by Benson, Tom
Bill reached out and raised the big trip upward and within a few seconds, the building came alive with lights buzzing, and the sound of electrical equipment, clicking and whining. “It feels like we’re waking this place up.”
Amber said, “How about splitting up to take a look around?”
“That’s another good idea,” Bill said. “As long as the back door is secured, we’re not going to be disturbed, and I get the impression that nobody remained behind.”
“Right, I’ll go upstairs.” Amber was gone within a few seconds.
Quincy said, “I’ll check the basement, Bill, and leave you with the interesting floor.” He pushed a nearby door, flicked a light switch and went downstairs.
Bill was grinning as he set off for the front desk area. Like all such visits to empty buildings, it felt strange, seeing it without people. For half an hour, Bill made mental notes of items of interest, checked the contents of storage areas and looked in offices. Along one corridor were four holding cells, a small toilet and a shower room, probably for use by those who’d occupied the cells.
The central console in the reception area contained several pieces of electrical equipment, including a radio transmitter. Mounted on the nearest wall, were a map of the Cairngorms region, and a map of Scotland. The regional map had large overlapping circular areas highlighted. Aviemore was featured in the centre of one circle. Encompassing the various finer markings was a huge misshapen shaded section which didn’t make much sense until Bill located the legend at the bottom left corner.
“Not much upstairs,” Amber said as she approached. “I got this big map from an office up there so it will be useful for any adventures if we go farther afield.”
“That’s an excellent idea—a map is always useful and might inspire you guys to go out exploring.”
“If we need more, there is a large copying machine upstairs.” Amber placed the rolled map on the reception desk. “Have you found anything interesting around here?”
“I’ve just been studying this regional map on the wall. From what I can see, the strange highlighted shape is the jurisdiction of this police station within the Highland region. The overlapping circular areas look like separate ranges for the radios working out and back here to Aviemore.”
“Wow, this circle on the lower left encompasses Dalwhinnie—didn’t you say that you guys stopped over at the railway station there?”
“We did, and you’ve just given me an idea.” Bill looked around and grabbed a pencil which was lying on the console. He held it against the map with one end on Aviemore and measured the distance to Dalwhinnie. He then lifted a ruler and in a few strokes had an almost straight line from Aviemore to Auchcarn.
“I hate to disappoint, Bill, but even I can see that we’d be well out of range after Dalwhinnie.”
Bill grinned and half-turned. “Look for RLY on the legend down there.”
“Yeah, got it—it says Relay Site. What difference does that make?” Amber squinted.
“I could be wrong, but if you look at these circles, there are sites marked in three out of the four.”
“Which tells us what exactly?”
“That means that the circles are not for different radios. They show where relays are sited to extend the signals. Radio signals to Dalwhinnie are okay because there is no relay site in that circle. The other areas all require a relay, which acts as a booster.”
“Okay, I think I’m following you now, so how does that help us for a long-distance radio signal?”
“I’m working from a vague memory of such things. If we could get a hold of relay equipment, we could place it in Dalwhinnie. We would then set up another between Dalwhinnie and Auchcarn, and in theory … we’d be able to communicate ….”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, and like I said, it’s a theory because I didn’t specialise in communications, but I remember a few of the principles. In my primary role, I used miniature radios and satellite communication systems. We had old back-up sets with various lower frequencies. I’d have to discuss it with a couple of other people to see if it were feasible.”
“I don’t want to upset your plans but to move a relay from one place to another, wouldn’t that involve finding the relay in the first place?”
“Yes.” Bill nodded and grinned. “You and Craig would get on well.”
“Who is Craig?”
Bill grinned. “He’s our resident pessimist. No good idea is allowed to be taken forward until Craig tears it apart with problems that other people haven’t foreseen.”
Amber laughed aloud. “He sounds like a load of fun.”
“Actually, he’s a really nice guy, and his negativity has on occasion worked in our favour, plus he’s become more mellow.”
Quincy stomped through the main reception. “Would we be able to repair these, Bill?” He held up two laser rifles by their slings.
“I know somebody who’d have a damn good try. How many did you find?”
“There’s a small armoury downstairs, but all that was left was four of these rifles and two laser pistols.”
“What about power packs—the things that slot inside the pistol grip?”
“Oh, yes, there were a few of them.”
“Nicely done, mate,” Bill said. “Lead the way.”
When everybody got together back at the farm for an early afternoon meal they discovered it had been a worthwhile morning both at the farm and in town.
Victoria’s shorter hairstyle and Emma’s skill attracted compliments from everyone when they saw the new look. Cherry asked if she could have her shining long dark hair trimmed, and Bill seized the opportunity to feel normal again, saying he’d like his long hair trimmed and his beard gone.
Emma said, “I’ll get you both fixed up in the next two days.”
The recycling team of Josh, Glen and Cherry had amassed and arranged a stack of useful parts from the old tractor and were ready to start work on stripping the modern vehicle.
