The Ways Between Worlds: Peter Cooper

by Larry E. Clarke

  Somewhere on this world there were intelligent beings! Whether fashioned by these Ursoid creatures or by others, this bag was a work of intelligence. I had to examine it more closely. The problem was that the bag was still resting at the edge of the quill plants. Death would be swift if I disturbed them trying to retrieve it. . . but I could see that bag was stuffed rather full. I had to see what was in it.

  Fifteen meters up slope from the bag were several boulders large enough to hide behind. from that location I lobbed or rolled all the loose rock I could collect down to the location of the bag. After each volley I heard stray quills flying but none hit the rocks where I crouched.

  Finally the quills stopped coming and I stopped tossing rocks. Now came the tricky part. The ground was littered with quills and I was still barefooted so I approached very carefully using my stick to brush aside any quills in my path. The pouch, fortunately, was clear of the ursoid's body and just beyond the edge of the quill field.

  The creature was the size of a mini-car, maybe 400 or 500 kg. If the pouch had been under him I could never have retrieved it. Most of the plants in the immediate area had been triggered by my barrage. Putting aside the heavy wooden club I'd been using for self protection I replaced it with a long stick I had brought up from the forest floor. I managed to hook a loop on the pouch then lifted straight up. My tool bent under the weight of the bag. It was a deadly game of jack straws. Too much motion could set off a dangerous shower of quills. I knelt to swing the pouch clear of the plants before getting carefully to my feet. The bag may have weighed as much as 10 kilos. Controlling its weight on the end of the stick was not easy. I stepped back along the path I had cleared of quills. Once out of the immediate area I circled wide of the plants and returned to a rocky pool I'd found in a small stream less than 100 meters away.

  I'd been thirsty since the previous evening. The water, the air, the vegetation here might all be lethal to humans but try as I might I could not make a reasonable case for any rescue party arriving soon. It might take them days or weeks. For that matter I had no way or knowing what temporal/relativistic forces had been involved in coming here. I could be living a thousand years in Earth's future. Who knew?

  Better to drink now than wait till I was too dehydrated by thirst. I cupped my hands and carried the cold liquid to my lips. Cool and wet, to this day there has been only one drink I appreciated more. I lowered my head and drank my fill.

  After a rest and a soak for my still bleeding feet I began to decide what to do with the bag I still carried on the end of the stick. Because I feared that the quill poison might still be on the surface of the bag I used a pair of short sturdy sticks in chop-stick fashion to empty its contents on a flat rock.

  The bag itself I weighted and dropped in the stream. In the morning I'd come back with rough stones and scour its surface clean. The bag could be quite useful to me. Being in the water overnight would probably be enough to rinse away any traces of poison. I reasoned the poison must be very soluble to spread so quickly through a bloodstream.

  Once the bag was taken care of I returned for a close examination of the contents. Two bits of grey rock were the first items I removed from the pile. I tested them against my crystalline knife and found that they were quite hard but could still be scratched by the knife. They produced a healthy shower of sparks when drawn sharply across the rough back of the shard.

  Next were several leather pouches of varying sizes that contained what appeared to be dried fruit and meats. The contents of each pouch was also wrapped in a translucent material similar to parchment but much more flexible. There was a ceramic container, a squat jar about 20 cm tall with a brown and yellow glaze. The wide mouth mouth was plugged with a cork. I also found a leather bag with 3-4 kg’s of mixed seeds. Some of the seeds were scorched. Whoever had roasted them had not tended them carefully.

  Inside the corked jar was a sweet smelling substance the color of milk and the consistency of heavy cream. Once again I applied the logic that I must eat or die and decided to try the creature's foodstuffs. It seemed logical that what it could eat was more likely to be palatable to me than any wild nut, root, or berry I might later choose at random. Impressed by the rightness of my reasoning and heartened by my apparent success with the water I decided to first try only the seeds. An hour later when there were no immediate ill effects I gave in to hunger and began to eat my first meal on this new world.

