Bootstrap Colony

by Hechtl, Chris

  He pulled up fifty meters from the fence, and then pulled out his binoculars. Immediately he put them back, a hadrosaur walked right along the path just on the other side of the fence. “Damn,” he muttered. He winced as its tail touched the fence and sparks flew. It trumpeted loudly, and then stumbled away. Others following it moved off further away. “Good.” He turned to the kids. Okay, you can get out...”

  They needed no more invitation, piling out before he could finish. “As I was saying,” he said, raising his voice. He had to clear his throat and raise his voice to compete with the moving herd. “If I say get in, don’t hesitate got me?” he warned. The kids nodded, not taking their eyes off the herd. Vance had a Bushmaster rifle, Wayne had a camera, and he pointed it to the herd.

  Mitch reached into the truck and pulled out a second Bushmaster. Brian and Pete had also armed themselves and were warily watching the herd. A six pack of raptors skirted the fence, making him hold his breath and Brian shudder in fear. “No one move,” Brian softly commanded. One of the raptors paused, glancing their way. It cocked its head back and forth, and then sniffed the wind. It reached a clawed hand to the fence, but a caw drew it reluctantly away. The kids gushed out air in a sigh of intense relief. A Struthiomimus step nimbly by ignoring their unseemly presence and then on.

  Brian fingered his rifle. “Maybe we should get a few for later?” he asked.

  “No, watch,” Mitch answered, nodding his chin to the herds.

  “Why?” Janet asked.

  “I don’t think the show is over yet,” Mitch warned. He nodded to a quill beast, and then an anklasaur as it walked by. Behind them the giant six legged herbivores walk majestically by, around the legs of the titan were smaller ceratopsian style cousins. Janet’s gasped and stumble backwards alerted them more was coming.

  Mitch turned and saw a pair of leathery cat like creatures, easily a meter tall lithely stride by. It was odd to see something like that, with six legs and four eyes walk so smoothly and effortlessly. From the look they were definitely a predator species. Fortunately they didn’t even look toward the fence, more intent on getting around the edge and away from the larger herbivores following in their wake.

  The migration lasted nearly an hour, the sun was starting to go down when the last small herd walked by. “Wow, what a parade,” Janet commented. Mitch snorted. On the way back to base the kids prattled on about this animal or that one. He listened, a small smile on his face.

  Mitch took a hummer and tractor convoy out to the iron mine the next day. He was going to need to pack up the onsite gear soon, but before he did he was going to get as much iron as he could before the weather turned. Hopefully he wouldn’t overextend his welcome. On his way back he nearly ran into a family as they jumped down from a tree in front of him.

  The Fenn family rescued by Mitch had a little girl named Crystal who had bonded to a spider rat. Anne was horrified at the sight of the thing. Mitch took it in stride, waved it off, but told the girl the rat sternly that it will have to be put in a cage, and she would be responsible for it. Relieved, the girl nodded, then cocked her head and asked why it had to be in a cage. She looked down, lovingly stroking the fur. “Scooter won’t go anywhere.”

  Mitch nodded, “Yes dear, but we have other animals, for instance, cats.” A look of fear crossed her face. Mitch nodded again. “Yes, and we don’t want your friend hurt, so he will have to be put in a cage. You can take him out if you shut your bedroom door; we will have to put a sign up to make sure people know it is loose.” She nodded. Her parents thanked him and then they guide their kids off to their rooms.

  Angie and Janet looked doubtful, and then turned their glare on him. Mitch shrugged it off, and then put his hands up in mock surrender. “Best compromise I can do ladies,” he said. Janet gave a long suffering sigh. “Put it this way, the kids can take care of it. And Jeff, Sean, and Janet here can learn a bit more about the indigenous fauna,” Mitch added as if that mattered.

  Anne crossed her arms across her chest and shivered. “Just keep it away from me!” The group chuckled as they made their way to the infirmary.

  When Dora escorted the Fenn family into the infirmary for a checkup the adults were wide eyed at Roserita and family. Paul nodded politely. Mitch noted the look of recognition and cocked an eyebrow. Paul cleared his throat. “We met when we were dropped,” Paul said.

