by Kurt Winans
As he had been an experienced and proficient hunter back on his birth moon of ₹-593-Ԅπ-2-2, the need for his return to the confines of the community were far less pressing that that of the female and her baby. It was ten days before he felt the need to appear in the population center, and only at the word of his Mayan female counterpart did he agree to the blood test.
Aurora informed Tikal a few days later that the last of the Mayans had been located and tested with negative results, and Tikal’s response was curious. He said, “You, and others such as Ross, have taught our people how to coexist with you on our birth world and here on Earth. We have come to learn that the process of that is only one aspect of our evolutionary shift, so could this be considered another?”
“What do you mean?”
“The young hunter that all of you have been searching for. He has agreed, in the same way that I did, to have his blood tested for purity.”
“That’s true, but why would that be evolutionary?”
“Both of us did so at the request of a female.”
Throughout the several months since constructing their initial prototype vehicle, Colt and Hank had modified the design with a few additions. Chief among those was the installation of a small generator and a dragging brake to the undercarriage, but neither could have been accomplished without the help of their engineering friends at the manufacturing plant.
Extended trial runs under pedal and sail power had proven that the vehicle could withstand any punishment that the less than perfect terrain would present, but the lack of a light source made nighttime operation somewhat risky. The new generator could collect energy harnessed from all three of the vehicles power sources, and store it for use by the newly installed lights on the triangular mainframe whenever the need arose. In keeping with design traditions of various watercrafts from the pre-apocalyptic time on Earth, the mountings were gimbaled. Although that use had normally been reserved for instrumentation, such as a compass, or by the far less vital need of beverage holders, the concept kept the aforementioned level during turbulent conditions. In the current instance, gimbaled lighting would remain focused on the upcoming terrain should the vehicle ever heel over due to an unexpected burst of wind.
With Janet having worked a frantic schedule of research and clinical trials in regard to the virus throughout those same several months, Colt noticed that she was showing signs of fatigue. Given the scope of the monumental task confronting her and other members of the medical community, it was no wonder. Still, Colt felt she needed a break sooner than later. Locating Aurora, he said, “Can you help me convince Janet that she needs to take a break for a few days.”
“Sure Colt. I can try, but you know as well as I do that she is extremely dedicated to her task.”
“That’s true. I do have an idea though, and I think it would be wonderful if you and Tikal joined us on an adventure. With Hank, the five of us could have a nice getaway for a few days. If Janet knew that you were interested, it might be enough to sway her.”
“That sounds intriguing, what did you have in mind?”
“Well, it has been a long time since we all took that trip on the shuttle to the museum complex and...”
“Hang on Colt; let me stop you for a second. I don’t have any desire to go back to Cheyenne Mountain, and I really don’t believe that Janet would want to either. Why don’t you and a few of the guys go instead?”
“I appreciate your honesty Aurora, but that’s not what I had in mind. Besides, going on some trip with a few of the guys won’t help Janet’s need for a break.”
“That’s true. So, what’s the plan then?”
“I was thinking that some exploring of the coastal area to the east could provide all of us with a nice diversion, and the SSP vehicle would be the perfect way to do that.”
“Sounds like a good idea, but what’s the SSP vehicle?”
“That’s what Hank has named our prototype. It’s short for Sail, Solar, and Pedal.”
Two days later, with some prompting from Dr. Halley, Janet took a well-earned break from her duties at the medical labs. With the SSP fully supplied with food, water, and gear for a multi-day trip, Colt and the four passengers climbed onboard for their planned dawn departure. Standing beside the Doctor to see them off, Tori said, “I hope you all have a wonderful adventure, but please be careful. You are important members of our community, and we need you to return safely.”
Each of them nodded with agreement, and then Colt said, “Is everybody ready to go? If so, then we all need to start pedaling.”
Once clear of the community, a brief stop enabled Hank to raise the mast. Then they followed the shoreline to the east with the wheels running smoothly upon the hard packed sand.
Watching them disappear from view, Dr. Halley turned to Tori and said, “Try not to worry about them too much. Colt and Hank are more experienced with the safe operation of that thing than anyone else. I’m sure they will be fine.”
“I hope you’re right, but that’s not my main concern. Although he had kept the information from Janet so that she would agree to go along on the trip, Colt told me that he wanted to travel for two full days of exploration before beginning the return. If he sticks to that plan, they will be gone for at least three nights.”
“True, but they can communicate with us if the need arises, and we could always send a shuttle to pick them up if they run into any problems.”
“You’re right doctor, but the historical disk recordings have stated that no one has ventured that far to the east from this population center for a few centuries. I have no idea what they might find.”
“I think that’s why Colt wanted to go out there. For men like him, life is an adventure that needs to be explored.”
With the late afternoon sun sinking low to their rear, Colt turned to ask, “Hey Hank, do you think we should stop and set up a camp for the night?”
