Sinopa

“Elana, where can I find Connor?” I asked abruptly. The eldest Pierce was the first soul I had seen in five days, but more to the point she was the first person I saw coming into camp, and I had no time to waste trying to track my friend down. She was looking at me like she was seeing a ghost. “Elana, Connor!” I snapped. She shook herself.
“I’m so glad you’re ok. We were so worried. He’s at the town hall; the Council’s meeting. Oh god, you don’t know, do you?” she gasped.

“I know, I just don’t know who. No time though – I’ll find out from them. Thank you!” I shouted over my shoulder, running towards the town hall. As I reached the double doors people were just starting to stream out. As soon as they saw me the crowd started to murmur and edge away. I suppose to them I must have looked like some sort of primeval amazon, wearing virtually nothing, taller than most of the men and slathered head to toe in mud to disguise myself and my scent. More than one person muttered something about “alive” – I guess they weren’t expecting to see me again after last night. I had no time to worry about all that though. I walked in. The hall was mostly empty, but the Council, Jaisa, Rocco and the two Stuart men were still there.

“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I know someone was killed last night, and I know what did it – give me the details so I can go do my job.” Reye and Kara did a double take, and Histy looked a little shocked at my appearance, but the rest took my entrance in stride.

“Jack Seaworth was killed in the northeast corner of the camp while on guard, Jaisa got there just after the fact.” Connor replied. “Did you see it or just the evidence?”

“I picked up its trail late yesterday and around midnight realized that it was headed towards camp. On its way back out it passed about twenty yards from me, fifteen miles out of camp – it used the same path in as out. It’s one big bastard – Jai, I didn’t see any blood. Where did you hit it?”

“Six in the head, the other nine across the chest. Penetrators, which I know was a mistake, but with six shots to the head I should have killed it firing anything but blanks. And no blood? It must clot fast.”

“Who else can tell me something useful?”

“Now wait a minute. What-” Reye started.

“Mr. Reye,” barked the sharp voice of Andy Stuart, “The Council Session is over. Let the experts get you enough information to make some smart decisions. Sin, you ready to run the back trail and get some solid data?”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all morning.” She replied.

“Good” Andy said, “Lets swing by my tent and then head to where Jai hit that sucker and work out from there. You knowing where it went will help; but we need some hard data on that beast.”

“Lead on Colonel!”

Just as we left the hall I heard Rocco murmur, “What a woman!” under his breath. Not intended for my ears, I’d guess. I certainly didn’t mind the sentiment though. We moved towards the tent area when the younger set stopped us. “Boss do we go work on the Hydro-Plant or what?” Ryu asked Andy.

“No Corporal, you stay down here today. I have a job for you all, leave Candidate Benjamin out of it; she deservers the down time and I don’t want her involved in this.”

He was the first one to snap a salute in Alchibah history, “Sir, yes Sir.” He then turned towards the young guns and started talking.

Andy ducked into the tent and came back out fitting a battery pack into his field jacket and attaching a hood arraignment to the neckline. Motioning towards the site, he started walking.

Sin looked at what she now understood was a hulking monster topped by only one other she had ever known. “You know,” she said, “The only reason I trust you is because Gabriel Benjamin said I could.”

Andy turned his head and looked at her, never breaking stride. “Angel was one of the best; I wish we had him here. But he ain’t here, we have to find a way to make this work with what we have. Corporal Ryu, Frago!”

The young guns clustered around. “What I want is a detailed search of 100 yards from the first blood spot we found. If you will notice from the interlace pattern of the trees, there is no way a round could go 100 yards without hitting a tree. What you are looking for is dings on the trees that are not penetrating impacts but, bumps where depleted rounds may have hit. I have sample bags and at least one medical glove for each of you. When, not if, you find an expended round; place it into the sample bag using only your gloved hand. Anything we find will go to the Lab for examination. I will back you up with the metal detection capabilities of my gear. Any questions?”

Andy was pleasantly surprised when the whole group snapped off a salute and replied in unison, “Sir, No Sir.”

Sin looked at him and asked, “This in 7 days?”

He just nodded, “They are good kids Sinopia, some of them will not make it as Operators. But we will need a solid stay behind force.

Andy

We reached the start point and spread out, while I pulled over the hood and engaged the sensors. It did not take long to find six blunted penetrators, but the others were nowhere to be seen. I also found some weird chitinous like debris that I bagged and tagged.

“Cpl Ryu, search the area for another hour. I suspect the other nine simply embedded in the thing, so I doubt you’ll find anything else, but it’s worth being sure. Then take the squad and take these samples to the Lab, then get back to camp and get your bots on charge. When you’re done try and get everyone to catch a nap, we are standing the guard watches tonight.” I watched his surprised face, “The sign the list roster at Hanna’s Place is not going to cut it anymore, and I am not going to be able to get this in front of the council in time for anything else. So tonight is a training exercise in proper guard detail.”

“You ready Sin?” We moved fairly rapidly, to the rocky where I had lost the trail in the early morning. As I was pulling the hood with the dynamic mesh over my face, “I’ll use the optics of the hood to try to find some strike evidence on these rocks, you keep me straight. Sound ok to you?”

