7
When I was young, I thought a rude awakening was my grandmother hollering, "Get out of bed and come to breakfast, the school bus will be here soon". If that did not produce the proper timely response, I would hear Granddad holler, "I know a boy that better get his butt in gear!" Which at the time I labeled rude out of ignorance I guess. My present awakening shattered my concept of rude. The crushing pain on my left knee was a magnitude above any pain I had ever endured. I screamed loud enough anyone within a hundred miles would hear me and come to my aid. My pinched shut eyes snapped open to a blood chilling sight. The big Alfa wolf was trying to remove the lower half of my leg with rapid side-to-side jerks from his powerful jaws. This set the pitch of my screaming at least two octaves higher.
My fire had burnt down to coals while I slept. I guess it was the invitation the big wolf was looking for to resume the meeting I had adjourned the previous evening. The wolf gave up trying to dislodge my lower leg from my knee and decided to drag me from my protective cover. With massive rearward tugs, the wolf was dragging me across the slick snow covered ground past my smoldering fire and to a waiting party. I had no illusions how they planned to kick it off. The wolf’s efforts did not go unnoticed. One of his companions was coming forward to lend helping incisors. As the second wolf came in to secure a hold on my other leg, I swept my arm through the fire pit as hard as I could. The majority of hot coals and ashes flew into the oncoming wolf’s mouth and eyes sending it bolting over backwards into a yelping retreat. This had no effect on the big Alfa as he ignored my attempts to contest the minutes of our meeting.
With the fire throwing act over, my arm completed its downward arc and my hand came into contact with the hilt of my hunting knife. Not wanting to waste an acorn, I ripped the knife from its sheath and slashed the head of the wolf. My desperate act filleted a fist full of hide from its head along with an ear. This sent it yelping out to discuss future strategies with his fire eating compadre. I back peddled through the snow dragging my damaged leg. My reward for the small victory was a non-stop barrage of railroad spike signals of agony to my brain. I unlimbered the pistol and without thinking squeezed off four quick shots downhill hoping everybody understood the party was over.
After realizing that wasting precious ammunition would lead to a moron’s death I holstered the pistol. I tried standing but collapsed when the pain in my leg reached a blinding crescendo. Gritting my teeth I rolled over and grabbed up the ax and using it for a crutch stood up. It was just a matter of time before the wolves gathered their courage and came after me. Another confrontation could anchor me to the ground permanently. With only four rounds for the pistol it was easy to guess what the outcome would be. I took off hobbling downhill to the southwest towards a sizable open field about two hundred yards away. Every step was pure hell and pain, but stopping would lead too much, much worse.
Sweat was pouring down my face and I was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. The pain in my knee receded to a dull roar. I knew I was going into shock and passing out would not include waking up. Certain death can be a great motivator. I staggered downhill biting back screams of agony with every step. My vision was blurring and whiting out on me but I pushed on towards the open field. To keep my terror in check, I reasoned with myself I would find safety somewhere in the open terrain. My agony was joined by a warm wet squishing between my toes. Blood loss would be another factor that might bring this horror show to a premature end.
In front of me well short of my intended destination was a large tree that had fallen down slope into the fork of another tree. The fork was high enough off the ground I did not think the wolves could reach me. I would stop long enough to catch my breath and put a tourniquet above my knee to slow the bleeding in the leg wound. I put the ax into the slit in my vest, straddled the tree trunk, and pushed myself backwards up the tree trunk until my back met the fork. With great effort I pushed myself back up into the standing position and pulled the ax back out. Leaning forward trying my best not to put weight on my injured leg, I drove the axe into the tree trunk with the handle sticking up. If the wolves came for me, they would have to come up the narrow tree trunk and climb around the axe blocking their path. I still had four good reasons for them not to.
I slumped back against the tree then slid down the trunk until I was sitting. My good leg dangled over the side leaving my damaged leg stretched out on the log. Exhaustion gripped me, instead of respite from the pain. Hopelessness had me convinced I wasted the time necessary to escape the wolves and reach safety. My grandfather once told me time was just like money. If you did not spend it wisely, you will always look back with regret at how you foolishly wasted it. I had all the regret I could handle. Movement through the trees let me know my looking back on this may no longer be possible.
My heated sweat gave way to a frigid chill that started an almost nonstop shiver. My trembling body convulsed to the point I feared falling from my perch. My intention was to cut a piece of rope for a tourniquet. A momentary bout of clarity made me discard the idea. If the wolf bite had severed an artery, I would have never made it to my present location before bleeding out. I opted instead to loop the rope around me and up over a broken branch just above my head. This would keep me from falling if I passed out. It was the right choice. I was jolted awake by a voice.
"Human, the probability you will survive another planetary rotation is 29%, if you survive the coming rotation your probability for survival is less than 8% for an additional rotation."