“Sure dad, how about right up there on that rise?”
Returning his gaze forward to locate where his son was pointing, he replied, “That looks like a good enough place to me. Just let me bring in some sail to slow us down?”
A few moments later Colt applied the new drag brake and the SSP came to a stop so everyone could climb out. As Hank began the procedure of lowering the mast and securing the vehicle, Janet asked, “What can I do to help?”
“I’ve got this mom, why don’t you pick out the spot where can build a fire and camp?”
The request, although innocent enough, reminded Janet of an event that had transpired many years before. It was the first time that she had been asked to pick out a campsite since Robert had done so on the afternoon preceding her abduction by the alien species in 1957. The events of that night had, in a lengthy and inadvertent way, brought Janet to the life that she now led. She quickly shook herself clear of the memory, and after visually surveying the area, walked several yards before turning to Hank and saying, “How about right here?”
Tikal then built a fire at the chosen site within minutes, and the five of them enjoyed a sunset over the coast and stargazing for a few hours afterward. The following morning called for an early departure after breakfast, but Janet was surprised to see Colt climb into the seat beside her. In a pre-planned move, Hank took the helm of the SSP after raising the mast. Turning toward her, Hank winked at his mother and said, “Alright then. Is everybody ready to go?”
Janet looked at Aurora and Tikal, who revealed no visible measure of concern, and then at Colt. He smiled and said, “Did you trust me, and feel safe, while I was driving?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then you should feel even more at ease with Hank at the helm.”
“What are you saying Colt? Although I’m aware that the two of you have been working on this project from the beginning, I always thought of Hank as your assistant.”
“Well you have been extremely busy during the course of that time, so your position is understandable. It’s important for all of us that you alter your
way of thinking though. With practice, Hank has become more proficient with the safe operation of the SSP than anyone else, and that includes me.”
Colt’s point was then proven to be correct throughout the course of the next several hours. While never creating a level of discomfort or uneasiness for his passengers, Hank gave them all a fantastic ride. Moving further from the coast, he maneuvered the vehicle through all types of terrain with a gifted expertise. He demonstrated his ability to quickly adjust both sail deployment and orientation to the wind on countless occasions, and even applied a soft pressure on the drag brake a few times to aid in course correction. Janet, now more visibly relaxed, reached for and grasped Colt’s hand. He smiled when she said, “You were right. Hank is very good at this.”
“Yes he is, and based on his instinctive feel for the SSP, I think that he would be a natural at something else.”
“What’s that?”
“We would need to speak with Tori to see if it could even be a possibility, but I think that Hank should go through whatever training is necessary so that he could learn how to fly the shuttle.”
Before having a chance to respond, their conversation was interrupted as the vehicle crested yet another rise in the rolling terrain. Hank had apparently noticed something, as he pointed and shouted out, “Hey everybody, look over there.”
Instantly intrigued, Colt squinting and said, “That’s good spotting at this range Hank, what do you think it is?”
“I don’t know, but let’s find out.”
Without waiting for either a confirming or dissenting word, Hank made the appropriate course correction. Janet then said, “Did you teach him that?”
Colt replied, “Teach him what?”
“To make a decision that could affect all of us without even waiting for a response from you or me.”
“No I didn’t, but he’s learned one aspect of becoming an effective leader. When he is sitting in that chair, he decides what course of action the SSP will take. Besides, Hank knows that we came out here, at least in part, to explore the area.”
As they drew closer to the coast, the secret of what Hank had spotted became clear. Although there was very little that still remained, it was obvious that they had stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient city or town. Plant life had overgrown and obscured anything that remained inland, and that included a few mounds that may have been toppled buildings. Along the shoreline a few crumbled outcroppings of long ago habitation were buried deep into the sand, and the waves circulated in and around other objects whose visible tops breached the surface. With the SSP maintaining a slow crawl, Hank said, “Just tell me when you want to stop dad.”
Realizing that Hank had relinquished command for the moment, Colt replied, “I will son, but for now just keep trolling.”
A short time later, an object protruding from the sand caught their collective eye. It appeared as if it may have been a portion of a large statue, so Aurora asked, “Hank, could you please stop for a minute?”
As they all inspected the object more closely, Aurora placed a hand over her mouth. She felt a sense of recognition toward the work, and began to look around for additional signs of identification. Then after attaining what she believed to be the proper course, she moved away from the group. Tikal hadn’t noticed, as he was feeling the strange substance of the statues protruding green arm and hand. Although accustomed to the stone statues around the Mayan sundial used to measure the planting, harvest, and eclipse days on his birth world, this substance was foreign to him. Noticing how captured Tikal had become, Colt leaned over to his friend and said, “This statue was made of something called bronze. It’s a type of metal.”
Looking up at Colt, Tikal asked, “This is very strange, was it stronger than stone?”
