The Event Series (Book 3): The Archive and Beyond

by Thomas Larson

  We did vespers tonight, Tanya has been doing a great job while we were gone, but she was glad we’re back. The tribe is healing, slowly, but a lot happened. We’ve lost friends from camp, and friends from Stanwix, but we keep going. It was good to see everyone, and we, well, we’re just glad to still be a tribe.

  It felt good to be back with Tanya, I missed her. We talked about Linda, the real estate lady. I told Tanya that I thought that when she saw the end coming she did what she did to keep from turning. I want to believe that she also set the fire to try to free as many of the Changed as she could.

  “I was going to visit Helen, but after seeing Fort Plain, I couldn’t” I told Tanya.

  “Yeah, I think that believing that she is alive and okay is good, I think she is, but to lose her, I understand.” said Tanya. “Come to bed Matt, I missed you.”

  August 3rd

  (Margo) Lucy was at it again last night; she would pace, and then look at the door, then pace. I checked outside a couple of times to see but there was nothing.

  Camp was awake early this morning, Heather was in labor! It took hours and it did not sound like fun, we all kind of hovered around the med cabin, waiting.

  About noon the word came, we have a new camper, it’s a boy. IT IS NORMAL! Thank God! Heather is fine, and rumor has it Steven only fainted once.

  (Lance) Uproar in camp today, we have a new member, Heather and Steven have had their baby, and it’s a boy. It is not a monster, although we don’t know if it has the virus, but that isn’t that important, it is alive, and seems healthy.

  (Matt) Pounding on the door this morning; Charlene was there and they needed Tanya to come to the Med Cabin. Heather’s water broke, it was time and they needed, wanted Tan to help with the birthing.

  Pretty much the rest of the day was spent focused on the new life that joined us, first in the actual birth process, then in the “is it normal” concerns and then finally, Yes, it is normal, and it is all good. Wow, a new life.

  Vespers tonight was special, as we, and it was all of us, Mark and Michelle were there and also Heather, Steven and the baby, they named him Augustus. They picked out that name because it was Heather’s father. That was his name and she had always promised him that if she had a son that she would name him that.

  It was amazing watching the interaction around the child, our first child. The women were all over it like, I guess I shouldn’t use the metaphor of flies on manure, but it does fit. The men, we just smiled, and felt good. We would continue, humanity would continue.

  In the course of the Vespers, Steven asked if Tanya and I could present and introduce Augustus to the Sky Father and Earth Mother and make a formal naming ceremony. It kind of caught us off guard.

  She and I looked at each other and arose. Tanya took the baby from Heather and held it, she thought for a moment, and then said; “Earth Mother, you have given us bounty, and now you give us our future, this is little Augustus, he is one of us, your people, and we thank you for this blessing.” Tanya held the baby as she put her thumb to the ground and then placed a small mark of dirt on the child’s forehead.

  Then she turned to me and handed me the child. It was so light, so small yet I could feel the energy in it, the life energy, I raised it over my head.

  “Sky Father, this is Augustus, he is one of us, of your people, help him, make him strong, and wise, he is our future, he and those who follow will be our legacy.”

  As I lowered him, I spoke to the tribe; “We are blessed with this little one, and though tiny now, he will one day be our leader. I can feel that in him, his spirit is strong. Let us all help him and guide him to wisdom and goodness.”

  “Wisdom and Goodness” replied everyone. On a branch nearby an owl hooted three times.

  We sat for another hour and then two by two drifted off to our cabins. Tanya and I were the last to leave; we were quiet as we walked, holding hands, both thinking about the future as we had not considered it in a long time. We, our little tribe was moving forward, we will continue.

  That night, with the birth, and the good feelings in the group, I know we embraced, intimately, and so did probably everyone else.

  August 4th

  (Margo) Lucy, again with the whining and door staring, and this morning when I let her out she rushed off this time, there was someone or something out there. I put on some cloths grabbed my pistol and started out the door.

  Shit, sorry, but…..I cried, and I ran, sitting at the flagpole, by the fire pit were Tom, and Asuna.

