0001 Day 88 Liberty Spaceport, Alchibah

Andrew Stuart

I watched the group gather round. First the Backup Crew Major JoAnn “Digger” Andrews Pilot, CPT. Jai (Firebird) Benjamin Mission Commander, SFC Walt “Wirehead” Davis Jai’s Spotter, 1LT Mike (Grinder) Reye Bravo Team Leader and Laura Seaworth (who seemed to be impossible to split from him) No Rank (Yet).

Then the Primary Crew that I knew all so well. LTC Ashcroft “Ghost” Andrews Pilot, COL Andrew Stuart Mission Commander and Tiger Team Leader, Col Mariana Stuart Spotter, Master Chief Petty Officer Gabriel “Angel” Benjamin Cougar Team Leader, Gunnery Sergeant Kathryn “Wildcat” Jamos Spotter.

Site Security was being provided by 1LT Summer Pierce and Sgt Ryu Maeda.

Gabe walked up stared and said, “I should probably ask you what the Hell do you think you are doing. But I think you are doing better than I did. This is no rag-tag resistance group; this here is a professional Military Force.”

“Gabe, I had a better situation to work with. But, in case you have not noticed; the keystone of what I have here is your work to start with. Jai is what holds these kids together or did you not read the file I sent you.”

Gabe grunted, “I read it, the fighter I recognized. The Young Lady I did not!”

“For that part Turkey you can blame Sin and Mariana. Now, you gonna refuse that Commission again? I need you Buddy!”

Gabriel grimaced and said, “Let me get back to you on that OK?”

I just grinned and said, “Sure, let’s get this show on the road.”

With everyone there I started the final brief. “OK, the plan is we sneak in and sneak out if possible. Digger, you will hold no less than 5 miles off of the Coast. If everything goes as planned you and the rest have a nice training exercise.

“We are not going in to Hunt People. If they want to be idiots then they can be idiots as long as they don’t break the Law or do harm.

“Hell People, I can make a bulkhead Lawyers case that the supplies on that shuttle are their fair share of the commonly held goods of Alchibah. That Shuttle however is not! It is ours and we are going to get it. I’ll be honest, I almost hope they shoot at us! But if they don’t we take the shuttle and scoot.

“Mariana is going to leave a one time message for them from the Council. Everyone hopes that the deliberately over-the-top tone of it will at least give the idiots some pause.

“Does everyone understand?” Getting nothing but nods in return, I moved to the next point.

“We are going to try to sneak in on nothing but the Andrews-Hibbs Gravity Drive. Ash are you and the Mad Doctor ever going to quit coming up with stuff?”

“Andy, we don’t even really understand what we have so far. We think our separate stuff will come together somewhere, somewhen. We need an Einstein to pull it all together and we can’t find him or imitate him Yet!”

“Great,” I said, “get the Mayflower on the tight-beam and see if they are ready to monitor.”

I listened to Ash coordinating with the Mayflower and surprise we did not get the duty crew, we got Larry Monroe himself. “Ash, if we really can’t detect the new drive, assuming of course you don’t fall into the sea. It’s too damn important to leave to lesser lights, so go make my lack of sleep worth it.”

Ash gave a guttural half laugh, “We damn sure gonna try. If we don’t make it back, thanks for all the help. It was more than we could have hoped for.”

Monroe’s reply was short and sweet, “Shut up and bring her home Fighter Jock.”

As he turned and walked to the first MK III shuttle, I swear I saw a tear in his eye.

As the shuttles lifted smoothly and turned towards the South Summer was scared practically out of her skin by a soft voice that seemed to come from nowhere.

“Aye and there goes a legend reborn, the Shadows walk again.”

She turned towards the sound to see Robert “Call me Robbie” McMaster appear as if from the very shadows. “What do you mean by Legends and Shadows?”

“Of course Lass, tis what the Bad Guys of the old belt called that strange apperation that appeared whenever the Gods cried that Team Tiger and Team Cougar should scourge the Universe. But, to mine old Irish heart I be swearing that it happened when a bairn in distress preyed for help in the proper supplicating tone.

“For if the Gods ever created Avenging Angels lass there they go.”

Summer stared, “I thought their reputations were built on killing people and breaking things?”

“That they were lassie,” He replied. “Sometimes you have to look past the bleeding reputation.

“Have Ye ever wondered about that bit of Blue Ribbon yon Ashcroft wears bout his throat and Aye lassie I have had the wedding described to me?”

Summer had to laugh, “Robbie that has to be ‘The Question’ among the crowd the people around here call the ‘Young Guns’.”

“Weel Lassie, allow me to win the bets fer ye. The Shadows had chased one of the most vicious group of heathen scum you would ever hope to meet to a mid-sized asteroid deep in the Belt. When the action teams boarded her they found nigh on to a hundred young bairns locked in a shaft mined to blow to open space.

