by Max Jager
"You guys certainly weren't kidding," exclaimed Matt. "This place is awesome, I can see why you like it. Well as far as I'm concerned it's your's if you want it, although if Kiggham goes for it you're going to need to map out some sort of territory you can legally call your own." Roy pointed out the rough boundary which consisted of a large valley bordered on three sides by a range of high hills or low mountains whichever you preferred I guess.
"I thought you guys liked rugged mountains?
"Well you forget Matt," explained Hinald.
"We had no choice in the Witchfire's, we were driven there, it was simply a matter of having to adapt. What you see below you is what we elves truly prefer, and I'm sure the centaurs would like it as well."
"I wonder what the weather is like up here,"
"It certainly can't be any worse than the Witchfire's," chuckled Roy, "But you know what really draws me to this area is that it reminds me of the Winding Stair mountains in Oklahoma. My dad grew up in those mountains and used to take us on camping trips up there. In fact I'd like to name these the Winding Stair's in honor of the originals."
"I have no objection," I replied, "Clath, are you aware of any name this place has?"
"As far as I know it didn't have any, we weren't real big on naming places."
Back in New Town everybody was busy making whatever repairs they were able to with Walter trying to figure out how to rig up some sort of electrical system. Roy's oldest son Dahmon, and his friend Ardoc were also helping out where they could.
"They sure had a cobbled up mess," exclaimed Walter. "I realize everything was tied to solar panels and all, but this is crazy."
Clath happened to be standing nearby overhearing their conversation.
"You know, I might be able to offer a little help here."
"How so?" Asked Matt. Clath grinned as he sat down on a nearby bench.
"Well I'm almost sure the system is still there but in Mindia everything was powered off the sun.
"Well that's what we've already got here," replied Walter, Clath smiled and shook his head.
"Not the system they used over there. First of all you need a solar reception screen which is tied into a solar updraft tower. Now all that does is collect not only the solar radiation but electromagnetic radiation all the gamma rays and photons as well as ultraviolet light just as those panels up on the roofs do but the solar collector has something those panels don't have."
Asking for something to draw on Walter gave him the notepad he had been using along with a pen. Clath proceeded to draw a box.
"It's called a "mesmak" box named for the fellow that invented it I guess. Anyway, the size of the box is proportional to how much energy you want to draw from the sun, and that my friend is something you're going to have to figure our yourself. The box must be made of konian steel, this is very critical, konian steel is incredibly durable but is actually very porous. The interior of this box must be lined with robantium." Matt was familiar with this material. It resembled copper but was more like lead without all the problems lead created.
"Inside this box are six Duranix plates generally three "kika's" thick."
"What's a "kika," asked Walter.
"Oh that's right," replied Clath, "You aren't familiar with our units of measure."
Indicating three kika's with his fingertips, Matt guessed three kika's was around two inches.
"At one side of this box you have a four kika tube made of very high temperature, and shock resistant phoeben glass, ever hear of it?" Matt had heard Gandric mention it. "Anyway it extends into the box all the way across, then turns at an angle coming out at the lower end of the box close to one of the sides. This is now your return tube. After all that, this box must be completely submerged in a large tank of colizine coolant. Now, this delivery, or feed tube if you will connects to what we call an energy projector that transmit's the energy to thermlectrium antennas at whatever location you need power. Now, once at the particular location that energy is received by a wavex scrambler that broadcasts the energy throughout the whole building, such as one of those houses there."
Nobody said anything for a moment until Walter cautiously asked,
"But how does it create all this energy?"
Clath looked at him like he had lobsters crawling out his ears.
"I would think it would be apparent…Chemical reaction between the robantium plating and the Duranix plates. Sometimes they fill the boxes with skop oil."
"So your telling us that people are eating and sleeping in homes that are getting all this…Energy beamed into them," said Walter. "Back on earth they say that if you spend too much time around high power lines and even cell phones all those electrical waves will give you cancer." Clath looked at him like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.
"What? No!, Are you humans that dense…Well then again maybe you are." By this time Ircisa had wandered up.
"Ircisa dear, I was just telling these humans about solar energy fed through a mesmak box and I don't think they quite believe me." His wife smiled,
"It's true, a lot of the outland settlements on my own home world of Rana-Saing used them. Naturally the major cities create power using other methods but this set-up is ideal for far-flung and isolated villages and settlements."
"Then how come I've never seen this sort of thing on any of the planets around here?" Clath looked at him and shrugged.
"Beats me, as far as I know the tech is common knowledge."
"Well not around here it isn't," said Matt. By the way, how far can the transmitter beam this energy?"