“Of course. It’s about the only way we are going to find anything on this surface,” she replied, smiling.

I started a figure eight path across the rocks with Sin keeping the centerline of our path moving towards where she had seen the beast.

“Small strike here Sin, take a look.”

She moved over and knelt down, “Very light strike but look at the disturbance in the debris and the rock. The claws were sheathed and the foot flexed over this rock, that’s why we have any strike at all.”

I turned up the magnification and looked closer, “I think you are right, that’s probably why it headed straight for the rocks.” I paused. How the devil could she see that? “You’ve been holding out on me haven’t you? You saw the path right away. Well, lead on then.”

Sin laughed. “You seemed like you wanted to use your gadgets, so…” she shrugged. “And besides, it worked, didn’t it?”

She quickly moved through the rock field, pointing out the trail as she went. I had heard about trackers like her, but I always thought they were just tall tales cooked up by amateurs who didn’t know what they were talking about. As we reached the end of the rocky area and found our first real print in a field of low-lying cover plants Mariana’s comp call blasted into my ear bud.

“Magic, Reaper; don’t worry we are not going to catch this sucker today. I figure it’s around 40 miles away from here by now.’

Hearing only my side of the conversation Sin commented, “At least, more than likely farther than that.”

I said, “Good cause Mariana just told me why no blood. The darn thing regenerates and from her tone I gather rapidly.”

Sin whistled lowly, “That’s going to be tough – we have to figure out the kill shot fast. But the way this thing was leaving we know we can hurt it. I think Jai scared the living shit out of it.”

We started examining the prints we had found. Sin hit the big one, “Look at how these prints get larger and make less of a depression as it went across the field. The feet must splay out to provide better traction in the soft ground. By the time it gets to the other side most people wouldn’t see a damn thing.”

I was busy with my wrist comp taking pictures of the prints with a measuring grid superimposed. “Yeah, and back here the first print of each foot really tore up the ground. The sucker is heavier than we first thought.”

“Four thousand or so pounds, I’d guess.”

“Look at what it dug up though Sin. Does that look familiar?”

“Looks like some weird kind of potato.”

“Well, that’s makes two that think so,” I said as I quickly put 10 or 12 in my game pouch. “I have all the measurements and we need to get these things back to Mariana. Let’s call it a wrap, OK?”

“I could be where it is now by nightfall,” she said, looking into the distance, “but who knows where it would be by then? Yeah, let’s head back. And call up the usual suspects – I need to give my report on what’s out there. The rumbler is hardly our only problem.”

   Janie, Joe Fortson and I were at Hanna’s. Gene Washburn along with Lester Reye’s fifteen year old son Mike, escaping from his dad for a time, and a couple of others who had worked there earlier were at the mill. Joe and I had pulled the equipment closer to town and doubled up on the robot sentries. Gene was directing security for now and had an open channel comlink to the emergency alert system. We had to keep the mill going and that was the best we could do on short notice.

   “Joe, how did you feel about continuing to work out there after the commotion last night?” Janie asked Fortson. “Bart here just went back to bed and slept like a log.”

   “Bart slept like a log with you in the same tent,” Joe chuckled, “Well… I did start a few more illumination fires and sent out some extra bots. But the works gotta be done. I’m sure when the autopsy comes in we find all of Jaisa’s rounds just went through the thing leaving small holes but hitting nothing vital.“ Joe paused for just a moment then continued. “Sure the thing is big but can’t have near the size of say… an elephant back on Earth. If it had anywhere near that kind of weight the tracks it left would have been far more pronounced. I read a book once abo-.”

   “You… read a book?…” I spat out before he could finish.

     “Yeah Bart, I did, but just that once. I don’t know what came over me… Must have been an accident. Any way it was called ‘Hunting the Elephant in Africa’ by a guy named C. H. Stigand. Teddy Roosevelt did the forward. Maybe you heard of him?”

   “Wasn’t he once the police commissioner for New York City or somethin’?” I replied

   “Let him finish Bart, this is Joe‘s story.” Janie admonished me with just a hint of a grin.

   Joe thanked her and began again. “Back in the old days you’d be surprised at all the different types and calibers used for dangerous game hunting. Even for elephant some pretty small rounds were used with good effect. Stigand talks about one guy in particular that used a British .303 Enfield. Now this guy said that for a one shot kill on a charging tusker it was best to aim, and if you aimed there you better hit it, at the second wrinkle down the forehead of the elephants trunk. There were a lot of other places a good shot would take the animal down but it would take more time. And with something that large it’s easy to see you could pump in a lot of shots to non vital areas without slowing him down a lick. I figure that’s what happened with Jaisa last night.”

   “So what do we do now?” Janie asked.

     “Well for starters,” I said, “We better make sure that we have enough bots out to alert us if another one of those things show up and that the guards have the right kind of ammunition for the job.”

   Janie said, “Just who is in charge of the guards anyway? I know Andy Stuart is setting up a militia and I just assumed he was overseeing the guards too.”