“Well the Ladies went to save the bairns, while our touchy males went for the bad guys like the very Hounds themselves. Killed a fair part of them but, the rest made it to their ships. They had seven old EU Counqurent class Assault Shuttles. The take off blast almost broke the locks and took out our laddies.

“Well, the Reaper was cussing to turn space itself blue when Ash came on in a cold voice and said ‘They don’t get away that damn easy.’”

“Andy and Admiral Harrison himself were screaming at Ash not to do anything stupid when something drowned them out. I had but to guess that by now you have heard Ash and his bad imitation of what those lads call a Coon Hound?”

“Lord, you are right about that. If I had a dog that sounded that bad I would shoot it myself to put it out of its misery.”

“Weel Lassie tis not what they heard that day. I twas in range and the sound that came over those Comms you would not recognized had ye not lived on gorse, bog or plain. Twas a King Wolf howling Vengeance an enough to chill yer very soul. When the SOCOM Cruiser and Hospital ship showed up 45 min. later all twas left was Ash in a Tillman Class shuttle that would never fly again. Ash was bleeding from his ears, eyes and nose from G forces. But Ghost had left them seven slowly expanding clouds of debris. There were Seven of them lassie and one of him in a clearly outclassed ship. It mattered not Lass, for the War Prince of Clan Stuart had claimed vengeance.

“Lass, he is the one on yon shuttle that everyone in space did not fear. The Shadows of the Night they are!”

Summer just thought for a moment and then said, “Somehow that also does not fit with what we young people see.

“They seem to be more interested in building things than breaking them. If I have to hear the chant of ‘Logistics, followed by Logistics and more Logistics’ one more time I think I’ll throw up.”

Robbie grunted and replied with all trace of an accent gone and sounding controlled mid-Atlantic. “You have confused aggressive Type A behavior with the frustration of a Type A doer. They would rather be left alone to build and expand or to chase estoric Mathematical Theories. Their idea of a dream existence is one where they are left alone to just ‘Do Things’.

“Unfortunately the sum of human existence is one form Religion or Government attempting to impose their wills on the totality of the Race. Press Free Men long enough and hard enough and your Sheepdogs evolve to Wolves in their own right.

“Of the people in that lead shuttle I know all about save for one. Fate or the hand of the True God placed a foundling known as Gabriel Benjamin in the proper family for certain. The rest are the end result of hundreds of years of incredible pressures. They can no more walk away from this upcoming fight than they can cease to breath by choice.”

He turned and the twinkle returned to his eyes and as he spoke the Brogue returned

“Now the Goonies are coming for us, an I smell the taint of Clan Stuart upon ye Lass!”

Summer reared up, “And that is a problem for you Sir?”

“Nay Lassie, it may well be our one hope. That and that Lad called Travis upon yon Mayflower.”

Over the open Ocean the two shuttles picked up their 5 mile separation and moved towards the Southern continent purely atmospheric. 100 Miles out from the coast Ash looked at Andy. “We are over the continental shelf. Might as well try it now.”

His answer was a grimace and a hand check of personal emergency gear by all on board.

Bringing up all the systems on the new panel up into the green Ash slowly dialed down the power on the conventional systems. There was a large lurch as the ship seemed to drop then steadied as Ash dialed up the new panel.

“Damn Andy, it flies.”

“So far, now run us in and see what Monroe gets.”

Ash poured forward vector into the new drive and pointed at the airspeed indicator.

“Damn Ash, slow down. No need to leave a sonic boom.”

On the Mayflower Monroe triggered a private Comm channel. “Travis Here.”

“Glen,” Larry said, “you have to come see this. The Mad Whackos did it again.”

“Oh crap,” came the groan, “on the way!”

The trip from Captains Quarters to the Comms Center was a short five minutes, Travis was there in six.

“Al right Larry, what’s so important.”

Monroe merely gestured and said, “Watch this tape!”

Travis watched as two shuttles crawled towards the Southern continent and the lead one disappeared. “What happened Larry, did they go down?”

“Not according to their Comms. All that happened was that Ash cut in the Andrews-Hibbs Drive. They are still on course and time according to the data link.”

“Make this close hold Larry, I think everyone who NEEDS to know about this already does. What are those Maniacs going to think up next?”

“Who knows,” Larry replied, “I just try to keep up and tie it into the real world.”

Travis snorted a laugh and left the room.

Over the Continent Ash tripped the Command Code for the stolen Shuttle locater beacon. “Bingo, there she is 14.5 forward, port 5. Looks like a clearing”

“Get us in there,” was Andy’s cold reply.