  Roserita nodded. “I had just packed what gear we could carry when all hell broke loose.”

  Frances nodded. “I think a raptor pack attacked the other side of the camp,” she sighed. “I saw you and your family behind us.” She looked over the baby then nodded.

  “Si,” Roserita responded quietly into the awkward silence.

  “Unfortunately Ricardo didn’t make it,” Mitch filled in.

  Paul sighed. “That’s a damn shame.” He patted her foot at the end of the bed.

  Frances looked a little tearful. “You have our sympathies ma’am,” she said. Roserita hugged her baby to her chest, and then nodded. “Ricardo will live on in the love he gave to you and each of your children.” Frances said sympathetically, wiping a tear from her eye. Paul and Mitch nodded.

  The next day a dire bear, possibly looking for a cave to hibernate attacked the gatehouse. The robots on duty killed it, Janet and Roserita then skinned it. Roserita asked if she could have the fur to give to the Doctor. Janet and Mitch agreed whole heartedly.

  Over the next week the little woman dried out the skin. When they were attacked by two more bears, each was also skinned for their trouble. Their bodies were fed to the cheetah. They noted that the game was leaving the area and the average daily temperature had fallen drastically. Periodic rains had come, and it was a cold wet time.

  Reluctantly they culled the steers from the cattle herd, leaving five for later. The cows and goats were still turning out milk regularly. Mitch had hoped nature would have taken course, but Janet had pointed out it was a farm; intervention was needed to make sure things happened. The natural part was easy enough; the whole artificial insemination from the banks was not fun for him, Janet, Jeff, Sean, or the animals. Well, maybe the animals.

  Anne was on to him about sending a couple animals up to the Amazon village. He wasn’t happy about the idea or the nagging, pointing out that they would most likely kill the horses for food. They didn’t have food for them anyway he added when she gave him a look. She nodded bleakly and dropped the matter.

  After two weeks of recovery they returned to the village with Roserita. The guard greeted them, and the Doctor came at a trot. Doc still looked gaunt; Mitch felt an edge of worry. She checked over the mother and baby, pronouncing them good. Roserita gave her the furs, and hugged her. Doc brushed tears from her eyes and nodded.

  Mitch handed over care packages from Janet and Anne, along with a wheel of cheese. “Have you been stockpiling for winter?” he asked, voicing his and the ladies concern. She shook her head.

  “They haven’t been getting any kills lately; all the food we had stored is almost gone,” she answered. He sucked in his breath at this. He told her the snows were coming.

  Overhearing this the guard asked how he knew this and he told her he had had to shovel snow out of the caves when he moved into them in the spring. “I have been checking the Doppler radar lately, nothing coming in, but it only has a short range, so I may not know until it is only hours out,” he warned. She looked up to the sky and then back to him as he continued. “You might have a week or two before it starts, maybe a little more, maybe tomorrow.” The guard blanched at this news. Doc shuddered, wrapping her arms around her torso and then shuddered some more as the cold breeze kicked up. She handed one of the furs to Cassie, draping it over her shoulders. One of the teens called Cassie over, and she trudged off.

  Doc told them that the migrating herd had trampled through, two women had been hurt, and a little girl had been killed. It had happened so fast no one had killed anything; they were too busy trying to get out of the way. Two of the huts had be
en destroyed. He told her they needed to build off the ground on a hill; the hollow they were in could flood in the spring. She nodded wearily.

  A gaunt little girl tugged on Mitch’s jacket and he looked down. “Do you have any food mister?” she asked. The guard started to shoo her off but Mitch immediately crouched down, waving the guard’s concern off. He pulled a bag of jerky out of his inside pocket and handed it to her.

  “Stay put,” he told her. He disarmed the alarm and pulled out a case of MREs. He handed several to the girl and several to Doc.

  He handed a few to the guard after a moment’s hesitation. “Doc why don’t you talk with Sarah and Roserita here while I go cut a few more trees down,” he said. He shouldered the chain saw and waved Brian to follow.

