Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  Emma nods, but says nothing as she is focused on examining the worms. After a few more seconds, she stands, looks at Henry, and says, “It is good to see you. What kind of a mess do we have here?”

  He tells her what he knows, then adds, “We need to come up with some sort of detection process.”

  She crouches down, peers at the slab of meat on the ground, and cautiously examines the holes in the animal’s fatty tissue. She stands, then frowns, “By living in the layer between the skin and the internal organs, these parasites could thrive for a long time.” She gazes at the charred hide and notices some deep scars. “It looks as though our buffalo felt itchy and rubbed its body against trees, or rocks.”

  Henry leans in to get a closer look at the scars, then turns to look at her. He thinks, damn, she’s good, but says, “You could be right.”

  Emma walks toward a group of workers nearby, and says, “If any of you ate that meat, you had better speak up, ‘cause if you don’t, you will die.”

  None of the men say anything. They seem more focused on what one of them is doing with his hands. Being curious, Emma moves to get a closer look, then stops in shock at the sight before her. A ten-legged spider is crawling from one of the man’s hands to the other, to get a piece of processed food.

  Emma gasps, and says, “That creature is not a pet! It’s dangerous!”

  The worker with the spider crawling on him says, “Oh shucks, this ‘ere is Spike, he’s our mascot.”

  “You can’t have a poisonous spider as a mascot.” Emma’s disdain is evident in her voice.

  “We found it in our room. Eating that processed meat right out a can, it was. Only thing in the universe that likes that stuff, I swear,” the man replies sheepishly.

  A few of the men chuckle. The variety of meals offered is diminishing, along with their food supplies. The colonists are far from starving, but meals have begun to get dull as time marches on.

  Emma puts her hands on her hips, “You will return that creature to the wild.”

  The man continues to let the spider crawl over him, “It’s not really dangerous, its spike is on its back, not in its mouth,” he says nonchalantly.

  She shakes her head in exasperation, “If you get poisoned by it, you only have yourselves to blame.”

  Henry cuts off anything else she may have been about to say, “Emma, we have bigger fish to fry right now.”

  She storms off, the workers’ stupidity bothers her greatly.

  Emma’s people work tirelessly with the medical teams, but to no avail. As Henry predicted, the ten men die, in addition to two more who thought they were okay. The deaths cause a ripple effect of panic. This is heightened by the installation of dozens of sonic devices along the canal’s edge facing the forest. It does not take long before the colonists begin pressing for answers.

  Chapter Nine - Seasons Come and Go

  It has been weeks since Emma’s trek around the lake, which has since been named, Lake Mystery. With no more wolf-cat sightings in the valley, and the discovery of a small pack living on the far side of the mountains, the fear of an attack has all but faded into obscurity. Cameras placed at the cave entrance feed live video straight to Emma’s team, just in case the wolf-cats venture back into the valley.

  George stands the edge of the canal examining his latest effort. He puts his hands on his hips, grins, then calls out to Emma, “What do you think?”

  Emma stares at the sonic devices that line the waterway, “How do they work?”

  “The cameras at the cave have motion sensors attached,” George says proudly. “Anything that comes through will set these off. They can also be remotely activated by your team.”

  She gazes up and down the canal, nodding in approval, “Sounds great.”

  “So, has anyone come up with a solution for the infested buffalo?” He asks.

  Emma nods, “Yes. The medical teams have succeeded in coming up with a safe detection method for those infested with worms.”

  “That’s a relief,” he replies.

  Emma says hesitantly, “Well, the process is easy, but time consuming.”

  “Go on,” George prompts.

  “Well, each one that we kill has to be visually inspected, and have a blood sample taken. Only after it’s passed both tests, will the animal be deemed fit to eat.”

  “Ah, is that why Cindy authorized Hawking’s first official butchery this morning?”

  Emma nods, “Yes, that way we have a specific team dedicated to checking each and every one.”

  George gazes across the canal into the woods, and says, “I have heard that there are quite a few objections to us farming them.”

