The House on Infinity Loop

by Bonnie K T Dillabough

  She and Burt continued to circle, their quarterstaffs falling into a rhythm of clacks and taps. Around them they could feel the pace increase, taps coming closer and closer together. Suddenly Jenny saw Burt's gaze shift just the smallest degree to his right. She prepared to block his blow in that direction, but instead, he reversed, ducking below her block and sweeping his staff along the floor from the other direction. Jenny over-balanced and slapped the floor, Burt's staff poised over her bottom. "Tap!" he said triumphantly, tapping her bottom lightly.

  Jenny was relieved to see she wasn't the only one sent to sit on the bench at the side of the mat. Mynn, Nona and Brendan were all sitting there watching the melee intently. "You need to watch Lyra," Brendan said morosely. "She's so cute with that blonde curly hair and those dimples, but she gives no quarter, and she has some pretty slick moves."

  Lyra had moved to help Bob against Arvid. Arvid was smiling wickedly, but between Bob and Lyra, they were keeping him on his toes. Gariel was lightning fast, but both Aliki and Tarafau were experienced with the staff and they worked well together, doing their best to keep him off balance.

  Burt joined Gariel and on it went. By the time the contest was over they had recombined several times, but in the end, it came down to Tarafau and Arvid. Jenny knew the competition between Arvid and Tarafau was a long-standing one. She was rooting for Tarafau. Now the quarterstaffs whirled at blinding speed, nothing to indicate they were even there except when they made contact with rapid clacks back and forth. Both of them were focused entirely on one another, not even seeming to blink.

  When Arvid finally tapped Tarafau, not all that lightly on his calf, with a similar sweeping motion to what Burt had made to topple Jenny, Tarafau just shook his head. "Someday," he said wryly. They shook hands and the group applauded.

  "OK," Arvid said, clapping his hands together, "shower and get yourselves a snack. Lova will call each of you as she is ready for you."

  When Lova called Jenny, she handed her a number of packages. "This first aid kit is specialized to deal with medical issues you may encounter in the Amazon jungle. It includes insect repellent, a couple of epi pens, in case you react to something that bites you, a snake venom removal and antivenom serum kit, sunscreen, pain medications, salt tablets to prevent dehydration, an antimalarial drug, an antibiotic, and the usual things you would expect in a first aid kit, including a CPR mask. The MDPs make it possible for us to carry a much more extensive kit than if you had to pack in.

  There are several paracords, carabiners, a survival knife, a machete, rations for a week, fire-starters, flint and steel and a standard compass. I have included three changes of military grade camouflaged clothing with hats and weather gear in your size. You can use your usual hiking boots, as I remember they are very sturdy, and you've already broken them in. I also included some non-reflective sunglasses and some night goggles.

  Since you are first aid and survival certified, you are familiar with the uses of all of these. Instructions for any medications are included on their containers. Standard issue MDP contains many other survival supplies, such as a tent, wet weather poncho, rations, etc.

  Can you think of anything else you may need that you don't have?"

  "Do you have anything to make my gut stop churning? I'll be honest. I'm scared."

  Lova smiled. "Jenny, you are one of the bravest souls I've met. In the past few months, you have already dealt with more than most people ever deal with in their lives. You have taken on responsibilities that would be overwhelming for any mortal. I can't see the future, nor do I claim any prophetic gift, but based on what I have learned in the short time we have spent together, I believe that you will not only conquer every obstacle that lays before you, but you will lead us to ultimate victory."

  She stretched out both hands to Jenny and pulled her into a hug. "Just keep being you," she whispered into her ear. "That will be more than enough."

  Jenny let out the breath she had been holding. "Thank you, Lova. I'll do my best."

  "No one would expect more than that," Lova returned. "Now tell Bob to get in here. I'm almost done and it's time for everyone to settle down and get some sleep before tomorrow."

  Jenny relayed the message. The dining room and the lobby had nearly cleared out and the lodge was quiet, compared to the bustle of the past few days. Jenny headed up to her suite. Tarafau was waiting there.

