The Renewal

by Joseph Ferguson

  Chapter 24

  EnCharles had followed them.

  He had watched for most of the day though he kept his distance, making sure Elisabeth was ok. She had intrigued him with her talk of magic and of course her pretty smile. He hadn’t give girls much thought on his planet, to busy gaining knowledge and there would be plenty of time for that later, he always told himself. But this girl intrigued him. Something about her caught his attention and he couldn’t shake her.

  He wasn’t sure about this group they were with though, rather primitive, he thought even for earthlings, living in tents and all. At least they would never be able to detect him, how could they, they don’t have the technology, he figured he could even walk freely among them and they would never know. He decided he would follow and make sure she was ok then move on in the morning, he did have a job to complete. He didn’t expect her to drink the liquid, he expected her to resist but she drank it uncoerced. He had followed them into the tree hut hopefully she would be revived here, he would sit in the empty corner and wait.

  He especially enjoyed the part where the chanting woman caused Shaun to stiffen and shut up, he had always thought that he acted a little too pompous. After they carried him out he noticed the witch or Galdar or whatever she was got a little nervous looking his way like maybe she could see him. There wasn’t any way she could; this woman had no technology whatsoever she was too simple to be able to detect him, but she kept looking at him. He was glad when Elisabeth woke up and that she seemed ok. He sat listening to the talk and was intrigued when Elisabeth claimed to have magic, a singer like this witch. The Galdar turned towards him again this time she started to chant he smiled, I think she sees me, he said to himself. He could feel a slight burning on his skin and with the volume of her voice raising he felt as if he was on fire. He had to get out; he had to get away from this chanting so he fled through the door causing a slight movement in leaf covering.

  He needed to move on anyways, he had a job to do, and with Elisabeth ok he could go and not feel the least bit guilty. He would look for her later after he finished his task.

  Finding an earth vehicle to drive was his next move; the slip shield he had used to follow Elisabeth was depleted of energy and would take a few days before he could use it again. It needed a molecular level recharge which was common back home, but not here, he would have to wait on time to allow the power to trickle back. If he would have just gone to Nevada he would be a quarter of the way there by now; traveling one mile or five miles takes the same energy with the slip shield.

  He had walked about three miles through the forest before coming to a highway with a couple cars stopped about fifty feet apart. The first one was sleek, red and new with the dealer sticker still in the back window, the driver wanting to show off their buy. Opening the door brought out a cloud of white ashes into the air which caught up into the wind, making En Charles step back. The almost dissolved driver barely filled the clothes, a leather jacket with leather pants that lay crumpled on the seat and his shoes on the floorboard along with the keys that had somehow dropped. He laughed when then engine would not turn over figuring he would have to try a lot of cars before finding one that would run.

  These people live so primitive with their combustible engines, he thought, followed by an audible laugh.

  He wished he could have brought a hover wheel through the portal, but the power it would have taken would have caused an overload on this side and easy detection on the other.

  The other vehicle, he found, after walking to it wouldn’t start either though it had a bicycle rack on top along with two bikes. Using the keys he unlocked one and got it down giving it a little test push, “I guess it will do he said out loud,” for no reason other than to hear his voice. As he rode he calculated that by bicycle it will take too long to reach Area 51maybe twenty two or twenty three days if all goes well and that’s with finding new tires along the way. He would have to use the slip shield again and risk detection, but it will be at least two days before it recharges and that’s if he refrains from using any of his technology. He would have to ride to the nearest town to find food and a safe place to rest, luckily the people of this planet built their towns near their roadways. The sign along the road read East Liverpool twenty miles.

  He could see the town in the distance when he remembered and tapped his hat twice; he had forgotten that conceal mode was still activated. He laughed. “Now that would have been funny to see,” he again spoke out loud as he imagined a bicycle with no rider.

  The closer he got to town the more cars he saw some had been left in awkward positions as people had tried to flee the virus, but there was no escape. He felt sadness for them as he rode past their metal graves. Their technology couldn’t save them, not enough time, he supposed. On his planet people would have resided in isolation chambers until an inoculation could have been developed. He had never considered it before in this manner but he realized that the air purification system on his planet would be a life saver in this situation. The Earth’s sun had played a major role in the incubation and the distribution of the virus, but on our world the atmosphere is artificial. It just couldn’t happen there, he thought making him smile. If only he could get his planets sovereign leader Zon Taylor to see this, he would realize that we are better off without the sun. Technology will continue to sustain us if we just give it time, some new invention will make plant life and a brand new atmosphere possible again. He hoped.

  The hills and trees gave way to houses and buildings the further he rode into town as well as the sun driving away the chill from the air. He would have to find food first though hopefully nothing artificial like the synthetic mash he was used to on his planet. Fresh meat, hopefully, some real vegetables would be good along with some fruit. The thought on his planet would be unheard of unless you were the Zon’s who some say have an underground garden on their island. There is some botany experiments going on all the time but everything has a funny taste, due to the fact of refined water and air.

  The town so far that he had seen was residential yet lifeless. He noticed that fires were still smoldering as whole blocks were razed. As he rode he thought about the devastation this planet had suffered, knowing there were survivors, but not the time to help them he had to close the portal or even they would die. If he succeeds these people would have a chance to rebuild though it would take years. His planet should take this time to help them, teaching them new technologies and help them expand their knowledge. But no, they want to eradicate them.

