Impulse, page 9
part #12 of First Colony Series
“Maybe he changed his mind,” Lenora said.
“He’ll be here,” Connor replied.
An aircar flew overhead and landed nearby. Noah and Kara climbed out.
“I thought you said this was a small camping trip.”
Connor smiled. “It’s all relative.”
“Are you kidding me?” Lenora said. “Do you know how many times I’ve gone into the field with hardly any equipment at all? No more.”
Noah glanced up the loading ramp and whistled appreciatively. “If you have a few HAB unit kits in there, I’d think you were establishing another FORB.”
Forward Operating Research Bases—FORB—were used for long-term expeditions.
“We’ve packed everything but the HABs,” Connor replied.
Noah nodded. “I feel like I could’ve brought a few more toys of my own for this. Where are we going again?”
Connor chuckled. “Just twenty or thirty kilometers east of here.”
Noah blinked several times and then shook his head. “You almost had me there.”
Connor smiled. An audible chime came from his wrist computer. He opened his personal holoscreen and read the notification, then looked at Noah. “We’re heading pretty far afield. We’ll be thousands of kilometers away from here, or any other inhabitants for that matter. Hence the larger-than-average team for this.”
“I saw a CDF squad inside. Who else is coming?”
“A couple of Lenora’s students, a team of Mekaal, and a salty guest of honor.”
“You’re bringing Ovarrow on this trip?”
Connor nodded. “Sepal. He’s a historian. Lenora has consulted with him before. It helps to have Ovarrow with us, and he’s got a protective detail with him.”
“All right. I guess you’ve been putting this expedition together for a while then.”
“About once a year, if we can. It used to be just me, Lenora, and a handful of other people, but we’ve expanded.”
“I’m surprised Dash isn’t here. This would be right in his wheelhouse.”
“He couldn’t get away this year,” Connor said with a shrug.
“I haven’t heard from him in a while. Where’s he been hiding lately?”
“Hiding?”
“You know what I mean.”
Connor glanced around for a moment. “He still consults with the CDF.”
“He’s off-world?”
Connor nodded. “He’s on a scouting mission.”
“Scouting mission. Where?” Noah asked and then shook his head. “Never mind, I’m sure it’s not something you can disclose.”
The CDF still fielded scouting missions to alternate universes, searching for signs of a Krake resurgence.
“Dash teaches scout forces about both Ovarrow and Krake technology. He’s actually got a team of trainers that help him. They’re pretty good.”
“Have they ever found anything?” Noah asked.
Connor shook his head.
Noah sighed. “That’s good.”
“Agreed.”
“Dash is one of the good ones. I’m glad he’s doing all right,” Noah said. “So, who’s the guest of honor?” he asked and frowned. “Wait. Did you say ‘salty’?”
Another aircar flew overhead. It was black and tan with the Field Services logo on the side. Connor looked at Lenora. She stood a short distance away, conferring with the ground crew. She looked at him and he inclined his chin once with a smile. She touched two fingers to the side of her head in a salute.
“What’s that about?” Noah asked.
“Just husband-and-wife stuff. She didn’t think he was coming,” Connor replied.
The aircar landed nearby and Diaz climbed out. He looked at the fully loaded Hercules class C-cat and rubbed the top of his head.
The aircar’s side storage compartment opened, and Diaz reached inside for his travel kit. His lips thinned as he walked over to Connor.
“God, what’s got him all stirred up?” Noah asked.
“Just you wait,” Connor replied quietly and looked at Diaz. “Cutting it kinda close.”
Diaz snorted. “I’m right on time,” he said and looked at Noah. “Hey, kid, how you doing?”
“Kid?” Noah said with a grin. “It’s good to see you too, old man.”
Noah’s good nature was infectious, and Diaz’s stony facade softened. “You, too. I see Connor roped you into coming along.”
Noah smiled. “I volunteered.”
“There’s a surprise.”
“What?”
Diaz shook his head. “Nothing. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“That excited, are you?” Connor asked. Diaz simply stared at him. “Would it help if I told you that I have a present for you on board?”
Diaz chuckled. “Oh boy, a present just for me.”
“You’re gonna love it.”
“I’m sure I will,” Diaz replied and gestured at the nearest ground crew. “Can you load that crate over there?” he said, gesturing toward a storage container that had been deposited near the aircar.
“Yes, sir.”
The ground crewman trotted over to the container and carried it up the loading ramp.
“What’s in the container?” Noah asked.
“This is a camping trip, right?”
Noah glanced at Connor and they both nodded.
“I brought beer.”
Connor grinned. “Now we’re fully packed.”
Lenora called out to him and gestured toward the C-cat.
Connor looked at Noah and Diaz. “Time to leave.”
“Saved the best for last,” Diaz said.
They started walking up the loading ramp.
“I’m trying to remember the last time we did something like this,” Noah said.
They’d just cleared the ramp when Diaz suddenly stopped walking. The loading ramp began to retract into the C-cat.
“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, peering ahead of them.
Diaz whirled around. “There are fucking Mekaal here!”
Noah went silent and glanced at Connor.