   Joe looked over to me and I just shrugged. “Heck Janie, I don’t know either, Joe and I both, except for the first couple of days we were down, never stood another guard watch. Too much stuff to do at the mill. I figured Andy was in charge also, but I can’t see him letting Seaworth go out without having not just his robot, but a few more bots spread around for threat detection. What do you think Joe?”

   “I hadn’t paid it any attention either Bart. All I know is that when you or I were out at the mill we always had our bot outriders. Figured camp security was the same way but it looks like that precaution fell between the cracks. I can say this though, and I’d bet every dime I ever owned neither of the Stuarts were in the loop last night. Camp security must just have been manned by volunteers from the labor pool. And at least one, Jack Seaworth, was well intentioned but obviously unqualified for the job. Even Jaisa made the rookie mistake of having nothing but penetrators in her mag. I bet Andy gets that situation squared up in a hurry.”

   “That brings up a point I have been meaning to ask you about Joe.” I Said. “Why aren’t you working with the militia?”

   For a moment I could see he was thinking about how to answer and then he said, “It’s like this… Andy’s the right person to be in charge of the group he’s setting up for what needs to be done… And he did talk to me about it a while back. I found it almost impossible not to get involved, but… I spent too many years taking orders, and when I got retired from the Fleet Marine Force I vowed never again. It’s a game for the young. Even with someone like Andy in charge I would spend too much time thinking of how I would do it differently. Now don’t get me wrong I support him and if things get tight enough will sign back on. But for now, the way this planet is panning out, there is probably nothing I could do anywhere, where my experience and training might not make the difference between success and failure. And everything we do is important if the colony is to survive. What about you Bart… why aren‘t you in?”

   Janie started before I could open my mouth. “It’s my fault Joe.” Then she waved me off as I started to object. “I’m really embarrassed. I should have told you already. It’s the general tone of the colony that’s got me upset. I just want to get away from all of these people for a while.” Joe’s head came up and he looked right at her. “ No not you, and there are a quite a few of the others who are ok, but folks like Buchanan and the Reyes and especially Jack the Blade. And I hate to admit this but even Andy gets on my nerves at times. Rules, rules, rules. I convinced Bart that we ought to try to get away on our own, do some exploring or anything to get away from the camp for a while. We even talked to the Hist about it. He convinced me to wait a while but we are getting ready.”

   “Yeah I’ve noticed you working with Bart on your marksmanship. After last night though it kinda looks like it would be very dangerous, not sayin’ suicidal mind you, but very dangerous for a couple or even a small party to be out in the boonies on their own.”

   It looked to me like Janie was starting to tear up at that. She turned away briefly and when she turned back here eyes were clear again. Stern stuff my Janie. “Babe,” I said to her for the first time with someone else present, but Joe was family, “It might not be as bad as it looks.” Her expression became very intent.

   “First let me say something about one thing that’s really been bugging me… We’re not using the robots very well.” I could see I had both of their attention. “Oh, I don’t mean us, it’s the rest of the colony. The Hist and I, while on the Mayflower had four years to figure out what they could and couldn’t do. With Arte Clark dead that just leaves, asides from us, Captains Travis and Monroe with any real experience. Nothing available back on Earth even came close to them. The people here just haven’t had time to figure them out yet or what to do with them, and I see many folks who just don’t seem to even want to try. Call it “Fear of the New.”

   “That was at least part of Seaworth’s problem. But it goes beyond that. There really was no reason at all not to have a couple of dozen bots out as perimeter surveillance. They were in the pool, charged, and being used for nothing. Probably the farmers and those working on roads and such wanted to make sure they had a fully charged helper to use in daylight. But a bot just standing stationary guard uses very little power. It’s a mistake we can’t afford to make again.”

     “Now Janie, back to why we still might make a go of our exploration… One, we’ve got more bots then people to use them. If we take a few extras with us we wont be surprised in the middle of the night or at any other time. And two, Joe and I secured all of the weapons from the squad we took out prior to going for the cruiser and held on to them. They had a lot more stuff than just the ‘Rugs’ we’ve been using and you ‘ve been practicing with.”

   “I follow you there Bart.” Fortson began. “We picked up a couple plasma rifles and even some grenades and launchers. And sure, nothing but a hardened, screened target could stand up to a plasma bolt at under a couple hundred yards. For that matter any thing made of protoplasm or with a nervous system certainly wouldn’t stand a chance at twice that distance. But as I understand it, and I got it from you, the bots can’t use them, and unless Janie gets mighty good, mighty fast… Well I wouldn’t want to go out under those conditions.”

   “She is getting good, and pretty fast too. But I got another idea which will make this thing practical, and help out the township at the same time providing it works.”

   “Ok Bart, I’ll bite. What is it” Joe asked.

   “The bots… Let me explain. The reason the Jeep couldn’t harm any living thing is so deep in his programming that we can’t change it without ruining everything that makes him the Jeep. The Jeep’s ‘Brain’, if you will is tied into his sensory and servo-systems with an optical buss. We can, of course, disconnect the brain from the buss. That’s just what we do when we put in a new personality. All the systems are still there, just no way for them to do anything without control signals.”

