“They are aliens, called Jellies,” Paul said. “They are real. They are vicious. They are more horrible than she describes.”
“Your speech is unusual,” Galen said and looked intently at Paul. “None of you three are from this habitat. I know how everyone speaks, everyone. I can tell a person from the men and women who are boxers in Tula to the university students in Penza and everywhere else in C Habitat. No one in the Woods speaks or looks as you three do. Your clothing is also unknown to me, and I trade in all manner of goods. You also are carrying weapons I have never seen before, and I know weapons. You three broke quarantine to come here from somewhere else in the Vanguard. Are you from the CPO or the Free Rangers?”
“Not the CPO,” Brinley replied. “The CPO is not doing anything about the Jellies. I was with the Free Rangers.”
“That does not surprise me. I have done some trading with the Free Rangers, but not for many many weeks now. Rumors about killings, and shutting the Free Rangers down. I assumed it was the CPO.”
“The CPO has caused many problems, but has done nothing about the Jellies,” Brinley said. She was starting to really trust Galen. He had a way about him that was engaging and relational.
“The CPO has always been one to make others do the hard work. Back in the Outbreak, when the quarantine was first established, they made dictates and then left the hard work up to the habitat people. I could tell you so many stories about those times. After the first people started dying, I was off by….”
“Galen, you hush up now. This girl has seen her family die, and she does not want to hear more of your stories. We need to help her,” Doris corrected, but not in a mean or angry way.
“Of course. You are right my love. My stories do not matter right now,” Galen replied. “How can we help?”
“We need horses to ride to Tula. If any of my family is alive, they would have fled there to find help,” Lyudmila stated.
“Of course you can each have a mount,” Doris said. “No charge or fee.”
Galen looked at her in mild surprise, but then nodded. “I will also give you travel foods. Do you know of why the rain has not come? In all my years, the rain has come every ten days. Today it should have been raining already. Could these rusalka, I mean alien Jellies, have stopped the rain?”
“I thought for sure it was to be rain day. After what happened yesterday I thought I was mixed up or lost a day somehow,” Lyudmila answered.
“Today is rain day, but no rain comes. Then we hear of monsters murdering people, but we have never heard of those monsters before. Then visitors from somewhere else come. Yes, this is an odd day,” Galen said.
“So we saddle up the horses, and these people head to Tula. It is only about two hours if the trails are not muddy, and since rain day has not come, mud should not be a problem. You can only cross the Woods River at Tula,” Doris said. Then she turned to Lyudmila. “You are up to a ride?”
“Yes. These people, however, said they do not know how to ride a Haflinger horse,” Lyudmila stated.
“They must know how to ride,” Galen said. “Everyone knows how to ride a horse. Perhaps in the other places on the Vanguard they call their mounts by a different name?”
“No sir,” Gretchen replied. “Well, I mean, there are other names, I am sure, but I do not know how to ride any kind of animal. Nor does Paul. Now Brinley will probably be able to master it quickly, she is very gifted and a fast learner.”
“All my horses are broke to ride, and I have several which are as gentle as can be. Now I remember one horse, his name was Joker, and every time I got on his back it was a battle of wills. He was determined to throw me off and I had to teach him that I was the boss. One time there was this need to take a ride out to Penza, you see….”
“Galen, stop with the story. We need to help these people. This girl knows how to ride, but these outsiders, and no offense intended at all, need to have a crash course in riding,” Doris said. “So saddle up Daisy and Queenie. Those mares are old and well seasoned, but not doggers. They each could probably walk to Tula all on their own without any direction from you, but they will not buck you off. At least I doubt they will buck you off, they have not done that to anyone who has borrowed them for ever so long. As to the young mechanic gal, she can try Duke. He is a softie and will be easy enough on her as well.”
Paul was very pale as he heard the plan. “Can we just walk to this Tula place?”
“Well sure, you could walk there,” Galen said. “It will take you about three times as long, but you could walk there.”
“No!” Lyudmila said. “That horse of mine, Serko, he knew something about those Jellies. He avoided their weapons before they were fired. I will ride him. We also need to get there as soon as possible. I have wasted more than enough time on this when I should have ridden to Tula right away.”
“Brinley?” Larissa called from the multiceiver.
“Yes, Larissa,” Brinley answered.
“There is a problem. I cannot get the other transports to dock at that transport hub. The automacubes are not unloaded, and the transport for refugees is not docked either,” Larissa stated. “I have tried to override, but TSI-981 says there are obstacles and obstructions. Will you please head back and check out the problem? If we are going to get supplies to those people, and be ready to evacuate them, we need to unload the security automacubes and secure that transport hub.”
“I understand,” Brinley replied. “I will leave shortly; I just have a few things to do here.”
“Thank you,” Larissa replied and closed off the connection.
“Paul? Gretchen?” Brinley began. “To get the help here, I need to go back to the transport hub.”
