The Corps of Discovery Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3: A multiverse series of alternate history

by James S. Peet

  “It still hurts, but I guess I’m in recovery mode now.”

  Meri sympathized with him and commented on how it was a tough choice for the two of them, each making a decision that was counter to what the other wanted out of life.

  Approaching dusk, the two wound up at the landing behind the boat rental shop. Both had elected to keep one of the numerous fish they caught, deciding that hazelnut-crusted trout with fresh vegetables would make for a great evening meal. Packing their waders, boots, and other gear into their duffels, and hoisting their catch by the stringers, they checked in with the shop, letting the woman behind the counter know that the boat had, indeed, been returned and not sunk to the depths of the Yakima River. Then, carrying their packed duffels and strung fish, headed off to the restaurant.

  Upon entering the restaurant, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman with streaks of gray running through her otherwise jet-black hair. “Welcome. Looks like you’ve brought your own entrée. Here, let me take them and get them to the chef. Grab a seat on the porch,” she indicated the back of the restaurant with a flick of her head, “and I’ll be right back.”

  Bill and Meri stepped out onto a porch overlooking the Yakima River. As the sun was behind the Cascades, they knew they wouldn’t be pan-fried like the trout, nor would they be blinded by the setting sun. They’d been fried enough already in the late summer sun on the Yakima.

  The porch had a number of tables, of which a few were occupied by couples and small families. Meri chose a table against the railing. Meri draped her rifle over the back of her chair, using the rifle sling to support it. The hostess returned carrying two glasses of water and a pair of menus tucked under an arm.

  “You’ll find all the variations for your catch here. We don’t mind mixing and matching, so just pick out how you want your trout done, and what you want with it. Drinks are listed at the front, with desserts in the back. I’ll be back to take your order.”

  Bill and Meri looked through the menu, both deciding on the hazelnut-encrusted trout with asparagus and roasted baby red potatoes. Bill looked at the wine list but figured that since he knew nothing about wine, he shouldn’t bother with it. Meri, on the other hand, had apparently grown up in a wine-drinking family and recommended they split a bottle of a red blend from a vineyard just downriver on the Nch'i-Wana from where the Yakima River flowed into it.

  The waitress returned and Meri gave her the wine and dinner order. She told the couple that the hazelnuts were from a family member’s orchard in south-central Cascadia. When the waitress left, Bill, who knew where Cascadia was, wasn’t quite sure of the exact location and asked Meri.

  “It’s the long valley south of Nch'i-Wana, extending from the river to the mountains, and between the Cascades and the coastal range. You probably think of it as Oregon.”

  “Oh, yeah. We call it the Willamette Valley.”

  “So do we,” Meri said.

  Soon the waitress was back with the wine. She poured Meri’s glass first, then Bill’s, and told them it’d only be ten or fifteen minutes until their meals were ready.

  They sipped wine and talked while watching the undersides of the clouds change hue as the sun sank lower below the mountains.

  After the first glass was almost gone, the waitress arrived with their dinners.

  The food looked and smelled delicious, and within seconds the two were attacking their meals with gusto. Bill still couldn’t get over the difference between meals on Hayek and meals from Earth. On Earth, food looked good but tasted bland. Here, food not only looked good but was vibrant with flavor. He suspected it was because almost everything was locally produced, and not grown for shipping and looks.

  Food devoured, and with a half glass each of wine left over, the two relaxed while the waitress removed their empty plates.

  “Dessert?” she asked.

  Meri raised an eyebrow at Bill. “Sure,” he said, knowing well that while he was full, there was always room for dessert.

  Meri ordered a crème brûlée while Bill chose a dessert called Death by Chocolate: a brownie covered with chocolate ice cream smothered with melted chocolate.

  The two continued chatting while drinking their wine, then eating their dessert. Soon, the plates and glasses were empty.

  “Well, I guess we better pay and get going,” Meri finally said. The sky was dark and filled with the early evening stars.