   “But what if when the ‘Brain’, was out of the loop and we connected everything else, by that buss, into a general purpose comp system? Something that could read the sensors and act as programmed by us and not with the canned routines. Heck, those types of systems have been around for forty or fifty years. The way it would work is like this. The bot detects a dangerous target, switches to the other controller which takes charge, and Bingo! No more threat.”

   Joe‘s eyebrows raised a notch and he said, “That does sound interesting. But can you do it, and make sure it only shoots at what needs shooting, and does it every time?”

   I smiled and replied, “No I can’t… but with a little help from Subbu, and my old buddy Ash Andrews, it just might be possible.”

Day 13: After the Meeting

Kurt sighed as he turned on the lights in the lab; this was going to be one long day. He was quite surprised when Mariana came in, coffee cup in hand, as normal; but now dressed in full chameleons with the Springfield slung on her back. She also had on one of her handguns in some kind of tactical rig on her left thigh in plain sight.

“What happened to Andy’s ‘keep it quiet’ mode,” I asked.

“Quiet and low key went out with Seaworth. Don’t scare the sheep changed to show you can protect them.”

I thought for a moment, “Yes, you are right about that but you are going to cause some confusion with that name strip.”

Mariana looked confused for a moment, and then looked down at a name strip that read Kearns. “Oh crap, you know I have not worn this thing since we left active duty. I flat forgot I have never changed it. I’ll take care of it later.

“You want to handle the autopsy and I’ll open up the rig for some possible strange stuff?” She said.

I grimaced, “Not real thrilled but, it’s got to be done!”

We worked steadily for the next two hours interrupted occasionally by Walt and John Pierce with questions about the new treatment and incubation areas they were putting the final touches on. Sally and Linda were moving the equipment in and setting it up; the two constructors were finishing the infrastructure. I had Connor Benjamin assisting to brush up his skills and Mariana brooked no interference.

Mariana came over and asked how it was going, “I pretty well finished up. It’s straight forward as all get out. There were a couple of what looks like fang penetrations but the cause of death was massive flailed chest. That thing has jaws like a hydraulic ram!’”

It was her turn to grimace, “Well that explains the scream, it wasn’t quick! But it was fast enough he didn’t suffer long. Damn, at least Thompson never knew what hit him; Seaworth knew!”

The whole time she had been talking, she had been taking off the field jacket and her wrist comp. She pulled a cable from her mil-spec wrist comp to the jacket and was digging through the power cables Walt had left hanging; obviously looking for one that would fit somewhere. Finding it, she plugged it into ‘The Field Jacket’.
Tapping a couple of controls inside the jacket, panels on the jacket suddenly turned transparent.

My roommate in undergraduate school had been a Military History major. Back then, I thought he was a jerk but I had learned to read awards and decorations from his wall posters. I recognized the Eagles of a full Col., the Combat Infantry Badge and the shoulder flashes. What stunned me was the Silver Star with the pips (whatever their real name was) for five awards.

I watched as she reprogrammed the name strip and asked, “What do you do to get those five awards?

She just grinned and said, “Staying alive around the Big Lug for 5 years!”

“Yeah,” I said, “just staying alive, right?”

“Well, where we went wasn’t exactly the Tea Social Society you know.”

She pulled the power plug and the name strip now read Stuart. Mariana moved back to primary to check the results of the tests she was running and I heard a strange comment.

“Damn Kurt, I know I put two tissue samples in here, how did one vibrate out?” She moved over a few feet and checked the scale readings, “What the frack, the weight is the same!”

She turned and stared in my direction with vacant eyes that clearly were detached from her brain. Suddenly they flashed cold and Black.

She spun for the door screaming into her wrist comp, “Reaper, Magic; the damn thing regenerates. Say again, the damn thing can regenerate. Pull Back, repeat Pull Back!”

This is a reconstruction… based on meeting notes and the publicly available log files of the participants. –EAB

Morning …Day 13

About fifty of the colonists were gathered in the town hall for a hastily called Council session concerning the events surrounding Jack Seaworth’s death. The sun had crept above the horizon barely an hour earlier, and few had slept a wink since awakened by the shots and Jack’s last screams. The group investigating the scene had just returned to camp.

“I call this meeting to order!” Lester Reye shouted, banging his gavel. As the crowd quieted down he continued, “What happened last night was a tragedy. But right now what we are most concerned with is understanding what happened so we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. For the time being the fact finding and questioning may only be conducted by Council, representing the citizenry at large, or by those colonists delegated to the initial scene investigation.”

“Ms. Benjamin, perhaps you could start us off by recounting in detail what you saw last night.” Reye continued.

“As I said, I didn’t get the best look in the world at the thing. I can tell you…

Four hours earlier

She started jogging around the tents towards the north. How could she have been so absent minded as to miss the silence?

“Jack,” she said into the pad, “Jack, are you there?” Nothing. She knew what was going to happen now, and she was too late, but she sped up anyway, her legs churning under her. Then a single shot rang out and the night shattered with a scream of pure agony.

She rounded the corner she saw a beast that the denizens of hell would quake before. Its hide seemed the color of dried blood and its eyes glinted red in her light.