"Well again it depends on the size of your solar collector, the box, and the size of the projector, but generally within a two hundred hecta radius. Now there is a drawback in that an average sized set-up would easily handle an area this size as things now stand, but say you added several homes as well as three or four shops, well then that would start to reduce the area the transmitter could reach out to. If you had dwellings say on the outer fringes, they might start to suffer. You would then have to increase the size of the solar station or do a lot of planning ahead."
"How about radio signals or other signals or transmissions," Asked Gabe, "Wouldn't these energy beams affect any of that?"
"No not a bit," replied Clath, "You're talking about very tight and focused beams, no you'd be fine." Then Walter asked Matt,
"So to your knowledge this method of creating power is unknown in this solar system?"
"I've never heard of it," he replied. Walter, still needing an answer to his original question asked about the health risks.
"I thought I answered that! No, of course not, once the energy is transmitted into your home or business by the wavex scrambler it's like waves. Anything you have that is powered by these waves simply picks them up and just does what it's supposed to do much like comm waves."
Matt's mind started working thinking of the possibilities and potential for making money.
"Well it's obvious that if they don't have this sort of device in this system how could we find anyone who could build such a thing around here?" This brought gales of laughter from both Clath and his wife.
"I'll give you a hint earthling, she's standing right in front of you. Yes, you guessed it, among her many talents my lovely wife is an electrical engineer."
Ircisa just smiled and batted her eyelashes,
"Lover your too kind, but yes I could construct such a system, however if there is one of these power boxes over in Mindia I don't want to fool with it. The transmitter, antenna's, scramblers, well they would be no problem but I'd rather start with a brand new mesmak. Besides they pretty much have to be custom made for the size and area you're going to be powering."
"Damn…I need to talk to Gandric and someone from the trading company," said Matt, to no one in particular.
That night as he lay in bed a million things were keeping him awake.
Was it such a good idea to be offering a notorious warlord a large tract of land.
Or
was Clath bullshitting him about this mesmak box? Too many decisions and all of them boiling down to the question of who he could trust. He was just about ready to drop off when a banging on the door woke him like a fire bell in the night.
"Matt? Matt? Are you in there? It sounded like Clath. Quickly opening the door the Neistrian was in like a flash.
"Get up human, we've got "company." In the dim light of the room he could see Clath armed to the teeth carrying some sort of long gun on his back. He then paused as if listening to something. Matt noticed that it was some sort of comm device stuck in his ear.
"Just stay out of sight, and keep me posted." Clath looked at Matt,
"Raider's my friend, Ircisa and I were in my ship trying to re-program a few nav points when the scanner went off."
"Are you sure it's raiders?" Asked Matt, Clath gave him an irritated look.
"Don't you think I don't know what a raiders signature is by now?"
"Umm sorry…"
"Well anyway there are two ships, both landed out towards that grassy area west of here. Ircisa says they have formed into two teams and are moving this way."
Suddenly there was another knock at the door, it was Roy's oldest son Dahmon.
"My father sent me to warn you that there are strange people sneaking up this way."
"Tell your dad they are raiders and there are two groups kill them and if you can sneak back to their ships which are parked out in that little meadow just past those trees don't let them leave," exclaimed Matt. Dahmon then bolted back out the door.
"Let me warn the others," said Matt,
"Well you do that," replied Clath, I've got to get back to my wife, just don't shoot us by accident." With that he was gone as well. Matt immediately started alerting everyone over his wrist comm. Ordering everyone to hold tight and stay where they were.
"I don't want anyone wandering around, it's too dark to tell who's who. Lock your doors and shoot anyone that tries to come through." He wasn't too worried about the Dyson's as Franklin was up there and could probably take care of any raiders that showed up. Then he opened a window settling in to wait. About ten minutes later he heard a noise and a dark figure appeared at the open window. As it started to climb in he opened up causing whoever it was to fly backwards. Suddenly a beam of light shot into the room hitting very close to him.
Chapter 107
Titan Stand Chapter 107
It was now clear that there were several raiders moving around outside, and the worst part was that he had no idea how many. Suddenly Liam's voice came over his wrist comm.
"Matt There's someone trying to get in over here what should I do?"
"Is Gabe with you?"
"Yeah, he's got your shotgun but man this ain't good we're scared."
"Well I'm scared too Liam. Just make sure you guys stay hidden if they get in open up on them, kill them Liam."