  They returned a few hours later to find several girls around the truck, each gaunt. He sighed and handed out three MREs to each, telling them he will not be back for a while. Two asked to go with him but the priestess arrived with the Mistress. “Beware the gifts of the devil,” the mousy brunet zealot ranted. The girls reluctantly back off.

  Mitch turned to the annoying troublemaker. “Ma’am, I don’t give a rat’s ass for you or your religion. If these people do not want to follow your ways, it is up to them,” he said and indicated the two girls who had asked to go.

  “How about it ladies, do you want to stay here? Anne and Sara could use your help in the greenhouses and the barns,” he said. They only stared at the ground. “You have until we leave to change your minds,” he warned. He turned to a woman talking with Roserita and trying to get his attention.

  One woman asked if he would trade. Mitch asked what she had, she offered her laptop. He nodded and said he would trade her food and tools for it. She happily agreed. He pulled out a wheel of cheese, hatchet, shovel, bag of nails, and a case of MREs. He took the laptop. She grinned and lugged her stuff away with the girls following.

  Another girl offered sex; he shook his head and told her he was flattered but was he doesn’t do that. “You're too young anyway little lady,” he said, easing her disappointment as he gave her an MRE. Doc patted her on the shoulder and the group dispersed. He called after them to save the packaging for recycling.

  He noted three girls; a woman with the little girl had quietly slipped into the back of his truck with Brian’s help. The priestess was hovering around him, trying to hurry him off and didn’t notice.

  He quietly told Doc he would try to make one more trip before the snow hit but couldn't promise anything. Doc said she would like to go, but they needed her here. He told her she will have to decide, the good of a dying village of idealists, or the life of her and her daughter.

  She nodded reluctantly. A kilometer from the village Brian asked if they were going to make it and Mitch shook his head no. The girls in the back cried softly. Brian handed them food and a canteen.

  Mitch set his jaw grimly aware of the situation and torn about what to do about it. He spotted a mother and calf Sivartherium near the trail. The ancient giraffe must have been separated from the migrating herds or decided to remain behind. Brian was driving and he asked him to pull over. Brian asked why he was doing okay, but Mitch waved him off as he reached for the gun case.

  Brian complied. Mitch pulled the Bushmaster rifle out and shot the calf. The mother started at the noise, and bleated in distress as the calf tottered and fell. Brian asked why and Mitch smiled grimly. “Look, the mother is staying put.” He got a bead and shot again; it took two shots to drop the mother.

  They turned around and they headed back to the village. He told the guard they had shot two ancient giraffe a kilometer from camp and gave her directions. The guard was excited and called the hunters who gathered their things. He gave them a ride in the back of the trailer; they dropped them off at the carcasses. They waved good luck and left them to their grim work. Brian asked why they didn’t let them in the truck, Mitch murmured that they stank, and damned if he was going to clean up the fleas after they sat inside. “Had to do it three times already,” Mitch grumbled. Brian laughed and swerved the truck to avoid a rock.

  “Going to have to do it again now,” Brian warned, eyes cutting to their passengers. Mitch sighed and nodded wearily.

  Ten days later they got their first dusting of snow in the night. He checked the weather forecast, he didn’t see any more on the horizon, and so took a truck loaded with trade goods, Brian, and Paul Fenn up to the Amazon’s village. On the way he killed an elk and with Paul’s help lashed it to the roof while Brian acted as a guard.

  He pulled up the guard shack, there was a different female there but she smiled tentatively. Mitch nodded politely to her. Brian was distant. Paul nodded politely to the girl, unaware of some of the history. The girl whistled and someone in the compound looked up and then called to others. In moments they had a crowd. Mitch asked one of the huntresses to help get the elk down. When she asked what it was for, he replied for her and the women. She nodded her thanks and smiled slightly.

  One of the girls handed him rifle slugs. He looked them over. “From last week,” she said by way of explanation. He nodded and thanked her. He dropped the slugs into the cup holder on the door and then handed the girl an MRE and Swiss army knife. Her eyes widened, and then she smiled and thanked him. He nodded.

