“There is an outline of land ahead,” he announced.
Chris stepped to the rail and looked to the west. “Land? You can see it?”
“Six point two miles ahead according to my readings. If we hurry, we might make it before dark.”
Kira jumped into the water and yelled up, “What are you waiting for Mister Clark? We have a new land to explore.”
Al smiled, tapped Chris on the shoulder, and followed her example. Ever so slowly, the shoreline grew, changing as they got a better view. The stark contrast of the gray cliffs and the giant forest above them became a little more distinct each minute.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chris glimpsed a shadow moving below the water. Before he could give warning, a sea snake rose to the surface, growing in size until it equaled the length of the boat.
“We have a visitor!” yelled Chris.
Chris reached for the laser rifle and followed the dark sea creature with it, ready to shoot if it made any threatening moves.
Al yelled, “Back in the boat—quickly!”
It seemed more curious than hungry, and kept pace with the slowly moving floating thing, alternately going from one side to the other, as if trying to understand this new kind of animal in its water. Chris lowered the rope ladder, and the two swimmers climbed aboard.
“Should we kill it?” asked Chris.
Al’s answer was, “Let’s wait a minute and see what it does. It doesn’t seem to be aggressive.”
They watched the beast from the rail, as it slowly swam around the now motionless craft. “I believe it wants to know what we are,” said Kira.
Chris looked up at the falling sun. “We are wasting time. I think we should shoot it.”
The silence and lack of movement woke Falkor, who was sleeping until now. He quickly assessed what was going on, and knew if Al and Kira could not get back into the water to continue pulling the boat, their sea voyage would never end.
He disappeared as he took to the air, his scales changing to the blue of the sky. Then reappeared above the head of the creature in his natural bright green colors, screaming a battle cry heard for miles with his talons stretched out as he dived. The surprised water creature retreated, but the dragon continued his harassment until the surprised beast slipped under the surface and disappeared into the deep water. Falkor returned to the boat and took a post at the bow, daring it to show its face again.
Chris cried, “Way to go Falkor!”
“That is one smart lizard,” said Al.
“He is much smarter than we think,” declared Kira.
Al and Kira returned to the water. By sunset, they were pulling the Argo onto dry land.
****
They spent the first night on the mainland occupying the sand of a narrow beach. Above them towered the hundred foot cliffs seen in the Watcher video, with the even taller trees above them. It was too risky to attempt climbing in the dark, so they decided to wait until morning.
Al, while still enhanced, pulled the boat far enough out of the water that it would not float away and then powered down. They unloaded the supplies necessary to get them through the night, and set up a primitive camp. They lit a fire. Not a large fire, but a fire more intended for atmosphere. Al explained why while they sat around it too excited to sleep, and waited for the dawn. “It’s not camping without a fire,” he said.
“I can’t hear any noise other than the ocean,” complained Chris. “I wonder what it will be like once we get up the cliff and into those trees. As big as those trees are, there could be a whole new world up there.”
Kira was attempting to roast an energy bar, to see if it tasted better. She said, “I have read in your Earth books of such places. They are called…jungles? I saw creatures I could never have imagined. Strange and beautiful things that come in all shapes and sizes.”
“Those are tall trees,” Al pointed out. “The canopy will be way above us, and down below it should be easy walking. At least I hope so.”
Falkor interrupted them and brought something from the jungle above. He laid a small rodent resembling a squirrel, but bigger and red, at Al’s feet; proudly begging for recognition.
“I’ll bet you know a good way to cook this, Kira. Want to eat this instead of that energy bar?”
“I can smell it cooking already, Mister Clark. Please let me have it, and I will make dinner.”
It was a great meal, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Kira lay back on the beach, feeling the effects of a full stomach and swimming while tied to a boat. She quickly fell asleep. Chris got up to lay a blanket over her, and then sat back down. Now they could express their concerns without worrying Kira.
“How are we getting the equipment where we need to get it?” asked Chris
“We have to carry it. I guess. Can we make some sort of cart with what we have here?”
Chris laid his thumbnail on his lip, thinking while he looked around. “Yeah maybe. I don’t have anything to use for wheels. How about a platform on skids?”
There were four boxes they needed to get to the new site. Three were four-foot squares, but the fourth was a larger rectangle and contained the teleport window. All were fragile and required handling with care.
“Like a sled? Yeah, that would work. What could you use for the platform?”
Chris frowned, “I hate to suggest this, but we could cut a big hole in the deck of the boat.”
They realized the watercraft they had worked so hard on would not be returning from its maiden voyage, that its usefulness had ended upon their arrival. Argo would not be taking them back.
“How are you going to cut it?”
Chris smiled and drew his laser pistol from its holster. He said, “I’ll cut it with this. We each have one, so if this one dies, we’ll still be okay.”