“We heard. We will just go back with you,” Paul said. “That place is easily within walking distance.” Paul looked with relief at the horse which was tied to the front rail. “And no getting too close to some big beast. So we should leave now.”
“No Paul, we will not,” Gretchen interjected. “We are staying to help Lyudmila.”
“Larissa said…” Paul began.
“Paul, listen to me. Larissa needs Brinley to do engineering repairs. We cannot help much in that regard, as these hundred year old systems are antiques to us,” Gretchen asserted. “Lyudmila still needs support and help. We are staying here to help her, unless Brinley truly wants us to come with her. Brinley?”
“No. I can manage on my own. Sure, I like having Paulie along with me,” Brinley said and gave Paul a wink in good humor. She then turned to Galen. “How long will it take for you to prepare those horses for riding?”
“Not too long to saddle them up. Should I get started now?” Galen asked.
“Yes, go do that,” Doris said before anyone else could. “I will instruct these two in basic equestrianism.” When Paul and Gretchen looked at her with blank expressions she explained, “That means I will be giving you a crash course on how to ride a horse.”
“I do not like hearing the word crash when it involves me, especially since I came to the Vanguard,” Paul said. “Nor does crash and animal go together well in my mind.”
Galen laughed a bit and walked around and toward the corral.
“Thank you Doris. While you do that, I will be teaching Lyudmila something as well.” Brinley took Lyudmila aside and placed the L-ROD into her hands. “You will need some stopping power if the Jellies are threatening. Typical weapons are not very effective. This is the best weapon I can supply you. Let me give you a quick lesson on its use and operation. I will also show you how to use the fusion pack that powers it. I always carry two of those.”
Brinley and Lyudmila walked away as Brinley explained the new weapon.
Doris guided Paul and Gretchen around the side of the Trading Post and began carefully instructing them on horseback riding. She patiently explained, in detail what the equipment was, and how the horses would respond. She taught precisely and succinctly.
While she did that, Galen saddled up two horses which
looked very similar to the one Lyudmila had been leading. Each horse was chestnut colored with white mane, forelock and tail. Some of their legs were also white as was the blaze down their noses. These horses had their mane hair woven into a pattern which looked like diamonds or some kind of handicraft. As Galen expertly placed the saddles on the horses, Paul saw that their tail hair was also braided together making the tail look solid and like one piece.
“Larissa would like those braids in the horse’s hair,” Gretchen commented.
“Great, horses with hair like Larissa. Will they have her temperament as well?” Paul asked.
“You two need to listen to me. Queenie and Daisy are good mounts, but they are still horses. Queenie also like to rub her sides on trees, and if your leg is in the way, well, that can be painful. Just steer her head away, and she will not give you any troubles.”
“I notice their backs are curved differently than the horse Lyudmila has,” Gretchen stated.
“I said they were old mares, so yes, they have a bit of a swayback, but you are not taking them all the way to Penza in a run, are you?” Doris asked. “I can tell Galen to saddle up Rocket and Gizmo instead.” She pointed to two other horses that had been running around the corral without stopping ever since Galen had entered.
Paul’s face fell as he watched those other horses kick up their heels, prance, and leap about.
“These will be fine. Thank you for the lessons,” Gretchen said.
Doris questioned them again and reviewed all she had taught them. She gently corrected and elaborated and explained again.
“I think that is the best I can do until you get on horseback,” Doris stated. “Much riding is intuitive and there is a relationship between horse and rider that comes from the contact and time you share.”
Wump. Wump.
“Paulie, I am just having Lyudmila take some practice shots. Nothing to panic about,” Brinley’s voice came through the multiceiver. “She is already a good shot with typical rifles, so this is coming naturally.”
“This is all unnatural to me,” Paul replied. “I am even about to get on one of these giant beasts.”
Galen led the two horses, Queenie and Daisy to where Doris was standing with Paul and Gretchen. “I will now go and place a saddle on that fine horse Lyudmila brought here. He looks to be from the Constable’s herd, a fine mount. That young woman gal needs a real saddle for the next ride.”
Even though Galen was elderly, he was strong enough to carry the saddle over his shoulder and around the building. He had the horse’s saddle blanket, a quarter sheet, rolled under his arm.
“I have known Galen since we were in elementary school. There were fifteen of us in that class, and he told me back then he was going to marry me. That was before the Outbreak,” Doris said. “When the Outbreak happened, Galen went to work on the crews that sealed up the habitat. I helped with the duties of those who buried the dead and sterilized the places where the Outbreak had been found. Of the fifteen children in our class, nine died. When Galen got back, we did marry and came out here to start our Trading Post. He is a good man, and we are happy to help you all.”
Paul and Gretchen could see the dedication and love between the elderly couple.
Brinley and Lyudmila walked back from where they had been practicing.
