Days of Future Past - Part 2: Present Tense

by John Van Stry

  "We're headed north," I said looking the two of them over. They were both tall and had fair skin and long blond hair like Luvon had, though their hair was a much lighter shade of blond than his had been. Also they were dressed in less fancy clothing than he had worn, outfits much more suited to the outdoors in both make and the dark green color.

  "To where?" he asked looking a little suspicious.

  "I run a scavenger company," Sarah said smiling, "we are exploring the mountain range to see if there is anything to justify a large scale expedition come next year."

  "There are no human settlements around here," the one on the left said.

  "No, we are from Havsue. We're being forced to go farther afield, as the old tech has been picked clean from those places nearby."

  The one on the left nodded, but the one on the right continued.

  "With the war on, there is no way you would be able to come here."

  "There were no wars when we left, where is this war?" Sarah asked surprised.

  "Didn't you see it when you came here?"

  I looked at him and shook my head. "We came from the south, well south of where the inland sea starts. We were planning on returning in the valley to the east of here, down through Washoe territory."

  "The Washoe have been at war for almost a year now. They are being pushed south by an army from the wastes of Nev."

  I sat back in my saddle and thought about that. I already knew something about it, because Coyote had told me that Riggs planned to retake Tahoe and then Reno. But the girls didn't know all that, as I hadn't told anyone.

  "What of to the north of here?" Sarah asked concerned, "Have they taken that as well?"

  "They have taken Tahoe, but have not moved much further west than that. They have been heading south through Washoe lands however."

  I interrupted, "So, if we go to the northwest from here, we should be safe?"

  "You would be safest if you turned around and went back," he replied.

  I looked at Sarah who rolled her eyes. The gesture wasn't lost on the two elves.

  "So," Heather asked, "you trade here?"

  The one on the left nodded.

  "What do you trade?" She asked.

  "Food stuffs, medicines, cloth, things that we make."

  "Who do you trade with? I didn't think there were any human settlements this far north?"

  "The Washoe to the east and the dwarves to the north of here, as well as some of the other elven towns scattered through the mountains."

  I looked at him, surprised. "I thought elves and dwarves didn't get along?"

  Now he looked surprised, "Where did you hear that?"

  I noticed both Heather and Sarah were looking at me. Heather was smirking and Sarah had that patient expression one uses on small children.

  I shrugged, "Years ago, I read it somewhere. I've never met any elves or dwarves before, so it's not like I could ask."

  Now it was the elves' turn to roll their eyes.

  I tried not to blush, "So, is the bridge on this road still there? And if it isn't can we cross the river there?"

  "The bridge is long gone, but there is a small ferry across the river there," the one on the left said.

  "Assuming we let you use it," warned the one on the right.

  Sarah spoke up again before I could say something snarky to the elf with the bad attitude.

  "My name is Sarah Alder, of Alder Explorations and Recovery. This is Paul Young, and this is Heather Mays. We are all partners. You are?"

  "I'm Beldroth," the one on the left said.

  "I am Gaelin," the one who was being hostile to us responded.

  "So, Beldroth and Gaelin, what would you have us do? May we be on our way, or do you seek to delay us for some reason?"

  "I think it would be best if you had a word with our leaders," Beldroth said, "I don't believe that they will have any issues with you, but they may have some questions that you could answer."

  "Is this an invitation to dinner?" Sarah asked.

  "No!" Gaelin said curtly.

  "That is not for us to decide," Beldroth said, looking at Gaelin who looked just a little embarrassed at the other's rebuke.

  "Then whose is it to decide?"

  "Me," said another elf, stepping out from the shadows on the building across the street. I hadn't even seen him there. These guys were good.

  "And you would be?"

  "Tanyl. You say you rode up here from the south?"

  We all nodded.

  "And you've had no problems along this trip?"

  I snorted and Heather laughed.

  "Oh I would not say that," Sarah said looking at the two of us, "Though I suspect you are not asking about any personal ones?"

  Tanyl smiled, "No, I wasn't asking about personal ones. Still that is a long way to come, I suspect it wasn't an easy trip, I am curious."

  "Yes," I said, "we saw the dragons. That's why we're up here in the hills following the old forty-nine route, rather than simply riding along the shoreline."

  Sarah turned and looked at me.

  "Sorry," I shrugged.

  "As Paul here just acknowledged, no, it was not an easy trip. We were part of a large expedition to recover a site well south of here. When the rest of the team headed back, we decided to head north to scout out some other possible finds, based on our research.

  "But other than the dragons, which appear to be easily avoided, you are the first we have encountered, and your news of what is happening to the east of here is something that we did not anticipate."

  Tanyl nodded politely. "Why did you continue to come north, after you saw the dragons?"

  "They do not appear to fly up into the mountains. I have no real idea why, but we have not once seen them do it. So as long as we stay up here on the mountain roads, while inconvenient, it has been fairly safe."

  "Still, that is a fairly large risk to take; there must be something of considerable value for the three of you to undertake the journey."