What the hell! Who talks like that? I felt dizzy and had the urge to vomit but trampled it with several heartfelt yells for help.
“I need help! I’m up in a tree, you’ve got to come and help me! My leg is torn up bad and there's a bunch of pissed off wolves running around over here!”
Confirming my statement was the sight of several dark spots moving downhill through the trees in my direction. Ol’ one ear would not like it if someone helps me.
“I hope you’ve got a gun! You will need it!”
"Negative human, I cannot comply."
A sense of utter hopeless confusion was overwhelming me, and my vision was starting to white out again. This was not the inner voices of my grandparents guiding me. I could not tell which direction it was coming from. It echoed off the surrounding hills. I pulled my water bottle out and managed a drink before my shaking hands fumbled it. The bottle dropped to the ground below, adding to the growing fear I was dying. My head was spinning, and I had the strangest thought. When I was in high school I read about a guy named Occam who had a theory that the simplest explanation to a situation was usually the correct one. My declining health and deteriorating mental state could be the only explanation of my ramblings. The desperation of my situation was pushing me to make abstract conclusions. I jumped headlong down the rabbit hole. I yelled out.
“I know I shot a couple of your friends and cut off one of your ears, but you chewed my leg up good, we should call it even!”
"Human, your frail grasp on reality and your incomprehensible response leads me to reconsider your surviving any additional planetary rotations."
What the hell does he mean by that! I’m not sure, but I think the son of a bitch is screwing with me! Two can play this game!
“Hey! I got one of Callie’s smoked hams in my coat. If you come over here, I’ll share it with you!”
Easing the pistol out of my holster I made sure the hammer would fall on one of my remaining rounds. It crossed my mind that dying hungry after making such an outlandish exclamation seemed kind of stupid. I fished around in my pocket and took out my last energy bar. As I ate, I called out.
“Oh man, this ham sure is good you don’t know what you’re missing!”
I was getting nothing, and it bothered me enough to yell out.
“Hey, I got at least a hundred bullets for my pistol so bring it on asshole!”
"Human, in my estimation, the predators known as Gray Wolves will encircle your position once your local star re
aches an additional 9 degrees above the horizon. You must travel on a heading of 256 degrees for 311 feet. If you do not your probability for survival is below seven percent."
“Look, I can’t travel anywhere! If you want me to leave, then lead me out of here. I don’t have a compass and I don’t know how to GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”
"Human, turn and face southwest and vacate your present location. Head to the lower elevation in which I am located. I will guide you to my outer atmospheric lock. You will have safe shelter and medical treatment for your injuries."
I had to be delirious because I was getting offers of medical attention. My alleged savior was right about one thing I could not stay where I was. My injured leg had gone numb from sitting. The ragged holes around the lower leg of my coveralls were all weeping blood. If I had to go, it was a good idea to do it while my leg was oblivious to my intentions. I holstered the pistol and pushed myself forward. I gripped the ax handle and yanked it loose. The effort let me know I had not lost all the feeling in my damaged knee. I scooted to the end of the log and let myself slide to the ground. I groaned out loud when I put weight back on my leg. Using the ax for my crutch, I turned back towards the southwest and again headed downhill towards the small pasture. I was assuming something or someone would meet me there. The feelings I had lost in my lower leg got "unlost" right after I noticed the bizarre rotating side-to-side motion my knee was making.
The power bar I had eaten became an indigestible annoyance. I slumped against a tree, vomiting the contents of my stomach down the front of myself. Pushing off again I hoped for a quick death or salvation, I didn’t care which.
"Human, you must turn back towards the south your present course will not intersect my location."
My vision was blurring again. Looking around, I fixed the brightest point in the predawn sky and turned right. I stumbled out into the far end of a snow covered field. There was nobody in the field it was empty. I continued staggering out into the snow covered pasture.
"Human, you must increase the velocity of your approach vector. The predators are pursuing you at a closure rate greater than your forward progress. They will intercept you before you reach this location. I will attempt to slow their progress by elevating the modulation of my voice synthesizer and narrowing the projection pattern."
The pain was an ocean of quicksand and it was pulling me down. My body was on the verge of calling it quits. The voice’s dire prediction of one ear catching up with me was the fuel I needed to fight on. My heart was working at a freight train pace and my vision was playing crazy tricks on my eyes. The whole field I was hobbling towards was shimmering. I could now make out someone coming towards me. Each step was making the shimmering scene in front of me seem unreal. It had to be a hallucination because I could see myself struggling through the snow. Even the sky in front of me was shimmering. I thought I was dreaming until I looked behind me. My dream turned into a nightmare. There was a big wolf with an ugly head wound and only one ear followed by four other wolves. I turned around knowing I was a goner. Twenty feet in front of me I saw a dark opening appear in the shimmering field and a ramp slide down to the snow.