She started firing. The thing was a dozen feet at the shoulder if it was a foot, and half again as long with vicious horns atop its gruesome head. Fifteen shots ripped through the night into its hide, but it hardly seemed to care. As the clip emptied the beast shook itself as if shooing away a pesky insect and dropped Jack’s bloody corpse from its jaws. She released the magazine from her rifle and slammed in another, but the thing had already gone.

The meeting

“Now of course you didn’t hit it more than a few times. At that distance…? You have to understand, Ms. Benjamin, that we need all the facts here.” Reye interjected.

“I hit it six times in the head, nine in the chest, and placed them where I figured the vital organs would most likely be,” she replied.

Reye gave a skeptical look and jotted down, “Insists she could not have missed with any of the shots.” He then said, “Comments from the scene investigation team.?”

William Bartlett spoke first. “It was dark out, foggy as all get out, and as you explained last night the distance was about two hundred yards when you shined your light on the creature, saw it, and took your shots. With all of that in mind it is remarkable that your description of the creature is as complete as you’ve been able to make it.”

“What about your bot?” Bartlett asked, “Did it see anything?”

Jaisa went on to explain that she had stationed her robot further south and west of her position and it hadn’t time to get up to Seaworth’s guard area before the action commenced.

“Where was Jack’s bot when all of this happened?” Bartlett asked next.

“I don’t know, never saw it.” Was the response.

Kara quickly scanned the robot database and said, “R.121 — he hadn’t even named the bot yet — is listed as being in the general labor pool at the time Jack was killed.” She then added. “I guess he hadn’t gotten used to working with robots yet.”

Jack the Blade kicked in from the back in a mocking tone, “And now he never will.”

A sharp rap of the gavel and Les Reye spoke. “Quiet in the room. Everyone who wants to say something will get their chance but not until the facts have been established.”

The next question came from Connor Benjamin. “Were any of the other bots in a position to see what occurred? Or did their sensors detect anything unusual around the time Jack was killed?

Robot J.P., acting as the common interface for all of the robots replied, “Every robot, not in sleep mode or undergoing recharge at the time of the incident, has a record of hearing Mr. Seaworth’s shot and all subsequent shots. Two robots report hearing Mr. Seaworth’s screams. None register anomalous readings within the 30 minutes prior to the incident. Earlier in the evening, 47 minutes before the record of the first shot, R. Dan Daily, who was at the time 900 yards south and west of the incident location, registered something large in the forest far to the west of his location. The contact detection was ambiguous and weak; it lasted for 26 seconds and then faded away. As R. Dan Daily was acting as mill guard, and there was no approach made toward the lumbering operation, his instructions precluded leaving position to investigate. There are no other observations by any other robot which would indicate a possible connection with Mr. Seaworth’s death.”

“Yes then, thank you R. J.P.” Connor turned to Andy Stewart and asked, “Andy, could you fill us in on the conditions and evidence as you saw it this morning?”

“Jaisa didn’t miss; it’s just that she was firing issue penetrators, in fact she probably did hit with all 15 as I found no impact strikes on any of the trees. There was a fair amount of blood out there and DNA scans from the lab show it wasn’t all Seaworth’s. The ground where the body was dumped was still damp from the last few days’ rain, and though it was sandy there, it was just firm enough to hold some of the creature’s footprints. They were indistinct at best… about a foot long by eight or nine inches wide with faint lines still visible in a few indicating claws of some sort or another. More than two legged but just how many we couldn’t confirm. We were able to follow its path for about 150 yards till it reached a rocky area further north. Whatever bleeding it had been experiencing seems to have stopped by that time and we were unable to track it further.

“It is my intent” he continued, “to engage the skills of Sinopia and some equipment I dug out just before coming here for a further tracking effort.”

“Good. I’ve no doubt she can find it if any of us can.” Connor replied.

“Where is Sinopa? I haven’t seen her at the bar in a few days.” Hanna Parker interrupted.

Reye‘s gavel came down again, “You are out of order Mrs. Parker. Questions from the investigation team first. Your turn will come…. Please proceed, Mr. Stuart?— Mr. Benjamin?”

“She’s been in the field tracking and gathering data on the local animals since the eighth. She’s scheduled to be back this morning, so I expect we’ll see her shortly.” Connor replied.

“What? With that thing out there? She was supper days ago you naïve yokel!” Jack t B exclaimed.

“Order!” Reye shouted, banging his gavel. He was beginning to turn red and was clearly becoming agitated.

“I’m afraid I have to agree,” Buchanan chimed in. “While Jack’s outburst lacked a certain, shall we say, compassion, he is right. Even if she was a good hunter back on Earth there’s no way she could survive alone that long in the same forest as whatever killed Jack.”

As Reye raised his gavel once more Connor waved the next ‘order’ away. He said, “While I appreciate your concern, she’s fine. I’ve seen Sinopa sneak up on a wolf. I’ve seen her tend a wild grizzly’s wounds and kill a catamount with nothing but a knife. She’ll be here within the hour.”

