by J. A. Marlow
Darnit whined again, but McRoyal ignored him, sinking down into the bench seat and propping his head on the back, letting his hood fall over his eyes. Seeing that he was being ignored, Darnit turned back to the window.
What a crazy dog. And fun, too. For a moment Zach entertained himself with the life-long dream of having a pet. It didn't last long. He knew it would never work with father feeling the way he did about them.
The last glow of the sun at the horizon faded out. With it, the long shadows cast by the trees disappeared. He glanced at his watch. It wasn't very late, barely past 5 PM.
His head swam. How many hours of daylight did they get? Would he have to carry a flashlight with him all the time?
He wished he could have seen more of the trip, especially when he felt the bus slip as it rounded a corner. The back of the bus swung outwards while the inside hugged the inside curve of the road.
He stiffened, grabbing the edge of the bench seat. But, the people around him continued talking as if nothing had happened. McRoyal continued his dozing. Darnit was getting his ears scratched by a little boy in the seat in front of him, his teeth bared in a toothy smile. The little boy grinned big right back at him.
The bus finished the turn, the back end somehow coming back into alignment with the front end. All without having gone into a ditch.
Zach let himself breathe again. Great, something else to get used to. Driving in Alaska.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The warmth of the clothes and the heater should have lulled him right to sleep. Hawk could feel his muscles relaxing after the stress of the day. And yet, he couldn't relax at all.
He knew why. So much preparation, quitting the old job, all the travel. And now they were close. So very close.
All the doubts were welling up, a dark voice telling him he might have made the biggest mistake of his life. And he'd dragged Zach along for the ride.
"The Aurora is out," Sasha said, pointing out the window. "It's bright tonight."
Hawk leaned over to look out the window with Zach. Dancing ribbons of greens danced across the sky. In the distance the snow-covered peaks to the mountains reflected the color. An injection of red appeared on one side of the sky, quickly moving across.
The movements were hypnotizing. The lights danced as if alive. They grew in intensity, an occasional spike of blue appearing among the green and red. With it the light reflecting off the snow increased, illuminating the landscape around them.
"A person wouldn't need a flashlight out in that," Hawk said.
"Not during a powerful display like this," Sasha said.
The trees and snow around the bus disappeared to be replaced with the glint of a river. A large metal object rose up over the road in front of them. The trusses of an old-style bridge flashed by as the bus continued down the road.
"The Copper River, biggest in the area," Grandpa Neeley said. "The 'Million Dollar Bridge' was used in the early 20th century for trains loaded with copper ore."
Hawk wondered just how safe it was after being in service for so long.
"And now it gives access to the Solar Express terminal." Sasha bent down and Hawk heard the rustling of shopping bags. "It won't be long now."
A series of small islands and smaller bridges followed the long bridge. On the other side the road wound up to higher ground. The dancing aurora led the way, lighting up the road. The bus rounded a tight corner and began to slow down.
A turn off the small road led to an opening in the trees. A small log cabin sat next to a raised rail track. The bus swung around before Hawk could get a very good look at the odd shaped contraption sitting on the rails.
The moment the bus was stopped the people around them stood up and started heading for the front door with their bags, boxes and assorted treasures from Cordova.
Hawk took a deep breath and stood up once the initial rush was over.
Sasha piled several bags onto her seat. "These are yours. I'll meet you inside."
Hawk grabbed several of the bags while Zach fished the last of them out from under their seat. "Ready?"
Zach nodded. "I want to see the lodge. I'll feel better then."
Grandpa Neeley shouted at the boys in the back of the bus as Hawk followed Zach and Sasha out of the bus, stepping off on compacted snow. At the back of the trailer was a bustle of activity as the boxes, luggage and supplies were unloaded. He spotted their well-wrapped boxes and luggage on a ski-cart going towards the train.
The train stopped him from going back to help with the luggage. All he could do was stand and stare.
A long engine with rounded side appendages reminded him of the stylings of antique cars. The colors of the aurora danced along the smooth lines of the engine as they blended into the first of three passenger cars hooked directly behind it. Between each of the cars an accordion-like attachment connected each car to the other, giving the train the appearance of a smooth metal segmented snake.
Two enclosed cargo cars trailed the passenger cars, matching the design of the rest of the train. A ramp extended to the ground from the first one, where Hawk saw their luggage going up. At the very end trailed two flat cars carrying several automobiles.
Pinpoints of white and red lights dotted a path along the base and roof of the train. Children and dogs ran in and out of one of the doors open in the middle passenger car.
Grandpa Neeley stopped next to him, cocking his head at the train. "Beautiful thing, isn't it?"
He nodded. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Designed and built by the late Edwin Bardeaux. Once he moved in he took the town as his own. He's greatly missed." Grandpa Neeley looked up at him, his eyes twinkling in the light of the dancing aurora. "I have a feeling the wise ravens brought you among us in the same fashion."
Hawk watched the man walk away, not sure what he should feel about that. He hadn't even stepped foot in the town yet, and someone was saying such a thing?
"The people here are strange," Zach said.
Hawk nodded in agreement. A horn from the front of the train tooted.
