The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books

by John Thornton

  “Really? I am sure you have plenty more to say. Believe me, I need to go there, and I need to get there unseen by anyone else.” Cammarry stepped up closer. “I also need a set of common clothing for me and my friend. You will get us those.”

  “Go to one of the merchants tomorrow. If you are new to town, they are easy to find, along the main street bordering the river. Nothing is open tonight. Not long after dawn they will be open.” The bravado in Hamir’s voice did not ring true.

  Cammarry stepped up closer to the teenagers. “I do not want to wait until tomorrow. Cecilia and Hamir, I need to blend in tonight. You are going to help us.”

  “Or what?” Cecilia’s voice cracked. “I could yell and scream.” Her fingers were squeezing into Hamir’s arm

  “No need for screaming. I apologize for being so frightening. No one is going to hurt you.” Jerome said as he walked up and touched Cammarry’s arm. “We missed our connection with Sandie, Cammarry. Leave these youth alone. Please.”

  Cammarry stepped even closer to the two teenagers. “Where can we find the Ferryman?”

  “That freak?” Cecilia’s voice was calmer, but she keep looking at Jerome. When she saw the Willie pistol holstered on his belt her eyes grew wide. “He too has a weapon.”

  “The Ferryman may have our friend. I need to find him.”

  “He talks to people at the water sanitation center, during distributions,” Hamir said. “He has been here a week or so. Some say he is honest, some not. I am not sure, but you can see him, maybe tomorrow at the water sanitation center.”

  “Water sanitation center? Why not drink from here? There is a lot of water there.” Cammarry pointed a finger at the pond.

  “What? Risk drinking this and then vomit your intestines out. Not for me. I will wait for my sanitized share, it is at least safe to drink.” Hamir was shivering. “Can we go now, please?”

  “No. If you were the right sizes, you could donate your clothing to us. So instead, you will now take us to a building that has clothing, and point out where that water sanitation center is.” Cammarry was right in front of Hamir. “So far you are cooperating nicely. Do not spoil it now.” She unbuckled the top flap of the holster.

  “Cammarry! This must stop! Put that away, now!” Jerome grabbed her arm and held it fast.

  “That building with the pile, those bolts of fabric, at the side, that is a clothing maker.” Cecilia pointed. “The water sanitation center is opposite us on the pond. The sidewalk will lead you around the pond by the apartments to get there. People will gather there as soon as the sky tube starts up.” She broke down crying. “Please let us leave. Please. We told you all we know. Please do not hurt us. Have mercy!”

  Jerome pulled Cammarry back with both his arms and twisted his head to the youth. “Go now. Thank you, and I am sorry. You were never in danger.”

  Cecilia rushed past Hamir and jogged away on the sidewalk never looking back. Hamir looked one more time at Cammarry but was rapidly backing up as he spoke. “I hope you find your friend. I honestly do. The corridors are vast and empty. The Ferryman says he knows a way to a place with water. I have friends who went with him, and they never came back. Maybe your friend went to that other place? Must be better than Beta. He is probably doing fine, right? Nothing to get so angry about. He is better off now, like all the people who went with the Ferryman, right? I hope we have helped you enough.” Both his hands were up held like shields before him.

  Cammarry looked at the building Cecilia had pointed out. Jerome looked back at Hamir. He nodded, and Hamir swiftly turned and sprinted after his girlfriend.

  “Cammarry?” Jerome’s voice was low and controlled. “Maybe we should find a place to sleep, rest. Then we can keep searching in the morning. It has been a hard and difficult day.”

  Cammarry jerked herself away from Jerome. “We must get clothing before it gets too light. The clothing those youth were wearing would not fit you or me. He was too thin, and she was too petite, otherwise we would have our costumes for camouflage already. Come on, we can cut our way into that clothing building and get what we need now.”

  “Cammarry?” Jerome asked as she marched away toward the building. “Cammarry? What is happening with you?”

  “I am getting the mission done, no matter what. Now we can get the clothing to blend in. We know where to exit the habitat. And we have a location for the Ferryman.”

  “But at what cost? You must not talk to people like that. You terrified those youth.”

  Cammarry turned around and grabbed Jerome and kissed him. “It worked, and that is what matters. Now come with me while we get clothing.” She swaggered away. Hesitantly, Jerome followed.

  The building was not far, and they approached it from the side. The light on the front illuminated the entry, porch, and the front yard where there were stacks of cloth in large rolls. The stacks were up on a small platform. The side of the building was dark, almost as black as the night. Cammarry sidled around and peered into a window. Some kind of interior blinds were covering it over. Walking around to the back, there was a fence about waist high, that surrounded the rear yard, going all the way to the river’s edge. A bit of reflected light from a building across the river shone enough to see that there was another door in the rear of the building.

  “Over we go!” Cammarry said while vaulting the wire fence.

