Land of Nod, The Child (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 3)
Page 9
As I watched my only route home shrink and disappear, I had a sick feeling of despair. There was nothing but white horizon and blue sky for as far as the eye could see in all directions. With no other choice, I set out and began walking. It seemed the sun was moving in a way that put it beyond its apogee point for that day, so I turned my back to it and followed my shadow to hold a course roughly east (as defined by that system).
As I walked, the appearance of my surroundings seemed to shift and change. Blotches of light color began to appear. My initial thought was that I was arriving in a different region, but I noticed that I could also see the colors from where I had come, so it seemed the actual landscape was changing – not just my view of it.
I also noticed textures developing. The horizon was no longer flat in all directions, but I could see what appeared to be very subtle fluctuations in elevation. The smooth ground also started to develop texture and was becoming slightly rougher.
I walked until the sun went down, and when it was dark, I sat and looked at the stars. The constellations were completely unrecognizable (which wasn’t much of a surprise). The temperature was comfortable and didn’t seem to change much even after the sun had been down for a few hours.
I was hungry and thirsty. I realized I wouldn’t last long without food and water, and based on what I had seen up until that point, it seemed very unlikely that I would find either before I became dehydrated beyond repair.
I tried to sleep but found it very difficult. I couldn’t clear my mind of thoughts of you and your mother and how much I wanted to see you again. Eventually I became tired enough that I did drift off and was awoken by the bright rising sun the next morning.
Then I saw something amazing.
Chapter 42:
Jeff looked up from his notebook briefly.
Nahima was reading, Benji was asleep, John was using his blade to carve a naked woman from a piece of plastic while keeping one eye on his fishing line, Rasp was staring off with a blank expression, and Dave had his feet up as he sat at the helm, eating jerky.
Jeff went back to his reading.
The landscape that had been so barren just hours before had sprouted life. It was still somewhat sparse, but there were plants of various shapes and sizes.
The ground was becoming soft and granular – it wasn’t soil as we know it, but it seemed to be transitioning to something closer to soil.
I found a bush with some berries. I paused, thinking they might be poisonous, but I had a strange sense – something that almost seemed like a voice in the back of my head saying: ‘It’s okay, they’re safe to eat.’ Moreover, I realized I didn’t have much choice. If I didn’t get the water from the berries into me, I realized I’d die of dehydration as surely as I’d die from poison berries.
I continued to walk and explore. The landscape became more earthlike with each passing hour, but it also remained just a little ‘off’. The plants, insects and, eventually, animals that I encountered were similar to those on earth but not identical.
It seemed that I was affecting the environment, and the changes I was seeing were somehow coming from me. I also found that I had unusual ‘powers’. I had special insights and physical abilities. The whole thing seemed almost like a dream. It felt like an altered reality that I was affecting and even creating in some way, but I had very limited control.
Eventually, after several months, I encountered a group of primitive humans. They were what we would colloquially call ‘cavemen’. That was a wonderful moment. It’s hard to imagine how much we would miss human companionship until we actually have a long period without it. They spoke only a very rudimentary language, but I found they were able to understand me and I them through one of the ‘powers’ I had developed. I taught them English, and then I taught them far more.
I taught them how to farm, and I taught them how to make relatively complex tools. As they developed those tools, I showed them how to use those tools to create increasingly more complex tools. I showed them how to work with metal and glass. I showed them how to weave fibers.
After a while, I noticed that while they aged, I didn’t. Friends grew up, grew old and eventually died, but I didn’t.
I worked to find a way home, but for most of my time here, the technology was not where it needed to be, and eventually, I felt that my presence might be a negative influence on their society. I felt it was selfish for me to inject myself into their society rather than allowing them to develop naturally. I left to live in solitude in the wilderness and continued my work to find a way home. However, I found it was MUCH easier to open a random portal than it was to create a portal designed to go to a very specific point in space-time.
I did find that I had the ability to use my powers to create new and unique materials, but I couldn’t get past some final hurdles.
I’ve recently begun corresponding with a unique mind – a pheerion king who has been independently developing some technology that have interest to me.
However, I fear there could be some danger, and while I feel it is worth the risk, I don’t want you following me into a trap. So please just stay where you are, and I’ll find you if I’m successful. Don’t come after me. It could be too dangerous.
Jeff closed the notebook and then stared at the ocean.
Chapter 43:
“Why is it not moving?” Jeff asked as he and Dave looked at the dot representing the tracking beacon. The dot had travelled across the continent, stopped at a point on the shore and not moved from that spot.
Dave shrugged. “I guess either their ship hasn’t left yet… or they didn’t take the jump-scoot with them.”
“But Rasp felt confident they’d take it with them.”
“Well I guess they didn’t leave yet,” Dave said with a clearly annoyed tone. “Or… they found the tracker.”
Jeff looked away from the map and at Dave. He hadn’t considered that option. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dave spoke before he had a chance.