The Argo’s journey was not long, but the little ship performed above expectation and given them safe passage. They needed a sturdy platform for the sled, but it seemed wrong to use it for salvage. Al decided to do it anyway, “That needs to be our first priority in the morning.”
Chris looked up at the dark cliffs and then to Al, “How do we get the gear up the cliff?”
“We lift it…I guess.”
“You’re using up your reserves. If you keep exerting yourself while you’re enhanced, you’ll run out. You remember what happened last time, right?”
Al remembered almost dying.
“Thanks for reminding me, Chris. I forgot all about that.”
He did not need reminding. The experience was unforgettable.
****
They started before first light, assigning tasks, and eating the day’s ration of energy bars in the dark before dawn. When it was light enough to see, Chris cut the platform from the deck while Al disassembled part of the railing to use as skids. With Kira’s help, they tied it all together using the all-purpose Paracord.
The grappling gun that Elizabeth had so wisely added to the box marked ‘Transporter’ was simple compared to the one they lost, this one having only fifty feet of line versus the one-hundred feet included with the lost device. If not for Al’s wife and daughter-in-law, getting up that cliff would have been almost impossible.
Al handed the grappler to Chris and asked, “Do you want to give it a try?”
“Happy to, Chief Clark,” said a grinning Chris.
“Do you see that ledge halfway up the cliff?”
“The little narrow one?”
“That’s the one. See if you can get the hooks to catch above that.”
Chris landed the arrow where he wanted on the first try, but when Al added his weight to it, the hooks did not catch, and it clattered back to the bottom.
“Three tries and then it’s my turn,” mocked Al.
His second attempt found the mark and ended with Al swinging from the line in recognition of a master grappler. “You really are good at that.”
“I keep trying to tell you. Maybe you should believe me now.”
Al just smiled.
They did not have an auto climbing device as before, so Al had to climb. A more traditional climbing rope, to replace the thin cord was not possible, so he was forced to wrap the line around his hands to pull himself up.
Al was on the ledge in five minutes, but the climb would be next to impossible for an ordinary person. To keep moving, he would have to pull them up to the cramped three foot wide and twelve-foot long rocky ledge. He knew time was their enemy, and it was running out. The day was passing quickly.
With Chris’ help, Kira put on a harness, and he hooked her to the line. She squealed only once, in delight, when she was standing next to Al and looking down. She yelled down, “Do not be afraid Chris, it is fun!”
“Amateurs. They are all alike,” said Chris.
The boxes came next, and one by one Chris hooked them to the line, allowing Al to haul them up. They placed the four-foot cubes out of the way to allow room to stand, leaving them precariously perched on the three-foot ledge. The larger box Al leaned against the cliff and put a stone under the bottom to make it lean towards the rock. Lastly, he pulled up the makeshift cart.
“Okay, Chris. Tie yourself on,” ordered Al.
“I can probably climb this without your help. It might take a little longer, but it would save you energy.”
“We are in a hurry, and I can’t have you all worn out when we get to the top. We have no idea what is up there.”
“Alright then. Since you put it that way, pull me up.”
For a few moments, they looked out over the ocean. From this height, it appeared always moving and never ending. Then Chris set up to take his next shot to the top, pointing the grappler almost vertically.
The noise made by the device caused Kira to slip, which resulted in her foot kicking one of the too close boxes. Al reached out and caught the girl, but the box bounced its way down the incline to the bottom.
Speechless for a few seconds, Chris finally asked, “Did we repack that box for travel?” asked Chris.
Al answered, “Yes, we did. I am sure of it.”
Kira was upset, and close to tears, “Did I break it? If we went through all this so that I would—.”
Al cut her off. “It will be okay Kira. I’ll go back and get it once we have you two and our stuff safely at the top. We packed the box tight, so there probably was no damage.”
At least that is what Al hoped. They were committed now and had no choice. The hooks of the grappler sent by Chris caught the first time and the only way to dislodge it would be to climb to the top and unhook it.
Falkor was waiting for him as he climbed over the edge, and kept an eye on the forest behind them. Al did not stop to check his surroundings, believing the dragon would watch his back. He was busy bringing up the rest of his party and the cargo. When they were all at the top, and the sun was at its highest, the four of them stopped to marvel at the view.
Under the forest, open ground greeted them, with giant pillars of red tree trunks reaching into the sky. A carpet of blueish green moss, with a sprinkling of tiny red flowers scattered here and there, rippled across the ground into the distance; leaving little space for other plants to take root. The land before them resembled a painted scene of beauty and tranquility.
The dark green canopy above allowed only minimal light to reach the ground, giving the scene before them a misty surreal appearance. Chirps, squeaks, and calls came from unknowable sources, and the activities of creatures in the branches high above came to their attention.
“I never thought a forest could look like this,” said Kira.
“Nor I,” answered Chris. “It reminds me of something from a fantasy book.”
