As they walked back down the corridor towards the temple chamber; Elizabeth watched the people coming in looking for friends and relatives—and information. They looked confused and anxious. She touched the captain’s arm and said, “Tobias, I think people are scared. You should probably tell them something.”
He looked around and replied, “I’m afraid you’re right Liz. Maybe it’s time they learn the truth.”
The general population knew nothing of Al’s desperate search for another place to call home. The captain believed that until now, the knowledge would do more harm than good. With the volcano's renewed activity, he needed to give them a reason for hope and decided it was time to do just that. If the explorers were successful, and the exodus begun, it was going to require everyone working together to manage a relocation of this magnitude. They will be leaving almost everything behind, and starting all over with the bare essentials.
The captain stood before the transport cube and clapped his hands. In a loud voice, he said, “Attention everyone. I have something to say.”
The truth will be hard to believe for some of these people, and in some cases, hard to accept. He stood for a moment, scanning the crowd, trying to gauge their possible reactions. He turned to Elizabeth and said, “Here goes nothing.”
The captain faced the crowd and told them what they needed to hear. He told them what needed to happen. Without a wasted word the leader said, “We have to leave this island.”
****
Captain Tobias Effinger is a leader with a commanding voice, and when he spoke those words, all chatter stopped. For a moment there was silence, and then chaos took over. It took several minutes for them to settle down enough for him to explain.
“If you don’t know already, the mountain called Vision Peak is an active volcano. The explosion this morning and the one that happened earlier are warnings of a more serious event. The computer in the research outpost is predicting a cataclysmic eruption within the next few months, and when it does it will destroy everything on the island, if not the island itself.”
It was a mixed crowd of Earthlings, Therans, and Avalonians he addressed, and some sat down after hearing the captain’s words.
The colonists from Camelot were aware of the dangers associated with living at the base of a volcano and hoped their leaders could find a solution. The natives from Avalon and the people of the island had no concept of the destructive nature of an active volcano. They found the captain's words difficult to believe. A man somewhere in the middle of the room yelled, “Why should we believe what you say?”
There were others around him with similar thoughts, and they voiced their agreement.
“Because we have as much to lose as you do,” he replied. “Please let me continue.”
The captain paused, giving the audience time to quiet down, and then forged ahead. “I tell you this because moving to the other side of the island will not save us. When the mountain finishes what it is preparing for, there will be nowhere to hide.”
He disliked being so blunt, where tact and diplomacy are thrown out the window, but he needed their attention. Somehow, he had to convince them that leaving was necessary—even vital for their survival.
“There is no place for us to go!” another exclaimed. “Are you telling us we are doomed?”
That was the bad news, now for the good.
“We have discovered land across the sea. A vast continent that is not an island but a mainland with real mountains, lakes, and prairies.”
He could see the doubt in some of their faces. They did not yet understand how another land, far away, was helpful.
Now the captain smiled. He knew something they did not.
“We have an expedition there right now, and last night they started moving inland in search of a suitable place to relocate. If all goes well, we could start evacuating people in a week.”
“How can that be? We have no way to cross the sea,” a woman cried.
The humans from Earth and the natives that traveled with them knew of the teleporter, and how it could be used to save them. The people of the island, however, did not. He would have to explain all that later.
There was much to do, and he wanted to get to it. He answered the woman’s question with, “There is a way. When the expedition finds a suitable location, they will assemble a portable transport station, where we can step into the teleporter chamber in the center of this room, and it will deliver us to the new land.”
Confusion and fear gripped the room, and the captain attempted to reassure them. He told them plans were being put in place to get everyone to the new land, and tried to answer their questions:
“What can we take with us?”
“As much as you can carry.”
“Will it be warm?”
“Yes, it is warm there now.”
“How did the travelers get there?”
“On a boat—called the Argo. The self-propelled boat we were testing not long ago.”
“Where will we live?”
“In houses we will construct. All of us.”
“Is this the way it must be. We have to leave?”
“Yes, if you want to live.”
Elizabeth and Tammy, along with the rest of their group, joined the captain in his attempt at convincing the people of Atlantis to abandon their comfortable homes, leave the history of their forefathers, and move somewhere new and far away.
****
Vision Peak calmed down as Tiro promised, and the streams of lava that spewed from its peak stopped, and slowly cooled until the fire inside faded. The Islanders put out small fires and propped up damaged houses. All activities relating to moving the town ended, and their efforts refocused on what was needed to relocate a population to another world.
Elizabeth and Tammy took on the task of generating a comprehensive list of evacuees and spent their time gathering names to complete the census. The Captain needed the list completed quickly, so they hurried from person to person taking their names and some basic information, adding them to the database, and moving on.
In the process, they briefly met everyone inhabiting the island. The people of Thera were frightened and anxious, and the two women answered many questions as best they could. It was census taking with a dash of diplomacy.