“Though I guess if they found it they probably would have disabled it, and we’d be getting no signal.”
That made Jeff feel better.
“Unless they wanted us to keep looking at a false signal,” Dave added.
Jeff returned the annoyed look he had received a few moments prior from Dave.
Dave grinned. Anything that annoyed Jeff always seemed to give him pleasure.
“OK, are you set?” Dave asked.
Jeff nodded. Dave had shown him the controls. As long as nothing went wrong, the computer would keep them on course – a course that would, hopefully, be finalized when they saw where the tracked jump-scoot ended.
Dave slapped him on the back and then quickly descended the ladder to join the others below for the night.
Except for Benji, who was fast asleep on the front deck, Jeff was alone. He had volunteered for the first shift without much hesitation. Since he had arrived, his dreams had been disturbing though often prophetic, but his recent dreams – that showed his father tired and in pain while Jeff was being defeated by Pheerion Rex – were just disturbing without offering any insight Jeff could see.
Jeff leaned back, looked at the stars and listened to the waves. He realized it was a very calm, peaceful setting, but he couldn’t feel any comfort. He was tense and stressed. He didn’t know what he could or should do to find his father. He just felt the desperate need to do… something beyond anything he could clearly imagine.
He looked at the stars again and tried to focus on them.
But he couldn’t get the image of his father out of his mind.
He looked at the dot on the map that represented the tracking device. What’s that?
Jeff reached for map and zoomed in on the dot. He moved his fingers to zoom and zoom until it wouldn’t zoom any more.
It’s moving!
Chapter 44:
Jeff squinted in the bright sun as he exited the cabin. It was the fourth day at sea.
The days had become very monotonous.
After finding the special note his father had left, Jeff had stopped translating, and that left him with little to do but stare at the water and look forward to meals. He had tried reading some books but found they had references and styles that, while written in his language, were so foreign as to be difficult to enjoy.
He took a seat a few feet from Nahima.
She looked up from her book and smiled. “Good morning,” she said and then went back to her book.
I should probably be doing something… preparing in some way… but I don’t know what to do… and it seems like the less I do, the less I want to do.
He looked at the waves rolling past and worried about all the terrible things that could happen over the coming days. Will the tracker lead us to the right place? What dangers will we face after we land? How will the pheerions react to us? Will they really help us? What kind of ‘challenges’ will I have to face? Even if they help us, can they stand up to Pheerion Rex? Is there any real hope?
John plopped himself next to Nahima on the other side from Jeff. “Why don’t you like me?” he asked as he lit up one of his cigars.
Nahima didn’t look up from her book. “What makes you say I don’t like you?”
John shook a finger at her and flashed a slightly creepy grin. “See? Now you didn’t answer my question, did you? And in response to your question, I know how to read people. I can tell when someone doesn’t like me. There aren’t many of them.”
Nahima tried to ignore him as she read her book.
“Is it because I’ve killed people?”
Nahima didn’t respond.
“I was just doing my job. People do things for money they wouldn’t normally do. That’s how our society works. Farmers don’t farm because that’s how they’d choose to spend their free time. They do it because people pay them to do it.”
Nahima snapped her book shut and looked directly at him. “It doesn’t bother me that you’ve killed people. What I find disturbing is that it doesn’t bother you.” She stood and walked away – as far as she could within the bounds of the rear deck, which wasn’t very far. She sat, opened her book and tried to find her place again.
John looked at Jeff then slid across the bench cushions toward him. “Why does she think it doesn’t bother me?” He looked across at Nahima.
Jeff looked at him but didn’t speak. After a few moments, John looked at Jeff.
“Because nothing bothers you,” Jeff replied with a shrug.
John grinned at him and shook a finger. He didn’t say anything but continued shaking his finger.
Chapter 45:
“Looks like he’s headed to this one,” Dave said pointing to a marker on the map that represented one of Pheerion Rex’s castles.
Jeff Nodded. “How long until we can be there?”
“Still a few more days. We’re faster than their ship, but they had a shorter distance. They might still be headed to a different one, but we’ll know for sure soon.”
“Is there a river close to that one?” Jeff asked.
“That could be a bit of a problem.” Dave made a movement with his finger and began tracing a line. “We have this river here, but this is the closest we can get to the castle by water.” He illustrated the gap between the river and the castle. “There are many smaller streams but nothing big enough for our boat.”
“But we can fly, right?”
“Right,” Dave answered and began moving his finger across the land. “We have enough power to get to about here.” He stopped tracing at a point roughly halfway between the river and the castle. “While still having enough power to fly back to the river and then get back across the ocean to get home.”
Jeff was tempted to suggest they should go all or nothing and use everything they had with the idea they’d find a way to get home after they won. However, he realized that would be asking a lot from friends who were already putting their lives on the line. “How far is that?” he asked about the remaining distance to the castle.