  “Good morning Margo” Tom smiled, “We got here about an hour ago and didn’t want to wake anyone up, so we figured we would just wait.”

  “How, what, when, year, early,” I stammered through my tears hugging him.

  “Yeah, that is kind of a long story, has Nick got any coffee ready yet?”

  “I, oh, ah, Nick,…. Nick is dead…….. so much to tell,” I said. I could see the sadness and the questions filling him.

  “Oh”, he said, and then stood for a moment. I knew what he was thinking, and feeling; it was something we have all suffered with too often.

  “But you’re okay, that’s good, and Teckla, Matt, Mark?” he asked.

  “No, they’re good, just; there’s so much to tell.” I sobbed, as I was trying to get my composure back, the bell, must ring the bell, two rings

  Ding, Ding

  People started falling out of their cabins, some with guns, some yawning, some half-dressed. When they saw who was there it was crazy with, hugs, tears, questions.

  Jan got the coffee pot going, and we all started toward the dining hall, there would be a lot of talking and telling.

  I didn’t notice it at first but Lucy had just sat down next to Tom while we were first talking, and then would not leave his side. Before we went inside he scrunched down to her and rubbed her head, “I know you, I am sorry, I am late.”

  Asuna was not forgotten in the reunion, I’m sorry, I was so focused on seeing Tom, my dad, again, I just, you know.

  As we walked toward the dining hall, he stopped me. “Margo, did you keep the journal going? Did you keep track?”

  “I did, I wasn’t gonna at first, I, ah, I hated that you left, and it took a long time before I read what you had said, written, then I understood.” I told him.

  Teckla and Tay galloped up and Teckla was off the horse and hugging Tom, she was in tears.

  ‘”Hey, its okay, I’m back.” He said.

  “Nick, Nick, is….”

  “I know, Margo told me. I …..give me a minute.” He turned and walked back away from us all for a minute. I knew he was crying, it hit him at that point. We all stared and when Asuna started toward him Teckla stopped her.

  “Give him a minute,” she said. “It is the family way.”

  Only Lucy stayed with him, at his side. He reached down and stroked her head.

  Everything was so up in the air right at the moment, there was so much to tell, the attacks, Stanwix, the hunters, journals, horses, just so many things. And so many questions, the biggest being why were you back early.

  After a few minutes he walked back over, hugged Teckla, then me, his eyes were still red. Then he took Asuna’s hand and said, “Hey what does someone have to do to get a cup of coffee here?” as he headed toward the dining hall.

  First, Tom and Asuna listened to what had happened over the last year. I sat next to him the whole time, me on one side, Asuna on the other and Lucy at his feet. I, it was so good to have them back.

  They were amazed at the events that had occurred. By lunch time we had shared the big stories with them. Matt told him about his pilgrimage to Rome, and the finds along the way, Chris, Helen and Linda Evans.

  Lance and Fred talked about the Hunters.

  “The Burlington folks survived the hunters attack? Langley, LJ they made it?” asked Tom.

  The Major interrupted, “They did but in the end….”, and then he told about the Stanwix events and the raid that we made to dispose of Womack and his cr
ew.

  “What am I missing here?” Tom asked.

  Teckla spoke up, “It was how Nick died, and Mark lost his arm. The people from Stanwix were changed, they were killed and changed and then brought here. Langley, Ron, all of them were poisoned. They attacked the camp.”

  That kind of put a crimp on the story telling for a little while; we all just sat and were kind of at a loss.

  Finally, Asuna said softly, “We have a vaccine.”

  “What? What did you say?” asked Doc Barkley.

  “The QUalz were able to create a vaccine for the virus, it makes it so you don’t come back.” Asuna said.

  That created a silence, then questions, “How? What do you mean? Where is it?”

  “It is back at our truck, we left it there, and it’s safe.” Said Tom, and I could hear in his voice that he was starting to get back to the old Tom, the one who led us early on.

  “The how, I am not exactly sure, they used the blood samples and DNA that they collected from us all and were able to make something. Krezz said it would work, but we couldn’t really test it. We can only assume it works for now.”