Meanwhile, the shopping trip had produced two different areas of success. Helen returned with a bergen, hiking boots and other equipment which would help with her imminent trip to Auchcarn. The shopping team had also brought back several pairs of hiking boots and thick socks of various sizes. They were items which could go back to Auchcarn to be distributed as required to those in most need.
The three who had gone to investigate the police station had by far the most exciting news. Amber produced the large map she’d salvaged, and the discovery of four laser rifles and two laser pistols was welcomed by all. Every weapon had a pulse pack, and there were four spares.
Amber said, “I think we should let Bill tell you about the other peculiar find because you might ask too many questions.”
Bill nodded to Amber before addressing the others. “It’s a bit of a long shot, but we also discovered that the police radio system is intact. The equipment isn’t big although there will be a lot of cable and antenna accessories. What is more important is that due to this mountainous area they have relay equipments set up at different places and one extends the range to Dalwhinnie which is southwest.”
Emma laughed as she glanced at the children pestering Victoria. “What value would we get from having radios that would work to Dalwhinnie?”
“If we know they will work as far as Dalwhinnie, then we can try to create a link farther south towards Auchcarn by using the relays.” He paused and looked around at the puzzled expressions. “I know this will sound a bit far-fetched. If we can find the relays and relocate one or two of them, it would be possible to have communications between here and where we live in the mountain.”
Cherry said, “How big are these relays?”
“We don’t know, and until we do, we won’t know whether the theory would work in practice.”
“I’m sure we’ve overcome bigger problems.” Cherry smiled. “Did you find any manuals on the equipment so we could check specifications?”
“No,” Bill said, “but I’d
be happy to go back this afternoon and search the station to see what we can find.”
“Me too,” Amber said. “If we found out that the relay equipment wasn’t too big then it would be a project for us to continue after you guys leave on Thursday.” She smiled. “First, of course, we’d have to locate the relays.”
Helen had sat quietly, listening with interest. “Before we made any plans to remove or relocate equipment we’d have to be sure that it was operational.”
Amber nodded. “That’s another part of the good news. Bill and I played around with the controls and got the main transmitter and two handsets working … sort of.”
“Sort of?” Helen said.
“Yes. The main radio terminal works because it’s connected to the mains, which, of course, are now on. The little handsets have some kind of power cell which needs to be charged. When we plugged them in a power light came on, so once they’re charged after a few hours, we can try and talk on the system.”
“Okay,” Helen said, sounding more animated than anyone had seen her before. “Now, going back a step, if they had to use relays for the radio signal then it stands to reason that they’ll be on hills.” She paused. “All we have to do for each one is find an approximate location on the main map you mentioned and then look for the highest point in each area.”
After a few seconds of silence, conversations started up all around the three tables as the adults became almost as excited as the three children playing with Victoria, nearby.
In the afternoon, Emma, Imogen, Victoria and Jay-Dee took the three youngsters for a walk in the farmland. Emma suggested a route which would take them around the cultivated fields, the grazing area and on through the nearby woodland, which was an enchanting place. Jay-Dee said he was going along to enjoy the walk and the scenery, which is how it would appear to the children. They had no need to know that the large device draped across the man’s back was a laser rifle just in case something unexpected and dangerous made an appearance.
Four-year-old Kelly tugged her mother’s hand, “Mum, why does the man keep looking around?”
Imogen smiled down at her daughter and glanced at the ever-vigilant man. “I don’t think Jay-Dee has ever seen as many birds as we have around here.”
Gary, the other twin, said, “I’ll be able to help him if he doesn’t know their names.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” Imogen said and winked at a grinning Jay-Dee.
In the barn, Glen continued to reduce the second of the two tractors to its fundamental parts. His next task was to remove sections from some of the large machinery. The harrower, cultivator, plough and other equipments all had their purpose, and each was a large, efficient and time-saving device. The other things they had in common were that each was bulky, heavy and usually towed by a tractor.
Josh was confident that some of his designs were soon to become experimental machines easily operated by one or two people. He had an area set aside where he could collect and lay out his selected wheels, cogs and belts ready to drill holes for assembly. If everything worked out according to his calculations, it would not require two brawny men to pull and guide the two new contraptions.
Amber, Quincy and Bill were keen to get back to the police station but on their second visit, they were accompanied by Helen and Cherry. For her part, Helen had found a new lease of life and was eager to be playing her part. Searching through paper files and books would be time-consuming, and she was happy to be involved. Bill suggested that if there were any circuit diagrams, they would make more sense to Cherry than anybody else.
The five friends walked into Aviemore in a single file without their trailer, looking more like a vigilante patrol than scavengers. Amber took the lead with her shotgun as usual. Helen and Cherry carried wooden spears, Quincy his long crowbar and Bill at the rear with his laser rifle.