Settling into the clearing the hatch popped open as soon as the skid touched and Tiger Team boiled out in full Chameleon Mode. Two invisible figures slowly circled the shuttle weapons at the ready. Slowly they entered the open hatch to find barrens. “Damn Ash, they stripped out everything but the head.”

“Will it fly?” Ash asked

“Checking,” was Andy’s terse reply.

“OK, this sucker will fly. Mariana is cutting a message for our runaways. Give her five!”

Everyone sat tensely as the time went by until Andy called, “Done deal, lifting and we are going to be noisy.”

The Shuttle roared up into the morning twilight on a pillar of flaming under-jets as the main propulsion slowly feed in. Then in a sonic boom they were gone.

The runaways stared towards the clearing where they had stashed the shuttle when their short range Comms blasted open in override mode.

“This is Mariana Stuart speaking of and for the Federal Council of Alchibah.

“You have chosen to leave our Compact, this is your choice.

“This is your Legal choice, however we have reclaimed our property. In your absence the Colony of Alchibah has by public vote accepted the implied treaty offered by those beings known as the Guardians.

“You trespass upon this Continent upon your peril from those entities. You having left our Compact we will not interfere in that relationship with one provision.

“Should you harm or Gods forbid kill a Soessossian then I will personally take great joy in Ordering the Hounds of Hell to hunt you down.

“Believe me, that in this Case; they are mine to Command.

“Stuart Clear!”

Day - 86
After Mike and Laura left with Andy I convinced JJ to make a brief detour and head back north a ways so I could get a quick shot at a small alchelo. It didn’t take long and mission accomplished; that would be a new meal for the people in town but the meat would taste better after hanging a few days and was certainly better than slizard. They were going to love it. We got back on the shuttle and were in the air in less than half an hour. Soon afterwards JJ needed to turn down the general com channel. Between all the calls from the Mayflower and Liberty City he was getting distracted from his primary job, flying us home.

We stayed low on the return trip and got a good look at the 400 miles we would still be trudging across if we hadn’t been picked up. Dense forest crisscrossed by dozens of streams and rivers. It sure worked out better this way. The view as we neared Liberty City was another surprise.

We had been looking at the pictures taken after the storm and tsunami. Much of what we had worked so hard to build was destroyed but by now twice as much time had been spent on rebuilding as we put into the original construction. It’s beyond amazing what a determined people and a hundred and sixty robots can do in two months time.

JJ set us down smoothly in the landing area, and taking R. JP. with us we walked the riverbank and then up the grade to Hanna’s. We could see on the other side of the river Les, Judith, and Mike Reye going in the same direction. They would cross at the upper bridge.

The whole town must have been waiting. Right in front of the First Inn was a big sign read ‘Welcome Back’. The next hour was kind of a blur. There were so many new faces and everyone was asking what we saw and what we did, but finally things settled down and people went back to work. There is still so much to be done. I put off telling our story by saying that Laura had it all down and in a few days, when she had it edited, she would show the video to everybody at once.

Later, when almost everyone was gone and back to work, I thought to go and see what was left of our setup on the point. Before I could slip away, Les Reye pulled me aside and said, “Lets take a walk Bart,” and pointed me west instead of south.

“A walk! I don’t know Les I seem to have been doing little else for as long as I can remember. The only walk I’m interested in is one with Janie to look at our freehold site.”

“I have my reasons Bart, I think we really need to do this.”

“Lead on then,” I said as we headed in the general direction of where the lumber mill was set and operating. Janie kept talking to Hanna and Linda Parker and waved as we left.

Les talked at first about the progress in town but to no real purpose. I was beginning to be wonder what he was up to. Five minutes and a quarter mile from the Inn he told me the full story about the Guardians and Jedediah Dobswell.

“Now isn’t that somthin’,” I said. “When does Andy plan on going to retrieve the shuttle?”

“Couple of days.”
“Let him know I’ll tag along if he wants me.”

“Sure thing Bart. Remember no talk or recording anything about the Guardians. That’s about it and we can head back now.”

“Think I’ll keep walking out to the mill. Want to see how Joe and Eugene have been making out. And let Janie know I’ll be back soon. And another thing, you can be mighty proud of Mike. He‘s got a good head on his shoulders and a heart to match.”

I heard the noise of the saws, the constant whine of the big saw and the sharper bursts from the chain saws long before I could see the mill site itself. When I got my first glance I could tell we had a going concern and was very impressed. I saw Gene directing the bots doing the dragging, cutting and stacking. The sawmill itself was under a roofed, open sided building with a sign up high that read ‘Bartlett - Fortson Lumber‘. There was a large drying area and numerous stacks of various sized timber ready to be taken away. One lumber cart was being loaded by a couple of the labor pool bots.

Gene didn’t see me approach and I startled him by saying, “Didn’t miss us enough to come into town for the welcoming eh Gene.” I said that with a smile.