  “Pills, shots, liquid? What form is it in?” asked an excited Major Barkley, his doctor sense was tingling.

  “It’s in pill form. We have about 50,000 doses and also have the instructions to make more on my readpad,” said Tom.

  “But are they safe? I mean, to take?”

  “Well Doc, that is a good question. I think so, Asuna and I have each taken one, and we are fine so far.”

  “No side effects, no….”

  “No, nothing, they are small and go down easy, and we took them about a month ago on the ship, we didn’t get sick so they mad more when it became clear that we were coming home.” Tom added.

  Teckla looked at him for a moment and finally said, “About that, it was supposed to be a year. You were only gone 8 months. What is that all about?”

  “Yeah, well, Krezz is not the best at translations. When he said a year, he meant a cycle, an orbit by the ship. It was really only about an 8 month loop.” And then he added something about speed and relativity and timey whimey stuff.”

  Lance jumped in here and asked, “So how fast were you going?”

  Asuna answered, “We don’t really know, but we did a loop around Mars and came back, so it would seem we were moving along pretty quickly. We never really asked until the end, just before they sent us back to the Earth in the pods, but I never got an answer.”

  Lance sat down with a thud, there was science stuff running through his head. His mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out.

  “You saw Mars?” asked Mark.

  “Yeah, it was ah, red?” said Tom, a little at a loss, “We circled it to come back, something about gravity well, using it as….

  “A sling shot, it makes sense” shouted Lance, “That is how they kept their speed up; they would circle between the Earth and Mars and use it to keep the speed up. I think I am close but you had to be doing about 45 to 50 thousand miles an hour to make the loop in the time you said.”

  Everyone was looking at him, and he flushed, Del looked up at him and smiled. For a minute he reminded me of Ethan.

  “Actually, I did ask Winston once and he told me that it was 49,000 miles per hour,” said Tom.

  “Okay, but the pills, maybe we should go get them, bring the truck into camp?” suggested the Major.

  “Yeah, probably a good idea, I could use a break and some fresh air,” said Tom as he got up. Asuna joined him and Lucy was right at his side. “Margo, you and Cody gonna walk with us?”

  “Duh” I had become so focused on Tom I forgot that Code had been at my side the entire time. He had been quiet, and just there, holding my hand.

  There was a lot of buzz as we walked out of camp. It was only about a quarter mile up the road. The truck, now that I did not expect, it was an old Ford pick-up, I mean old, and rusty, and a hunk of junk.

  “What the heck?...” I started.

  It was the only thing we could find that had gas and would run. The Navy boys helped me get it going.”

  “The Navy boys?” asked Code

  “Yeah, it was the Pittsburgh that picked us up near the Azores, we landed there, kind of off course, but it all worked out.” Tom added.

  “Ah, Lance said that they Pittsburgh was headed that way to check out a signal, but…hey wait, they said they picked someone up, why didn’t they tell us it was you?”

  “Ah yeah, well see, in case we didn’t make it, I, ah, didn’t want you all to worry.” He kind of stammered.

  “Asshole!”

  Asuna laughed, “Told you that you should have phoned ahead.”

  “I’m sorry I just….”

  “No, I know, and I understand your thinking, but you’re still an asshole.” I said, I was kind of pissed, but not really, it was good he, they were back.

  Lucy jumped into the back of the truck with Code. I got into the front with Asuna. I almost sat on a kind of oval shaped piece of glass.

  “Oops, let me have that, can’t be breaking that.” Said Tom

  “I’m not that heavy, what is it?” I asked.

  “That is Winston, my readpad.”

  Tom fired the old Ford up and we rolled off toward camp, it was loud, and sputtering, now I think I know why he parked where he did.

  Once we got back to camp there were huddles, not the big group discussion but small groups. Doc and Charlene cornered them first about the pills. Tom explained that he had actually gotten two hundred fifty thousand doses but he had left most with the Pittsburgh for them to distribute to bases and locations along the coast that they had made contacts with. They talked about the plans from there and what to do with our supply. It looks like some of us could be going on our own ‘pilgrimages’ over time.