  The meats all proved too salty and spicy for my taste. I suppose it was necessary to preserve them. The creamy liquid was (naturally) unlike anything tasted before. Some blend of cream, honey and coconut milk might come close to matching it. Overall the effect was not unpleasant, but it wasn't great either.

  If the other items were disappointing the seeds made up for it. They had a salty, nutty taste that was delightful. They'd sell great at sporting events, taverns and holo-houses back home. I could imagine the ad campaigns "Eat Space Bear Nuts for an out of this world taste" or something like that.

  It was hard to resist eating more but good judgment dictated that I wait and watch for ill effects before pigging out. If these proved to be editable and came from local plants they would be a real find. Not only would it save me from immediate hunger but also could point to locally available seeds that were editable. That would go a long way toward solving my food problem.

  At the bottom of the pile was a large folded square or material like parchment. Originally at the top of the bag it had ended up the bottom when the contents were taken out.

  The outsides were smudged and stained as if it had been handled as good deal. I opened it and saw immediately it was a map. More importantly, on closer inspection it was a map that seemed to include the terminal area. What a find. I positively beamed at my good fortune. Identifying data was traced across the face of the map in a precise squared off script. It was difficult to imagine that the Ursoid could have produced anything so delicate.

  I oriented it using the cardinal directions I’d estimated from the setting sun. Sure enough, slashing across the sheet from upper right toward the lower left was a series of jagged lines denoting the mountains. A large symbol like an asterisk ( * ) atop a small hill beneath the mountains marked the location of the dome and ruins. Though not a sophisticated or highly detailed map it did appear to have been carefully hand drawn. Some effort had been made to show relief through shading and a sort of distance scale, in unguessable units was provided at the left margin.

  With my arms outstretched I could scarcely hold both edges of the unfolded map. Even the dead creature would have had trouble holding the full map between its outstretched arms.

  South and west the sheet indicated a large plain. Here the map was decorated with herds of creatures that appeared to be grazing. Other strange beasts were drawn along the margins. I hoped sincerely that these represented fanciful creatures of the cartographer's imagination rather than the actual fauna because some of them made the Ursoid look like a teddy bear.

  In addition to the character ( * ) marking the dome, the map was sprinkled here and there with symbols about which I could only guess. There was no way of reading the explanatory key. According to the map the landmass on which I was now located terminated far to the east with a bay and chain of islands. To the west the map showed more rivers and mountains. Beyond the mountains was what I took to be an ocean, a featureless void. Beyond that, at the extreme western edge of the map details were sketchier. The far shore of the void contained another range of mountains and beyond those was another * symbol identical to the one designating this transport site. Odds seemed very good that it indicated another transport terminal, A flicker of hope flitted though my thoughts. “Maybe, just maybe, this one had some still working elements?”

  The sun was well past the meridian by the time I finished examining the contents of the pouch. There were some items whose use I could not guess. Perhaps they were of a personal, religious, or ceremonial nature. Among these was a seamless metal cube set with colored stones and a
tightly sewn leather bag that had been stitched shut. The cube seemed out of place among the Ursoid's other things. Perhaps the bear man had traded for it or even found it among the ruins near the dome. The stitched bag I assumed to be a good luck charm, a religious fetish, a container for medicinal herbs or something similar.

  My sunburn, worsening by the minute, reminded me how much I would need some protective clothing. I had to find something to wear. Trying to weave, spin, or otherwise make material would take far too long even if I had the necessary skills. I thought briefly about the hide of the Ursoid but dismissed the idea. Even if I could somehow have gotten the body out of the quill plants. . . I would have felt like a cannibal to wear the skin of an intelligent creature--even one who had attacked me--unless I absolutely had to.

  A new idea struck me as I saw one an immense leaves float like a sailplane from the branch of an enormous blackwood near the fringe of the forest. I made my way to it. Here at least was a temporary answer. It was better than a fig leaf. About 2 meters long and 1 meter wide the oval leaf was of a light brown color with a fuzzy texture on the underside that reminded me of suede leather. This leaf, which was freshly fallen, was a bit stiff but its fellows which had lain on the ground a while were softer and more pliable, almost like chamois skin.