  Bill motioned the waitress over and claimed the check. “Hey, you got us the boat. It’s the least I can do.”

  With the account settled, the two grabbed their duffels, Meri her rifle, and they headed out to the train station.

  All too soon they arrived back at base, despite it being almost ten o’clock in the evening. By far, this was the best day Bill had had in a long time. He didn’t want it to end but recognized it had to.

  Exiting the station, duffel slung over his shoulder, Bill asked Meri if he could meet up with her for breakfast.

  “Unfortunately, I’m meeting my dad for brunch, and then we’re spending the day together. How about Monday, though? We could meet up before the orientation.”

  Bill couldn’t quite hide his disappointment, which drew a slight smile from Meri.

  “Sure, that’ll work. Say about seven at the cafeteria?” Bill said.

  “It’s a date.”

  Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she turned and walked away. He didn’t remember the walk back to his cabin, but soon he was on the porch fumbling for his card to unlock the door.

  9

  Monday couldn’t come quick enough for Bill, and by 6:45 he was already waiting for Meri outside the cafeteria. Any memory of Jessica was not only fading fast but was being obliterated by the red-headed beauty that had entered Bill’s life. Even though it was early in the morning, it was quite warm, being the third week of August and still the height of summer. Bill figured it probably wouldn’t start to cool off until mid-September. He couldn’t wait for the cooler weather, but he had finally started acclimating to the climate. Luckily, he had finally built up a base tan strong enough to wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts all day, which was how he was currently dressed. He had also gotten smart and had bought a small case to carry his tablet in. The case had a shoulder strap and was currently hanging off his right shoulder.

  Bill spotted Meri from several blocks away. She had a nice walk, he observed. Like him, she was dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Instead of wearing sneakers, as he was, she was wearing ankle-high hiking boots.

  Finally, she was before him. “Hi. I’m famished. How about you?” she said, immediately heading toward the entrance. She was inside before Bill could get the door for her.

  They got their food, took a table, and began eating, chatting between bites. Just as Bill took a bite of food he heard a voice over his shoulder. “Got room for two more?”

  Bill looked up and indicated that Matt and Nicole should join them. The two sat down and Matt extended his hand toward Meri.

  “Hi. I’m Matt, Bill’s roommate. This is Nicole.”

  Meri and Nicole shook hands and exchanged greetings.

  “So, this is what you were up to Saturday?” Matt asked Bill. “I thought you had gone fishing.”

  “We did,” Meri said. “I heard you were a bit ‘under the weather’ that day,” she finished with a hint of a smile on her lips.

  Nicole nudged Matt in the ribs with her elbow. “Oooh, she got you on that one, sport.”

  The talk after that was light, especially since they had to finish and be at the auditorium soon. Neither Thep nor Jordan joined them, and Bill didn’t even notice.

  Shortly before eight o’clock the foursome entered the auditorium and took seats near the front. The room filled up fast. Precisely at eight o’clock, Commandant Lewis stepped out onto the stage and walked to the center of it. His hair wasn’t quite as shaggy as the first time Bill saw him at the initial orientation. It only took a couple of seconds before the room was quiet.

  “Good morn
ing,” Lewis said. “Today begins the fun. Not that I’m sure you didn’t have fun with BMT,” he added with a chuckle. The audience also chuckled, but moans could also be heard. “But this’ll be a lot more fun, mainly because it’s the reason you’re here.

  “So, today’s going to be a bit like the first day of BMT training, in that you’ll get a little more orientation and then equipment issue. After today, you’ll look like Explorers, but don’t think you are. That only happens when you finally go through the gate onto a planet that the Corp will be actively exploring.

  “All of you have had sufficient training and education in the position you were recruited for. But, we do things a bit different here. So, after equipment issue, you’ll report to your assigned sections and undergo a more thorough evaluation. Consider this diagnostic in nature. There’s no right, wrong, or perfect scores. Our goal is to determine how much you really know about the jobs we’ve brought you in for. After we determine the extent of your knowledge, we’ll fine-tune it and bring it up to our standards. Depending on your specialty, that could be anywhere from a day to several weeks or even a couple of months. Mostly, that’s up to you, but we want you up to speed as soon as possible.”