  Then Tom met with Teckla, Matt and Mark. It was family stuff; they talked about Nick’s death and kind of just bonded as a family would do. Asuna and I were there with him. We listened, and that is all I am going to write on that because well, Tom can put it into his journal, it is not my place to do that.

  Lucy, Lucy is stuck to him like glue. She was always around close to me when I was taking care of her, but now I see that she was always his animal, his spirit guide and somehow, I think she knew that her job until he got back was to watch over me. Of course once Momma stepped in, and I was marked by the mountain lion cub it was no longer her main job.

  Dinner tonight was a treat, there were BBQ deer ribs, and corn on the cob, and salads with real tomatoes and veggies from the garden, and it was awesome. It was almost like Nick and Grace were still with us. Turns out we have a new chef in town, and although he did not do a lot of the physical cooking, Jan and Michelle did that part, Mark has taken over the kitchen.

  We did Vespers tonight and it was still a lot of exchanging of stories. It is good that he, they’re back.

  Code and I stayed up late afterword talking, just talking; the world has kind of changed again with Tom coming back, the vaccine and the baby.

  (Lance) Wow, Tom and Asuna are back, that is wild. I am kind of envious of them having seen outer space, was always a dream when I was a little kid, before I went to the “darkside”. I have so many questions I need and want to ask them. I learned some while everyone was catching up. That speed thing was incredible, 50,000 miles per hour, and the time compression that they experienced.

  I have to make some notes to myself about things to ask, like what it felt like in the ship, what were the little lizard guys like, and what did they see.

  I also want to see what is going on with the vaccine; I am not sure about it, my inner voice is whispering about it, but not loud enough to hear, yet. I think I may hold off on taking it for a little bit, until I can sort out the whispers.

  Del and I talked a little about the idea of babies. We are good right now with waiting maybe a year or two, we are both still young and there is still a lot of stuff out there that could be bad.

  (Matt) What
a surprise this morning with Uncle Tom coming back, he and Asuna look fine, and the story of their landing in the ocean and being picked up by the Pittsburgh was pretty interesting.

  I am hopeful about the vaccine, it would be good to know that if one of us passes we no longer have to worry about them coming back, changing.

  We, Tan and I, broke away for a little while when they went to get the truck, grabbed some veggies for dinner, couple of bunnies were in the trap too.

  Mark is doing really well in his recovery, he has been up and around and although still moving a little slow. He has taken to helping out, actually kind of supervising the kitchen. He sits a lot and gives orders to Michelle but he is taking charge, and that is a good thing.

  We did Vespers tonight, and it was really rather up-beat, chatter about the vaccine, Tom’s return and most of all, the baby, little Augustus, it is a diversion, better a light at the end of a tunnel of the bad stuff that has happened. There is still that sadness sitting just below the surface but it shall pass, we will, we already are recovering.

  I know we have some things ahead that we need to talk about, and talk about very soon. But for now, let’s just enjoy the calm.

  First Son Note: I have considered trying to integrate Tom’s (Test Subject #1) readpad chronicle into the daily journals but after some discussion with First Daughter, we have decided that rather than to wait to finish the electronic records of the camp we would enter his writings from the leaving of camp in the winter to his return. Once that portion is entered we will integrate his words (journal?) in with the electronic versions of the other chronicles.

  (Tom entries to the Readpad) I have lost all concept of what time it is, what day it is, and naturally where I am other than in a space ship that is moving away from Earth, my home planet. I have prevailed upon our host, Krezz to give me this recording device, they call it a readpad. That is a translation of course, I have no understanding of the clicks and burps of their (the QUalz) natural language.

  The biggest thing that I wanted was the opportunity to keep a journal of the trek, the year away from home, how Asuna and I lived and survived on the ship. Yes, the ship had a name; it was in translation called the Sky Crystal. Winston explained that originally the ship had a designation number, but that was all. When the early humans were brought about the referred to it as “Bright Crystal in the Sky” and somehow the name stuck.