A.I. Destiny 5 Talisman of Tomorrow

by Timothy Ellis

  Jamie flew through the debris, for a moment freaking himself out as metal on metal noises came from the rotors above him, and threw his craft in and out of the melee which resulted. Several heli-craft collided and fell out of formation to the ground, while most pulled completely out of formation. Others abandoned their bombing and missile runs. Jamie pulled through the formation, and sailed out of the other side. He swept around to return, and painted the nearest copter with a missile lock, and fired. He repeated it as fast as he could, and two other copters exploded in balls of fire seconds after each other.

  Dodgers, not to be left out, opened the cockpit window, and against the immediate blast of wind, took pot-shots at craft wheeling by, with no luck, but enormous satisfaction.

  Jamie found a craft behind him on his tail, trying to get a lock. He flung his copter this way and that, but the other craft stayed with him. The missile fired, and Jamie felt the fear of being hit. At the last moment, he jinked around another copter, which came between him and his pursuer, and took the missile. Jamie's copter was flung forwards by the blast, and damaged by flying debris, however, it still flew, and Jamie said a quick prayer of thanks.

  Heli-craft were still dropping bombs, and launching missiles at the town. Jamie was still fighting, even though he'd run out of missiles, with Dodgers still firing, despite the extreme cold of the wind, and Jamie challenging other craft by running them off their runs, but their luck finally ran out. Debris from colliding copters hit their tail rotor, and immediately their heli-craft went into a spin. Jamie immediately took the copter down, though with little control.

  Dodgers struggled to close the window, and braced herself as the copter plummeted down. Coming in sideways, the copter crashed through the tops of some trees, breaking its fall, but pulling the main rotor away from the fuselage, spinning off to crash into a field outside of the town. Their fuselage crashed through the flimsy wall of a barn into a hay stack. As the cockpit window smashed, Jamie leaned over and hugged Dodgers to him, and they were both thrown through, into the hay. The body of the craft continued through the opposite wall of the barn, and crashed into the field beyond, bursting into flames.

  Jamie's suit cushioned his fall, and enveloped Dodgers as well. The stack was still like crashing into a brick wall at the velocity they did, but Jamie was able to recover quickly. Still clutching Dodgers to him, he smelled smoke, and realised the barn had caught fire. Struggling in the hay, he carried her in his arms as he bounced more than made his way down the haystack to the ground. He staggered out of the barn, and collapsed as far as he could go away from it, trying to put Dodgers down carefully.

  Dodgers coughed, and came to. Having also been protected by Jamie's suit, she wasn't seriously hurt, but would be as bruised as Jamie from the impact.

  "What happened?" she asked in a daze.

  "We crashed."

  "Oh. Yes. Right."

  The barn went up in flames, reflecting flickering red, orange, and yellow on their faces. They sat still in shock.

  "There goes your escape route," said Dodgers after a while.

  Jamie contemplated the barn, now with billowing smoke, and the roof collapsing on the burning hay in a fiery display.

  "Aye."

  "How did we…err…survive?"

  "My suit can extend to two people at a pinch. Or beings. Even then, we'll both be sore and bruised for a wee while. Lucky we didn't break anything."

  Jamie and Dodgers staggered to their feet, testing limbs to be sure the last statement was true. Dodgers was a bit unsteady, and waddled a few metres to get things working again. She flapped her good wing experimentally, and found everything working.

  "What do we do now?" Dodgers waved an arm at the chaos around them. "We're bound to attract attention."

  "Beings'll be busy in the town for the time being. Maybe we just walk away?"

  "Which way?" Dodgers looked around him.

  Jamie pulled out the map out of his backpack, and checked it.

  "This way," he pointed, more confidently than he felt.

  They made their way slowly across the field, and through the trees the copter had clipped on their way in. Coming to a track, they followed this for some time, until Jamie could hear a truck changing gears and coming towards them. Jamie un-holstered both guns. If there were troops, he wasn't going to be taken again.