  I selected a big leaf flecked here and there with bits of rusts among the browns. Using the crystal shard I found that it was not too difficult to cut the leaf material itself but that the veins down the center and near the outer margin of the leaf parted only with considerable difficulty. Even a sharp steel knife would have had some trouble severing them.

  Cutting around the outer edges I was able to separate these tough veins from the softer inner portion. I made a diamond shaped hole in the center thus creating a tunic or poncho which could be pulled on over my head.

  I put it on with the fuzzy side toward my body while saying a quick prayer that I wasn't dressing up in this planet's version of poison ivy. For a makeshift garment it was surprisingly comfortable. It didn’t even chafe much on my sunburned shoulders. The ends of the leaf fell slightly above my knees front and rear. The top of the leaf had a smoother, harder finish which looked like it would shed water fairly well. The underside against my skin felt like thick flannel. I used the ropey veins I had extracted and make a sash at my waist. I was delighted with myself...what creativity. . .what style! I imagined myself to look like Robin Hood on his way to the Roman forum. . .or maybe a husky and middle-aged Peter Pan minus the tights.

  Anyway, it didn't really matter because ways of improving on the basic design were already popping into my head. I decided to use more of the tough veins to lace up the sides, and then I was going to make some shoes or boots or buskins or something for footwear. Pants, a hat, pockets for my tunic, etc. would have to wait.

  It would soon be dark. The days here were clearly shorter. I returned to the stream and rolled my "knife" and the contents of the ursoid's pouch up in a leaf. For reasons I could not have explained logically I dreaded spending another night inside the dome of the transceiving chamber. I decided instead to search among the roots of the blackwoods at the edge of the forest for a better, more defensible spot to sleep. The roots of these giants spread out like flying buttresses to stabilize the incredible trunks. Like living curtains of dark wood they curved out irregularly from the base of each tree.By tipping my head back I could see that each trunk rose without branches for perhaps 80 to 100 meters before opening out like an umbrella to form an enormous canopy. Each canopy interlocked or overlapped slightly with neighboring trees. On the west coast of the U.S. I’d seen giant sequoia and enormous redwoods but, here in the slightly lower gravity, their big brothers stood head and shoulders taller.

  For the next half hour I explored the bases of trees near the margin of the wood. I looked for a place of shelter but took care not to lose sight of the rocky hillside and the way back to the dome. Daniel Boone I'm not and although I have a fair sense of direction I wanted to take no chances of becoming disoriented and lost in these woods.

  As I’d noted, the forest here appeared somewhat similar to that found in the foothills and mountains to the American Northwest. There were some denser patches of undergrowth but where leaves from the blackwoods covered the floor little vegetation grew. Undergrowth was further discouraged by the leafy canopy that kept the floor in almost constant shadow. Late in the day it was far darker here than they would have been on the hilltop. Where bare soil could be seen it was dark and fertile looking. This particular grove of trees was in a shallow valley between hills and I suspect that topsoil washed down from above tended to accumulate here.

  After rejecting a few marginal locations I at last found a place in the roots of a grandfather blackwood which offered good protection. This new location wasn't exactly a cozy Hobbit hole but it was larger than the niche in which I'd hidden from the Ursoid. A split in the roots near the base of the tree opened into a chamber large enough for me to stretch out. The opening was about waist high. It was too narrow for anything as large as the ursoid to enter but wide enough for me to access without much difficulty. Before entering I'd taken a quick look for any signs that it was already inhabited. Finding nothing, I probed the interior with a stick. Finally, when that produced no response, I stuck my head in for a closer look.

  Once my eyes were accustomed to the dim interior I could see that it was a woody chamber about 2 meters high 1 1/2 meters wide and about 3 meters deep. Such clefts near the roots were common to these great trees. This one had the advantage of being the flattest and almost horizontal. Its smaller opening would be defensible and more easily barricaded.