Al smiled and brought them back to reality. “I like it a lot. We should make good time in this terrain, and it will help me with dragging the sled. Plus, we can see anything coming for a long way.”
Kira’s enthusiasm was obvious. She twirled around and asked, “Do you smell that? It makes me think of a room with a thousand flowers.”
“It’s almost too powerful. Maybe it will get better as we get further into the woods,” hoped Chris.
Al climbed back down to the ledge, and Chris tossed him the grappling hook. He re-secured the hook in the rocks, climbed down to the bottom, and tied the wayward cube to the end of the line. Then climbed again to the narrow ledge and hoisted it up. The process was tedious, time-consuming, and it was late in the afternoon before he finished. Retrieving the crate was something he had to do. The box was critical to their success.
With the sled repacked, and their gear stowed for departure, Al called the island to inform them of their arrival.
They were on the mainland and moving ahead into the fairytale jungle.
Chapter Sixteen
It was not planned or coordinated; the gathering happened without the need for organizing. Everyone on the island was waiting for news of the journey, and the leaders gathered to wait for word. The common area of the sleeping quarters was again crowded, and Robot Nine forced into duty as a waiter. It allowed him to participate in the discussions and assist the people he was designed to help. He did not complain.
Doctor Cody stood nearby listening to the captain and Edward having an involved discussion in one corner, while Ana and Kayla sat quietly talking in another. Elizabeth and Tammy waited for a call from their husbands. Al had promised his wife he would try to call every evening around sundown, and she was worried after the short, terse message they received after the storm.
Al’s friends gathered to wait for the call shortly before dusk. The signal was strongest at that time and being boosted by the outpost computer, so if the explorers were alive, they would call.
When the captain’s data pad lit up and began buzzing, it got everyone’s attention.
He put it on speaker and answered. “Captain here. How is it going Mister Clark?”
“We made it to land and scaled the cliff. I’m sending you a short video of our view.”
Other people turned on their pads and watched along with the captain. What they saw took their breath away, and they watched in awe. They saw what Al and his companions saw, and heard what they heard. Spellbound they watched until it stopped.
“Looks great. Any sign of trouble?” asked the captain.
“None so far, but we have a long way to go. We lost almost everything. Thank you, Liz and Tammy, you saved our butts by adding the emergency supplies in the transporter boxes. I can’t tell you how relieved we were when we opened that first crate.”
“You’re welcome,” they said together, a touch of smugness in their tone.
Elizabeth added, “We took into account how prone to trouble you are.”
“Now Liz, I don’t go looking for it. Most of the time it just happens. I’m sorry to cut this short, but we have to get going. I want to get as far into the forest as we can before we camp, and it’s already getting dark.”
“Will you call us again tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yes. You can count on it. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Al ended the call, and the captain’s radio went silent. The current leaders of Atlantis watched the video and listened to the mysterious sounds from across the ocean several times; discussing their first impressions of the new land. Afterward, they talked and made plans for a future that looked fulfilling, secure, and because of the brave travelers, possible.
****
That night the mountain spoke again. This time more violently than the last. Elizabeth was staying outside of town with Tammy in a hastily constructed hut built after the first eruption. She was keeping Tammy company and helping with her grandson, Thomas.
In the middle of the night, when people sleep their soundest, a lo
ud explosion caused the beds they slept in to jump, and lifted the small shelter, dropping it with one big resounding bang.
For four or five seconds there was silence. Then Thomas started crying, and the hut sighed as if exhaling. The spell broke, and time began again. Within minutes they were dressed and outside, both to get out of the creaking structure and to see the mountain.
From the peak flowed streams of glowing red and yellow lava, illuminating a column of gray smoke billowing from the crater at the top. It was a picture from any geographical publication on Earth showing an erupting volcano, and it made Thomas cry all the more.
“What do we do?” asked Tammy.
“You need to stay here with Thomas, and I need to see if they need help in town.”
“I should go with you. Thomas can stay with Miss Kringle next door.”
“All right, he does look like he is settling down. Maybe he should get more sleep.”
The boy had stopped crying, and wanted only to crawl back in bed, so they settled him in and rushed into town.
The streets outside the outpost were full with half-asleep people, watching the display above them and wondering what it meant. Elizabeth went straight inside the mountain outpost to see the captain. She knew he would be somewhere inside.
A couple of quick inquiries as she passed others trying to ask her questions, and she located him in the volcano control room. She did not stop to answer any of the questions. She had none to give.
Tiro was there explaining the eruption to him, gesturing with his thin alien arms, “I believe it is another pre-eruption. The pressures have dropped, and the prediction is unchanged. The mountain has given us another warning.”
The captain asked, “Was there any damage to the facility?”
“The outpost is anchored in solid rock, but there was some damage. I am making repairs now.”
“So we have more time before the big one?”
“I can make no guarantees, but the data supports that conclusion.”
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