  The truck came closer, and was revealed to be an old farm truck, driven by a hog farmer. They stood in the road, and the truck stopped. At the driver's door, Jamie waved one gun, and the driver reluctantly climbed down out of the cab.

  "Sorry about this. Can't be helped. Hope the barn…" he looked back where they'd come. "Never mind."

  Dodgers had already hopped in the passenger side, and Jamie climbed up into the cab. He tried to get the truck going, but didn't know much about how to drive it. He finally got it into gear forward, but the controls were a bit of a mystery to him, and designed for three hands. The steering wheel was obvious, but the mechanical controls took a bit of playing with to work out. Dodgers gave him some quick lessons, a third hand, and they were sort of off.

  Meanwhile the farmer was stoically walking towards his burning barn, scratching and shaking his head at the same time.

  "Having fun?" Jamie asked Dodgers.

  "Travelling with you is a barrel of laughs," commented Dodgers wryly.

  "I aim to please," said Jamie, laughing.

  Dodgers looked at him as if he was totally crazy, which he was. She laughed as well, and they headed towards Main Lake.

  Thirty Five

  Changing transport several times, not bothering with hitch-hiking as Jamie was so easy to spot, and if the military had put out bulletins to the police, would soon be noticed; they stole another truck, then changed to a car, and even a wagon at one stage.

  So far, they'd been lucky. Jamie had stayed as hidden as possible, and Dodgers did most of the purchasing of food and accommodation. Jamie had long since run out of tors, and Dodgers was covering costs, Jamie swearing he would pay her back as soon as he could.

  Jamie didn't know why Dodgers had stayed with him for so long. He'd asked her, and Dodgers had just shrugged her shoulders, and said flippantly she 'liked to live dangerously'. Jamie thought the two of them made a good team. Dodgers was great company, if a bit crazy, but he was sure she thought the same about him.

  They'd reached a small town, not far from Main Lake. Travelling and sleeping in a truck, Jamie was looking forward to a bed of some sort.

  Abandoning the truck in a car park on the edge of town, they made their way in on foot. The town didn't seem to be touched by black duck attacks, and was peaceful in the early morning. Jamie wanted to get accommodation, before most beings were up, so he would be out of sight, and not attracting attention.

  They found a small place with only a couple of rooms, and the hog landlady was a bit surprised at the human, but was more interested in renting her room. The beds were as usual, a bit small for Jamie, but he made do, curling himself up and falling asleep almost immediately. Dodgers sighed. Obviously, she was taking on the first watch.

  Later, after a sleep, Dodgers went out foraging for some food to bring back. While there hadn't been any problems so far, and she thought there weren't widespread bulletins out for their arrest, they were still playing it safe, and the least beings who saw Jamie the better. She also spent some time in a pub, listening in to the news, and any interesting tit-bits about this town. There was some talk of the black ducks, who'd sent ground troops into the counties further north, but they weren't operating in this area, yet. The black ducks seemed to be winning territory, despite resistance by government forces. And no news about a crazed human, and his duck companion.

  Returning to the lodging house, she brought food for Jamie, and the gossip she'd heard at the pub.

  "Nothing about us, which is good."

  Jamie nodded, his mouth full of meat pie. He finished chewing and swallowed.

  "Thank the almighty the hogs also eat meat.
I never want to eat green stew ever again."

  Dodgers looked at him in askance.

  "Perfectly well-balanced meal, that stew," she commented. "Full of vitamins and minerals."

  They both laughed.

  They slept again, taking turns, and then at night, went out to find transport to get them to the Main Lake. While Jamie was not happy stealing vehicles, it seemed the only way. He made sure Dodgers left some tors with the vehicles, and left them somewhere they could be recovered easily.

  For once, it was a clear night, no rain, and no clouds. The stars were out, and Jamie was trying to find familiar patterns. Of course, he couldn't, but it gave him a way of thinking about being out there amongst the stars, and on his way to Anna.