Sasha waved from the door into one of the passenger cars, "Come on! Time to go!"
Zach ran ahead while Hawk followed more slowly. He'd always liked trains as a kid, and the Solar Express looked like a dream come true, but where it would take them worried him.
Letting out a pent-up breath he strode towards the train. It was time to tell the dark voice to shut up. What would be would be.
He stepped up into the train, turning into one of the cabins. Zach had already grabbed a seat next to the big windows and was in the process of putting their bags in a compartment near the ceiling.
Hawk froze when he heard a deep woof behind him. Turning his head slowly he found Darnit looking up at him with the horrible toothy grin he'd used the first time. Slowly, he stepped out of the aisle.
Darnit padded further into the train followed by McRoyal.
A male computer voice said over an intercom system, "The Solar Express is departing the Cordova terminal in exactly four minutes. Please board and find your seats."
Hawk looked up at the ceiling in surprise. At least, it sounded like a computer voice. Somewhat.
"Problem?" McRoyal asked as he sat down across the aisle. Darnit reappeared from the back of the compartment to take the seat next to him.
"Before coming up here I was a programmer. I've never heard a computer voice with such precise pronunciations and still keep the inflections. Is it a recorded voice?"
"It's a computer." McRoyal leaned back into his seat. "Let me know when we get there."
"Cool computer voice," Zach said. He shrugged out of his coat. "And plenty warm in here."
Hawk eyed Darnit while the dog eyed him back, his tongue rolling out of the side of his mouth. Why couldn't McRoyal sit with his dog a few aisles to the back or front?
A shrill whistle sounded. Darnit looked up at the ceiling and barked.
"The Solar Express is departing the Cordova terminal in exact
ly one minute. Please board and find your seats."
The driver of the bus waved at them as the outer doors swung closed. Another whistle and announcement accompanied a final countdown. With a soft tug forward, the train moved away from the terminal.
To the light of the aurora, the small roads and cabins disappeared for the wilds of pure Alaska wilderness.
The train picked up speed, following the track as it made a wide arc. Hawk didn't expect to see so much scenery at night, but the colored dancing lights of the sky illuminated it all. The snow machine tracks along the side of the railroad tracks. The low hills covered in trees leading to the rough peaks of the mountains. Higher in the hills he spotted the warm light of a cabin hidden in the trees.
The sharp 'pong' from the center aisle set his heart to racing. Snapped back into the reality of the inside of the passenger car, he searched out the source of the sound.
He found it in the yellow round form of a basketball bouncing down the aisle.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sasha Neeley ran forwards, scooping up the ball. "Grow up, Jacob!"
She threw the ball towards the back of the car with the strength and aim that would be the envy of any basketball coach. A roar of laughter erupted from the back causing McRoyal to turn and glare at them. Hawk noticed Zach slide down in his seat, as if hiding.
Sasha flopped in the seat in front of them, pushing her coat down her shoulders. "Boys."
"You mean jocks," Zach said quickly.
"How about teens?" Hawk suggested, resulting in an offended "Hey!" from both of them.
"The night is long, and yet our journey will be short," the Solar Express said. "Next stop is Salmon Run."
Hawk repeated the first part. "What did that mean?"
Sasha grinned, leaning over the back of the seat, "The computer says all sorts of things. It's one of the things that makes the trip so much fun. Mr. Bardeaux had fun programming the Artificial Intelligence for the train, I think."
The front door of the passenger car opened. Mr Goodwin stomped through it. He threw his weight against the door, trying to slam it shut. Instead, the door slowed and closed with a soft hiss.
He flung himself into the first empty seat he found and harrumphed.
"I give up on sleeping," McRoyal muttered. Sitting up straighter he asked in a louder voice, "Get in some good shopping, Winston?"
Mr. Goodwin gestured towards the front car. "Ask the woman. I didn't want any new pants but she bought them anyway."
"You're upset about new pants?" Sasha asked.
"Upset? With the state of the economy we can't go throwing money around! Who knows if we'll get any customers in the bed and breakfast. Sure didn't this last summer! At least I get my coffee with the Men's Club. Thanks to Ms. Simpson I had to sacrifice the healthy breakfast for it."
"She just wants you to look nice," someone from the back said.
"A good wardrobe inspires confidence in lodgers," McRoyal said with a wink towards Hawk.
"The Aurora dances above us to the music of the sky," the computer voice suddenly said. "Join in the dance."
Hawk looked towards the ceiling in surprise. A ripple of laughter went through the car.
Sasha grinned even bigger. "There it goes again."
Hawk pointed out the window, "It knew the lights got brighter."
And it did. If it had been bright before, it was now almost daylight. The sky filled with the dancing lights, illuminating the landscape so brightly that it reflected into the train.
"That's amazing," Zach mumbled.
"And rare," McRoyal added. "This kind of a display comes only once in a decade, if not longer. Enjoy it while it lasts."
Hawk jumped and yelled at something grabbing his foot. He slammed himself against the back of the chair, seeing the mangy head of Darnit doing something to his foot.
"Darnit, what are you up to?" McRoyal demanded.
