“Are you certain you are leading us in the correct way?” Paul asked.
“I am not a transport automacube. From my best re-purposed application, the course is accurate. As I said, I have no details about the biological habitat which we are crossing. However, using the sky tube as a reference point, I have calculated the correct trajectory for us to take. That is barring any impediments or obstructions.”
They packed up camp and started to walk again, following the automacube. High in the sky there were several dark shapes which were circling around. Gretchen watched them as she walked. Their flight seemed so effortless, with only an occasional flapping of wings. Otherwise the birds glided and circled round and round in a graceful and somehow relaxing manner.
Not long after dawn, Brinley spotted something moving a good distance away. “I think perhaps the predator we were concerned about is stalking us.”
They all watched as the animal in the distance paced along with them as they walked.
“Is that a dog? Some animals like the ones that pulled the sleds?” Paul ventured. “It sort of walks like that.”
“It is not a working dog,” Brinley replied. “I am sure of that. It is a wild animal.”
As they continued to walk, a few more of the animals appeared and followed along, now on both sides of the group. One time a single animal approached close enough that they could get more than a shadowy look at it.
It was somewhat dog shaped, but bigger. It stood about waist high, with flanks of speckled grays. There were also some hints of rusty brownish color mixed with back sprinkled in. It had upright and pointed ears. The animal moved with simple agility and grace, but kept its head cocked toward them the whole time it trotted near. Its eyes were intense but not orange.
“I count at least six of those animals,” Gretchen said as she walked and watched.
“I believe these are called wolves. From my understanding they hunt in packs like this,” Brinley replied.
“They are keeping their distance, so we should be safe, right?” Paul asked.
No one answered him, but they all kept walking.
Paul put his communication link in his ear and activated it. “Tiffany? We could really use your advice right now on some predators. Tiffany?”
There was no response.
They quickened their pace, but that seemed to excite the predators. Soon the animals were approaching closer and actually running around behind them from side to side.
The animals had intelligent yellowish-gold colored eyes. They were not the sickly orange like the infected animals which followed the Roe. These animals also were getting quite lively as they stalked the people. The animals in the pack varied in color from nearly all dark gray to one which was rusty brown with a white underbelly. All had fur that looked coarse and thick. Their ears moved around a lot as they walked or trotted along, and their pinkish red tongues hung out of their open mouths. Gretchen estimated their weight at about forty kilograms, but it was hard to tell. She certainly knew they were muscular and quick moving. None of the people watching missed seeing the large teeth.
With their attention on the predators which were stalking them, as well as the land being so flat, they were genuinely surprised when they came upon the flow of a lot of water. The ground just uniformly dropped down at a slope to the bank where the water flowed. The flow was about twenty meters wide, and steadily moving. Its course was as straight as could be. On the far bank the ground sloped back up and then continued onward much as it had up to this point. Some low lying bushes were scattered along the banks of the river, but were not densely packed in. There were wide sections between the clumps of bushes. The slope down to the water was covered by close to the ground vines which had wide leaves.
“This is one of the unforeseen obstacles,” Doctor 147 stated. “Our route takes us across this river. I can navigate it. I assume that everyone here can do so as well.”
“I cannot swim,” Paul said.
“Nor can I,” Gretchen added.
“Well, perhaps you can wade across,” Zoya said. “We must keep on to find my momma.”
“We need to fill up the water containers as well,” Brinley added.
They approached the water’s edge.
“Are there dangerous animals in the water?” Paul asked. He looked at the clear flowing river and could see a rocky and pebbly bottom.
“I doubt it. The sea is the only place I know of dangerous marine life. But I have not been in this habitat, so be careful. I am not sure of all the kinds of animals in every habitat,” Brinley replied. “Also watch for snakes, they can bite and their poison can kill.”
As they came down the slope to the water, the predators reached the ridge and watched them. They were pacing back and forth in a threatening manner.
Their eyes were pointed upward and they were observing the people as they stood near the water. One of the beasts, a large ruddy gray one with more of a ruffled bit of fur around its chest and back, slowly walked down the slope. This one’s ears were laid back against its head, and it was making a low rumbling noise. Its large teeth were visible as its lips were pulled back. The red of its gums was in contrast to the black around the mouth. Its black nose was flared. Its eyes were piercing and intimidating.
“Over there too!” Gretchen exclaimed.