“About forty LLUs. We could probably walk it in two or three days depending on the terrain and vegetation.”
“General,” Jeff said to Rasp with a beckoning gesture, “can you come take a look at this?”
Rasp rose and climbed the ladder to the bridge.
Jeff showed him the area around the castle. “Do you know this area?” he asked.
Rasp looked at the map for several moments before speaking. “Yes. I know it very well. I was stationed at that castle for many yearzz.”
“What would it be to walk this?” Jeff asked showing him the stretch they needed to traverse.
“Dangerous. Many animalz that are… that would eat us, but we can do it if we are careful and… watch for animalzz. A lot of… big plantzzz. Some hillz but not too high. Castle izz on high cliff, but the surrounding area izz not bad.”
“Are there any pheerion villages nearby?” Jeff asked.
Rasp nodded. “There izz one right here.” He pointed to a spot close to the castle. “They would help us… if you pass challengezzz.”
Jeff looked at him and exhaled loudly.
Chapter 46:
“Hey, I got something!”
John’s fishing rod whined as line stripped so quickly it was a blur. “Stop the boat!” he shouted.
Jeff was at the controls and looked toward Dave for guidance. Dave shrugged and Jeff pushed the throttle level down to idle.
Jeff climbed awkwardly down the ladder – facing away from it rather than taking the time to turn around and descend more safely. His heel snagged on the last step, and he fell forward, ending up sprawled on the deck.
He looked up to see Dave standing above him laughing.
“Some Raja,” Dave said with a grin and then extended a hand to help him up.
Dave pulled so hard he nearly lifted Jeff off his feet then gave him a good-natured slap on the back. Jeff gave him a subtle ‘thank you’ nod and then hurried over to see what John had on his line.
John stood at the port side and wrestled with the rod. He seemed to fumble as he tried to find a position that gave him proper leverage. Jeff had the impression he didn’t really know what he was doing. His efforts up to that point had seemed more for fun than anything else, and Jeff suspected even he had never really expected to catch anything.
Everyone was enjoying the break from monotony except Nahima who sat reading and ignoring the commotion. Even Benji, who had spent most of the trip quietly resting on the front deck, seemed to perk up and take an interest in the activity.
John worked hard for every inch of line he could bring in, and his face alternated from an elated smile to a struggling grimace.
Jeff watched the spot where the fishing-line met the water to try to get a glimpse of what was on the other end, but all he could see was the line twitching and travelling one direction then the other. Then the line moved toward the rear of the boat and began making a large arc. John moved with it and tried to keep the rod pointed in the direction of the line. As he did so, the rod and line passed over Nahima. She ducked and then glared at John.
“Sorry,” John said in what seemed a sincere voice as he grinned sheepishly.
Jeff, Dave and Rasp all followed John but at enough of a distance to avoid crowding him.
John reeled in some line, paused, reeled a little more then paused again. The fish seemed to be tiring and was less active than it had been. John continued to reel. He was sweating, and his arms were shook from the strain.
“We’re gonna eat well tonight,” he said with a strained smile.
Jeff leaned over the edge to see if he could glimpse anything, but it wasn’t close enough yet. John continued to reel, and the others watched expectantly.
Then Jeff spotted a shadowy form beneath the water. “There!” he said pointing.
It was about fifteen feet long. Its head broke the surface, and Jeff’s first thought was that it was an alligator.
But then the body became more visible, and Jeff saw that it looked something like
a plesiosaur with a thick, bulbous body and four paddle-like fins. Its neck was wider and shorter than the plesiosaurs Jeff had seen in books, and the head was similar to a very large alligator.
Jeff stepped back from the edge.
“Uh… now what?” John asked.
Nobody seemed to have a good answer as the creature began to throw itself violently against the boat; its teeth raked the edge. Its mouth snapped violently, but it couldn’t hold onto anything.
Then the line snapped and John fell backward. The animal turned and sank slowly out of sight.
Jeff turned toward Rasp. “Was that an ocean monster?”
“Yes,” Rasp said.
Jeff smiled and headed back to the helm to get the boat going again. He was relieved to see that, while it was a frightening-looking creature, it was still just an animal.
Then he heard Rasp speak quietly from behind him.
“A very small one.”
Chapter 47:
Jeff had finished his shift at the helm and tried to work up the nerve to start a conversation with Rasp. He wanted to find out more about Pheerion Rex, but Rasp had once said Pheerion Rex had killed his family. How can I even start to talk to him about someone like that?
Jeff walked casually toward him and took a seat. Rasp looked at him expectantly, clearly sensing Jeff had something to ask him.
“I, uh… I was wondering if you could tell me some more about Pheerion Rex.”
Rasp looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What do you want to know?”
“I’m not sure.” Jeff was relieved he had been able to get that far. “Can you tell me anything about what he’s like? How he thinks?”
Rasp thought for a few moments. “He izz very… hiz mind workzz like… numberzzz… not emotion.”