“Alright, enough on these extraneous matters.” Reye said, and then nodding towards Kurt, “Dr. Kellerman will conduct an autopsy and the results will be appended to this report.” And then with a look at Jaisa, “Ms. Benjamin, do you have anything substantive to add to what we have already covered?”

Four hours earlier

She sprinted past the tents to Jack’s body. It was hardly recognizable as human, let alone as the man she had started the shift with. Andy and Mariana were already there, with Connor, Ash, Rocco, Joe, Ryu and the Pierces close behind. As the rest of the colonists streamed out of their tents the screaming and sobbing began.

“What do we do, what do we do?” cried one woman, grasping at Lester Reye. He just stared at her, bug eyed and slack jawed. The majority crowd was quickly falling apart.

“Everyone, please return to your tents. It’s unlikely in the extreme that the thing will be back tonight, but for safety’s sake please either return to your tents or go to Hanna’s and stay there until morning. And families, please stay together. We’ll be sending someone around to check on everyone shortly.” Connor shouted above the din, wearing nothing but boxers and an assault rifle.

“We’re setting up a grid with robots around the entire camp as we speak and will have our full guard contingent out, but for your safety, please don’t venture outside until morning.” Andy Stuart reassured the slowly quieting crowd.

“The Council will meet this morning at 5 o’clock. Please come, but for now we need your cooperation to make sure you’re all safe.” Mariana said.

The meeting

“No, nothing substantive, no.” Jaisa replied.

Pounding his gavel again, Reye said, “This session is now open to questions from the floor.”

They all started talking at once.

…The crashing sounds coming from the woods were already far, far off. There came another, distant roaring howl. Suddenly, the woods that had promised so much to the colony took on a sinister, frightening aspect. Many of the colonists began having second doubts about the voyage. Several children were sobbing. Families and friends held tight to each other. Nobody slept the rest of the night…

So much had happend, once again it seemed, in a very short time. I’ll let the colonists tell about it in their own words.

Mr. Reye,

In response to your question, it is my intent that Militia training have as little impact as possible. For example, the Hydro-Plant construction is being run as a Militia training exercise.

The younger adult members of the Colony have volunteered to undertake the construction in return for the training they desire. A complex construction project of this type is a wonderful chance to build a cohesive team and identify natural leaders.

After the completion of the Plant and the Distribution Wiring system, this team will be available for other infrastructure projects.

It is the intent of Dr. Stuart and myself to integrate as much of the necessary team building and basic discipline training as possible into positive work projects.

I hope this addresses your concerns Sir.

Yours truly,

Andrew W. W. Stuart
COL. (RET) U. S. SOCOM

Jaisa

Day 8, early evening

It was odd being picked by Andy to be the leader of the young guns, even if that was (at least for now) an informal title. Ryu certainly seemed more than capable of filling the role, and lord knows John could do it if he didn’t have his hands so full with designing and working on the emerging town center. I don’t know what exactly he has in mind for us, but I’d be willing to place money on Col. Stuart being able to form a fighting force more than capable of taking the goonies on, on our turf or theirs.

After getting back and talking with Andy at Hanna’s I joined the rest of the gang outside. So far the troop consisted of myself, Em, Liza, Summer, May, Ryu, Mike and Kaye. John was sort of borderline – if the pace of construction ever slackened I’d guess he’d join up too, so to speak. There were a couple other teens around as well, but so far they seemed to be keeping to themselves.

They were all backslapping and joking, even if most of them hadn’t ever had muscles this sore. Ryu and Summer seemed to be fine, and Kaye was all right, but the rest were definitely worse for the wear. No one seemed to mind though. This group seemed to be taking the move to Alchibah better that most of the colonists, but even so this was something else. They were doing better than just getting by out there, and actually having fun now that they were back. Yup, this crew was going to turn out just fine, and be friends besides.

“So he picked you to lead, Jai.” Emily said, joining me a bit apart from the group. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, and a lot more to your background than I’ve heard.” I started to reply but she motioned me quiet. “I don’t need to know now, or ever, but if you want someone to talk to I owe you a secret or two. I just wanted to let you know that.” She turned to move back to the group.

I touched her shoulder. “I’m ready. Or maybe not. It’s time, either way. Come on.” I started towards my tent.

Ten minutes later

I had taken off my gun and my boots, but I was if anything less comfortable. I think I was right about it being time for me to tell someone, but I certainly wasn’t sure if I was ready. But then, I might never be. So I started.

“Alright, so I’ve never told anyone all of this. No one. Not even Sin knows the whole story.”

I met her eyes. All she said was, “I know. I won’t,” and I knew she would never tell anyone. I started.

“My grandparents were killed in the ‘Boston Riots,’ along with both of my aunts. Dad and Gabe were there too, but they both made it. Gabe got hit full on by one of the new zap guns they were testing, but he’s just so goddamn big it just didn’t matter that much. Dad got half a blast on his side big enough to leave a basketball sized scar, but it wasn’t fatal.” I paused. “My mom wasn’t so lucky.” Emily gently put a hand on my arm. I almost flinched. I rushed on.