"Man I don't know Matt, I…"
"Hang on, there's someone out here, call you back." Matt could see two shadowy shapes across the street coming his way. Trying not to think about what he had to do; Matt rested his rifle on a chair and started pulling the trigger. He had forgotten how loud these AR's could be shooting indoors as he fought to concentrate on the targets outside. He saw one shape drop and the other falter and cry out scrambling back to where it had come from. Suddenly another beam blasted out a side window and catching the wall above his bed on fire. Matt let out a scream hoping to make his opponent think he had been hit. Sure enough, a face appeared at the shattered window. Snapping off three rounds the raider immediately pitched backward. Then the rear door came crashing inward as he dropped to the floor squeezing off rounds as fast as he could pull the trigger. Then he heard the sounds of another AR and several blasts from a shotgun.
"Must be Liam and Gabe he thought as he quickly changed his position. Form outside; he could now hear shouting followed by screams. Then his wrist comm buzzed indicating an incoming call.
"Matt is that you?" It was Doctor Dyson,
"Yeah," replied Matt, "There are people trying to break in who are they?"
"I think they're raiders Doctor, "Is Franklin up there with you?"
"Yes, but he's moved to another part of the house."
"Do you have any sort of weapon?"
"Just an old lever action rifle Franklin gave me," replied Dyson.
"Well you and your wife get to the examination room it's got a real strong lock on it. Stay there, don't move around, we'll come and get you when this is over."
He then heard more shooting, coming from the house Liam and Gabe had claimed. Suddenly there came the sound of a fully automatic weapon but not an AR.
"Who the fuck has a full auto around here? Then it dawned on him.
"Walter! He told me he had brought one but not that it was fully automatic, well what do you know?"
He crawled to the old shop off one end of his house and took a position behind the old forge and waited.
He heard no more shooting for a long time then came Roy's voice,
"Matt! Are you in there?"
"Yeah! Is that you Roy?"
"Yeah, come on out, it's all clear out here I think we got 'em all." It was just starting to get light out as he stepped out in the street. Roy, Hinald, Dahmon as well as Roy's wife Ellna were all standing in a small group with all appearing to be armed with bows and short swords. As Matt exited his house, he spotted four bodies lying in a row in the dusty street. Pointing to the dead raiders with the end of his bow, Roy exclaimed.
"These must have been yours. We dragged 'em out to where we could go through them. There's another four down that way, we picked 'em off with our bows, they never heard a thing.
As they were looking at the dead raiders, Liam and Gabe came running up.
"God damn! God damn, Shit, Matt what's going on?" Gasped Gabe, "God damn! We killed those guys!" It was clear both his friends were extremely upset almost to the point of crying.
"Gabe! Liam! Settle down! Exclaimed Matt, "Did you kill any of them?"
It took them a moment to regain their composure with Liam nodding his head.
"Yeah, two of them. Shit Matt they were gonna kill us, man!" At this point Walter came trotting up with an AK47 in his hand.
"Did you kill any?" Asked Matt,
"Yeah, two of 'em," as Walter nodded grimly, "I heard all this shooting, then these weird looking guys broke in so I let them have it. Who are they?"
"Raiders," replied Matt, "And judging from these guys Vel'Takz pretty nasty types."
"Say," said Roy, "We haven't heard anything from Mr. "blue-man" do you suppose they are all right?"
"Just a hunch," replied Matt, "But somehow I don't think they need our help, c'mon, let's go find out."
As they approached the too shed Clath and his wife had claimed for their home he could see why everything was all-quiet on this end.
"Hey everybody!" Called out the Neistrian, "Glad you made it, we were getting worried." Clath was sitting on a crate casually sharpening his knife while his wife was inspecting a pile of weapons. The ground around them was covered with blood and parts of bodies causing both Liam and Gabe to immediately throw-up. Matt came close, but the sight of blood and gore was starting to become all too familiar.
"Somehow I thought you two might have things covered down here," said Matt matter-of-factly. Clath snickered,
"Well truth be told, we don't like strangers dropping in unannounced."
Roy and Hinald had been inspecting the bodies shaking their heads.
"Got to hand it to you Mr. Rissak, some pretty amazing knife work here."
"Isn't it though, but in all honesty I can only claim three of those fellows, Ircisa is the blade expert around here." Ircisa just looked at everyone, shrugged her shoulders with a wicked grin on her face.
"Well say everybody," said Clath, "We've got ourselves two raider ships parked out there, what say we both claim one, how's that sound?"
"That's great," replied Matt, trouble is we can't f
ly them anywhere, their scanner signatures will show them as raider craft, we'll get blasted." Both Clath and Ircisa laughed,
"Not after my lovely wife and I work our "magic," how about we go take a look at our "prizes." These people were starting to scare him now, but on the other hand had they not been here no telling how this situation would have unfolded. One thing was for certain, thought Matt,