“Oh, I was there alright, at least when Laura and Mike flew overhead, but since you had to go hunting and JJ wasn’t taking calls, I came back to finish a little project Joe and I have been working on.”

“Tell me more.”

“See that stack of mixed timber over yonder?” He pointed to a mixed pile a little ways away.

“Sure. What’s it for?”

Gene beamed, “It’s Janie’s new house. What else! We kept cutting and saving the pieces even when most had given up hope. And there, is the last plank!” he said as RoDan placed a final board on the pile.

“Wow Gene, We got to figure a way to get it built so Janie doesn’t know in advance. How long to build it?”

“With every free bot in town two maybe three days. Do you think you can keep her off the point that long? Only way to keep it a surprise.”

“I sure as hell am gonna try.”

I went back to Liberty City and the First Inn and caught up with Janie. She was sitting with Hanna and Jules and turned on a million watt smile when she saw me walk into the main room.
“Hey Babe, hi Hanna… Jules…”

Janie spoke right up, “Bart, let’s get down to the point and see how bad things are. Hanna promises a place to stay when if we have to come back.”

“Ok, we can do that, Gene tells me our dome tent is up and everything still inside. We can go look at it but I kinda think we should stay with Hanna and Jules a few days. I need to spend a lot of time at the mill and want to go up to the Mayflower and talk to Captain Travis and the ‘Mad Scientists‘. I’d just as soon neither of us spend much time alone down there for a while. The animals are keeping away from town now but they still are coming around where we are at. It’s odd they’ve left the tent alone. Probably can tell there is no food inside. And anyway we’ll get to know the new people faster.”

“Oh please stay here Janie, at least till Laura finishes her video and does the show and tell,” Hanna said. “I’m canning and making jellies right now from the edible foods we’ve found and could use the extra help, and more importantly I will be able to pay with some of the finished product. And someone has to take charge of the alchelo you and Bart brought back. We should feast the whole town when Laura is ready.”

“I’m sold,” Janie said, “I’ve had my share of rustic for a while. We’ll just go take a look and come right back.”

If anything, the view from the point was more spectacular than I’d remembered. I related what Les said about the Guardians and Jedediah.

“Your not going with Andy are you? Haven’t we had enough excitement for a while?”

“Not unless he asks real hard Babe. There is so much military experience on this planet right now that I don’t think I would be of much use. But I bet you one thing Janie, not even Sinopa knows as much about the indigenous live forms on this continent as we do now. It’s probably like on earth though. Knowing how things worked in Europe didn’t do a whole lotta’ good when North American was colonized.

“Bart, how is it possible we are able to eat so many of the native plants and animals? It doesn’t seem reasonable evolution could be that parallel.”

“That bothers me too. If I ever get the chance, I will ask one of the Guardians, though from what I hear it’s pretty iffy whether they answer… You ready to go back in?”

“Sure thing. Lead on.”

After we got back to the Inn, as soon as I was out of Janie’s sight, I commed Gene and let him know to start building the house.

Evening Day 81, First Inn, Alchibah

Mariana Stuart

It was a good thing I was sitting down, because if I weren’t, my knees wouldn’t have been able to hold my body in a vertical position.

Seeing Kat made this a great day. I liked Sally, Hanna and Linda a lot, but the Wildcat was the closest thing to a sister I’ve had in recent years.

She hadn’t changed. Still the same, lithe, brown haired Latina, a couple of inches shorter than me and not an ounce of fat on her.

I waited until after Connor, Sinopa, Gabe, and Kat nearly completed their bear hugs, before I slowly rose from my chair and took a few steps towards Kat.

In a few seconds, I shouted, “Hey Bitch! What took you so long?”

I watched Kat’s head snap to my direction with fire in her eyes, followed by a fierce gleam of recognition. This was immediately followed by each of us giving the other a bear hug. I guess bear hugs were contagious tonight.

“Damn Kat. It’s been ages since we’ve gone out and shot the crap out of anything or anyone.” I know my smile went ear to ear, but it matched the one Kat was wearing.

“Magic, I hate to tell you this, but I think we’re going to get that opportunity very soon.” Kat’s expression was serious. “I think the bad guys ain’t too far behind us.”

I looked around Kat’s shoulder to see the Big Hunk I knew affectionately as “The Dumb Ass Angel” staring over his brother’s shoulder at the name tape on my Jacket. I only thought his eyes could get wide till a Parade Ground Voice boomed over the room.

“Damn Hanna there went your property values,” roared the voice of the Big Lug in a jovial tone.

Gabe was as quick as he had ever been, “What Mrs. Parker, you still have any? How many people has this jerk killed in here yet?”

Hanna gave him her best killer smile, “Why not a one Mr. Benjamin. The only Stuart who has shot someone here was Mariana and she was nice enough to pay for the cleanup!”