What I was seeing could only mean one thing. I died, and this was the doorway to heaven, or worse, the elevator to hell. I feel a vibration in my teeth followed by a loud ringing in my ears. Then I feel it again and I almost fall face first into the snow. Something warm and wet is running down both sides of my head. My eyes feel like someone stabbed ice picks into them. I turned around and ten feet behind me I could see one ear and his gang thrashing around in the snow like brainless idiots. That’s all it took for me to decide heaven or hell here I come. I struggle to overcome what feels like a massive weight on my back as I fall forward on the ramp. I start crawling up it dragging my bad leg. I reach the dark opening and can see a large cot lying on the floor in front of me. I crawled to the cot noticing blood dripping off my face on to the white sheet. Rolling on to the cot I look up and see a bright flash.
8
I awoke feeling disoriented and troubled by nightmares. The dreams were of a strange looking laboratory and I had vague memories of me screaming in agony or for help. The realization I was inside a large glass tube caused me to remember some of the bizarre circumstances that led me to wherever the hell I was. My feelings should have been of stark terror but for some reason all I felt was a mute fascination as to my whereabouts.
"Human, I have awoken you to test the dampening of your sensory array. I have placed data flow limitations on your implants and must ascertain their effectiveness. Previous tests revealed sensory overload and extremely primitive reactions."
What the hell was that! The voice I was sure I heard in my head should have me panicking but again I felt nothing but mild curiosity.
“Who are you and where am I?”
"I am an Oolaran designed Centurion class military A.I. control system. As for your present location, you are currently located in a restoration pod in the medical bay of an interceptor class fast attack combat vessel."
Before I could even start to ask another question, images of a ship appeared in my mind. It was not of any design I could even imagine. Pictures flashed through my mind with simple graph style dimensions. According to what I was seeing the craft was nine hundred feet long, one hundred and sixty feet wide and almost two hundred feet tall. Then the questions I wanted to ask, more or less started answering themselves with high definition video pictures and voice communication. The strangest part of all was I am still looking through the glass tube at an array of unknown equipment. Glancing up I see glossy black metallic arms just above me yet still see pictures in my head. It was obvious I was still located in the Alaskan bush. I could see multiple objects moving on different lines over, and around my location. The images flicker and I see several map style locations plotted out to the ocean and across Canada. The mere thought of Seratook brought its highlighted location and grid coordinates up for instant access. "Holy shit!"
"Human, Your infatuation with deities and their excrement alarms me. Your continued recital of this and other slang expletives upon waking is casting doubts about the proper dampening of your implants. You're troubling behavior has increased the probability for additional neural implant modifications and induced coma recuperation time."
“Whoa! Hold on a minute! You abducted me and are doing alien experiments on me!”
"Your assumptions are only half correct. You were not abducted; you came aboard, or more precisely crawled aboard this vessel upon my urging. I offered medical attention and shelter from eminent bodily destruction from local predators. Experimentation was required to repair your frail physical form with the current technology available aboard this vessel."
In my very confused state of mind I could not shake the fear of all the crap I had seen on TV about such things and blurted out.
"Hey this didn’t involve any sexual probing did it?"
I took its silence as a bad omen and then suddenly started seeing gruesome flashes of my wolf chewed leg, which for some reason quickly ceased. Then the thought it may have cut my leg off started to panic me. Then as if someone flipped a switch, I could feel my foot moving and then my head. I looked down across my naked purplish body and saw my foot moving. Panic once again started sweeping over me. It subsided to just simple fear of the unknown and my inability to move again.
"Why am I naked and why am I purple?"
"Human, the technology aboard this vessel to repair your injuries is Oolaran and Grawl. The biological similarities between the Oolaran and humans are quite significant. I speculate your DNA was genetically altered in your distant past as was the Oolaran. With the Grawl there are few similarities except for the fact they are biped and have the same number of appendages."
“Why are you dodging my questions? Why am I naked and why am I PURPLE?”
"Human, it is no longer necessary for you to verbalize your thoughts to me. On board this vessel my sensor arrays allow me to access your impla
nts. The implants make me aware of your thought processes. Some liberties had to be taken to insure your survival and to remove the probability of structural instability and tissue rejection."
“The chances of you shutting me up are pretty slim. I don’t care how long it takes but you need to explain it to me exactly what liberties you are referring to.”
"After carefully scanning and cataloging your biology I programmed nanites to repair your damaged limb. The repairs went well but resulted in a structurally superior limb compared to your other appendage so it required the same structural enhancement procedure. Unfortunately, the quantities of nanites required to repair just your lower limbs was an approximation, which resulted in a partial structural enhancement of your pelvis."
My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open at the machines statement. My pelvis was well north of my lower leg. I did not want the alien machine fooling around with my pelvis or anything else starting with the letter “P”. My panic was growing by the second as the machine continued its oration.
First of my Kind Page 8