  "Well our last expedition paid off rather handsomely, though it was not without some unexpected costs," Sarah said with a heavy sigh. "However, we are hoping this time we can do better. So yes, we believe that the reward will outweigh the risk."

  "What is it with you humans and money?" Gaelin said bitterly.

  "It was not about money, it was about improved defenses for Havsue," Sarah said fixing Gaelin with a stern look.

  Tanyl turned and gave Gaelin a look as well, shutting him up, and then turned back to the three of us.

  "What did you find?" He asked.

  "A pre-war armory, which was in pristine shape and full of infantry weapons," I said and took one of the anti-tank missiles and held it up for him to see.

  "What's that?"

  "Anti-tank rocket. Unfortunately we sent the anti-air rockets back to Havsue. We didn't expect to encounter any dragons up here."

  "What's an 'anti-air' rocket?"

  "Something that will track and kill a flying dragon."

  "I find that hard to believe."

  "So did the dragon that I killed with it," I smiled. "These are shorter ranged and not as agile, but if you get one close enough, or on the ground, it will do the trick, I'm sure."

  Gaelin spoke up again; I guess he couldn't just learn to keep his mouth shut, "I find it hard to believe that humans could make such a weapon."

  "I don't know, we sure made the ones that did a number on the world, didn't we?" I asked.

  Tanyl gave a small nod, "You are certainly correct in that. Old human technology was quite powerful. Obviously too powerful for humans to possess."

  "Well, we all have our black sheep," I said and looked over at Gaelin.

  Tanyl didn't respond to that but Beldroth smiled while Gaelin scowled at me.

  "I will need to consult the others on the council about this, you will come with us," Tanyl said instead.

  "Do we have a choice?" Sarah asked.

  "No, you do not, now please dismount and follow me."

&
nbsp; We all got down from our horses then and taking the reins we followed Tanyl as he led us off in the direction where the university had been.

  "So how did you come to be living up here?" I asked Tanyl as I followed him. Sarah was behind me with Heather bringing up the rear. Beldroth and Gaelin followed while six more elves appeared out of the surrounding brush as we started walking flanked us, three to either side.

  "Here on Earth, or here at this place in the mountains?"

  "Yes," I nodded.

  "When the war happened, it eased the boundaries between our homelands and this place which was once our home as well. So some of us came to investigate and see if perhaps we might return to live here again.

  "We found we could, and so we did." He looked around the remains of the town. I did as well and I could see that we were entering a settlement. The buildings and homes that I remembered were all gone, and the structures that replaced them were very different in their size and shape, as well as their color. From above they would be very hard to spot among the trees that were now much more numerous than I recalled.

  "There were no humans left in this place, and most of those in the surrounding areas that were still here were leaving for far off settlements that had survived. That or they were old and dying. They said we were welcome to the lands here and wished us well. I found that I liked it here, so I brought my family and my friends to live.

  "But now of course, the army to the west of here and the dragons to the east threaten all of that. But it is through change and conflict that we grow, and we have none of that back where we came from."

  "And the dwarves? Why did they come?"

  Tanyl laughed, "The dwarves create their own change and conflict. They are here because it is a new place to mine. New challenges to seek, raw metals and gems to find, more things to build."

  "They sound interesting. I hope I get to meet some one day."

  "They are much more militant than we are, you might not enjoy the experience."

  "I wouldn't say that you elves seem to be all that easy going and fun loving," I chuckled.

  "Well, we don't know you, and unfortunately, it is an uncomfortable position in which we find ourselves these days."

  "Life is a series of uncomfortable positions," I said thinking about much of my own life, and not just the recent past either. "Why are dragons such assholes, anyway?"

  Tanyl looked at me rather sharply and almost stopped. "What?"

  "They think nothing of killing us; they really just seem to view us as food from what I understand. They're in a position of power, but rather than try to get along, or even just ignore the rest of us and do their own thing, it seems to me that they only wish to abuse it."

  "Most dragons are quite vain and self-glorious. As well as self-centered and conceited. Many of us are amazed that they are able to reproduce, much less mate and raise offspring."

  "You'd think they'd try to change their ways, seeing as how everyone hates them."

  Tanyl laughed, "They're the most powerful creatures in the world. They fear nothing and no one. Why should they change?"

  "Because if they don't, I'm going to kill them all," I grumbled.

  "Ah, now who is the one being self-glorious?" Tanyl said with another laugh.

  I shrugged, "If the stories I was told are true, humans wiped them out the last time, so we're more than capable of doing it again. After all, history repeats."

  Tanyl nodded and then suddenly grinned, "I would not try telling any of them that. I have heard that they really do not take well to unpleasant news or different viewpoints."

  "Yeah," I sighed, "I know the type."

  We came to the college campus, which surprised me. There were several buildings there that I recognized, and all were in a good state of repair, if painted a bit differently now and adorned with some interesting art and sculptures. I wondered a moment what the old occupants would have thought of it?

  I suspect the liberal arts types would mostly have liked it, but the technical students who were more interested in things mechanical may not have. Then again, they'd probably have all been off tinkering with the dwarves and having a high old time.