  "All set?" he asked, handing her a cup of chamomile tea. "I thought you could use something to relax you. You've got a lot on your mind and that's normal the night before an operation like this. When you get into bed, do your breathing and combined with the chamomile, it should allow you to get a good night's sleep. An old soldier's wisdom says that you sleep every safe opportunity that presents itself. The next several days will be grueling and will tax you in ways you can't imagine, even with your experience in hiking outdoors."

  "Thanks, Tarafau," Jenny said, taking the tea and sipping. "The tea was a great idea. I'm pretty well set. Lova made sure I had everything I need, and I've got the entire team to back me up. I know this won't be easy and I know what we're about to do is very dangerous. But, if this must be done, I think we have the best possible team to make it happen."

  Tarafau nodded.

  "Oh, and did you know about this?" Jenny called Lizziebot from her MDP.

  "Hello, Tarafau," Lizziebot said, as she scanned the room.

  "What is this?" Tarafau was obviously startled.

  "Lizziebot, meet Tarafau…Tarafau, Lizziebot."

  The expression on Tarafau's face was both confused and somewhat sad.

  "I am not Lizzie, Tarafau. I am the AI that was in Jenny's tablet."

  "Is this a Bob project?" he said, finally. "I had no idea he had gotten this far. Does this mean Fidget is also functional?"

  "Bob got permission to download me into this latest robot form. I will be able to be a companion to Jenny and aid her more actively in her task. I hope this is not upsetting to you. I know you and Lizzie were very close. And yes, Fidget is also functional and ready to go."

  Tarafau looked at Jenny. "I won't pretend this isn't a little disconcerting, but I can see how this could be very useful. I look forward to learning more about this. But, for now, we need to get to bed. See you in the morning."

  "G'nite, old cat," Jenny said tenderly. "Rest well."

  The next morning all were in their places at the breakfast table. Cheerful greetings met her as she seated herself. She had dressed in the camos Lova had provided for the whole expedition. Looking up and down the table as she ate, she was happy to see the interaction between all of her team. From the time they had begun this task, she had seen them coming closer and closer. Not to say there weren't occasional disagreements, but all-in-all, they not only got along well, but the range of skills and temperaments were so complimentary that the diversity worked in their favor.

  After breakfast, they assembled at the gate. Gariel and the Troopers had already gone through. The field where their barracks had been was once again just a field. You wouldn't have known that just the night before it had contained 200 soldiers and their gear, except for the rectangular patches where the grasses had been compressed and yellowed slightly. In a day or so there would be no sign they had ever been there.

  Lova and Adelle were on hand to bid farewell to the Guardians and Lyra, Nona and Mynn were waiting patiently for the go ahead. "Protocol," Lyra said, "says we go through, two in front of you and one behind. Mynn will be the behind." And her eyes crinkled at the double entendre.

  Mynn rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. This kind of banter that went back and forth between her Guards was common. However, she had learned that when it was time to be serious, they had no problem being the professionals they had trained to be.

  As she came through the gateway, Juan nodded to her and waved her forward, out of the gate office. Inside the hacienda Luz was waiting dressed in her usual white with a colorful shawl knotted around her waist. She offered Jenny a warm hug and
a smile. "It is so good to see you again, Jenny. Your Troopers are assembled in front of the hacienda. We have worker trucks out front to transport them to the charter plane. You will go in the van with Juan. While you're waiting, may I offer you and your team some fruit punch?"

  She looked at Tarafau. "Well this is a treat! We seldom get to see you in your natural form."

  "Special dispensation, considering we are taking more than a few extra-dimensional beings in our entourage and there is almost no possibility that anyone besides the enemy will see me." Tarafau said, grinning. Luz gave him a big hug and turned back to her hostessing duties.

  Jenny accepted the cold fruit punch gratefully. For some reason her mouth was decidedly dry. The rest of the team was through the gate just as Jenny finished her punch. "Let's move out," Juan said to the group. "We've still got a long way to go and the timing on this is very particular due to government patrols."