“They closed the border to Vermont after that, but Uncle Gabe managed to get Dad back to a hospital near home. He took care of us for the next couple weeks while Dad was recovering. Not that he wasn’t in bad shape too, but Gabe’s been shot more times than most target dummies, so he managed. Dad was…different, after that. He loved mom more than I can imagine. Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde – like that. He’s never stopped wearing the ring, and he’s never stopped carrying a picture of her.” She took my hand in both of hers. I closed my eyes. “He would have destroyed himself if it wasn’t for us. I-I don’t understand what they had, I just can’t wrap my head around it, but people who find that kind of love shouldn’t be forced to live without it.” A tear rolled down my cheek, and then another. Damnit, I wasn’t supposed to cry. Not now, not ever. Not even in front of Emily.

But maybe it was time. Maybe it was all right, after all this time.

“If you don’t want to go on you don’t have to,” Emily said quietly. “It’s alright. I…” I waved her quiet.

“No, I need to do this. I need to finish it.” I said, wiping my eyes. “So…A couple weeks after Dad was back on his feet Gabe disappeared. I mean literally vanished. Didn’t take so much as his truck, and all he left was a one sentence note – ‘I love you all. -Gabe’ Four months later the first of our extended family died – a ‘car accident.’ The next ‘committed suicide’ and the next got a bad case of ‘food poisoning.’ The last one, my cousin, who had already gone underground, was an out and out assassination.” My voice had taken a steely note to it. “We didn’t find out about that one until later.”

“Jesus,” she breathed.

“Yeah. And he was in Vermont – all the others had been in WG territory. That’s the reason we hadn’t left yet. We weren’t sure if there was something going on or if our family was just having a really bad run of luck, but either way we never thought they’d enter a sovereign nation. Missed that call. A day after (although we didn’t know it at the time) my cousin was killed we got a call from Gabe. I don’t know exactly what he said to my dad, but he was only on the phone for about ten seconds when there was a bang on the other end and the line went dead. We grabbed a few things and threw them into the car…but we weren’t fast enough,” I finished, quietly. She reached out and silently wiped away the one tear that had escaped.

“I- I don’t know what would have happened if we had made it out in time. I don’t think they would have…that they would have burned…Oh god,” I sobbed. I could still hear the horses’ frantic whinnies coming from the barn and the dogs last shrill yelps as they were gunned down trying to protect us. I buried myself in Emily’s shoulder, sobbing.

“It’s alright. It’s going to be alright.” She just held me. It felt so good to finally be able to let it out. I told her the rest of my story; how we went into hiding, how when Dad realized I wanted to fight the WG so badly I was going to kill or be killed no matter what he did he took me to join Gabe in order to save my life, all the rest.

When I was done I just stayed there, letting her comfort me. It was good not to have to be strong, even just for a few hours.

DAY 8 Evening

Mariana Stuart

After requesting the council members meet to me at the picnic table in front of Hanna’s, I began my presentation.

“Lady and gentlemen of the Council. Because of the predators we’ve encountered on Alchibah and what all of us might be facing in the future. I highly recommend developing a militia designed only to protect the colony.

“It’s doubtful that the full-grown Slizzard we’ve encountered is the only very large predator we will meet on this planet. To that effort, Sinopa is spending the next two days attempting to locate and identify at least the three predatory species that we suspect to be out there. Perhaps she will find more besides.

“To fund this endeavor, may I suggest we use the mandatory 30 hour training every Alchiban week, each 10 day period, to count as Public Service Hours for those who wish to volunteer. For those individuals that would like to explore or be in the field and that are unfamiliar with weapons; protection will need to be provided. I would suggest that any individual involved with the militia training, should be allowed to have those hours count as their Public Service Hours.

“Not everyone is a warrior,” I continued, “We will need people that can handle making arrangements for supplies and logistics.

“Amateurs talk tactics. Pro’s talk logistics.

“On this planet, there is one of us that the old U. S. SOCOM spent many years training for what we will need to survive. Besides being known at the ‘Big Lug’, he also is known at COL Andrew Stuart.”

Day 8 mid Afternoon

I had just left the Lab and was approaching our tent to change, when Walt Davis walked up.

“Lord almighty Boss who you trying to scare?” He looked over the rig really staring at the Robar sticking up over my back. “Do you really shoot that thing and if so at WHAT?”

“How about 26 feet of Slizzard too close to take a chance with?” I asked with a grin to soften it.

It was his turn to give a wry grimace. “Yeah, I think that would qualify as a serious firepower situation. Boss, I need to talk to you in private.”

“Well if you do not mind talking while I change outta ‘Scare the Sucker to Death mode’, our tent is private.” He just nodded while we went in the tent.

As I was changing into my social rig and putting a fast cleaning on the Robar he began to talk.

“Well Boss,” he started, “I am at the point Ash said to yell for help. Capt. Travis delivered in spades, I can get anything you want outta those pots; but I need you and Dr. Kellerman to do the final adjustments.”

I was a little startled, “So soon is a real plus. Ash is up on the Mayflower can you set the rig up in your tent tonight?”

He replied, “That’s where it’s at, it’s all I have been doing!”