Two other predators were quietly sneaking down the slope at the opposite side of the group. They were walking low to the ground, their heads down but their ears perked forward, eyes powerfully watching every move the people were making. The one was brownish with some white markings around its muzzle, but a smattering of gray was in its coat. The others were blotchy grays, white, and black. Each was very muscular and fierce looking. The animals’ shoulder blades were the highest parts of their bodies as they slunk low to the ground. They took careful steps around anything which might snap or make any noise at all. These two animals were slinking and not making much of any sounds. Gretchen had accidentally caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye, as she reached for her pistol. Otherwise she and the others would not have seen them coming.
When Gretchen called out, the two wolves raced forward, as she met their eyes.
“I have had enough of this,” Paul declared. He whipped out the handgun and aimed it toward the ground. He pulled the trigger three times quickly.
Blam. Blam. Blam.
The sound echoed up and along the waterway.
The two charging predators were startled. They stopped and then bolted up the slope and away, their tails held down. The beasts on the top of the slope disappeared. There were some whining yips as they sprinted away.
The large one that had been growling on its approach stopped, but continued to stare at Paul. It then gave a long low and vicious howl, before turning and running off. It stopped at the top of the slope, turned back, glaring at the people and howled again. Then it too was gone.
“Paulie? Were you actually aiming at those predators?” Brinley teased.
“Would it have made any difference?” Paul laughed. He was very relieved that the animals had run away. He was not sure that the sound alone would scare them, and feared it might have provoked the big one into actually attacking him. He had considered shooting at them, but doubted he could hit one. His eyes had never left the first one to come down the slope. He decided to use the handgun before he even considered Gretchen’s warning call. He was glad the animals were startled and ran off. The last one’s look of hatred and malice stayed in Paul’s mind.
The people turned to each other in relief. They all took a few moments to relax and ponder what had just happened.
“So now we just need to safely cross this water,” Gretchen said.
“My momma taught me to swim when I was but a baby. She said it was good practice for zero gravity and for the piloting of shuttles. I will swim out and see how deep it is,” Zoya said and she pulled off her gear and then her clothing. She walked into the water.
“It is cold,” Zoya said. She wa
lked out until the water level was about at her armpit level. She was standing in the middle of the river.
“No dangerous water animals?” Paul asked.
“No. Just cold water, and smooth stones on the bottom. The force of the water is not too excessive, either. If it remains like this you can just walk across.” She hurried along and walked out on the other bank. “No problems.” Zoya dove back into the water and with speed swam back.
The white automacube approached the water’s edge, and set its appendage down into the water. “The temperature is not dangerously cold. There should be no ill effects from this chill.” It then rolled into the water, and disappeared beneath the surface.
Zoya had picked up her supplies and clothing and then waded back into the water. She held her gear high over her head as she walked.
Brinley stripped down and did the same thing. As she was crossing the river, the automacube came up on the other bank. Water was running off of the machine and its wheels left tracks in the soft ground near the water.
Paul looked at Gretchen and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it is safe. I just do not want to step on one of the things with the big pincher claws, or some other nasty surprise.”
“Well maybe those dog-like predators cannot swim either?” Gretchen said hopefully.
“Our radiation absorbing material will shed off the water,” Paul commented. “So all we need to do is keep the equipment dry, right?”
“Indeed, the RAM clothing is water inhibiting. I doubt the people in Dome 17 ever considered that our clothes would be immersed in this much water.”
“Right. It was more to keep sweat in and recycle it.” Paul loaded all his things into the backpack and held it up.
Walking though the water was an odd experience. The RAM clothing kept the skin dry, but their clothing did get a bit heavier as they progressed across. In the middle of the river, Paul saw an object floating along on the surface of the water. It had a small knobby head and round, dark-green back.
“Something lives in here,” he said worriedly. He kept his eyes on the thing as it came by. It was dome shaped and about a big as he two hands together. It was swimming using four small appendages which came out of the dome, and a head with tiny eyes. When it got close to Paul, it disappeared under the water.
“Where did it go?” Paul yelled.
He and Gretchen hurried to cross the river. As they walked out of the water, the RAM clothing was drying quickly and lost the excess weight it had collected. Paul looked back but could not see the round animal which had been swimming in the water.
Everyone was dressed and had their equipment back in place.
“So this water is safe to drink?” Paul asked.
“Yes, I believe so.” Brinley took her hands and made a cup and lifted some water to her mouth. “It tastes fine.”
Doctor 147 stated, “When I tested the temperature, I sampled the water. It is potable.”
They filled their water containers and then they walked up the slope and away from the river.
