez!”
“What?” Nochez asked as she peeked her head out of the hatch. “My shift already?”
“We got visitors,” Wellstone replied.
Nochez gave him a concerned look that was easy to make out in the glow still coming from the time bubble.
“How are you feeling?” Nochez asked.
“Don’t worry about me, mate,” Wellstone replied. “Worry about them.”
Nochez climbed up and eased around the sleeping Lewis. She calmly studied the circle of dinos and the three that were moving closer and closer to the speed roller.
“They must have come from the bubble,” Nochez said.
“I figured that,” Wellstone replied.
“We can put a couple rounds at their feet and see if that breaks up the party,” Nochez suggested.
“Or it could piss them all off and they attack,” Wellstone countered. “I woke up to one hanging from the rail and staring at me.”
“You woke up? You’re on watch, Wellstone,” Nochez snapped.
“Yeah, well, I ain’t feeling so great, mate,” Wellstone admitted then doubled over with a coughing fit.
Even in the dim light from the bubble, it was easy to see the splatters of blood Wellstone coughed all over the top of the speed roller. There was a squawk from behind the two operators and both spun about on their knees, although Wellstone’s spin was considerably weaker than Nochez’s.
One of the new dinos was peering up over the edge of the top of the speed roller. It glanced from Nochez to Wellstone, its nostrils flared wide. It made a sound of alarm and disgust then dropped back to the ground.
“Smart little buggers,” Wellstone said. He coughed hard and continued. “They distracted us so a scout could sneak up behind.”
“But it didn’t attack,” Nochez said. Her eyes went from the dino that was busy retreating back into the circle to Wellstone, then to the splatter of blood. “I don’t think they like how you smell.”
“Not like I can shower out in the bush, mate,” Wellstone said.
“That’s not what I mean,” Nochez said.
Wellstone opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a wet cough that near
ly forced him onto his side.
“Let’s get you and Lewis down inside,” Nochez said. “Forget these new dinos and forget watch. Transk is looking worse too. We need to hole up until help comes.”
“They’ll close in,” Wellstone said, nodding at the circle of dinos.
“Let them,” Nochez said. “We’ll be safe enough.”
Wellstone nodded, coughed hard, coughed even harder, then couldn’t stop coughing.
He coughed the entire time he helped Nochez get Lewis safely inside the speed roller’s hold. He pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wrapped it around his mouth before dropping down inside. The handkerchief was already damp with blood and saliva before he got the hatch closed and sealed.
Four
“Mike to Cash,” Mike called over the comms. His eyes were red with lack of sleep as he stared at the comm console. “Cash, come on, dude.”
Only static.
Mike nearly punched the console, but slumped back in his chair instead.
“Nothing?” Tressa asked as she walked into the hut. “I thought they were dropping relays along the way?”
“They were supposed to,” Mike said. “I don’t get it, dude. Everything was working fine until a few weeks ago. Now the tech is dying faster than anyone can build or repair it. I shielded all of those relays properly. Even at the current rate of malfunction, the relays should have lasted for at least three or four days. They didn’t even survive twenty-four hours.”
Tressa sat down in an empty chair next to Mike and handed him a steaming mug of “mud.” It was what they called the coffee in Flipside BOP. A mixture of the remaining coffee and black tea left on base, plus native plants that everyone had been assured were not poisonous. Considering how the stuff tasted, no one quite believed that last part.
Mike grimaced as he sipped, but he kept sipping until half the mud was gone.
“It’s growing on me, dude,” Mike said.
“Is it?” Tressa asked.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Mike rubbed at his eyes and dragged his palms down his face then turned to face Tressa.
“Ivy swung by earlier,” Mike said.
“And…?”
“Bloom is wondering where she goes each afternoon.”
“Did she tell him?”
“Not yet.”
“And Bloom hasn’t noticed that a few others go off comms at that same time?”
“If he has, then he didn’t mention it to Ivy.” Mike frowned. “Gonna have to tell him at some point, dude.”
“Not until Ivy gives the okay,” Tressa replied. “It’s taken a lot for her to put that group together. Bloom finds out that it’s a support group for folks that no longer have access to the meds they need and he’ll start pulling people from duty. Ivy included.”
“I know, dude.”
“We need Ivy in the position she’s in.”
“I know, dude!” Mike shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just so fucking tired.”
“Aren’t we all,” Tressa said and stood up. She finished her mud and nodded at Mike’s mug. “You want more?”
“I don’t think my bowels can take more,” Mike replied.
“I hear ya there,” Tressa said. “Call me if you hear anything.”
“You know I will, dude.”
Tressa left and Mike sat up straight. He tapped at the console.
“Mike to Cash. Come in, Cash. Dude! Just give me a click or something!”
***
“Sixty feet long?” Raff asked as he and Cash stood over the shredded corpse of the massive, prehistoric snake. “Seventy?”
“It ain’t nothing now,” Cash said. “Look at it. Whatever attacked it—”
“And ate most of it,” Raff interrupted.
“And ate most of it. Whatever did that to this thing was pissed off as much as it was hungry.”
“Rage eating,” Raff said and turned his face toward the dawn sun. “Great. We can add that to the fucked-up stuff we deal with Flipside.”