“Yes,” Connor replied.
Diaz glared at the seating area.
“You want out?” Connor asked.
He considered it for a few moments and then shook his head. “No.”
“Good, now stop acting crazy or you’ll scare them. You know how you get sometimes.”
Diaz sighed and began to walk. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that present.”
Connor smiled. “You’re gonna love it.”
Noah waited for Diaz to get farther ahead of them and leaned toward Connor. “Is he all right?”
Connor inhaled deeply and shook his head. “No.”
Noah bobbed his head once.
They walked past the rovers and other storage containers and then through the doorway to the passenger area. There was plenty of seating available, and Diaz headed straight toward the CDF squad on the right.
Connor opened a data comlink to the pilot and gave him the all-clear to depart.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Noah said and went to sit with his wife.
Lenora stood in front of everyone, and Connor joined her. He looked at the group of Mekaal soldiers.
They stood up and saluted Connor in the Mekaal tradition.
“First Fist Urret, thank you for joining us,” Connor said. “Did you have a chance to speak with Sergeant Tui?”
“I have not,” Urret replied.
“There’ll be plenty of time for that during the flight,” Connor said.
The engines of the Hercules spun up, and soon after, the massive C-cat rose into the air.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Lenora said.
Silence descended on the group almost immediately and Lenora smiled. “Thank you. Just a few words to kick off this expedition. Many of you have probably already reviewed the briefing of our expedition goals, but we have some late additions who haven’t had a chance,” she said and paused for a moment. “We’re searching for evidence of the Bhatdin. We believe they are a race of Ovarrow that came here from another universe hundreds of years ago and may have influenced events that led to the latest ice age. Intelligence gathered by the CDF from Ovarrow civilizations in other universes indicates that the Bhatdin were waging war with the Krake by helping others fight them. Their true origins are unknown, but it’s believed that their homeworld was lost during their war with the Krake.”
Noah raised his hand and Lenora inclined her chin once. “How many other places do you think the Bhatdin were in?”
“We’re not sure exactly. Some of the leads are flimsy at best, but a few dozen civilizations had rumors of outside help. It’s not a lot to go on. The Bhatdin operated in secret as much as they could,” Lenora said and turned toward the others. “One of the questions we get is why bother looking for the Bhatdin at all? The Krake were defeated, so why do this?” She paused for a moment before continuing. “The pursuit of knowledge is one of the foundational cores not only of the colony but of humankind. The Mekaal are equally interested in learning more about the Bhatdin. As we search these sites, keep in mind the amazing history we’ve already uncovered. Perhaps we’ll make a few more discoveries while we’re here.”
Lenora looked at Connor, handing the introductions over to him. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. I just want to remind everyone that the places we’ll be visiting have been undisturbed for a long time. Security details will go with all the teams. Both the CDF and Mekaal soldiers are here to help keep us all safe. Sergeant Dave Tui and First Fist Urret will organize the security details that go with the away teams. However, everyone is expected to do their part to keep us all safe both at camp and while we’re away.”
Lenora went to sit with her students and Connor walked to where Diaz sat. “Come take a walk with me.”
Diaz stood up. “Lead the way.”
Connor walked back toward the storage area and opened the door. There was a platform of field equipment and he read the tags on the outside. After he found the one he wanted, he opened it and pulled out a smaller container that was a little over a meter in length, handing it to Diaz.
“I had this made for you,” Connor said.
Diaz opened the container. He grinned. “Would you look at that,” he said, reaching inside to pull out a tri-barreled shotgun. The polished chrome gleamed in the light, and the handle was made of a pearl-colored composite. The stock had an etching of the Salty Soldier on the side.
Diaz glided his fingers over the stock appreciatively. Then, he narrowed his gaze toward Connor for a moment. The edges of his lips lifted, and he grinned. “Damn it, Connor, I love it. But you didn’t have this made in the last few days.”
Connor shook his head. “No, it was going to be a birthday present, but I figured you’d like it sooner rather than later.”
Diaz nodded. His gaze continued to slide up and down the shotgun appreciatively.
“Friends?” Connor asked.
Diaz set the shotgun back into the case and closed it, looking at Connor with a somber expression. “Always.”
10
The N-Class rover was parked a short distance away. Connor gave the cable attached to the winch a firm tug and then connected it to the mid-section of the harness before using his foot to flick a rock over the rim of a collapsed rooftop. It ricocheted a few times as it fell over forty meters to the dimly lit ground below. The recon drone scouting the area had dropped several amber glow sticks that marked the bottom.
Connor looked at Lenora.
“Ready,” she said.
Diaz adjusted his harness so it would fit over his thick chest. Then he attached the tether cable and gave it several jerks before he was satisfied it was going to hold him.
Noah muttered something while he fumbled with his harness. “Sorry, I’m trying to remember how to do this. It’s been a while.”
“Anytime now,” Diaz replied.
Connor sighed in mock irritation. “Seriously, Noah, we could have been back by now.”
Noah chuckled while he checked the harness. “If I don’t do it right, I could fall and hurt myself. You guys wouldn’t want that to happen to me, right?”
