Bristol looked up. “Um, the thing’s freaking out, but if you watch …”
Jason saw it. The third time a small red icon blinked on—then off—at the farthest eastern coordinates of the landscape.
“There. See it?”
“I saw it. You sure that’s it?” Jason said.
“What else would it be? And it’s coming up at that same location each time. The drone’s doing its best to stay undetectable.”
“What’s the distance from our current location?”
“Um, I guess around three-quarters of a mile. Close. But the terrain looks to be ridiculously uneven moving eastward. I cannot guarantee we’ll find a more suitable campsite.”
“Here’s fine. At least it’s close. Hell, this might be easier than we thought.”
* * *
Local time was 2:20 PM. Jason, in the lead with Bristol and Rizzo, was followed by the rhino-warriors and SEALs. Orion and Dira brought up the rear. Life was abundant. Flocks of birds flew overhead, and small rodents crossed in front of them. More life than he would have thought possible. Several stubby-necked giraffes watched the team from afar.
Passing a large fresh pile of excrement, Jason wondered what kind of animal could produce such an ample load. He figured this would be a good time to play around with his HUD’s phase-time-comparator circuit, the PTCC, and find out. He set the parameters for one hour earlier and watched the corresponding video feed. It took several seconds, and then he saw them: two-horned, white rhinoceros. No less than twenty of them and they were big, easily five thousand pounds each. He watched as one of the animals stood at that same dump spot and dropped his load. Three others followed his lead and did the same ten to twenty yards further up ahead—as if making a line. Perhaps marking their territory? Jason fast-forwarded the feed and saw them retreat the way they’d come, behind them.
The scream echoed across the plains. Jason spun in time to see that one of their rhino-warriors had been pierced from behind. An African rhinoceros was attempting to dislodge the thousand-pound warrior from his embedded horns. Traveler, heavy hammer in hand, reached the carnage in two bounding steps. He gripped the dead warrior’s leather breastplate and pulled the carcass free. The white rhinoceros charged again, his two bloodied horns missing Traveler’s abdomen by inches. Unexpectedly, this time it was Traveler who charged, letting his heavy hammer fall free he caught the rhinoceros’ horns in two hands. In what seemed like a long time, Traveler, down on one knee, slowly ratcheted the beast’s massive head—turning it one hundred and eighty degrees until its neck made a distinctive crack. Traveler released his grip on the horns and let the animal fall free to the ground. By this time the other rhino-warriors had circled around. In unison, they all bent to one knee, scooped up a handful of soil and gently tossed it onto their brother’s remains. Traveler, the first to stand, turned to face Jason. Jason had seen that expression before. Traveler was exuberant.
The nine remaining rhino-warriors brought their heavy hammers up high in the air, smacking them together, producing a sound so loud Jason took a reflexive step backward.
“Captain Reynolds, you have a fine planet. A place where one can fight with honor. And these beasts look like—”
“Yes, we’ve noticed the similarity, Traveler,” Jason said, looking at the dead team member. “I’m sorry for the loss of your warrior.”
“He died with honor against a formidable opponent. What more can one ask?” Traveler noted, retrieving his hammer and standing tall, looking proud.
Chapter 11
They continued on toward Bristol’s flickering drone icon while maintaining a more acute vigil for what was behind them and to their sides. As the afternoon progressed, more and more wildlife came into view. First, an odd-looking grouping of stubby-legged antelope leapt by, then a pride of eight or nine lions. They looked identical to modern day cats, with one significant difference: They were easily twice the size.
“What the hell are those?” Bristol asked startled, as he looked up for the first time from his instrumentation.
“Lions.”
“So, not friendly?”
“No. Not even close,” Jason replied, taking a bit of pleasure in Bristol’s uneasiness.
Jason glanced at Bristol’s wide-eyed expression behind his helmet’s visor. His pimply face was shiny with perspiration and he looked to be on the verge of hyperventilating.