  There was a small van, which had been left open, so there was no need to damage it, and the key was in the small compartment in the dashboard. Lucky for them, someone was so trusting, or stupid.

  They set off on the road to Main Lake.

  The news about the black ducks was not good, but not bad either. Forces would be tied up with much more important things than an escaped alien, and his brown duck companion. The fact the black ducks were winning was disturbing though. Jamie thought about Leftie. He hoped she was alright.

  Jamie asked Dodgers why the black ducks would bother taking over these Counties at all. Why not just attack the white swans directly? Dodgers explained again it was all about territory. The black ducks wanted to deny the white swan's access to this part of the country. They wanted to expand their territory to be seen to be more powerful. Jamie thought they were all crazy.

  "It's not about being logical," explained Dodgers with a sigh. "In our country, it's all about prestige and territory. The more you have, the better. The black ducks want the resources, but much more it's about expanding sway, and looking powerful to the white swans. The swans are doing the same thing. Eventually they'll both have it out, and meanwhile, there's chaos."

  "Wha' happens when one or the other wins?"

  Dodgers laughed.

  "Oh, that never happens. No-one beats the other decisively. This has been going on for ever."

  Jamie shook his head.

  "Ye're all crazy."

  Dodgers laughed again.

  "Says the human looking for some kind of strange Stone."

  Jamie smiled.

  "I give in. We're all crazy in our own ways."

  They travelled in companionable silence for a while, each with their own thoughts.

  The headlights picked out something in the middle of the road, and Jamie slowed. Seeing two vehicles had collided, and were blocking the road, they stopped, ready for a fight if this was an ambush.

  Dodgers got out to see what was happening, with Jamie behind the wheel in case they needed to drive on immediately. A car and a truck had collided head on in the road, with the car a crumpled wreck, and the truck less damaged, but stopped. There was a smell of fuel everywhere. The driver of the truck was sitting on the side of the road, dazed, but seemingly unhurt.

  Jamie could see this was not staged, and got out of the van to help. Dodgers was trying to see into the back of the car. There were bodies in the front, but they were so crushed, there was no hope of survival. The door was twisted shut, but through the broken window, he could see a hedgehog, bleeding and battered, but still alive.

  Jamie considered what to do. Emergency services might already be on the way, but maybe not. Jamie could try to call emergency services using his tablet, but Jamie and Dodgers couldn't be here when the ambulance or fire truck arrived. The passenger in the car might not be able to wait, but trying to get it out, might be worse for them than waiting for the experts.

  Jamie saw the back of the car was still largely intact. He gave Dodgers his tablet to call for help with, and ran back to the van, found a tire bar in amongst some tools, and a blanket. Hefting the bar and grabbing the blanket, he sped back to the scene.

  He carefully bashed in the back window, clearing the glass from the edges, and climbed as best as he could through, to access the back seat. The hedgehog was wearing a restraint, which was lucky, as it wasn't as hurt as it might otherwise have been. He found the clasp to release the restraint, checked for wounds, and put the blanket around the hedgehog. Should he try to lift it out?

  He could smell the fuel. One spark and the scene might burst into flames. He made a decision, carefully getting a grip on the hedgehog, and lifting it out of the back of the vehicle through the window. It was awkward, but the hedgehog was a small being, and the window quite large.

  He slid awkwardly off the back of the vehicle, and carried it away from the scene, out of any area where fuel may have leaked. As he did, there was a whoosh, and the car and truck were engulfed in flames. The truck must have contained something flammable, as it exploded in a fire ball. Jamie and Dodgers ducked, rocked backwards by the force of the explosion.

  Lit by the flames, Jamie laid the hedgehog at the side of the road, and Dodgers joined him. He checked for obvious wounds, but apart from scratches and some glass, it seemed alright.

  "Should we leave?" asked Dodgers nervously.