  “Equipment issue and haircuts will be done alphabetically,” he continued. “Once you’re dismissed from here, you’ll report to an Explorer outside who will be standing with a sign with letters on it. You go to the Explorer who’s holding the sign with the first letter of your last name.

  “As I told you eight weeks ago, you’re entering what will probably be the most exciting stage of your life. It’ll also probably be the most dangerous. Toward that end, and because we’ll be investing a lot of time and money in you, we want you to succeed. To do that, you have to try. No half-assed attempts, so try to do things right the first time.

  “Once you’ve gotten your hair cut and been issued your gear, you’ll be told how to assemble it and what all you need to have with you at all times. And I mean, at all times!” he emphasized. “You’ll be given a master list of gear that you should always have with you, and occasionally you’ll be required to have something in addition to what you’ll normally carry. If you’re caught without what’s required, your pay will be docked. We take having the right equipment seriously in the Corps.

  “The whole kit and kaboodle will belong to you. That means if you lose anything, you’ll have to replace it because you can’t operate fully without all the stuff you’re required to have. Is that understood?” he asked the crowd, looking around.

  Satisfied that just about everyone nodded their agreement, he continued, “Once you’ve been instructed on the wearing of the uniform and equipment, you head back to your quarters, change into a uniform, and don the appropriate equipment. You can then go to lunch. You’ll get an email shortly telling you exactly what equipment you’ll need and where to report to after lunch.

  “Any questions?” Lewis asked. There were none.

  Lewis pulled out a remote control and turned the projector on. The image of the Corps of Discovery came alive on the screen behind him.

  “First, a little history,” he said. “About forty years ago, Timothy Bowman, who had a PhD in physics, discovered the process that allowed him to open portals to parallel worlds.” An image of Bowman appeared on the screen.

  “Knowing a bit about history, particularly what happened when Europeans invaded the Americas during the Age of Exploration, which led to the death of millions through the introduction of diseases, he decided to keep his discovery a secret until he could ensure that no mass extinction or dying off would take place. To that end, he founded the Corps of Discovery. Our primary objective is to survey new parallel planets to ensure that no other humans or hominids exist there before opening them to settlement. That is our number one priority!” Lewis emphasized. “Anything beyond that is just pure gravy.

  “The Corps currently consists of four branches; Aviation, Ground, Logistics, and Training.” The screen changed to show the four branches listed. “As you’ve probably guessed based on your acceptance letters, most of you will initially be in either Aviation or Ground. Logistics and Training are pretty much reserved to those who have been there and done that.”

  The screen changed to show four aircraft, which Bill identified as a high-altitude survey plane, a twin-engine seaplane, and two twin-engine cargo planes. “Aviation is not only responsible for our initial surveys, but it also works closely with Logistics to keep Ground supplied. We operate four main aircraft.” Lewis clicked the remote. An enlarged image of the survey plane appeared. It had long narrow wings and a Plexiglas bubble on the top of the fuselage.

  “This is the S1, ‘S’ standing for ‘Survey’. We call it the Monarch. It’s designed to travel around the world non-stop and can support a crew of four for three weeks. It manages this by using a hybrid system of biofuel and solar energy. Note the long wings—that allows for greater altitude possibilities while also housing the solar panels. The Plexiglas bubble is for taking sun and star shootings for navigation. You’ll also notice that it has four engines. Two of those are electric and tied into the solar panels, and two are regular aviation gas.”

  An interior image of the S1 appeared on the screen. “Here you can see the working arrangement—pilots up front, aerial survey specialists behind them. The specialists operate a variety of remote sensing platforms to identify possible sites of human or hominid settlement. No other surveys take place until the initial surveys using one of these fine crafts are complete and no sign of human or hominid habitation is identified.