Hawk shook his foot, hoping it wouldn't incite the dog to bit him. Zach clapped his hands at the dog, but when he reached down for him Hawk grabbed his hands before he got too close to the head. Sasha reached over the seat but her arms were too short to reach the dog.
McRoyal reached over and grabbed the collar, pulling the dog back into the aisle. "Darnit! Stop chewing!"
"He needs something to do." Sasha came around the chair and grabbed his collar. Darnit looked up at her with a big toothy grin. She frowned at him, "You haven't exercised enough."
McRoyal shook a fist at Darnit, but the dog ignored it. "Wearing him out won't do any good."
"He needs to eat?" Hawk asked weakly, surprised his voice even worked. He looked down to find his boots covered in dog slobber. "What was he doing?"
"You have new boots. They smell good. I suppose he wanted to see if they also tasted good," McRoyal said.
Sasha gestured to Zach. "We'll take him on a walk and I can show Zach the train. Do you mind, Mr. Callahan?"
"They can't go far. The train isn't big," McRoyal assured him.
"And don't worry about Darnit. I have him," Sasha added.
Hawk wouldn't have minded a tour himself, but no way was he going with the mutt. He moved out of the way to let Zach out. "Don't let the dog nip you."
Zach clomped by in his big boots, which Darnit immediately took an interest in. "I won't, Dad. He's annoying, not dangerous."
The two disappeared through the front door, Darnit following them with his tail wagging, looking up at them as if on an adventure.
McRoyal sighed, leaning back again. "Sorry about that. He came by his name honestly. Rest up while you can."
Hawk slipped into the seat next to the window. His heart was still beating hard from the encounter. He turned his attention to the landscape sliding by, letting the aurora capture his attention.
It wasn't hard. He didn't think it possible, but the lights were glowing even brighter than before. He could see why tourists came up just to see them. They were amazing.
Zach burst through the front door of the cabin, his face flushed with a grin. With a groan Hawk heard Darnit bark from somewhere behind him.
"Dad, they weren't kidding about the AI. The engineer let us peak inside for a few minutes. You should see the computers in there! All encased in steel. The inside looks as good as the outside."
Sasha trailed behind him. "Mr. Landon said you could come up to see it if you wanted to. He was interested when Zach said you were a computer programmer."
"But he said you couldn't touch the systems on the train," Zach said with a laugh. "They don't want to mess with anything that is working."
"The sun flares, and the aurora dances. This unit is now in safe mode until the duet is finished," the Solar Express said.
McRoyal sat up and the conversation in the car died out.
"What's happening?" Zach asked, grabbing the back of one of the seats.
Sasha leaned over to look out the window. "The train is stopping."
"We can see that. Why is it stopping? Are we near Salmon Run?" Hawk added. He put a hand over the warm air vent, noting that the rush of warm air had ceased.
"Nowhere near Salmon Run," McRoyal said, sitting up in his seat and stretching.
The speed of the train dropped off. The lights dimmed, half of them shutting off completely. A downward slope increased their speed a bit, allowing the train to coast through several turns of the tracks.
The train glided to a stop at the end of a curve in the middle of a clearing among the trees. Several other lights extinguished leaving the inside of the passenger car in shadows.
Hawk looked around the cabin, but none of the passengers were concerned. A few stood up to get things out of the overhead compartments while others returned to their conversations. The teenage boys passed the basketball from one to the other.
McRoyal stood up and stretched again. "And this is where all that new gear comes in handy. Time to break out the snow pants."
CHAPTER NINE
The first full day in Alaska and Zach was about to fre
eze to death. Great, welcome to Alaska!
Sasha zipped up her coat and slipped back in the aisle. As she moved past him she said with a smile, "Get out the winter gear. Now you get to see how valuable it is."
He frowned at her cheery disposition. "Doesn't this bother you in the least?"
She shrugged. "Things happen. No big deal."
It didn't feel like a small deal to him. Not with the cold slowly seeping into the passenger car.
Zach turned in his seat, "Dad, maybe you should meet with Mr. Landon to help with the Ai? Maybe you can get it going again?"
"No one touches the AI system," Grandpa Neeley said from a few seats back in the firmest tone Zach had yet heard him use.
Okay, so much for that.
"We have to trust them to know what they are doing," his father said to him quietly.
Which made Zach even more worried. Outside he could only see the jagged forest interspersed with wide areas of only snow, with the snow covered mountains beyond that. No lights of any house or road anywhere.
Darnit ran up and down the aisle as all the other occupants began putting on their coats. Zach put himself between the curious dog and his father, figuring his father had put up with enough dogs for the day.
He helped his father pull their bags down from the overhead compartments, dividing up the gear inside. He sat down and took off his boots to pull on the show pants when Sasha reappeared wearing pink and white snow pants matching her parka.
"Doing okay? Grandpa said you looked worried." She asked.
About so many things. The moment his feet were through the ends of the snow pants he put on the boots. "I'm fine. What about the train?"
"The aurora is causing an electrical surge running along the rails. The train systems have shut down to protect itself," Mr. Landon's voice said over the speakers. "I have successfully contacted Mr. Dunn. Please dress for the cold while we wait for help to arrive."