  “Cammarry, we can just wait until morning, and then talk to the merchant.” Jerome’s hands were on the fence as he watched.

  “I thought you did not like the way I talked to those youth. Now you want me to wait and talk to someone else?” She approached the back door of the building. The dull permalloy did not reflect much light, but she could see several steps up to the door. She was just starting to pull off her backpack when a deep-throated growl was heard.

  “Cammarry something is in that enclosure!” Jerome yelled.

  A furious barking began at the far side of the yard. Cammarry came running toward Jerome, and leaped up and over the fence, just as some black animal bit at her legs. It was barking and growling and viscously leaping up and snapping at where she had escaped.

  Cammarry landed, rolled over, and drew out her Willie pistol.

  “No!” Jerome grabbed her arm, just as lights lit up the back yard.

  The animal was standing on its back legs, with its front legs on the fence. It was barking and snarling. Its floppy ears were flapping back and forth as it aggressively snapped its white teeth. The wavy black coat of fur was as dark as night.

  “I will kill that thing!” Cammarry yelled back as she wrestled with Jerome for control of the pistol. Jerome pinned her hand down so she could not fire the weapon.

  Blam! Blam!

  Several reports sounded from the back door of the building. A ricochet went zinging off the fence and into the night. “Bolba! Bolba! Good dog. Guard! Guard!”

  Jerome pulled Cammarry down. “We are leaving now!”

  “Who is out there!” the man called from the back door. “There is not water here to steal! You get them Bolba!”

  Jerome ducked down and tried to pull Cammarry along as he crawled toward the front of the building. The dog raced along the fence barking ferociously. Its black form silhouetted by the light from the back door.

  Blam! Blam!

  More shots rang out, and dust puffed up from a spot not far from where Jerome was crawling.

  Piff! Piff! Cammarry was firing her Willie pistol, but not aiming it. She just generally pointed in the direction of the building.

  “Stop blasting away with that thing!” Jerome scolded. “You will kill someone else!”

  As they reached the side of the building, the dog was jumping up and down in the corner, growling, yowling, and shaking its head.

  Jerome stood up against the side wall, out of sight from the back door. “Come on. We must leave!”

  Cammarry joined him. She took careful aim at the dog as it was reaching its head over the fence.

  “No!” Jerome sla
mmed her arm down just as she fired.

  Piff.

  The high speed projectile went into the dry ground, spraying up clots and dirt. The dog yelped and jumped backward. It whined and cowered as it backed away, but then turned round twice, and resumed even more vigorous barking, but now a good distance back from the fence.

  Blam! Blam! Blam!

  “Bolba! Did they hurt you boy? Help! Help! Water thieves! Help!” the man called from his back yard.

  Pellets raked through the fence, and bounced off the corner of the building.

  Jerome grabbed Cammarry’s arm and pulled her into a sprint away from the building and into the darkness.

  As they reached the opposite side of the street, and disappeared into an alley between buildings, other lights started to come on. Cammarry shook off Jerome’s grasp, holstered the weapon and then resumed running. This time back toward the pond and where they had encountered the teenagers.

  “Cammarry!” Jerome ran after her.

  More voices were yelling and calling out, but none came close or followed the two as they fled away. Reaching the sidewalk around the pond, she slowed. They had escaped from where most of the lights were shining.

  “What were you thinking?” Jerome said as he breathed deeply. “First you kill that woman, now you want to steal, and even kill for some clothing?”

  “I will do what I have to do.”

  “Why?” Jerome’s voice held a mixture of puzzlement and anxiety. “We can succeed without murdering people.”

  “Jerome just wants you to fail,” Shadow said. “Had you gotten those clothes, things would be easier.”

  “I know.”

  “Well good. Now we need to find a place to hide for the night, eat some of our food, and then consider our next moves. We missed our short time to speak to Sandie, but she did say we are right below where Khin may have gone in that transport vehicle.” Jerome pointed toward the apartment complex. “There may be empty spaces in that large building, and those youth said the way into the corridors was back there. We may yet escape the consequences of our foolishness if we use evasion and stealth tonight.”

  Cammarry stopped and shook her head. She rubbed her temples. Then looking up to Jerome she said softly, “I am sorry. I just want to succeed. I must find Khin. Will you help me?”

  Hustling her along at a fast, but hopefully not conspicuous walk, Jerome replied, “Of course I will help you. But there are lines we must not cross. We cannot become evil to achieve our goals. We are in this together. Look! There is an alleyway next to that side of that complex. Maybe that will lead us somewhere. I think it best we get away from here.”

  There were more voices calling in the distance, and some additional lights were now seen as people carried hand-held spotlights.