“There’s noise,” Dr. Xipan said from up top the speed roller. “Coming from the cab.”
“Static from the comms,” Haskins said as he joined Dr. Xipan up top. He turned away from her, slung his rifle by its strap, and unzipped his fly one handed.
“Are you serious?” Dr. Xipan exclaimed.
“I gotta piss,” Haskins said. “You can go down and piss too or I can hold your hand while you hang your ass over if you don’t want to get down.”
“I’ll get down,” Dr. Xipan said.
She quickly climbed down from the top of the speed roller and went around back where no one could see her.
“This is more than static,” Barbara said, hanging her head out the side window of the speed roller as she sat in the passenger’s seat. “I hear a voice.”
“That’s good,” Cash said. “Try dialing it in. Raff and I are going to check these tracks out.”
“We are?” Raff asked. “Shouldn’t we keep going? Search for the time bubble while we have daylight?”
Cash patted Raff on the shoulder then walked over to the first set of tracks. He pointed down with the barrel of his rifle.
“You ever seen tracks like those?” Cash asked.
Raff sighed, walked to Cash’s side, stared down at the tracks, and shook his head.
“Nope.”
“Me neither. And I’ve never come across a snake like that before,” Cash said. “Where do you suppose they came from?”
“A new time bubble?” Raff replied.
“Good answer. Now, what happens if we follow these tracks? You think maybe they’ll lead us to the time bubble better than if we hop in that speed roller and just drive southeast like we did all day yesterday?”
“You can drop the superior tone, asshole,” Raff said. “I get the point.”
“Good.”
“I’m also your boss, buddy. Don’t forget.”
“No way I can.” Cash faced the speed roller once more. “Take care of business, people. We’re back on the move in twenty.”
“Cash! I have someone on the comm!” Barbara called.
Cash and Raff shared a look of confusion mixed with a healthy dose of suspicion.
“I’m gonna dig a hole and take care of business,” Raff said and nodded at the speed roller. “You handle the comm.”
“Copy that,” Cash said and jogged to the window where Barbara was holding the comms handset. “Is it Mike?”
“It’s not Mike,” Barbara said and turned up the volume. “It’s not even English.”
The voice was faint and the signal was mostly static, but there was for sure someone on the other end of the comms. Cash listened for a minute then his eyes widened.
“Russian,” he said. “That’s Russian.”
“Is it?” Barbara listened for a few seconds. “Too much static. I can’t tell.”
“It’s Russian,” Cash said with confidence. “And by the sound of it, that’s a call for help.”
“How do you know that?” Barbara asked.
“Listen closely. They repeat the same phrase over and over, but their tone is full of panic.”
“So Russians are broadcasting on an open channel and asking for help? That seem right?”
“No.”
“What’s up?” Haskins asked as he stood on the top of the speed roller, looking down at Cash. “Did I hear we have Russians close by?”
“Maybe,” Cash replied. “No way to tell where they are. But they have to be close enough for us to pick up the signal.”
“They could be piggybacking off the relays we dropped,” Haskins suggested.
“If the relays are working, then why isn’t Mike answering when we call?” Barbara countered.
“Good point. This must be a direct radio to radio transmission,” Cash said. “Raff!”
“What?” Raff called as he squatted behind the tall grass that was everywhere.
“Can you track a comms s
ignal?”
“Probably! Why does Mike need a signal tracked?”
“It’s not Mike!”
“Really? Who is it?”
“Russians!”
“Russians? Shit. Hold on.” They all waited then Raff joined them after a couple of minutes. “I didn’t get to finish my crossword.”
“Fuck off and listen,” Cash said.
Raff listened. Dr. Xipan had joined them by then also and the entire group stood or sat with their heads tilted as they tried to make out what was being said.
“Definitely sounds like a distress call,” Cash said.
“It is,” Dr. Xipan said. “They are desperate for anyone to hear them. They have run out of food and water and are trapped in their vehicle.”
“You speak Russian?” Barbara asked.
“None of you do?” Dr. Xipan pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “Americans…”
“Yes, Americans suck. We know,” Raff said. “We’ve become dependent on our comms translators which aren’t working since comms aren’t working. We get it. Moving on. So, Doc, you can understand Russian. Can you speak it? Well enough to communicate with whoever is on the other end and maybe get us to them?”
Cash frowned at Raff. “Do we want to go to them?”
“You’re the one that wanted the signal tracked,” Raff replied.
“Tracked, sure, but so we can avoid them, not go rescue them.”
“Cash, brother, we’ve been waiting in suspense for months for the Russians to show up and now we have Russians. And they are ten kinds of fucked. Seems to me that going and finding them might be a good idea. In fact, I’ll bet you next week’s beer rations that Bloom would rather us bring back some living Russians than data on a new time bubble.”
“Not if that time bubble can get us home,” Barbara said.
“That,” Cash said and pointed at Barbara. “Time bubbles get us home, Raff. Russians don’t. And sure as shit not Russians that are stranded and calling for help.”
“Unless it’s a trap,” Haskins suggested. “Lure us in then pounce like Russians do.”
“Russians pounce?” Barbara asked. “Never seen a pouncing Russian before.”
“They’re all about the pouncing,” Haskins said. “Because of all the ballet.”