  We were led up to what had once been the Redbud building and directed to tie our horses to the hitching rail. When I grabbed my railgun, Tanyl stopped me.

  "Leave your weapons outside."

  "What?" I asked looking at him.

  "We will hold them for you; you can not be armed when you meet with the council."

  "Like hell you will," Heather spoke up and I noticed she had a hand on the butt of her pistol. "I don't know you, and I don't trust you, and after the shit we went through to get these weapons, I'm not going to just let you steal them!"

  I noticed all of the elves suddenly looked very offended and Sarah face-palmed.

  "Elves do not steal," Gaelin said rather frostily.

  I looked at Tanyl, who shook his head, "You can not take weapons into the council room, we don't know you and we don't trust you, either. My men will guard your weapons, all of them. For safekeeping."

  I could see Heather was getting angry, I know that she loved that railgun, possibly more than me, maybe even as much as Sarah.

  "If she unloaded it, would you let her carry it?"

  "No, I'm sorry," Tanyl warned.

  "I'll even break it down for ya," Heather offered.

  "Break it down?" Tanyl asked.

  "It comes apart, into pieces."

  I lowered my voice, "Look, if it's in pieces and in a bag, she won't be able to do anything before you could shoot her."

  Tanyl sighed, "Fine, if you unload it, break it down, and give us your handgun."

  Heather scowled again.

  "Heather," Sarah spoke up, "give them your damn pistol and stop being a pain in the ass. They are letting you hold on to your beloved gun, but if you do not bend I will come over there and put my foot up your ass!"

  I blinked and even Heather looked surprised, and then a bit sheepish as she took off her gun belt and tossed it to one of the elves, then very carefully took out her railgun and first unloaded it, then broke it down into its basic sections and stuck it in a bag that one of the elves handed her.

  We then handed over the rest of our weapons, making sure to unload them first.

  I was surprised that they didn't ask Heather or me to surrender our backpacks, which made me secretly thankful, because I wasn't crazy about the idea of letting the nuke in mine out of my sight.

  Tanyl led us inside, with Beldroth, Gaelin, and the six unnamed elves following us.

  The room they lead us into was rather large, taking up a good deal of the building. To our right was a long table with six elves seated behind it, with a guard standing on either end of it. To our left were a number of benches in a row, I guess for any spectators or people wanting to talk to the council. The benches were currently empty.

  Tanyl walked around the council table and took a seat while Beldroth and Gaelin went and sat on the benches. Three of the six guards moved to stand behind us, while the others put our gear in a pile on the floor before the council, and then went and stood behind us as well.

  "Council members," Tanyl began, "I intercepted these three humans on the northern border of our settlement. My men had been tracking them prior to that since they came into our territory early this morning. They went first to the ruined bridge to the west, and then turned to proceed east. When we stopped them, they told us that they were proceeding to the site of the other bridge to the east, and looking for a place to cross the river on their trip north."

  Tanyl then proceeded to relate our conversation, as well as to tell the council our names.

  "I find it rather suspicious that these three humans should suddenly appear in our lands," one of the female elves said, looking at us.

  "Neirdre, not all humans are evil you know," another elf, also a female said.

  "Then why won't they tell us what they are after, Maerdrym?"

  Another elf, this one a
male, addressed us then, "My name is Eldrin, I too would like to know why you will not tell us why you are here?"

  Sarah gave a curt bow, "Councilman Eldrin, we have told you why we are here. We are scavengers; I am part owner of a large scavenging concern owned by my family back in Havsue. We were part of an earlier mission to a location far south of here, and with that concluded we are now traveling to the north to validate the veracity of the information we have on the sites and installations that existed here prior to the blow-up. Our goal is well north of here and we have been traveling for many days."

  Eldrin turned and looked at the others on the council. Two of the members shrugged, but Neirdre and a couple of others looked unsatisfied.

  "That still does not tell us where you're going," Neirdre pointed out.

  "I told you," Sarah smiled. "North. Northwest to be a little more precise."

  "For what purpose!" Neirdre demanded.

  "Again, I told you. We're trying to validate the information that my partner, Paul," Sarah nodded to me, "has in regards to locations and possible finds from before the blow-up. Bringing a full expedition this far will take funds and planning, and my family would never approve of such, unless I personally verified the value of what was here."

  Neirdre started to say something, but Eldrin raised his hand and interrupted her.

  "I think what my colleague it trying to ask is, where exactly are you headed. As in, what is your specific destination?"

  "Oh," Sarah shook her head, "I'm not sure it would be possible, or wise of me, to give you specifics. Scavenging of old tech, especially old weapons, is a very lucrative and competitive occupation. Which of course is why we are willing to brave certain dangers in its pursuit. If I were to tell you where and what we were trying to find, the possibility of that information reaching someone else is just too great for me to take. You need to understand just how much we risk in the way of resources and lives when we undertake these operations. Why, I could lose my standing in my own family if I were to simply give away such hard won information!"

  I watched the elves as Sarah talked. I was surprised that they didn't interrupt her, though Neirdre and two others were looking very skeptical, as she went on. Tanyl seemed almost bored by all of it, the rest were hard to read.