With that comment, Gabe began laughing with a deep bellow that instantly endeared him to everyone in the room. “Bloody hell Andy you old dog, how the crap did you con such an intelligent woman into marrying you?”

“I could ask you,” Andy drawled, “how the hell Kat is still hanging around you,” as he extended his right hand.

Gabe reached out to grasp it in a slap the whole room heard, and then their faces went cold. Those close enough to hear and see heard their breathing ramp up and saw the pupils of their eyes distend. They stood there like that for three long minutes then relaxed.

“Andy, you still cheat,” Gabe laughed.

‘No Gabe, I still cheat better than you! But go with your family we can talk later, they are more important now.

“Especially your Niece, whom you will probably wind up taking orders from Master Chief.”

Gabe turned to really look at Jai and for the first time saw the 1LT bars on her collars and the Alchibah Special Forces Patch on her breast. “Good God Andy, what have you done?”

“What you started Turkey, gonna turn down a Direct Commission again? Now go on, we can catch up and talk about all that later. Now’s the time for celebrating!”

Andrew Stuart

I turned to share a laugh with Marina when a face at the door caught my attention, of the two I knew only one but him I knew well. “Mariana, I’ll be a Son of a Bitch but doesn’t that look like Robbie?”

She turned and looked, “Looks like Hell, that’s Robbie!”

I gave it my best gravedigger special, “Robert Thomas McMaster, you owe me fifty bucks you welsher!”

The thin Technology Espionage expert turned with a grin, “Aye Andrew William Walker Stuart. An if I ever pay you off you’ll be to start quitting saving me arse in the pickles just to protect you tight arsed Scots investment, you will.”

“Ah Robbie you know not the economy of your new World. I am gonna call your marker in work for the Colony.

“Seriously, I have a CNC machine which I can give you 6 hours a day use of. I have a bright Young Chemical Engineer, who is family now to help you. I have a very bright Young Lady who is quite adept at finding stuff we need, two of them in fact. I have a power grid old Thomas Alva Edison would have cheerfully died for.

“You my fine Irish twerp are the missing link. I need an Ammo Plant, yesterday. I always told you I would give you the challenge that you could not refuse and think it will make you the equivalent of a Millionaire in these parts.

“Before you answer, who’s your friend?”

“Why Andrew me old friend this here be a refugee from the far northern tiers of the fine old…..”

Robbie was interrupted by a fine British influenced accent with just a tinge of a hard northern edge, “Before he turns this into a long winded Celtic Folk Tale, the name is Christian Petersen. I hooked up with this Blarney slinging crook back on Mars Colony, where he was stealing medical supplies from the Goonies for our clinic.”

With an effort, I was able to hold it to a mere grin “Sounds about right. Robbie here never saw anything technical that a Goonie had that he figured they had a right to keep.”

Robbie interrupted with “Blimey, me specialty was Technical Espionage. What tis Espionage other that stealing it from the idiot bloke that is too blasted dumb to have it the first place.”

I had to finally break down and laugh, “Don’t argue with him Christian, He’ll just tie you in knots anyway.

“Listen, you guys are going to need a place to stay. I got a spare bungalow or two up at what the locals are calling Ft. Stuart. Robbie give me your wrist comp, if you don’t have a mil-spec I’ll eat my boots.”

“Ay Laddie that would be a glorious sight to see indeed but, not today alas. Here you go.”

I took his comp and connected it to mine via cable and shoot him a map of Liberty. As I was handing it back I noticed the one on Christians wrist, “Christian, you have a mil-spec also?”

“That he does me fine Reaper,” Robbie broke in, “got it the old fashioned way; took it off a Goonie who didn’t need it anymore. Yon fine polished Kimber is no mere decoration pon his hip I’ll be to swearing. He’ll be to needing a job; perchance might Lady Mariana be running a clinic here? Me friend the Medic might be of some small assistance!”

“Call Mariana Stuart and Kurt Kellerman’s Level 2+ Lab and Shock Trauma Hospital a CLINIC to either of their face’s and we might just finally see how fast you are old friend.” I was rewarded with two stunned faces and Christian’s stunned question.

“You have that kind of facility on a refugee frontier world?”

“Welcome to the paranoid planning rabbit hole of R.J. Hamilton, Mr. Petersen. Robbie was kind to point you towards Mariana but, if you are a Medic who can and will shoot; might I suggest a conversation with Capt. Kurt Kellerman.”

“Now Robbie, head for the star on the map and ask for a Robot called SFC Nug. He will get you settled in, see you in the morning.”

As they walked away, I heard Christian ask Robbie, “Did you call him Reaper?”

“Like the man said me fine friend, ‘Welcome to the Rabbit Hole.’ Tis himself it twas, the very nightmare Goonie Mothers use to frighten their bairns.