“In this case yes, but that is not always true. This metal statue has withstood the powers of the ocean and sand for many centuries, but bronze is only one form of metal. There are many different types of metal, and some of those are not as strong as some types of stone.”
While they were discussing the statue, Janet and Hank had followed Aurora at a respectful distance. When at last she gasped in disbelief and fell to her knees, they shouted for Colt and Tikal while rushing to her side. At the point where the wide sandy beach gave way to intruding fingers of lush vegetation, the corner of a smooth black surface could be easily seen. An emblem of sorts was also partially visible, and Aurora’s initial belief from her identification of the statue was verified when she pulled away the vines and dug into the sand.
Hank asked, “What is it Aurora?”
Turning to answer the question, she could see Colt and Tikal quickly approaching. Then she loudly exclaimed, “I think I know exactly where we are!”
Staring at the rather large hole that Aurora had dug in the sand and the now fully visible emblem upon the smooth black surface, Hank asked, “What is that thing?”
“It’s supposed to be a depiction of a longhorn Hank. It was one of the several breeds of a fairly large animal that once roamed many parts of the Earth.”
“So how do you know that, and why is it here?”
“I think that this is a portion of the top corner of our giant scoreboard that was located at the south end of the football stadium.”
Janet, from her years of living in the state, possessed a minor knowledge of the Texas Longhorn football program. She then asked, “What? Are you sure about that Aurora?”
“Without a doubt, this is part of our scoreboard.”
At that moment Colt caught his first glimpse of the easily recognizable emblem, and was quick to exclaim, “No way! I can’t believe it!”
Hank then knelt beside Aurora in the sand and said, “I don’t know what a scoreboard was used for, or what a football stadium is either, but why do you refer to it as our?”
“Because I attended and graduated from this school while my father Ross was working in politics a short distance away. I was lucky enough to attend several football games in this place while doing so, and it’s just an old habit for those of us to claim anything associated with the university as ours.”
Turning to look at her with amazement, Hank asked, “You mean that this place was once part of a school?”
“Yes it was Hank, but not just any school. We are on ground that was once the campus of the University of Texas, and I spent four years of my life here in the city of Austin.”
After camping for the night on what was believed, at least in Aurora’s mind, to be a section of the former playing surface, the group continued an exploration of the surrounding region on foot. Aurora’s discovery had been truly fascinating without a doubt, but her claim that they were indeed within the city of Austin, and on the grounds of the UT campus, required some additional validation. It was possible that the nearby impact, which had completely obliterated the southern portion of her beloved Texas, had simply picked up and thrown the splintered piece of scoreboard several miles to the north with literally thousands of tons of debris. For that matter, an ensuing salvo of giant tsunamis could have created a similar result. There was no way to be definitively sure, and even if other matching debris from the university were located, identifying their exact location would be challenging.
Colt attempted to be the voice of reason in that regard by explaining that possibility while he continued to search for further evidence, but Aurora held firm. She said, “You could be right Colt. We may be nearly two-hundred miles to the north of where Austin once stood and on the campus of TCU in Fort Worth for all that we know, but I remember exactly what Ross had said during our orbital approach. While identifying and relaying to me the geographic locations of each population center, he did state that an obvious impact had eliminated the southern portion of Texas. He also said that he believed the new coastline was somewhere close to the area of Austin, so I took a closer look myself. Colt, you weren’t near the viewing window at that time, but by then the alien vessel had brought us into a lower orbit, and I concurred with Ross.”
With the subject then temporarily dropped, the group search continued throughout the remainder of the day. A few more bits of evidence were uncovered to help substantiate Aurora’s claim, but the real find was a section of marble that contained the name of a campus building that Aurora was familiar with. Additionally, the group theorized that a large cylindrical lump of vegetation may have consumed what little remained of the fallen University tower.
After returning to the nearby campsite of the previous night, Colt said, “I’m sorry that I doubted you Aurora. With the evidence that we have discovered today, I now believe that we are where Austin used to be.”
Never wanting to come across with an arrogant voice of knowledge toward her good friend, Aurora gathered herself and said, “Thanks Colt, that’s nice of you to say. Now if you don’t mind me asking, what do you think happened during the apocalypse to place Austin on the coast?”
“Well, I’m not an expert who could substantiate this theory, but maybe the impact that obliterated a portion of the state also pushed a massive amount of tailings up under where Austin was located. It would explain, in spite of the dramatic rise in the global ocean levels, why this area has become beachfront property.”
With that said, Aurora began to reflect on her time as a student at the university, and how she would occasionally walk over to meet her father for lunch. As best as her memory could facilitate, Aurora felt that the adjacent State Capitol Complex must have become a victim of the ocean. Its position, although less than a mile from their current supposed location upon the gridiron, was distant enough, and of a lower overall elevation, to confirm her suspicion. It was probably true that any portion of the humungous steel and marble complex that may have survived the apocalypse was now either completely submerged or had been swallowed up by the sand over time.