  Jamie thought hard. They couldn't just leave the hedgehog here like this, but emergency services would be here soon, and would ask questions. It was a stolen van. He ran over to the truck driver.

  "Are ye hurt?" he asked.

  The truck driver was dazed, but nodded he was alright. He was more shocked his truck had just burst into flames and exploded, and some strange looking alien was asking him if he was ok.

  Jamie got the truck driver to get up, and led him over to where the hedgehog was lying.

  "Will you be able to look after it?" he asked. "The emergency services will be here soon."

  The truck driver nodded, and sat down next to the hedgehog.

  Dodgers had found the first aid kit from Jamie's pack, and had wrapped some rough bandages around some of the worst of the bleeding. It was makeshift, but might do.

  They both got back into the van, and driving off the side of the road, and around the burning vehicles, made it to the other side, and kept going.

  "The truck driver will say there was a human at the scene," said Dodgers to Jamie. "We'd better get as far away as we can, as fast as we can."

  "No need to tell me," Jamie agreed, increasing their speed.

  Coming to the next small town at dawn, they passed through quickly. While making good time, Jamie needed to be kept out of sight, and swapping vehicles was a must, however, it wouldn't be wise to stop now. Outside of the town, coming through a forested area, they pulled the van into a track off the main road, and concealed from view, stopped and shared sentry duty with napping.

  As soon as it was dark, they made their way to the lake, and found the road wound its way along the shore's edge. It was eerily beautiful in the light of the moon and stars, and stretched out into the distance, with no opposite shoreline in sight. Following the road, they came to a small village. A pub was still open, and with Jamie staying with the van, Dodgers went in to get the news, and some food.

  Dodgers soon returned, and jumped into the cab with Jamie.

  "No news about you, or the accident, at least," she reported. "Everyone's worrying about the black ducks, and what it will mean for them. A war with the white swans will involve this whole area. No-one's too happy, lots of conjecture, but no conclusions. No-one seemed to know about Patchet, though."

  Jamie munched on some nut-bread and roasted vegetables, in a container.

  "Best to just head off, and hope for the best," suggested Jamie.

  Dodgers nodded, and after the meal, Dodgers filled up with fuel, and they set off.

  The road wound precariously around the edge of the lake, narrowing to a single lane at times, and becoming boggy, pot-holed, and water-logged. They made cautious progress. It was slow, but at least there wasn't much traffic. The headlights disappeared in the darkness, rain sleeting in the light, and the frequent bends made it difficult going.

  Finally, t
hey came to another tiny village. There were a few buildings scattered around a larger building, which was darkened and shut, but was obviously the pub.

  Jamie pulled over.

  "Is this the one?" asked Dodgers, staring at the map.

  "Dinna ken," replied Jamie. "But we can start asking around for Patchet. We'll ha' tae wait till it opens, and talk tae the owner."

  They parked across from the pub, at a lookout over the lake, and waited for dawn. Jamie got out, and took in the sun rise. It was breath-taking, with the mist rising and drifting over the lake, the water birds calling, and the colours of the sunrise bleeding across the sky. Jamie thought it was like the Scots Homeworld, and for the first time for a long time, felt homesick.

  Not expecting the pub to open for a while, Jamie and Dodgers debated what to do.

  "We should hide out somewhere 'til later," suggested Dodgers. "Or at least hide the van. It's too noticeable here."

  They got back in, and headed up the track. A while on, coming to a clearing at the side of the track, they parked the van behind some trees and bushes, out of sight from the track, deciding to have a sleep in the van, and then walk back to the pub.

  The sun was well up when they trekked back through the mud and mush of the track. The pub was open, with some clientele already making themselves at home, for a midday meal and a drink. Beyond the viewing area, tied to a rickety old dock, a large ramshackle boat bobbed on the water of the lake.

  Jamie felt a shiver run through him.

  They went in.

  Their eyes adjusted to the poorer light inside, and Jamie looked around.