“Ach, tis even worse me friend; yon Mariana is better known as Magic. Welcome to Freedom’s Last Stand me Boyo!”

It has taken a while, but we finally did it — we now have “coffee”! The “dot candy” seeds we’ve got from our excursions roast real well, but Hanna & I could not get it to brew. We tried various roasts, and grinds, but came up short…until we tried it the really old fashioned way: Turkish style.

In order to have a cup of “coffee,” you have to grind the seeds down to a very fine grind. Then you put it into a cup or small pot, pour hot water in and stir. So far very standard Turkish coffee (no filtering out the grind). But the thing about this new stuff is that it is ready to drink within a minute, and it thickens the water a bit to more of a hot chocolate consistency.

Because it thickens, you can’t let it sit for longer than 30 minutes or it becomes too thick. Hanna is going to play with that sludge and see if she can come up with a use for it (fudge? chocolate-substitute? oil??).

As a result of the sludge factor, it is best to brew the stuff as you need it. The downside of this for Hanna is she can’t just serve coffee instantly as she can now. We both agreed that because it was only 1 minute, if someone couldn’t wait that long (which is quicker than even ordering a latte), then they could munch on the seeds to get a quick “hit.” Oh yeah, so far we can’t figure out a way to do espresso, not that anyone has had an espresso drink since Earth anyway.

The thing that will take the longest to get used to is that it doesn’t taste like Earth coffee! It has a much earthier, rich taste to it than Earth coffee — Sumatra is the closest I can think of to compare it to, though the new stuff is much richer.

I actually like it better than the usual coffee (though that may be because our usual stuff is not very good…one of the things I miss about Earth is roasting my beans myself and always having ultra-fresh coffee!).

My father Jedediah knew in his heart what the Lord, our father, must intend. I could tell by watching him when I diverged from his vision and belief and unto my own, but it was of small consequence. I can not fail to honor both in all that I do. The Soessossins came, hesitantly, to our campsite. They were curious and not at all threatening. I talked to them individually and in mass. The first time though only three presented themselves.

They were looking for something new in their existence, something I would term a redemptive experience, and this, I through the grace of the Lord, was able to afford a means and an endpoint they were willing to consider.

It was strange I thought, that they had only a naturalistic bent in their view of the world. The Soessossins were sophisticated in many things we would consider philosophical in nature but were without the concept of God. It might be easier to say their concept of God subsumed the Guardians but that would have been in error. The Guardians were a fact of nature, part of the universe with no mystical presence. My message filled a void they had not truly recognized they possessed.

In many other ways they were simple in nature, trusting and unassuming. In return for contact and talk they provided us with many of our basic needs. It was not a trading situation but an expression of their nature. They did have a sense of curiosity, but it didn’t seem nearly as strong as in most humans. Their sense of community was far greater.

The one way telepathic experience made some things, like teaching them to read very easy was that they had no trouble following what we were thinking about anytime we read aloud. It was as if they scanned our minds and knew all that we had learned and experienced over a lifetime. Their naturalism was in itself a very spiritual outlook. And I, not being ignorant of evolutionary means, wondered how in the absence of God, they had come to such a position. My father told me that it was the Lords will and I could see that any questioning was thus nonsensical.

From that spiritual perspective they were a blank slate—but they were obstinate and took much convincing.

“I suppose you could refer to me, or us, as Agorah if you must,” the Soessossin said.

I had made my first of many breakthroughs. I knew that this was a collective name but it started a concept of dealing on a one to one basis between us and the Soessossin, and more importantly a way to deal with the Word as God commanded in a direct sense. The Lord could deal with a collective entity… I, as His messenger, was more comfortable on a personal basis.

The way it seemed to me was that Soessossin was a collective name for all of them and the particular group near our landing site was the Agorah subgroup. I think the first group contacted was the Yelsig subgroup. It is too early to tell for sure but it makes it a bit easier to understand them.

Back to reading. They could be taught to read, really just a touch of heads when I looked at the verses, and they could remember. My father had three copies of the Book. I read from one aloud and gave one of the copies to the Agorah so that he might learn more about the holy Word in my absence. I made an immediate connection between the sound of the name Soessossin and the concept of their being chosen. It helped to gain acceptance of my message and I was sure the coincidence was for too strong to be accidental. All of this initial contact and understanding took place within 24 hours of the time we first set down.

But I am getting ahead of myself and will reorder these writings when time permits.

“Well Rev. this looks like as fine a place as any.” Cotton Edwards said setting the shuttle down in a grassy area besides a small creek about ten twenty miles inland. “I was starting to think this whole continent was a desert.”

“The pictures and earlier expedition showed otherwise Brother Edwards, the Lord will provide.”

“Yeah, guess so Jed.”