  Luz walked Jenny to the van and before she climbed in, Luz grabbed her for a quick hug. "When this is all done," she said, her dark eyes looking deep into her blue ones, "You must come and just relax here with Juan and me for a while. I have a feeling you and I will be good friends."

  Jenny enjoyed the ride down the mountain, listening to the birds calling here and there and taking in the colorful blooms that abounded along the narrow road from the hacienda to the main road. As usual, Juan sped around the curves in a way that made Jenny glad for her seat belt. They soon turned off of the road that wound around the coastline onto a road heading to the sea.

  A large, old passenger airplane with no logo or markings sat on the tarmac of the tiny private airstrip surrounded with jungle foliage. Evidently the Troopers had already loaded.

  "The Alliance has purchased a number of properties over the years. This airstrip actually belongs to us as does the strip where we will be landing," said Juan. "Get on board. Brendan will be our pilot today and I will be his co-pilot. Aliki has consented to be our flight attendant, which should be interesting. It's about a five hour flight and the weather is favorable."

  On board the aircraft, Jenny took her seat toward the front of the cabin in what would have been first class. Behind her, she could see the Troopers row on row, faces bland, all dressed in camo. They didn't appear to be nervous, their faces indicating that there were a number of silent mindspeech conversations going on, sometimes resulting in soft chuckles.

  The interior of the plane was not as shabby as she had expected, and she noticed that it was cleaner than most commercial planes might have been. This plane was reserved for Alliance business and was not frequently used, but evidently Juan had taken as good care of it as he did his magnificent hacienda and grounds.

  Takeoff was routine. Bob was seated next to her and Tarafau across the aisle. She had expected conversations to be about the upcoming mission, but Bob chatted with her about the neighborhood. Evidently, he had been putting in regular appearances, chatting with neighbors, so it would appear that all was going normally.

  Tarafau asked about Cinder. It amused Jenny that his time as a cat was so entertaining for him. According to Bob, Cinder had been in the doggy hospital, having run in front of a car, but was recuperating and would be terrorizing the neighborhood again in no time. Miss Longtree was on the east coast, lecturing at several major universities on ethics. All in all, everything was quiet. There had been no sign of Sam or her minions. Ted was back working the garden, since the shields had been programmed to allow him into the backyard and all traces of the damage to the house and altercations in the back yard had been removed.

  Tarafau said he was glad they would have this respite, so Cinder could heal in time for his next attack. Jenny laughed at that.

  Bob went into much more detail about the additions he had made to Fidget and Lizzie.

  "They can both defend themselves, if necessary and they are constantly backed up in the Alliance cloud. Obviously, if I make a commercial version, those features will be left out. Their emotional response circuits are much improved. They can sense from body posture and facial expression the mood of those with whom they interact and respond accordingly. They have communications circuits that allow them to act like a cellphone. They can also document actions around them, similar to that surveillance equipment on your property.

  By the way, I didn't steal that from the Alliance. I have a similar system on my own property that has been in place for years."

  They went on like that throughout the flight. At one point, Aliki came around with lunch, serving them with a huge smile, acting like the maître d in a fancy restaurant, a towel draped over one arm. It was nothing special, however, sandwiches, fresh veggies, an apple and water, but it was filling and broke up the time.

  Brendan's voice came on the loudspeaker. "This is your captain speaking. We have just sighted the Brazilian coastline. We should arrive at our destination in about 20 minutes. There is no control tower and no air traffic, so we will be able to land quickly. Troopers will exit the aircraft first. Please go immediately to the tree line at the end of the runway and set up your transport craft and load in. Gariel has his orders and the units of the hovercraft caravan will begin into the jungle within 15 minutes of landing. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your tray tables and seatbacks in their original condition. Thank you for flying Alliance Air. Hope your flight was out of this world. G'day."

  Jenny grinned. Obviously, Brendan was enjoying his role as pilot for this venture.