As if on cue, another antelope sprinted by mere feet in front of them. Seconds later, a lioness ran by in close pursuit. After several dodging and weaving maneuvers, the antelope seemed to fatigue and started to slow its pace. The lioness pounced; claws gripped and tore at the antelope’s torso and her massive jaws encircled the prey’s neck. With the antelope’s carotid artery severed, blood sprayed into the air and onto the lioness’s face.
“Oh God. What kind of fucking place is this?” Bristol screamed.
“Take it easy. They’re not interested in you.”
“How do you know that?”
Jason shrugged and kept on walking. “We’re almost there. Keep your mind on your job.”
Up ahead was a rocky rise in elevation. Jason turned around to see their team procession catching up behind them. Off in the distance, behind the SEALs and rhino-warriors, Orion casually waved that all was well. Dira, at her side, looked the other way.
Bristol was crouching down, looking at his equipment. “The icons a bit more steady here. The drone’s actually below ground, subterranean.” He stood up and looked toward the rocks a hundred yards away.
“Could it be a cave?” Jason asked.
“You’re asking me?”
“Yes, I’m asking you. You said it was below ground.”
“I guess that’s as good a guess as any,” Bristol replied. “So sure, it could be a cave.”
Billy caught up and also looked at the rocky ridge in the distance. “That where the drone is?”
“Looks like it. But below ground,” Jason said. “Let’s set up camp here and investigate first light.”
“You got it, Cap,” Billy replied, and hustled off to join the other SEALs.
Within half an hour, three large fires were blazing. One by one their tent-like enclosures, called Retractable Camp Modules, or RCMs, unfolded and took position in a circular perimeter around the fires. No less than five SEALs and five rhino-warriors were assigned revolving four-hour sentry duty shifts. The rhinos were all business, first helping with the fires and then preparing the game to be cooked on the open fire. Jason hadn’t noticed they’d been hunting along the way. Three antelopes, skinned, disemboweled, rubbed with oils and seasoning, then skewered from end to end, were being positioned over the centermost fire.
As the meat popped and sizzled, its juices dripping into the fire, dark smoke rose into the air. The aroma was spectacular and Jason felt his stomach growl. The rhinos had brought in large rocks for everyone to sit on. Everyone sat, helmets off but within easy reach. Jason was the last one to take a seat and found himself sitting between Bristol and Rizzo.
Rizzo gestured toward the distant rocky ridge. “Cradle of humankind.”
“What’s that?” Jason asked.
“Taung Child …”
“I’ve heard of that,” Jason replied.
“History major in college,” Rizzo said, taking a bite. The meat’s juices dripped off his chin.
Jason hadn’t considered that Rizzo was academically oriented. “Where’d you go to college?”
“Columbia. Always loved anything to do with history and archeology.”
“So what’s this about the Taung Child?”
“This place is considered by many to be the birthplace of humanity. A child’s skull was discovered in caves near Johannesburg somewhere around 1924. When it was realized the skull’s characteristics weren’t ape, and had divergent humanistic properties, this area, Taung, became a hotbed of activity for archeologists around the world.”
Jason was handed a platter and began to eat. He already knew the rhinos we
re skillful at preparing game and he thoroughly enjoyed his first bite of antelope. He looked around to the others and saw Dira sitting across from him, mostly obscured by the blazing fire at the center of the circle. She was talking to one of the SEALs Jason didn’t personally know and was animated, using her hands to describe something. When she noticed Jason staring at her, she furrowed her brow and turned her body to the side. She was obviously still mad about something—Jason couldn’t even remember what.
Bristol was done eating and flung a large bone into the fire. Others followed suit and when Jason finished, he too pitched his bones into the blaze. As the sun disappeared below the landscape and darkness crept into the camp, the horizon began to brighten with fluctuating colors, not unlike an aurora borealis, but this night display was constantly moving, wavering.