“Please Brother, thou ought should show respect to the position I hold through the Almighty‘s will.”

“Sure Rev. I just forget some times. What say we get this heap unloaded and then I think I need to move her some ways away? I‘ll try to hide her but don‘t think that will work. When those bastards come for us, and mark my words they will, I want to make it as heard for them as I can.”

“Mrs. Dobswell, Aaron, Ruth, Sister Helen, Sister Martha, let us unload everything so that Brother Edwards may move the ship.”

We unloaded in less than an hour taking our own belongings and all of the shuttles emergency supplies. As we carried things into the surrounding forest I could appreciate how much easier it would be with bots to aid us. But they were an abomination, shaped in the Image of the Lord, without a soul. We were well rid of them.

By the time Brother Edwards returned we had two tents set up, one for the men and one for the woman. My father was in our tent, my mother and sister were gathering wood for a fire and Sister Martha was entering the other tent. I saw Brother Edwards grab his knapsack and follow her inside.

Sister Helen heard the parting of the fabric and saw Edwards standing just inside looking around for a place to set his belongings. “Brother Edwards, this is to be the women’s tent. The rest of your gear is in the other.”

“Now that don’t seem right friendly Sister Helen. I kinda figured what with the Reverend havin’ his wife here and all, that this would be a much better place for the rest of us. Give us all a bit of privacy… if you know what I mean.”

“Brother Edwards!”

Edwards turned, hearing the unmistakable snickety-snick kerchunk sound of a 12 gage pump action, and saw not Sister Martha, but the Marty from the attack on the UNWG cruiser, standing with one of the short barreled shotguns from out of the shuttle held in her firm grasp and pointing right at his midriff.

“You seem to be in the wrong tent Brother Edwards!”

“Why yes I do Sister, indeed I do. I think I’ll just take my things next door,” he said without looking in the least bit worried, or as if anything was out of the ordinary, as he stepped backwards and out of the dome.

“What you looking at boy,” he said to me in a gruff tone of voice.

“Nothing Sir, just getting the fire pit ready.”

“Well get on with it then!”

It was on the second day after we landed when we moved everything another two miles up stream that we met the Soessossins. I had told my father about what I had seen and overheard when Edwards came back from hiding the shuttle. He told me to pray for Brother Edwards, as he was still a work in progress.

The next week set the tone for the next two months. Brother Edwards, my father and I, using only axes and hand tools began constructing a log cabin. The adult women and my sister Ruth cleared and tilled, again and only by hand, a small field to put in the seeds we had taken from the colony. Each afternoon I would meet with Agorah and sometimes as many as a dozen other Soessossins. They were not always the same ones and I was beginning to be able to tell them apart. As I got to know them I assigned names. There was Ephraim and Joseph and Jacob. And as I assigned the names I told them they were the sons of Israel.

We did not have the problems with large carnivorous animals that plagued us at the original landing site. This was likely due to the presence of the Soessossins. They did not help in our day to day work but brought in food, both animal and vegetable, for us to eat and classify as clean or unclean in the sight of the Lord. What they ate in their own camps I do not know. But I admonished them.

That is why I have said to the sons of Israel:
“No soul of you must eat blood and no alien resident who is residing in your midst should eat blood.”

Leviticus 17.12

I kept a watch on Brother Edwards, and often, when he thought none looking, he stared intently at Sisters Helen and Martha, and even at my mother and sister Ruth. I feared there would be trouble and a day of reckoning.

Oh Dark and Ugly: Day 85, Stuart Compound, Alchibah

Andy

I woke up with my wristcomp, the house alarm and my comp unit all making enough noise to rouse the dead. Pulling my arm from under Mariana’s head I was ready to kill somebody till my brain caught up with my body. The only person alive who could trigger all those systems was Ash and he knew better.

“OK Ash, This had better be good,” I growled.

“Get your pants on Cuz, Joe and J.J. Found them!”

Beside me Mariana jumped up from under the covers exposing the best reasons to tell Ash where to go and screaming at the top of her lungs. “Where Ash, is anybody hurt; do they need Medical?”

Ash laughed, “Not according to J.J.! At least until I get there. Jai has night shift at the field and She is warming up the Cargo Bus, so get it in gear Cuz!”

I not exactly sure how I got into gear that fast but I was screaming out the door in 30 seconds and went straight to speed to the airfield. When I got there the engines on the Cargo Bus were warming and Jai was strapped into the locally installed jump seat. I slid into the Co-Pilots seat and locked up J. J.’s beacon just as Ash slid into the Pilots seat.

Ash reefed her up with everything she had. Designed to carry cargo loads, empty she could pull some serious G’s. Enough in fact that we had installed the jump seat to use her as a trainer craft.