Far in the distance, a man was standing at an observation post and watching the river crossing through a magnification viewer. Sitting next to him was a large beast connected to him by a light chain. The man could never have seen them without the technological aid he held to his eyes. He had been alerted when he and the beast had heard the gunshots, and yelps from the wolves. He had quickly used the magnification viewer to scan the area for the source of the gunfire. He located the people crossing the river by their heat signatures, as well as the departing wolf pack, all of which registered on the magnification viewer. His dark violet and deep blue colored uniform embraced his athletic frame. His belt held a pouch for the multiceiver, and a holster for his handgun. On the collars of his shirt were brass F pins. His head had a tight cap of deep blue color.
He lifted a multiceiver to his mouth, “Base, this is Victor in sector 19. We have unauthorized use of firearms. Four individuals, three females, one male, and a medical automacube. I suspect they are smugglers. They are heading toward the edge of the habitat. Shall I engage?”
The response was immediate, “Victor this is base. I will shut down all the automacubes in that sector.”
“Very good,” Victor replied. “We do not want any of those smugglers spreading the infection.”
“The automacubes in that sector are now disconnected from the lattice,” the man at the base stated. “What did the smugglers do when that one shut down?”
“Negative. It did not shut down. I repeat, the medical automacube did not shut down,” Victor continued to stare through the magnification viewer.
“That confirms them as smugglers. Those smugglers must have modified or shielded the automacube. It is still moving?”
“Affirmative. The automacube is still in operation.”
“The smugglers are moving toward the edge of Pampas?”
“Yes, base. They must be on their way out. I hope they did not bring the infection in with them,” Victor stated.
“Do you have a volkosoby for tracking?”
“Yes, I have my dear friend Tarpay with me.” The man rubbed the head of the animal near him with affection. He did not have to bend over at all to do so. The animal looked up at him with enthusiasm, its upright tan ears and bright eyes excited by his voice. Its soft and thick fur felt good in his hand, and the tracking animal loved the attention.
“Observe and follow. Additional troopers will be dispatched,” the voice on the multiceiver stated. “The smugglers are not to be allowed to leave Pampas. Quarantine must be maintained. I will relay your report to Constable Jeffry. Good work.”
“Understood,” Victor replaced the multiceiver in his pouch. He put down the magnification viewer and squatted down.
Rubbing the wolf-dog hybrid with both hands he said, “Tarpay, you and I are going to have some fun this day. Those people scared your feral cousins, but not you, nor me. No. Those smugglers do not frighten us.”
Tarpay, was a bit larger than the wolves, and his fur was a much lighter, creamy color. Tarpay licked Victor’s face in excitement and then looked attentively back in the direction of where Paul, Gretchen, Zoya, Brinley and the automacube had crossed the river.
“Tarpay, I sometimes think your senses are better than any of the equipment the CPO provides us. And you are much more cuddly!” The trooper laughed a hearty laugh as he and his dog walked down from the observation post and began their pursuit.
“Shall we protect our home and keep the quarantine in place? We must hurry to intercept them before they reach the sidewall.”
Victor adjusted the small display on his multiceiver and stated, “There is but one place near to them if they are trying to leave.”
Tarpay stood attentively and his tail wagged as he peered into the distance.
12 getting out might be dangerous
After climbing the slope up and away from the river, the party continued across the flat expanse of pampas. In the distance there was a dark green area just becoming visible.
The dark birds which had been circling overhead were no longer there. Gretchen wondered if they were somehow connected with the predators which had been driven away by the sounds of the gun firing. Or perhaps, she pondered, that sound had frightened those flying animals as well?
As they walked the ground was going a bit uphill and the grassy clumps were becoming more clustered and a few small bushes were growing. They also started to see another flying animal, a really vivid bird. It had a black body, mostly, but with a very bright red throat and chest. One was sitting in a small tree as they walked along and they could see that it had a face with a small, bright red stripe above the eyes, and with contrasting, off-white eyebrows.
It made high pitched whistling types of sounds as they passed.
“That bird is almost as colorful as some of the fish in the sea,” Paul commented as they passed it.
“Why are the animals so oddly colored?” Gretchen asked. “Those predators were hard to see in
the grasses as their colors blended it, but that bird stands out like a beacon? Doctor 147 what do you know about those flying animals?”
“I am not a gardening automacube, nor am I animal husbandry automacube, nor am I a wildlife management automacube. I am a medical automacube. I have no knowledge of that species. Therefore, it is not poisonous or toxic. Beyond that, I have no knowledge,” Doctor 147 replied in its mechanical voice.
“Tiffany could tell us, if we could only make contact,” Paul stated rather dejectedly.
“I am also not the artificial intelligence, Tiffany,” Doctor 147 stated.
Zoya did not turn but she said, “I know it is hard when you cannot speak to the people you want. I really wish I could call out and tell my momma we are coming for her. The way you both act toward this Tiffany, it is like your own mother is missing.”
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 57