Bristol said, “You’re looking at the nearest time flux. Not visible during the day, they’re like curtains separating realms of time. If we sit here long enough, we’d find ourselves in another time period.”
Jason nodded and continued watching the sky. “It’s beautiful.”
Bristol glanced toward the anomaly, scratched at something on his back and abruptly stood. He stretched and said, “I’m beat. My bunk is calling.” He fetched up his helmet and disappeared into one of the RCMs.
“Odd kid,” Jason said.
“Oh yeah. Creepy loaner,” Rizzo added.
One by one everyone left the warmth of the fire and made their way into their RCMs. Jason wasn’t tired and walked the perimeter of the camp, every so often crossing paths with one of the SEAL or rhino sentries. A SEAL and rhino-warrior stood together in the distance, both looking out toward the dark plains.
As he approached, Jason asked, “What’s caught your interest?”
The two turned toward Jason; both the SEAL and the rhino-warrior were unfamiliar to him.
“We’re seeing movement, Captain,” the stocky SEAL replied.
Jason glanced at the name tag on his chest. J. Parker. “Any signs of aggression, Parker?”
“Not so far, sir.”
Jason replaced his helmet and was able to see what the two were looking at. Infrared heat signatures showed what appeared to be thirty men walking single file along the rocky ridge. Then, one by one, each heat signature was gone.
The rhino made a deep grunting noise, then cleared his snout with a misty snort. “They go beneath the rocks.”
“Captain,” Parker said, “this is Fast Like Wind. He says they were following us and were watching our camp.”
Jason momentarily considered the rhino’s name and wondered if he was in fact a fast runner. “Seems like they’re turning in for the night. Let me know if anything changes.”
“Yes, sir,” Parker replied. The rhino grunted again.
As Jason turned toward the cluster of RCMs in the distance, a laughing cry from a distant hyena wailed mournfully into the night. The camp was quiet, with a flickering amber light moving along the back of Jason’s camp module. Coming around to the front, he saw that the zipper-like flap was partially open. He pulled his sidearm and tentatively stepped inside.
“We need to talk,” Dira said, looking up from her seated position on his cot.
She was out of her battle suit and wearing a spacer’s jumpsuit with the top portion hanging loose, exposing a small white tank top. Her arms were crossed over her chest. The small overhead lantern cast a warm glow over her violet skin, accentuating her softness—her curves.
“I wouldn’t recommend removing your battle suit in this environment, Dira.”
She bit her bottom lip and raised her eyebrows.
“So what is it you want to talk about?” Jason asked, sitting down next to her.
“You know exactly what I want to talk about.”
“I honestly don’t,” Jason replied, pulling his helmet off and placing it down at his feet.
“With what you’re going through, Nan’s death, feelings of loss ... I know you’re angry. Angry at Stalls, his little brother, and probably everyone else. I want to be there for you, Jason. But you seem determined to push everyone away. I didn’t expect to be one of those people.”
Jason let her words hang in the air for several moments before speaking. “I am angry. Angry my little girl will grow up without a mother, angry that I can’t be there for her right now. And I’m angry I won’t be allowed some form of retribution against Stalls.”
“At least, from the sounds of things, he went out with a bang,” she said.
Jason’s mind envisioned Captain Stalls as he was literally crushed to death beneath a goliath space vehicle. The ends of his mouth slightly pulled up, eventually giving way to a smile. “I guess that’s one consolidation.”
Dira pulled one of his hands free and intertwined her fingers with his. “You’re an amazing man, Jason. I can’t pretend to understand what you’re going through. The loss that you feel. My heart aches for you.”
She brought his fingers up to her mouth and gently kissed them. He watched as her lips brushed against his hand and he felt familiar emotions stir. Emotions he had buried deep beneath others, including those of anger and hatred. Now, looking at Dira’s closed eyes and her long, spectacular lashes, he let his feelings for her reawaken. Overwhelmed, he abruptly stood up.
“You should go, Dira. We have a big day tomorrow.”