  One of the girls quietly offered an I pod; he smiled and plugged it into the truck port. He tossed her an energy bar, and then handed her the I pod back. She looked at him and he said it was hers to have. He gave her a basket of food and then turned to the next person.

  Two women gave him computers and saved MRE packaging, he gave them food and tools they made recently from iron and wood. After a few trades a woman came up. He casually asked if she was here to trade and she shook her head biting her lip. “Ma’am?”

  She pushed the gaunt child to him. “Please take care of her,” she whispered and turned to leave.

  Mitch grabbed the woman by the elbow before she left. “I have a better idea. You do that,” he said and then maneuvered her into the back seat of the truck with the child. He handed them an MRE, water bottle, and blanket.

  She blessed him weakly, too tired and distraught to cry. He patted her on the shoulder. Three more women came also asking him to take their children; again he put them in the truck with food. The priestess noted this and protested. He gave her a warning look, and then ignored her. She called the hunters to disperse the crowd but they too ignore her. A few of the women do leave however. Doc approached, he noted that the priestess and dominatrix held Cassie back.

  Quietly he patted her arm and then handed her a care package from Janet and the gang. He slipped her a package of energy bars. She stuffed into the front of her coat and another into her bosom before the priestess spotted it. Mitch noted this and his eyes glittered. “So they are confiscating the packets for themselves?” he murmured to her. She gave a quick nod. His jaw tightened in anger as he watched her leave. He made a few more trades before they left. Four women and five girls ranging in age from three to ten came with them. It was crowded in the truck, every lap was full. At least with all the bodies they didn't need the heater much.

  On the way home he cranked up the heat in the rear, the women thanked him. One asked how her Billy was. Paul told her he was fine. She said she was out picking berries with the group when her husband Charlie was killed by a cat. A week later she came back to find Billy beaten for allegedly stealing food.

  She had been forced to live off the kindness of hunters and Mitch after a fall injured her ankle. She tried her best to feed her kids. She cried softly at what had been done to her son. One of the women patted her and told her it was all right now.

  Mitch called Janet and let her know what was coming. She said she had been worried, but had anticipated the need. When they arrived they went through the usual de-lousing. Later around a fire in the Great Hall the women were huddled under blankets clutching coffee mugs. They reluctantly and quietly told the others about things, how it had gotten bad and was getting w
orse in the village.

  Maggie told of sermons, more rants and desperate prayers than spiritual affairs. They told the group that only a few children were left in the village, the rest were teens and adults. Maggie stroked Billy’s hair, smiling softly as he watched the fire. Sasha told them how Cassie was kept under constant guard while the Doctor was away, and how the dominatrix threatened her if her mother didn’t return.

  The next day in class Billy looked out the window at the falling snow and when he was asked about his pensive mood he turned. “Why?”

  Mitch sat near and looked over them all. He told them about the agrarian society, and how it worked. Janet came by and stood near the door as they get into a discussion about religion. Mitch asked them if they ever heard of the Donner party.

  “Like the reindeer?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Oh.”

  “No the Donner party was a group back in the eighteen hundreds that decided to try to emigrate across the continental US. They got caught in snow in a mountain pass near the end of their journey that now bears their name. The people prayed and prayed, but in the end fell upon their own dead in desperation,” he explained and then sighed.

  “They ate them?” Billy asked. The kids were aghast.

  Mitch nodded grimly. “Yes, and by some reported, killed the weak and sick and ate them as well.” His face was bleak. “Good bible thumping god fearing people who let their beliefs that god would protect them, lead them, and let it happen to them. Piety is nice, but piety doesn’t put food on the table, or a roof over your head. Hard work does that. Right?” He turned to the class with a challenging look.

  “RIGHT!” The kids responded. Janet was troubled, but nodded. She wiped her hands and then cleared her throat and chased the kids off to chores.

  Mitch, Brian, and Vance did a little hunting with the hummers and trailers before the snow really hit hard. Flights by the drones had spotted elk, tauntauns, and bison that remained behind after the major herds left. Hunting helped to keep the freezer full. Mitch was pretty certain they were going to need the extra food soon. They even caught a few auroch to turn over to Jeff and Sean.