  Emma nods again, and responds, “There were, but not so much anymore. Once I explained that this is no different than killing cows, the protests pretty much stopped.”

  “That’s good to hear,” he says, then adds, “Well, I have work to do. So unless you need me for something else, I am off.”

  Emma smiles, “George, thank you, I know you’re busy.”

  He motions across the canal, toward the sonic devices, “It had to be done.”

  George spends his next few days working with Patrick, and his nights on the Terran with Lisa. Her inability to adjust to New Earth’s environment, though disconcerting, does not worry him. He never had plans to stay in Hawking, and is looking forward to returning to Earth. His son Johnny, on the other hand, is thriving. The teenage boy is growing up fast, and spends most of his time with Robert. George and Lisa have discussed at length, their concerns for their son’s education. They have agreed that in the short term, the experience of being involved with Earth’s first space colony is invaluable. George, however, is so busy, he hardly has any time to himself.

  Barbara has never been a really patient woman, but she accepts that her radio telescope is not a high priority. She stares up at the mountain top where her facility is to be built, and watches as yet another shuttle lands near one of the wind generators. Becoming exasperated, she walks to the Town Hall looking for Cindy.

  Cindy looks up, and is surprised to see Barbara standing in the doorway. I wish they would stop doing that! Knock or something, she thinks, as her heart races.

  Barbara steps confidently into the room and asks, “Have you seen George, or Patrick?”

  Cindy smiles warmly and says, “I think they’re still patching holes in the Liberty.”

  Barbara frowns, “Surely they must be finished by now?”

  Cindy shrugs her shoulders, “A lot of holes, I guess.”

  “I suppose. I just want to be doing something. Well not just something,” Barbara continues, “I want to begin examining the stars.”

  Cindy tries to be encouraging as she says, “They will get your facility built soon enough, and then you will be so busy, you won’t know what to do with yourself.”

  “You’re right,” Barbara replies with a sigh, then with nothing else to say, leaves the room.

  Cindy’s smile turns to a scowl at Barbara’s departure. She chews on her lip, debating whether to explain the delay or not. Finally, she decides it is better to wait.

  Barbara steps outside into the bright sunshine. Gazing at the mountain peaks, a brief flash catches her eye. She turns back to look at the Town Hall, then with mounting curiosity, watches the mountain ridge again. Minutes later, she catches another flicker of light, like a reflection of the sun off something metallic, or from a pane of glass. Her jaw drops, like from a car windshield as it drives down a road. The thought comes suddenly, and in an instant, she becomes quite skeptical of Cindy’s story.

  Barbara stares at the mountain top as another realization dawns on her, she is unable to go up there to look. A chill works its way up her spine, the only shuttle pilot that’s been up there, is John. She gazes at the other mountain ridge, then the ocean, and wonders to herself, the other shuttle pilots may fly over the mountain, but they don’t actually go there. Why not? Barbara turns to look at the power lines that snake their way up the mou
ntainside, then smiles as an idea comes to mind. She wanders through the town, and observes the busy construction teams.

  Arriving at the tent city, Barbara is shocked to see so many people still living there. She walks amongst them, offers her sympathies, then listens as people begin to talk of their plight. The housing is being built too slowly. Many of the people are unable to perform the tasks for which they were selected, and are feeling useless in this new society. She walks home, and feels a little abashed for wanting her facility while people still do not have proper housing.

  Sleeping fitfully during the night, Barbara wakes early. She feels tired and drained, but is full of resolve. She dresses, then hurries to Hawking’s vehicle storage lot. There is no need for security, nor do any of the vehicles require keys. She takes one of the jeeps the Liberty brought to the colony, and drives along the road toward the mini-steel mill. She passes the steel mill without slowing, and follows the power lines. The road passes around the beginning of the town’s canal, and continues into the foothills.