  Aliki cleared up all the leftover trash from lunch and belted himself in for landing. Jenny could feel her heart speed up. This was it. Up until now it could have been any of a number of flights she had experienced, but now they were headed into the unknown. Few human beings beside the native population had ever penetrated as far into this jungle as they would be. And, if it had been a sight-seeing journey, that would have been concerning enough, but their destination and what they must do when they arrived loomed in her thoughts.

  Every single person in this venture was in serious danger from here on out and they looked to Jenny for leadership. Not really, she amended quickly. Gariel, Tarafau and Burt were in charge of the main force and the Troopers would follow their lead.

  The landing was smooth, the sea rushing by on one side and the jungle on the other of the long runway. Deplaning from the air conditioned aircraft, the heat and humidity hit her in the face like a blow. She noticed her face felt moist. Squinting against the sun, she saw the others moving quickly to just inside the edge of the jungle.

  The crystal blue sky and the deep greens of the jungle vegetation were a stark contrast to the bright white clouds scudding across the sky. All of this beauty, she thought and yet it hides one of the largest threats humankind had yet to face. And even as that occurred to her, another thought raced across her mind like one of the big white clouds. What if it wasn't? How many times in the past might her planet have been on the verge of annihilation without anyone on earth any the wiser?

  As she entered the jungle canopy the heat dropped only a few degrees. The insistent moisture that surrounded her was much like entering the steam room in Sanglarka. Not quite dense enough to blur her vision, but enough that she suddenly felt damp from head to foot. She was glad she had taken Brendan's advice and brought plenty of clean cotton socks as well as using the foot powder each of them had been provided. Foot rot was a common issue with rain forest expeditions. Fortunately, they wouldn't be trekking by foot for hours, yet.

  The hover transports had already been extracted from their MDPs and the Troopers were mostly all loaded into them. Gariel was in the leading craft with Burt in the next to last, along with Jenny, her Guards, Aliki, Tarafau, Brendan and Bob. A rear guard transport full of armed Troopers followed directly behind them.

  "The cars are programmed to follow the lead car, which Gariel is guiding via GPS," Burt explained to their group. "We'll mostly be able to sit back and enjoy the ride. I recommend you get some rest. When we leave the vehicles, we have a good four hours to trek in the hal
f light of the jungle canopy. We'll have to set up a camp when we get to our first camp site. We will be pushing very hard for the two days following on foot, at which time we will send out robot scouts to see what they can find. If we're lucky the final leg of the hiking part of the trip will take only another day, if we really push and there are no incidents to slow us down. At some point we may also find ourselves on the water. Your seats do recline a bit, if that will help."

  Despite her nervous energy and the heady experience of being in a real jungle for the first time in her life, Jenny obediently went into her breathing exercises and relaxed. If everyone survived and they succeeded, there would be time for sight-seeing later.

  She felt the slowing of the hover car through the haze of the nap she had not expected to be able to take. The snake of hover cars were coming to a stop.

  The Troopers immediately exited their cars and assembled themselves in a formation in the small clearing they had paused in. As soon as all had left the cars, they disappeared into the MDPs of those who were responsible for them. Jenny remembered that each of them had a small hover car in their MDP, if it became necessary for them to flee, but she doubted, considering the density of the trees ahead of them that they would be much use in the deeper parts of the jungle.

  Gariel had plotted their trek to avoid contact with any of the native inhabitants, so it wouldn't be "as the crow flies.” This jungle extended for thousands of miles in every direction and Jenny knew she would not be straying from the group, if she could help it. If it wasn't for the compass included in her emergency kit, she would have had not the slightest idea how to point in any particular direction due to the heavy jungle canopy which would block any attempt to find direction by the sky or landmarks. Each of them was equipped with a map, of course, but how much good that would do if one of them got truly lost and were on their own, she had no idea.

  She had gone through the required survival training course when she started with the hiking group a few years ago, but she'd never had to use more than the most basic parts of the training. She was hopeful she would be able to recall it, if the need arose.