I picked up Jai’s reflection in the glass of the guage panel to watch her reaction, anybody who could look happy and overjoyed under 7 G’s had been born to be a Fighter Jock and Ash was pushing this baby hard.

The location was closer than anyone had expected. Bart and crew had damn near made it back all by themselves.

Ash sat us down gently in the clearing where Joe and J. J. were talking animatedly with Bart, Janie, Mike and Laura.

Joe Fortson

“OK, Bart now we have enough lift to get everyone back in one flight. You defiantly want to be able to see the Dora from the air. There are still some people that can’t believe you landed that thing.”

Bart stared dumbfounded, “You found her, how?”

“Short version, Mariana figured out how Jack sabotaged you thanks to some Sneaky Pete cameras Ash had planted on the field.

“Ash and Monroe figured out the damage what Jack used could cause. Then Ash, Monroe and Travis figured out where you could have possibly landed.

“Then Andy and Ash broke their butts keeping those shuttles up 20 hours a day looking for you. Just a little simple Manhattan Project; no big deal.”

Bart’s face went dark, “I need to get in a small room with Jack!”

At that I had to laugh, “You will have to cross Charybdis for that. When confronted with the videos he tried to shoot his way out of the mess and drew on Mariana.”

“Is she OK,” Bart asked with a concerned look?

“Bart that was the cleanest case of Suicide By Commando I have ever seen. Jack barely cleared leather enough to make it legitimate self-defense and his back shooter Buddy got plugged by Sally Kellerman.

“The Female side of the house pretty well took out the garbage.”

Bart started laughing, “My Father told me ‘Never piss off Women with tempers, they never forget.’”

By this time Jai, Laura and Janie were deep in catch up mode as Andy caught Bart’s eye with a nod towards Mike Reye and a short quick wobble of an extended thumb from side to up and back.

Bart replied with a big grin and two thumbs straight up accompanied by an emphatic nod.

Just then Ash walked up and asked in that drawl, “You OK, Hoss? That ship was kinda beat up, we thought for a while someone was hurt bad.”

Bart shook his head, “According to Janie I was for a while but I am over that now.”

“Your sure?” Ash asked. Bart just nodded in reply.

Ash said, “Good!”

Where that right uppercut came from I will never know, I sure as hell didn’t see it and neither did anyone else (with the possible exception of Andy.)

It lifted Bart right off his feet and deposited him square on his butt and I saw Jai restraining Janie with the comment, “I have seen this before, it’s just a guy thing…watch.”

Ash took one step forward and growled in a low voice only the three of us could hear, “Now we are even Turkey.” Then with a grin and back to normal tones he reached to his hip pocket with his right hand drawing out a flask; reaching out with his left to Bart saying “Now get on up here and have a drink Hoss. And Quigley, don’t you ever scare me like this again!”

Bart sat upright and grinned, “I didn’t know you cared Fighter Jock!”

Ash grinned in reply, “Yeah, well don’t tell anyone OK.”

“You will pay for this, “Bart laughed as he reached for the flask.

“I wait with due trepidation, Drink up if you dare!” Ash laughed as he released the flask.

Andy Stuart

I walked over to Mike Reye while watching the Ash and Bart comedy show. Travis had made a comment about them once before and ‘Peas in a Pod’ was never more apparent. Reaching Mike I decided to go for the downs.

“Well Lieutenant, you don’t look worse for the wear.” Watching his head snap around while still trying to protect Laura was worth a laugh.

“I am not the bad guy Mike, looks like ya’ll done good!”
Mike Reye stumbled over his reply, “I think we did, I am not sure!”

“Are you alive Son and all who came with you?” I asked.

“Yes Sir,” he replied; “despite everything this planet tried!”

“That and William Bartlett’s two thumbs up plus a grin is why you get these.” Without further word, I grabbed his collars and pinned on the 1LT tabs.

He looked up and asked, “Are you sure Boss, I didn’t do that well.”

It was my turn to grin, “You fooled the hell out of Bart!

“Load Laura and Emcee on our ship and let Bart know we will bring Emcee home. I have a promise to keep to a proud Lady!”

The uploading took about 10 minutes and the flight 15 more. We sat down in the front yard of the Reye compound. Stepping out I looked at a wretched worried face.

“Judith, I made you a promise. Here he is alive and well; slightly the Young Man your Boy became. I think you might want to meet the Young Lady as well.”

Down the gangway came Mike and Laura; “Mom, meet Laura. I suggest you get used to Her!”

I was walking back up the ramp as Ash quipped, “I don’t know if Lester knows whether to shit or go blind. Laura ain’t gonna let go of that Boy.”

I stared at Ash, “Right, like when did the guys get a choice in the decision? I just hope Mike can survive Laura pulling in the reigns.”

We were both still laughing when we sat down at Liberty Main.