  The paved road comes to an end, but she forges ahead, undeterred by the bumpy ground. She follows the power lines as they snake their way up the steep grassy hillside. The grass soon gives way to rocks that jolt and jar her. At first, the rocks are easily traversed by the jeep, but eventually the terrain becomes too steep to continue. She gets out and looks upward. The construction crews carved out a crude trail when they built the towers to support the power lines. She follows this trail upward, and only stops to catch her breath, or to sip from a water bottle. The sun rises higher as it travels through the sky, and still she climbs the mountain.

  Sweat drips off Barbara’s forehead as she rounds a group of large boulders. She blinks in surprise when she sees that she is almost at the top. Gazing downward, the jeep looks very small, and the town seems far away. A breeze strikes her face as she crests the mountain top. She closes her eyes and enjoys the cooling sensation for a few minutes.

  She swings her attention to where the radio telescope is to be built, and is pleasantly surprised to see a massive slab of concrete. She is close to the future facility, and is about to walk over to it when something catches her attention. She spins to her left and gawks. The paved road that confronts her seems out of place. It stretches off into the distance and is wide enough for two vehicles, which makes it all the more unusual.

  With mounting curiosity, Barbara walks along the road. Squinting, she can see a group of men working on something. As she gets closer, she can see that they are soldiers. A jeep comes roaring down the road toward her, then screeches to a halt. A pair of soldiers quickly gets out. One says authoritatively “You’re entering a restricted area, miss.”

  Barbara’s eyebrows lift, “Restricted? What are you guys doing?”

  The other soldier quietly talks into his radio, then says, “The General is on his way.”

  “The General,” Barbara mocks, “This must be serious.”

  Neither soldier responds, they stand there blocking the road. She considers trying to pass them, but decides they are just following orders, so she waits.

  A shuttle arrives a few minutes later, and General Walker steps out. He smiles, then says, “It had to be you, didn’t it?” He looks around and asks, “Well, what can I do for you?”

  Barbara smiles back and replies, “Your soldiers won’t tell me what they’re doing up here. So perhaps you will.”

  He turns to his men, nods and then says, “Good, they’re not supposed to.”

  She is about to protest when Walker says, “I must ask that you keep this to yourself.”

  Barbara’s stares at him, and challenges, “So, not only won’t you tell me anything, you want me to keep quiet about whatever it is, you’re doing?”

  “Exactly.” Walker confirms flatly.

  Barbara is very tired of all the delays to her facility, and smiles devilishly when another idea comes to mind, “You know. If I were busy...” she looks at her unfinished building, then glances back at the General. She smiles innocently and bats her eyes.

  Walker cringes, then stares back, measuring her resolve. After a few seconds, he says, “Very well, we will work on your facility, in exchange for your silence.”

  Barbara grins excitedly, “It’s a deal. Now what the heck are you doing up here?” she presses.

  Walker shakes his head. “Damn it woman, you’re impossible.”

  They stare at each other for a few minutes, then finally he speaks. “This is all on a need to know basis.”

  Barbara is quite intrigued by his tone, and says, “Well, I need to know.”

  The General gazes down the road, “Actually, I am surprised we kept the lid on this as long as we did.” He turns, stares at her, then says sternly, “You understand that none of the colonists can learn of this.”

  “I get it,” she says, a little exasperated, “It’s a secret.”

  Walker glares at her for a moment, then says, “Yes, it’s a secret, that’s why I don’t want to tell you.”

  Barbara’s confidence builds, “Well let’s chat about this with Cindy, shall we?”

  Walker shakes his head casually, “You will have to do better than that! Cindy knows, as does John, George, Patrick, and Joe.”

  Barbara blinks in surprise, “Oh! I am dying with curiosity now. Just tell me, please!”

  Walker sighs, then relents, “Each wind generator powers a specialized defense system, one designed to protect the colony from attack.”

  Barbara stares at him incredulously, “Attack, from who?” she asks a little too loudly.

  “The Chinese, aliens, how the hell do I know? I was told to build them, so I am building them,” he puts his hands on his hips in exasperation.