  His mind was daydreaming, thinking about the portal and how he was going to shut it down, when he almost collided with a large red tractor that moved into the intersection. Dodging it and ramming the front of a station wagon he caught himself and rolled into the windshield. The young man that was driving the tractor was quick to jump off and run over to check on EnCharles.

  “Sorry sir, I didn’t see you there. I mean I didn’t think anyone else was alive,” he said as he tried to help EnCharles stand up. Dazed a little EnCharles looked up at the large, maybe six foot five, blonde haired boy.

  “You need to learn to be more skillful I could have been killed,” EnCharles shouted. “What is your name, boy?”

  “My name is Luke Boyd and my dad’s name was Jack Boyd. Everybody knew my dad,” Luke said proudly.

  “My name is EnCharles, but I’m not from around here Luke, I’m just passing through on my way to Nevada,” EnCharles answered.

  Luke laughed, “By bicycle it sure is gonna take you awhile, EnCharlie.”

  EnCharles eyed Luke sharply. “It’s all I have until I can find something else,” he said not wanting to mention the slip shield.

  “I could give you a ride on my tractor,” Luke said all smiles.

  EnCharles laughed noticing only one seat. “How about food, do you know where I can get some?”

  “I have plenty at home,” Luke said smiling, “fresh vegetables, too. Follow me.”

  Picking up his bike EnCh
arles realized the front tire was bent and unrideable. Luke also noticed and stopped, motioning for EnCharles to hop on the hood. Jumping up on the large front tire he then pulled himself onto the long hood which was just slightly warm. Not bad, but definitely not the place to ride all the way to Nevada. EnCharles laughed at the thought.

  The ride to Luke’s place wasn’t that long, but bumpy it was, as EnCharles had to hold on keep from falling off, causing Luke to chuckle a few times. EnCharles eyes widened as the rode up to Luke’s home; the two story tan house was accompanied by a big garage, large barn and multiple greenhouses.

  EnCharles followed Luke onto the porch and through the front door. He was amazed when Luke flipped the switch and the lights came on. Seeing EnCharles reaction Luke spoke up, “my dad installed a diesel generator three years ago after the power was off for two weeks. He said he wouldn’t go through that again, because we almost froze.”

  EnCharles smiled, “a man of skill it seems to me. I haven’t seen fresh food in a while, something planted in the dirt, if you know what I mean.”

  Luke eyed him suspiciously, “Before the power in town went out you could buy all the fresh food you wanted at the supermarket.”

  “I told you that I’m not from around here Luke, plus where I’m from growing things in the ground is impossible,” EnCharles said sadly.

  “Never heard of such a place, my dad says with his knowledge he could grow carrots on the moon,” Luke said with a smile.

  EnCharles smiled at the comment as they walked into the brightly lit kitchen, noticing immediately it was spotless, even the floors shined.

  “Wow” was the words that escaped EnCharles’ lips.

  “Yea, Mom always says a woman can’t work her magic in a dirty kitchen. This was her domain and she was good at it,” He said with sadness in his eyes.

  EnCharles watched as Luke opened the refrigerator, pulling out a platter with cut fresh fruit sitting it on the table. Setting another thin bowl on the table after removing the lid he revealed sliced meat. A loaf of fresh baked, sliced bread was then provided from a paper bag on the counter. Luke set a plate and silverware before EnCharles who had sat down at the table with the look of amazement.

  “Dig in,” Luke said to EnCharles who was just sitting and staring. He then went back to the stove and started preparing another dish. “I’m going to make you my favorite thing to eat,” he added.

  EnCharles was too busy relishing the flavor of the fresh fruit to hear what Luke was saying. His mind went back to the people of his planet as tears started to blur his vision, maybe it would be worth allowing the government to steal the Earth’s sun to turn theirs back on he thought for just a moment. He could just imagine his planet with trees and grass. He had seen a few ancient pictures of a sunny blue sky like the Earth’s when he was a boy. They are rare though because the government a few millennia back outlawed and burnt most of them. Their thinking was the people were dwelling on the past and that was why new technologies had slowed to almost a halt. They had to do something the people were dying with their planet.

  “Try this,” Luke said bring him from his thoughts.

  A bowl was set before him with round half-moon shaped things smothered in what smelled like cheese. Red flakes permeated throughout. The taste was amazing for just a moment then the heat came on burning the inside of his mouth then slowly subsided. He had never tasted anything like it. “What is this,” he asked.

  “Macaroni and cheese with my added ingredient, my dad’s own pepper he grew last year. He called it the Boyd pepper, but I call it the fading heat pepper. Just when you think it’s going to burn your mouth then it fades. It does that with every bite,” he said with a big smile.

  After eating Luke showed him around the farm, through the greenhouses and barns. He explained that his father was experimenting with artificial light trying different additives to the soil saying that he had some success with root plants. EnCharles wished he had some skills in planting and growing but he didn’t and the things that Luke was trying to explain made very little sense to him. He wished Cid was here to record this for use later when he is home.