Edward spent his time with Tiro, trying to figure a way to transfer some of the critical capabilities of the outpost computer to a system they could take with them. Life without a working network to handle the many things they used it for was something Edward wanted to avoid. There were fabrication machines and power generators in the outpost that needed disassembled and transported to help them create the community they all desired.
He was also coordinating the exodus. As the chief scientist, he would be operating the controls, and this responsibility weighed heavy on him.
Edward was aware of the living conditions in town and was grateful for his little room in the sleeping chamber. Two and three couples lived in the same home. If there were children, the problems were compounded. Running water was scarce, and electricity was limited. Even food was becoming a problem after the farm fields were picked clean and abandoned. He believed most would be ready for a new start.
Ana and Kayla, part of the original seven and certified nurses, were assigned to helping Doctor Cody with the injuries caused by the eruption. Some of the housing had collapsed with people inside, and raining debris caused other injuries. The casualties kept them busy.
Robot Nine ran errands for anyone that asked, and delivered food and supplies.
The only time they stopped was to recharge—the humans by taking short naps and the robot by plugging into a charging station. They were determined to be ready when the time came.
Chapter Seventeen
The Watcher did not respond when he tried to activate it. After the last search, he parked the drone in a clearing close to the lake, and it should have received enough light to recharge. Now, when he needed it again, he received nothing. No d
ata and no video. It appeared something had happened, and the surveillance device was no longer functional. They would be completing the journey without its help.
Al powered up when the trek into the forest began. The tell-tale in his enhanced vision had fallen to fifty percent, forcing him to be practical and stay in normal mode unless absolutely necessary. There was no replacement for the power pack in his chest. When his energy was exhausted—so was he.
Pulling the sled required him to be in enhanced mode, but it required little effort and had minimal effect on his power reserves. Chris and Kira walked behind him, gawking at their surroundings.
They started out well, and made good time, but as they walked through the field of colorful moss, Kira started yawning. Chris saw her struggling and realized he too was having trouble staying awake. Al heard their chatter slow down and then stop behind him. When he turned to instruct them to catch up, he saw them collapsing to the ground, curling up, and going to sleep. He nudged them and called their names, but they would not wake. They were breathing and appeared fine, but slept as if drugged.
He looked around to determine the reason for this unusual behavior and remembered the strong smell of flowers. When he bent down for a closer inspection, he discovered the smell emanated from the little red blooms. The fragrant flowers populating the blue-green moss caused even him to feel a wave of fatigue, as the filters protecting his air intakes became overwhelmed. He quickly stood up.
An old story from Earth spoke of deadly poppy fields that caused living animals to sleep but not their companions made of straw or steel. In this case, a good witch was not going to make it snow and save them. Their rescue was up to him.
I have to get them away from the moss, he thought.
It was getting dark, and soon it would become much darker. The canopy above would block the starlight.
Rather than make multiple trips, he put a teammate on each shoulder and began running. The moss was thick, and his feet sank with each step impeding his progress. A half mile from where they fell, the sleep-inducing growth thinned out. When the moss stopped, vines, bushes, and small trees found a place to flourish. The vast open space before him became thick with brush.
Creeping vines used the giant tree trunks for support, which in turn provided a foundation for other plants. It amazed Al how fast it changed. Within a few hundred feet from the end of the moss, he was following a narrow path. The dirt passage led to a circular patch of pale green grass, where he laid his companions down to recover. Chris began to stir, and not long after Kira showed signs of awakening. He provided them with a lantern and gave them time to recoup before he left to retrieve the sled. The forest was getting very dark, and he wanted them to be fully awake before he left.
His night vision provided him with a ghostly green image of the path before him. He put on the harness and pulled the cargo to where he left Chris and Kira. As soon as he approached his friends, his weight, and the added weight of the sled caused the little patch of grass to give way, and they fell through the ground into darkness.
****
Al was the only one to land on his feet. When the bottom fell out from under them, he was standing, and the patch of grass along with the branches that supported it broke his fall. Chris and Kira were sitting up, and not as lucky. Chris landed on top of Kira and knocked the wind from her lungs. While she gasped for breath, Al’s eyes readjusted to a circle of light from flaming torches.
A group of short creatures with long hair covering their unclothed bodies surrounded them. They stood on two legs with a blazing stick in one hand and a club in the other. These creatures saw what had fallen into their trap, and backed up; surprised by the animals they captured. Caught off guard; their confidence turned to fear.
The three explorers faced their captors and waited, while the wary creatures slowly circled Al’s group, trying to make sense of the captured animals before them.
Their hair was mostly white, while their skin was black, and none of them were taller than four feet. They did not use words but grunted a form of communication only they understood. The largest one appeared older and appeared to be the leader. This individual was motioning for his peers to stay back and grunted with authority for emphasis.