  “We’re quite proud of the S1, as it’s a homegrown aircraft, designed for our special needs and built exclusively on Hayek,” Lewis said with a smile. “As a matter of fact, all craft we use in the Corps are made on Hayek. We do this so we aren’t reliant on Earth or other planets to fulfill our needs.”

  The image changed again, this time showing a seaplane.

  “This is a Bombardier CL-415. Originally made in Canada on Earth for fighting wildfires, we obtained the license and manufacture our own version here. We use this craft mainly for logistics purposes and in low-level maritime and terrestrial aerial surveys and mapping. We’ve specially modified them to extend their range to 3,000 nautical miles. That may sound like a lot, but considering how big the planet is, it really isn’t.”

  The third craft to appear was the twin-engine cargo plane. “Considering where we operate, we selected the C-123, also known as the Provider, as our main initial ground support craft. Now, if you thought the 415 was old, this puppy’s got it beat. While the design might be over a half-century old, it’s still a great plane, hence our reason for choosing it. Like the others, we build the Provider here. We use the Provider to get supplies close to the Ground teams, hence the term ‘initial ground support.’ It’s a multi-step process. Logistics identifies where to develop airfields, Aviation flies in and parachutes the crew in that’ll build the field, and then the necessary construction equipment is brought in using a low-altitude parachute extraction system.” Lewis used his laser pointer to show an image of a Provider using the method, barely a couple of meters above the ground, with a parachute pulling what looked like a bulldozer out of the back of the plane. “After everything’s on the ground, Logistics builds the airfield.

  “Then, Aviation brings in more fuel and supplies, and then the final craft, the deHavilland Caribou, or DHC-4 is brought in.” An image of the twin-engine cargo craft appeared on the screen. Much like the venerable Provider, the Caribou sported high wings and a tail end that slanted up toward a high tail to allow for the rear-opening cargo door.

  The image changed to show the Caribou and Provider side by side. The Provider was the much larger of the two.

  “The Caribou, much like the CL-415, provides low-level aerial surveys and close logistics support for Ground teams. As you can see, it’s a bit smaller than its bigger brother, which means it carries less than the Provider and has a much shorter range than either the Provider or the C
L-415. Its one major advantage is that it can operate from much shorter fields. Both it and the Provider have short take-off and landing capabilities, but the Caribou’s is shorter, therefore better for our operations.

  “We use the three types of cargo craft because each serves a different purpose. Some teams are better served from waterborne operations, while others require support further inland. Each plane has its own operational demands, so we use the craft to their best capabilities.

  “For those of you wondering why we use the older planes, rather than newer ones like the Osprey, the answer is because we can control the manufacturing here on Hayek, and the newer birds require a lot more infrastructure to build and maintain than the older birds. If we don’t have control over all aspects of a craft, and it takes a lot to maintain, we don’t use it.

  “Each and every one of you will ride in some of these four planes several times during your career, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them and their crews. After all, they’ll be the ones bringing you your food and toilet paper when you’re way the hell and gone,” he said with a smile. The last statement elicited light laughter.

  “Ground survey is where most of you will wind up,” Lewis continued, as the image on the screen changed from the airplanes to a group of photos showing Explorers walking, riding horses, or riding in Jeeps. All the Explorers shown were holding rifles.

  “This is where most of the excitement, and danger, exists. Although, you’ll find that danger is pretty much in every aspect of our job. The role of Ground is to get feet on the ground, look around, and see what exists. Initial ground surveys are by foot and horseback. Only if no humans or hominids are identified do we bring in the Jeeps for more detailed surveys. If we do find humans or hominids, we pull back and halt all exploration of the planet, and then quarantine the planet to settlement.

  “If you don’t already know how to saddle, care for, and ride a horse, this’ll be quite the learning experience for you. It’s also the most physically demanding branch, so don’t think it’s a walk in the park—it’s not.”