Connor glanced at Noah’s setup and frowned.
Noah’s eyebrows raised. “What? Is something wrong? Did I miss a step? I thought I did it right. It looks fine, I think. What?”
Connor leaned over and peered at Noah’s harness. Then he grabbed the straps and leaped over the rim, pulling his friend with him. Noah screamed, and Connor laughed as they shot through the air in free fall for a couple of seconds before the winching mechanism applied tension to their cables, slowing their descent.
Noah reached the ground first and hunched over, grabbing his knees and gasping. “You bastard. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I can’t believe you did that.”
When Connor’s feet touched the ground, he detached the cable and watched it retract up to the Rover. A grin bubbled up from this chest. “You were taking too long.”
“Taking too long!” Noah shook his head. His facial expression danced between a grin and slight irritation, as if he couldn’t decide whether he was mad at Connor. But after the confusion of falling so far, so fast, he realized that he was fine. He shook his head. “I see how it is now. You better watch your back.”
Connor smiled. “That’s the spirit.”
Noah grinned.
“You’ve got to admit it was funny, right?”
“You know what they say about payback.”
Connor chuckled.
The others soon joined them, albeit in a much slower descent.
Lenora looked at Connor with a hint of exasperation. “You just can’t help yourself.”
“Sometimes I can’t. I really can’t.”
Her blue eyes flicked upward, and she smiled.
They had spent the better part of the morning scouting the outskirts of an Ovarrow city. The Mekaal couldn’t agree on its name, and Urret and the other Mekaal soldiers deferred to Sepal, who had narrowed it down to a couple of possibilities. Lenora had wisely suggested that he should bring back whatever data they found, along with general observations, to be reviewed by the historians at Shetrian.
The Mekaal had always respected Connor because of his military prowess and the fact that he’d been instrumental in preparing them for the Krake. When the Mekaal learned of the colonial war against the Vemus, it had solidified Connor’s reputation to the human equivalent of legendary status.
As the Mekaal interacted with the colonists, they’d begun to embrace some of the colonial practices, particularly among scientists. Scientific peer review was an essential ingredient of significant progress. It took time, and on occasion, appeared to be stagnant, but it was necessary. Even though the Ovarrow practiced a rudimentary form of peer review, the process was often fraught by misinformation and suppression of opposing viewpoints. Connor thought that as the Mekaal learned more of humanity’s history, they’d realize that they’d had similar struggles to those that had plagued the Ovarrow civilization, and not only had humanity overcome these challenges but had become better for it. This had forged the foundations of a bond between the Mekaal and the colonists, though there would always be challenges on both sides.
Connor glanced at Diaz for a second. What the Mekaal and the colonists needed was time—time to live and grow in such a way that allowed for the newness to become ordinary. But Diaz wasn’t the only colonist who had strong opinions where the Ovarrow were concerned.
“We should clear the way so the others can come down,” Lenora said.
The rest of them detached their cables and moved off to the side.
Diaz looked at Noah. “If there were any ryklars in the area, they sure as hell know we’re here.”
“There haven’t been that many around lately. Haven’t you noticed? Maybe they’ve migrated somewhere else,” Noah replied.
Diaz looked at Connor for a few moments, considering. Connor knew why there were fewer ryklars—not just here but throughout the region. The CDF had been relocating them to another planet, and the operation was being carried out without the knowledge of the general population. A few Mekaal leaders knew of the undertaking, but that was about it.
Noah looked around, taking stock of their surroundings, including remnants of ancient machines that had propelled multiple assembly lines. Exposure to the elements had left them covered with dirt and moss in some areas. Moisture glistened in the vicinity, but beyond the gaping hole above them, things looked better preserved.
Noah inhaled and sighed. “This wasn’t at all what I was expecting.”
“What did you expect?” Connor asked.
“Not tracking logistical supply lines used between cities or exploring old factories.”
Connor shrugged. “You can learn a lot by tracking supply chains.”
“You think the Bhatdin used supply chains to help the Ovarrow fight the Krake?”
“Not exactly,” Lenora said. “They’d introduce new manufacturing methods, and then those improvements would make their way into a supply chain. Like improvements for composites used in construction, for example. We trace these improvements, looking for a pattern that will lead us to the source.”
Noah considered this for a few moments. “I guess it beats randomly searching one abandoned city after another.”
“It helps narrow the search grid,” Connor said.
Diaz snorted. “Your grid is still the size of the entire continent.”
“Yeah, it is,” Connor agreed. “That’s why we have Sepal and Urret’s team with us.”
Diaz’s eyes went skyward for a second. “Oh joy. We’re saved.”
Noah looked at Diaz with a thoughtful frown. “You can’t possibly hate them all.”
Diaz regarded Noah for a few moments, then rolled his eyes and blew out a breath.
“Come on, really?”
“Fine, they’re not all bad, but they could be better,” Diaz said.
“The same could be said about us.”
Diaz replied with a grunt of acknowledgment.
They were soon joined by Urret, two other Mekaal soldiers, and Sepal. Six cables hung in the air, and Connor shared the waypoint with the others.
Diaz looked at him questioningly.