The explorers had fallen into an underground chamber, with a ceiling of twisted roots held up by columns of intertwined branches disappearing into the ground below. Outside the circle of torchlight was total darkness.
Chris hesitantly stood, favoring his right leg, and slipped his pistol from its holster. Al grabbed his hand. “Hold on Chris. Let’s see where this goes.”
Kira’s breathing slowed, her eyes locked on their aggressors. Al turned to her and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I am all right Mister Clark.”
“How about you Chris?”
“I think I might have sprained my foot.”
“Can you walk?”
“I think so, but I don’t believe I’ll be running.”
“There is nowhere to run Chris.”
In the closeness of the underground chamber, sounds were amplified, and in Al’s enhanced state, the motors moving his body could be heard. Their captors picked up on this and were puzzled by the sounds. They shuffled back a little more each time he moved.
The leader made a quick assessment and grunted his decision. When he first met the Avalonians they fell to the ground, as the Therans did when they first encountered Darius and Dusty. Now the leader of this new group did the same; directing the other six members of his troupe to follow his example.
“Here we go again,” complained Al. “Why are we always mistaken for gods. Do I look like a god to you?”
Out of nowhere, for the very first time, Falkor roared. He appeared from thin air at the edge of the hole and peered at the scene below him with disapproval. The young dragon was finding his voice, and in the confines of the underground cavern, the sound of his discontent was alarming.
The leader grabbed his torch, jumped to his feet and ran—his companions following closely behind. In seconds the expedition from Atlantis was left alone, in a dark cavern of spiraling wooden columns, with only the light of the lantern that followed them down.
****
“That was probably the worst case of first contact I have ever heard of,” commented Chris.
Kira laughed. “I thought the first time I met Mister Clark was confusing. This meeting is a story I will be telling until my dying day.”
“Well,” said Al, “That was interesting. Thank you Falkor, for getting us out of that without anyone getting hurt.”
The dragon snorted and stomped his foot. He thought they should be moving, and not wasting time with so much talking.
“Were we just accosted by monkeys?” asked Chris.
Al’s reply was thoughtful, “I think they are more than monkeys, they are smart enough to construct this trap, and have learned to use fire. I’m not sure where this confrontation was heading, but I am sure glad Falkor broke it up.”
Kira asked, “How are you Mister Clark? Are you all right?”
“I’m okay, Kira. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. I am much better now.”
Al pulled his flashlight from a pocket and looked around. The white remains of small animals scattered around the interior lit up when the beam hit them. It appeared this trap had been used many times before. He asked, “Anyone want to go wandering around down here to find a way out? Or should we use the grappling hook and climb out?”
“I vote for climbing out,” Chris volunteered.
Kira was quick to agree.
In Al’s present state, it wasn’t much of a problem for him to toss the hook over the lip of the hole above them and climb out. Chris put on the harness, and Al lifted him out. Kira tied the boxes to the line, and one by one Al lifted them to the surface. When the boxes and cart were above ground, Chris tossed the harness down for her to put on and he hauled up the last of his team.
They walked for half an hour in the
darkness, the path they followed getting consistently more overgrown and the sled harder to pull. Chris was limping and Al suggested he ride on the crates, but the young man declined. “I think it’s all right. It doesn’t hurt much.”
Al found a clearing that would allow them to set up the tent with a thirty-foot tree trunk at their backs and they made camp. He reluctantly powered down. The power indicator in his vision a constant reminder of his mortality. One stood guard while the other two caught up on the sleep they desperately needed. Al insisted he was not tired and took the watch.
Before retiring, they called the island and gave their report to the captain. Elizabeth was listening, and after hearing about their troubles grew concerned. “Does that mean you were enhanced almost the whole time?”
“Umm—yeah, pretty much.”
“What does your power meter read?”
“Well, you see it depends on how you look—.”
“Don’t try and make excuses. Tell me.”
“When I returned to normal, a little while ago, it read twenty-five percent.”
The radio went silent for a moment, and Al pictured the look on her face. Anger, frustration, and worry all rolled up together.
He tried consoling her, “Traveling is getting easier, and the sled is easy to pull. I will be all right.”
“How much further do you have to go?”
“According to my data pad, we should be there sometime the day after tomorrow.”
“Please try to be more careful,” she advised. “You will do nobody any good if you allow yourself to run out of power.”
“Yes ma’am, I’ll try.”
The morning crept up on them, taking its sweet time, the light from above dimmed by the thick canopy. At a point where they could see without tripping, Al woke his companions. “Time to go scouts. Times a wasting.”
Chris rolled over and moaned. “Somebody stop that truck that hit me—I want to talk to the driver.”
Thera Page 14