  The alleyway led into darkness, and Jerome risked turning on the fusion pack light at its lowest setting. Several rats skittered away as the light came on. Trash receptacles lined one side of the alley, some tipped over with their contents spilled out. On the opposite side there a few closed doors. Avoiding the garbage, they walked to the end, where the alleyway met the wall of the habitat. There was a back alley, more narrow and shorter than the one they were in which ran parallel to the habitat wall. Jerome compared the construction of the two, the apartment and the habitat wall. While both were of spun permalloy, the two colors and textures were different. The habitat wall was older, more deeply toned, and smoother. The apartment complex’s permalloy was a rougher finish, and lighter color. Looking up, Jerome saw that the joint between them was not welded, or molded, but rather the apartment complex was just pressed up against the habitat wall.

  Beams of light flashed across the opening of the alleyway. Voices echoed from out by the pond. The words were indistinct, but the tone and attitude was angry.

  “People are coming. The alley turns here, we need to get away,” Jerome said. Cammarry silently followed. He took her hand and trotted down the back alleyway. “I wonder if this is where those youth said the entry was located?”

  As they hustled along, Jerome examined the wall of the habitat, looking for a pressure door, or controls of some kind. There were occasional closed doors into the apartment complex, but after going about a hundred meters, he had not seen any egress points anywhere along the habitat wall.

  Suddenly, a door from the apartments burst open. Light spilled forth, and a figure was seen. “What you doing back here?”

  Jerome pushed Cammarry’s arm down as she reached for the pistol on her belt. He called out, “Hello! I did not mean to startle you!”

  An older man stood there. His chest was bare, and grey hairs were scattered over his thin torso. He was wearing some black shorts, and no shoes. “What are you doing back here? I was letting the cat back in. Come on Frisky! Come here kitten!”

  Cammarry started to say something, but Jerome interrupted her. “We are spelunking. Where do we go in?”

  A mostly white animal came creeping along from the other direction. It had a half black face, and several black blotches on its back. It rubbed its head up against the old man as he stood in the doorway. “Frisky, you come inside now.” Looking back up the man shook his head sideways and then spit. “Nosing around in those old passages is a fool’s errand. However, I never stopped a fool before.” He pointed a bony finger. “Keep going that way, and you will find a ladder up to a hatch in the ceiling. It looks like it is welded shut, but the welds have been sliced open. Pull down on the handle, she will open up for you. It will not do you any good. All the gear, tools, and equipment within walking distance were looted long ago. The plumbing is dry as a sack of jerky. Hardly any power still flows in there, all that has been diverted to the habbie. If you are looking for a place for a tryst, there are lots more romantic localities. But go on and be perverts if you want. I do not care.” He shut the door and locks clicked into place.

  “You could cut your way into his apartment,” Shadow suggested to Cammarry. “He will offer little resistance.”

  Cammarry looked down, shook her head, and then slowly walked in the direction the old man had indicated. She muttered some syllables, but no words.

  “Cammarry? I can guard you here, if you are too weak or sick to go on,” Jerome offered. “The medical kit can help.”

  “Last time it needed Sandie to interpret the results,” Cammarry replied. “I am well enough. We need to find Khin.”

  They walked on, and no other doors were opened, nor did they see anyone else in that back alley. All that moved were a few skittering rats. The ladder was just as the old man described. Jerome climbed the few rugs, and pulled down on the hatch. With a screech it did open. The welds had been precisely cut so that the hatch looked solidly welded shut when it was closed, but opened completely when pulled on.

  “Do you need some help to climb up here?” Jerome leaned down and offered his hand to Cammarry.

  “Will this be our Portal of Purpose?” Cammarry asked.

  “I only called Dome 17’s decontamination system that a few times, but maybe it will be a portal that serves our purpose.” He helped her to climb up.

  “Jerome? Were we wrong to come here? It is my fault. Was I wrong to think that because the Conestoga made planet-fall, that would be an advantage? This ship is more of a wreck, scattered over the face of a hostile alien world, than it is a refuge. I am sorry I led us here.”

  As they passed through the hatch, Jerome pulled it up and closed it behind them. “I was just as much responsible for us getting here as you were. Guilt is like that old disease cancer, or like rust on iron. Guilt will consume you, torture you, destroy you as a person.”

  “I am guilty. You know I killed that old woman, and I would have killed that man with that guard predator.” Cammarry cried a few tears. “I might have killed those youth. I just need to stop…..” She almost spoke about Shadow, but as her throat tightened, she changed her words. “…stop getting distracted and yet…. I am so sorry.”

  Jerome wrapped his arms around he
r and held her for a moment. “This has been horrible, and worse than I expected. I understand the stress. Seeing those poor children wired to those trees, just left to die. I was dismayed at the cruelty of it all. Now we need to find a place to hide and rest for a while. We can speak to Sandie after we sleep, on the next connection interval. Then we will press on. Things will look better when we have eaten, drank, and rested. All we have seen has pushed us to near panic. Panic causes distorted perceptions. Calm understanding of our situation, and a careful evaluation will allow us to more easily assess the situation.”