Chapter 12
Jason awoke with Dira still on his mind.
Showering in an RCM’s cramped bathroom enclosure was surprisingly effective. It actually didn’t use water at all, but heated pulsating streams of cleansing nanites. After several minutes, when the nanites completed their task, they recirculated back to the nozzle above where they’d be used again when needed.
Jason emerged from his RCM in his battle suit and triggered the module’s collapse. Most of the other RCMs were gone, stowed into individual’s backpacks. Traveler and several other rhinos were scattering what remained of the three campfires to ensure there were no hot embers lying about.
Jason hailed Ricket to see how things were going on the Minian.
“Go for Ricket.”
“Good morning. Status?”
“Good morning, Captain. All is quiet here. I have the first three drone pairs ready for you. Have you located the first one?”
“I believe we’re close. From what Rizzo tells me, we’re at a location referred to as the Cradle of Humankind. Early man evolved in this general location.”
“According to my historical database, that very well could be true. At two point five million years in the past, yes—you’re at a pivotal point in your species’ evolution.”
“Stand by. Once we have the exact coordinates of the drone, I’ll contact you.” Jason cut the connection and joined Billy and several other SEALs. They were again looking toward the rocky rise in the distance.
Billy’s visor was up and a stub of a cigar filled the corner of his mouth.
“Our friends are back,” Billy said.
Jason put his helmet on and used his HUD to zoom in on the distant ridge line. Thirty men, all naked and hairy, stood as if keeping vigil over the exact location Bristol had indicated the drone would be located.
“They’re armed,” Rizzo said.
“Spears. Basically sharpened sticks. That too much for you, Rizzo?” Billy asked with a smirk.
Rizzo nodded, then said, “Considering those few beings just may represent the birth of mankind, are you sure you want to kill even one?”
Bristol joined the group, his helmet held in the crook of his arm. His hair was oily and plastered to his head. Drops of perspiration glistened on the back of his neck. He huffed as he looked over to Rizzo.
“You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. Once the drones are all paired and deactivated, time here will revert back to its relative reality.”
Rizzo bristled, “How do you know? And by the way, you have a big mouth.” Rizzo then shrugged and smiled condescendingly.
“Explain,” Jason said.
/>
Bristol turned and scowled—looking as if the energy needed to reply was more than he was willing to exert. “The drones aren’t really time machines.” He thought a few seconds and continued: “Their original purpose was to set the calendar back one hundred years, right? What they were doing in actuality was creating a network that projected a multiverse representation of how things were one hundred years ago in the past. But once the drone network is deactivated, time continues on from where it left off.”
“So you’re saying all of this, what we’re experiencing, is nothing more than a multiverse projection? None of this is real?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. This is perfectly real. It’s just not our reality specifically. And that’s what is important, isn’t it? Kill those hairy bastards on the ridge, have the rhino-freaks skewer them up for lunch if you want; I don’t care—it won’t impact our own time reference. Got it?”
Jason didn't answer. He used Ricket’s PTCC and rewound Bristol’s commentary. Satisfied he had it all, he used his HUD settings to message it off to Ricket.
Bristol looked quizzically at Jason, “What? Do I need to talk slower? Maybe draw pictures in the sand?”
Before Jason could reply, Billy’s fist caught Bristol on the chin. Now all arms and legs, Bristol cartwheeled ten feet backward and landed on his hands and knees. He grabbed at his jaw and started to weep.
“I think it’s broken. You broke my jaw.”
Ricket was hailing and Jason turned away from Bristol.
“Go for Captain.”
“What you sent me, Bristol’s commentary? It’s basically correct, Captain. You’re not impacting our own time while there, not in the least.”
“Got it. Thanks”
Jason hailed Dira.
“Hi there!”
So much for comms protocol, he thought with a smile. “Can you bring your medical bag? Seems Bristol took a mean fall.”
Realms of Time (Scrapyard Ship) Page 6