  Barbara’s jaw drops as she stares across the valley at the other mountain top, “That’s why you guys built the wind generators on both sides.”

  “Yes, and if you must know everything, that’s why the Terran has not gone back to Earth, it’s staying in orbit as a deterrent.”

  Barbara frowns, “Hang on a minute. You just said you were ordered to build these. So, this was all planned before we even left Earth. Why does it have to be some big secret?”

  Walker sighs, “Do you think the colonists would be happy knowing they’re surrounded by hundreds of missiles, some nuclear?”

  A chill runs its way through Barbara’s body, “Nuclear weapons,” she says with alarm.

  “What else did you think we would bring? Rocks?” Walker jokes.

  She paces back and forth, “Why didn’t you put the nukes in the satellites?”

  Walker stares back at her impassively, but says nothing.

  Barbara stops pacing and meets his gaze, “Oh my, you did!” she says in shock.

  “Happy now?” Walker smirks back at her.

  “I can see why you don’t want the colonists to know,” she concedes.

  Barbara stares into the distance, where she can see dozens of small concrete slabs dotting the mountain top. As the initial shock wears off, she begins to understand the reasoning behind the defenses, and also why the leaders do not want the general population to know. She recalls the near panic a single wolf-cat caused.

  Three days pass before the General assigns his Army Corps of Engineers to the task of constructing the Radio Telescope facility. Three days, during which time Barbara debates with herself the pros and cons of sharing what she’s discovered. Reluctantly, she concludes that no good would come from informing the colonists. Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all, she realizes.

  Rainy Days

  Cindy is sitting at her desk, watching the rain drops splatter on her windows with a smile. I love the rain, it makes me think of fall.

  Barbara rushes into the room and blurts out, “It’s raining!”

  Cindy turns to look at her and says, “I can see that.”

  Barbara’s eyes open wide, “No. No, you don’t. It’s really raining, come and look.”

  As Cindy follows, she notices huge wet spots on
Barbara’s back and shoulders. The two women stand outside, protected by a small covering that rests over the doorway’s entrance. The gentle pitter patter of rain that strikes the building is in stark contrast to the deluge that strikes the mountains. It pours down the steep rocks, creating hundreds of miniature waterfalls in its passing.

  A jeep approaches the pair, its tires spraying water behind it in great sheets. The jeep pulls up close to the overhang, then the passenger and rear doors fling open.

  “Get in!” Calls a voice from inside.

  Cindy and Barbara run for the open doors, and even though they spend scant seconds in the downpour, they become drenched. Cindy wipes water off her face, “Wow, that’s some heavy rain.”

  The driver, Patrick, turns to look at the women. He grins excitedly, “Well, we wanted to test the town’s flood gates.”

  Before they can reply, he slams the accelerator down. He peers through the fast working wipers, as he takes them to the river’s edge. Barbara wipes water from her face, then says, “I don’t think Emma’s going to be too happy, her test farm is already underwater.”

  Cindy replies curiously, “Test farm?”

  Barbara says, “Yes. She has crops of wheat and corn growing in small sections on the far side of the river.”

  Cindy nods her head, as she recalls reading a brief on the matter. She suddenly recalls how distraught Emma was when the hydroponics bay on the Terran was destroyed. Remembering the way Emma stood on the bridge with her bucket of strawberries, still sends a chill through her body, “Does she know?”

  Barbara turns in surprise at Cindy’s anxious tone, “I am sure she does. Why?”

  Cindy cringes, then says carefully, “She does not do too well when her plants are ruined.”

  “Ah,” Barbara replies, “She must be very passionate about her work then, for it to effect her so.”

  As he stops the jeep, Patrick says, “Okay ladies, time to get wet!”

  The three of them exit the vehicle, then walk to the river’s edge. They are soaked to the bone before going twenty paces. Gazing up and down the causeway, they are confronted with raised wall sections. These sections stand slightly taller than them, and though they block their view of the river completely, they can hear it roar. Alarmingly, water occasionally dribbles out from the gap between the raised wall sections and the causeway.