“Good,” I said, “I have the perfect excuse to get Kurt off alone. I’ll pop it on Mariana tonight and we’ll use it as a cover. You Ok with that?’

“As long as I get 30 min. with the two of you I’m cool.”

“Oh you will get that at least and be patient that will be before I rock his world.”

I shrugged back into the Chameleon field jacket with only the AMT up my right sleeve and looked like a human again. “If tomorrow works, it will be up to Kurt when we want to spring this on Mariana.”

“How do you think she’s gonna take it?” he asked?

“If I live through the first ten minutes, I’ll let you know. Now I have to go observe some trainees. With any luck, they are going to be second assault squad.”

He looked confused, “Whose going to be first squad?

“Oh some people you know. Just a suggestion, you should get to know Joe Fortson socially. You guy’s just need to brush up to the standards we want. These kids, mostly I have to train from scratch. This stuff does not have to be done overnight. To start with, it’s mostly going to be logistics and predator defense. We have plenty of time to get into do or die combat training. Let’s keep it slow and low. Except of course, one case where I have to start now.”

He flat out laughed, “You have to mean that little firecracker Benjamin girl. If you are not going to make an Officer out of her, you are asleep at the switch.”

“Walt, she’s going to be a Company Commander before it’s over. We are going to have one SOCOM Battalion for the assault force. That’s all the manpower we have.”

Walt just stared, “Sixteen teams to your standards, what planet are you planning on taking over?”

My answer was as cold as ice. “None Walt, but as quick as Mariana can get Council approval for me to make this official, I damn well intend to defend one!”

Day 8, Early Afternoon

Pulling the Slizzard, even with the help of R. Nug had been no picnic. When we brought the carcass around the corner of the bluff, I saw Mariana sitting outside the front door obviously taking a break. I called out, “Get off yer duff Lady, work inbound!”

She jumped up and turned, “What are you dragging,” she asked with a hopeful tone?

“Just the biggest Slizzard we have seen yet. And we kept the blood in this time!”

She was running back in the door before we stopped, “Kurt, get the pump and the storage containers; we just hit the Mother Lode!”

I sat down on the ground, “R. Nug, orders. From this point forward R. Nug, when either Mariana or I are in military mode, you will additionally respond to Pvt. Nug. Allow yourself all of 30 seconds to feel good about it.”

For the first time I can remember, He actually asked a question. “Does that mean in a military situation that I now have a Rank?”

“Yes, Pvt. Nug it does.”

“Then I believe that the correct response is ‘Sir, Yes Sir’. The other Col. Stuart fed me a complete file on Military Courtesy.”

“She did, did she?” I asked, choking back a laugh.

He replied, “Yes Sir, she said something about being ready when the big lug started things rolling.”

I just had to turn away before I really did convulse into a laugh. Raising my wrist comp, “A. Stuart to Robert Davis, Private, Sir, could you possibly meet me at the Bio-Lab?” His reply quickly stated that he would be there in about 10 Min.

I moved over to where Mariana, Kurt, Sally and Linda were rapidly draining the Slizzard. “Anything you need from the hulk when I gut and dress it?”

Mariana looked over her shoulder, “Yeah, everything that’s not going to be cooked. As intact as possible and I would have loved to have the brain.”

“I could send somebody to see how much we could scrape off the countryside.” I offered.

“Bite me, Shooter,” was her fast reply. “By the way how did the firebrand do?”

“Surprisingly well, she has all of the skills. She’s a bit rusty like all of us but Lord is she fast. You need to get a DNA scan on her; she had the slack pulled on that trigger when I shot this big joker.”

Mariana looked stunned, “The only people I have ever heard of getting that close are Ash and Gabriel!”

My laconic answer was simple, “That’s why I have to get her Command Trained, we are going to need her.”

Just then, a voice behind me said, “Judging by the get-up I guess I should be talking to Col. Stuart.”

I turned to the slightly built man standing about four feet away, “Actually I just not have had the time to change. The names Andy, what do you go by?”

“Mostly Bob, what is it I can do for you Andy?”

I motioned him to follow me off a few paces, “Rumor mill at Hanna’s place has it that you are a Tanner and Cobbler?”

“Yes, there was a small steady market for custom stuff back on earth and I used most of my carry area to pack my essential tools.”

“Well Bob, look at that sucker, and estimate how many pairs of boots you could get outta that hide.

Bob stared for a long moment and gave a low whistle, “Depending on who does the skinning anywhere between 15 and 25.”

“OK Bob lets make a little commercial deal. You skin it out and assist Dr. Stuart in recovery of the internal organs. Then I need one pair of nice, comfortable square-toed Wellingtons in size 11E. The rest of the hide is yours.”

He looked stunned and thought for a minute and said, “You’ll never get those 14’s of yours in a size 11.”

“Not for me Bob, not for me!”

He just grinned, “I think your getting suckered but, I’m not going to argue. Done deal Andy.”

“Bob, we need a little commerce going around here. Just remember this down the road. You better get your tools and get started.”

Mariana walked up and elbowed me, “You never change do you? When was the last time you did anything for one reason?”

“The day I married you,” I tossed off as I walked away.