  After depositing my things inside I searched the area for clean, dry leaves with which to line my nest. Directly beneath the tree many of the leaves were coated with some sort of acrid smelling animal droppings. They were also coated with small mites that seemed to be devouring the droppings but leaving the leaves intact. Some leaves sheltered a variety of nasty looking critters, segmented centipedes, dull grey shield creatures the size of walnuts, brown horned bugs, and brightly colored "bugs" with vestigial wings and sucker-like mouth parts. Under one leaf I found a small furry animal like a shrew or vole that darted away on little legs as soon as it was exposed.

  I guessed that the most brightly colored insects might be the most dangerous. Their coloration would serve as a warning to predators that they were not to be messed with while the more camouflaged critters I hoped were less formidable. None appeared aggressive. All simply scurried away to rest undisturbed under some other bit of leafy litter.

  In gathering twilight I returned a couple hundred meters up slope along the stream banks to take a drink well above where the ursoid’s bag was soaking. Here, where the leaf cover was thinner, it was easier to find clean, dry leaves that were free of bugs. I picked a couple of the best hoping I could use them to fashion some footwear. I put them to immediate use to help haul the wood I’d collected. I stacked the wood on top before using the central stem to drag it back to my den among the roots. Back “home” I piled the larger wood just outside before wiggling into the interior. In the little time remaining before dark I arranged the leaves into a crude bed. Then, sitting on a mat of leaves I began trying to make a fire on a flat rock I'd put inside. It would be poor form to burn my own shelter down around me.

  Using my makeshift knife and the stones from the Ursoid's pouch I spent several minutes striking sparks into various types of tinder I'd collected. Twice sparks glowed briefly in the tinder pile and went out. The third time a spark caught and held. I puffed on it lightly and was rewarded with a small yellow flame and whisp of smoke. The trick was to keep the fire on the ledge near the door and not to smoke myself out of this rabbit hole. I fed the small flames carefully, nourishing it from my pile of twigs. (What a phrase: "My pile of twigs" I'd arrived on this world less than 24 hours ago and already I was the proud owner of a pile of twigs. John Carter might have conquered half of Barsoom by now. Still I could see that by s
tarting at the absolute bottom I’d left plenty of room to better my station in life.)

  The reward for my carefully application of fuel was a cheery little fire that didn't even smoke that much. Much of the smoke it did produce seemed determined to be drawn back inside the trunk. For my dark-adapted eyes the fire gave off considerable light. Sitting half an arm's length away I was able to examine the cuts and bruises on my feet. They were healing surprisingly quickly. I wondered whether this was some beneficial side effect of the alien transport device, a result of unique factors in the local environment, or that I’d over estimated the damage in the first place? Whatever it was, I was relieved to see that none of the cuts were swollen or looking infected. Even if it were possible to heal my feet overnight I never again wanted to punish them like that. .

  I set to work with one of the leaves and began to draw an enlarged outline of each of my feet with the tip of the shard. I cut these out and used them as templates to cut two slightly smaller versions of each. I used some of the milky sap oozing from the severed veins to stick the three pieces together. Next I punched holes around the margin of each sole. These were placed aside to dry while work was started on the uppers of each boot.

  Two pieces shaped like large letter "L"s were cut out and the two long sides of each were laced together with the tough veins from the leaf to form a tall cylinder with a transverse section at the bottom. Some excess had to be trimmed before the uppers were laced tightly to the now dry soles. The fit was, as you might imagine, very poor but by adding a drawstring near the ankle and near the top each could be tightened around my foot. The tops of the boots came reached slightly above mid calf. They would afford some protection from thorny bushes as well as adding a little warmth in chilly weather. If I rolled the tops down they’d looked like boots that pirates sometimes wore in illustrations for books such as Kidnapped or Treasure Island .

  The triple thickness of their sole should wear reasonably well but I wasn't sure how long the lacing would hold the upper and the sole together. A well-made shoe is a fairly high tech item and this had definitely been a very low-tech operation.