“I have given Lyudmila the L-ROD and my backup fusion pack. She can use it for observation or long range strikes at the jellies,” Brinley stated. “I should be leaving to get back to the transport and fix whatever is preventing the vehicles from docking.”
“What if it is the Jellies?” Paul asked. “Or the androids?”
Brinley patted the holster on her belt. “I still have my tools, a fusion pack, and one of the Dome 17 pistols, so I am not helpless. If there is a serious problem there, I will hurry back this way. Thanks for worrying about me Paulie! Before I go, we should use the medical kit to make all these people immune to the Outbreak.”
“Immune?” Galen asked in surprise. “Is that possible?”
“Yes, we are already immune, and it only takes a moment or two,” Gretchen then explained the process of using the medical kit.
Doris and Galen exchanged dubious glances, and finally Doris said, “I am willing to try, so long as there are not any side effects. What is your fee?”
“No fee or cost,” Gretchen answered.
“Well then give me a bunch of them and I will sell them to people as they come here for trade,” Galen laughed a bit.
“They have to be customized to each person,” Gretchen replied.
Gretchen connected her up to the medical kit which dispensed a small tablet. Doris took that. The process was repeated for Galen and for Lyudmila.
“So now I am immune. I do not feel any different,” Galen chuckled. “You have a good pitch, I will give you that.” He winked at Gretchen. “But if you are going to run a made up clinic, you need to charge for your services.”
“It is not a scam or a trick,” Paul said indignantly. “This really works.”
“Sure it does. No doubt about it at all,” Galen said in mock sincerity.
Brinley headed out following the way they had come. She activated the multiceiver and was speaking on a private channel to Larissa as she walked.
“I am leaving for Tula,” Lyudmila said. “Thank you Galen and Doris for your generosity. I will repay you.”
“Do not concern yourself with payments; I am immune to the Outbreak now anyway!” Galen said. “Honestly though, please find out what is happening and send word. Never before in my life has rain day failed to come. I truly am not sure what will happen.”
Lyudmila placed her foot in the stirrup and threw her other leg over the back of Serko. He responded easily as she slipped into the saddle. She reined his head to the side and the horse walked over to where Doris was holding the reins for the other two horses.
“Are you two coming with me?” Lyudmila asked as she leaned back onto the cantle of the saddle. Her question was honest and innocent. “I can go on alone, if you do not want to help.”
Paul looked at the horse, and as he placed his foot in the stirrup and climbed on her said, “I really hate my life.” He took the reins from Doris and the horse, Queenie, walked around a bit wile Paul tried out the techniques for riding Doris had taught him.
Gretchen’s long legs made mounting the horse easier, but she missed the stirrup on the far side several times as she tried to slip her foot in. Galen made an adjustment to leathers on both sides and Gretchen’s legs fit better. “It was a guess on the needed length. I was pretty close. You are a tall woman. I like tall women.”
“Galen, do not flirt with someone who could be your granddaughter,” Doris said with a laugh.
“She is just jealous and wishes I would flirt with her more,” Galen said and gave Gretchen a happy wink. His voice then dropped and became much more serious. “Please find out what is happening. I have a bad feeling about all this. From the killings to the lack of rain day, this all feels like when the Outbreak was starting. Now is one of the few times I am glad to be an old man.”
Lyudmila took the lead, while Paul and Gretchen struggled to get their horses to follow. Finally, with some prodding, they began to walk after Lyudmila. They took a trail which led toward the center of the habitat. The trail was hard packed dirt and was fairly straight until they reached the end of the grasses and the beginning of the wooded area.
“There will not be some kind of animals dropping out of the trees will there?” Paul asked as he watched the trees.
“Many animals live in the trees,” Lyudmila answered. “Do not be so afraid. I have never had something drop down on me while I was walking or riding.”
“You have never had alien Jellies attack your habitat before either,” Paul remarked.
“That is true. Nonetheless, I doubt those Jellie things could climb into these trees,” Lyudmila answered.
The trees were a mixed lot. There were leaf bearing as well as needle bearing trees
. The foliage was not as densely packed as some of the forests Paul and Gretchen had seen, but neither was it as flat or level. Here the ground varied in elevation by about ten meters and the slopes were usually gradual. The hills were gentle and rolling. The trees grew straight upward. There were small trees growing in some areas, and in others the trees were very large and tall. There were a myriad of various tree types, sizes, colors, and shapes. The path began to wind along between the hills, and while that kept it more level than the ground around them, they could not see very far ahead.
Suddenly, Queenie, the horse Paul was riding, veered off the path. “Hey!” Paul yelled as he pulled on the reins and tried hard to get her back on the path. The horse walked right toward a thicket of trees, and Paul was forced to duck down as some low branches passed over his head. One smacked his head and scratched through his nearly white blond hair. “Youch! Come on Queenie! Go back with the others!”
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 148