It wasn’t a large police station and in such a region would most likely have been used to deal with routine and trivial matters rather than any serious criminal activity. They went first to the reception area on the ground floor to organise a strategy to ensure their visit was productive.
Amber and Quincy went down into the basement to perform a more thorough search of any rooms or lockers. The armoury had given up its most useful items already, but Quincy had recalled a lot of storage downstairs.
Cherry worked alone on the ground floor at the communications console. The electrical engineer in Cherry was urging her to rip panels from the console and the walls. She remained patient and traced where the various cabling was channelled.
Helen went around the cabinets and storage places on the ground floor. The station had only three offices at this level, so it stood to reason that any other offices or administration were housed upstairs. She worked steadily pulling drawers and doors open until she was satisfied there was nothing of importance. The level of paperwork was astounding in an environment where most information would have been computer-based.
Bill went upstairs and checked every room in the main corridor. There was no sign of access, but from street level, an aerial mast could be seen. At the end of the corridor was a small staff canteen which Bill left until last. The two doors within the canteen were quite different—one had a glass panel, while the other was solid wood. Beyond the glass panel was a small kitchen so Bill obliterated the lock on the wooden door. This opened into a tiny cubicle containing a ladder fixed to one wall with a trapdoor above.
Bill climbed up through the trapdoor and onto the flat roof. Logically, most of the antennae and cabling would be on the roof. He stood for a few seconds staring at the aerial tower. It was a slim tubular framework which was around thirty metres tall but had several antennae clamped at different heights. Each antenna had at least one coaxial cable joining the thick bundle which was neatly secured to the tower frame. The dated system of cabling to the antennas had to be a ‘belt and braces’ approach by those in charge. The antennae wavelengths would most likely have been synchronised by a local electronic signal.
When satisfied that he’d found the only place where antennae would be fitted, Bill looked around to appreciate the view of the area from the flat roof. As he turned, he glanced again at the slim tower, and ten minutes later, he was within the framework and at the top.
“This is better,” he said as he slowly surveyed Aviemore and its surroundings from arguably the highest accessible point locally. To the southeast were the mountains which were a prominent feature of the impressive Cairngorms National Park. To the northwest were hills. Running in a diagonal between the two was the valley in which the town was situated. The River Spey flowed nearby, more or less in line with the railway. Satisfied, he climbed down. As he walked along the corridor, he saw Helen in an office sifting through files in cabinets.
Bill continued downstairs and strolled into the reception area. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Cherry said, lying on her back on the floor, reaching inside the communications console to trace cabling. “How did it go on the roof?”
“The good news is that the aerial mast is easily accessed. The bad news is that there are several antennae clamped to it at different heights, and all have cables fitted.”
“That’s fine. If you and Amber used a radio earlier, then it means that the system works. We just have to work out how to locate the appropriate antenna.”
Amber arrived from the basement. “Nothing useful downstairs apart from a toolbox and a box of spare parts for weapons. I’ve brought up the toolbox, and Quincy is bringing up the spares box shortly. He’s investigating a device we think is the charger for the laser pulse packs.”
Cherry climbed out from under the console. “This station is a real treasure chest for us.”
Amber squatted down to look where Cherry had been investigating. “Oh my goodness—how do you work out what anything is in there?”
Cherry laughed. “It’s easy enough if you know what you’re looking for.”
Quincy walked in and placed a large wooden box
on the nearest desk. “Spares for weapons.”
Cherry lifted a few items out and nodded. “This is all great stuff.”
Amber laughed. “You deal with the weapons too?”
Bill said, “They’re laser, so they have power circuits, and that’s where Cherry is at home.”
Amber lifted out a long tubular section of metal which had several tiny studs attached. “If you could give Josh and me a tutorial on the structure, I’m sure we could deal with some repairs.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Cherry said.
“And,” Helen said as she approached. “I’ve got something else you might like to hear.” She was grinning as she held up two small manuals. “One of these is the handbook for the series of radios used by the emergency services, and the other is the manual for accessories, like antennae, coaxial cables, and relay units.”
“Now we’re in business,” Cherry said. “It’s going to require a lot of work from us, but I think we’ve struck gold here today.”
“We’ve certainly made some useful discoveries,” Bill said. He was standing in the reception area with the others who were all elated with their finds. Bill was genuinely delighted, but his thoughts returned to what he’d seen from the top of the aerial mast.
A few hundred metres away, across town, over the railway tracks and at the edge of the river bank were a handful of boats. The sight of the small craft had caused Bill to check out along the river with his binoculars. He was sure he’d seen a rowing boat tied up—a single, small boat a distance away from the town and probably out of sight from the main mooring area. He could see red markings on the prow, but his binoculars weren’t strong enough for him to read the name.
He’d cursed when he teased the focus wheel and the tiny red marks on the boat didn’t become more legible.
6. Promising Communications
Eagle’s Nest Farm
