Numerous dips and house-sized potholes dotted the area for miles, making for excellent off-road terrain. As Ben glanced around for the best path to the ridge ahead, Sara cut off a short laugh before turning to face him.
“Really, Ben?” Steadying herself against the skidding motion, Sara rolled her eyes as she continued chiding their overzealous driver, “This isn’t exactly setting the best example.”
Her eyes shot open in shock as the ridge line dropped off more sharply than she was expecting, her left arm darting out to hold Jake in place.
“Ben, look out!”
* * *
“Dad!”
“What?” Ben barked, Jake’s sharp tone breaking him out of his deep thought.
“Are… are we almost there? My leg is starting to hurt.”
Ben had lost track of what he was doing for a moment, realizing that their pace had slowed considerably.
It’s not my pace, its Jake… he’s hobbling.
“Sorry, Jake, I was just thinking about something. Hold up for a second, what happened?”
Coming to a halt, Jake nearly fell over in the soft terrain, still not entirely used to the low gravity. He reached down to rub his ankle through the heavy fabric, trying to hide a wince of pain.
“I think I stepped funny on a rock back there, I’m… I’m sorry dad.”
“Hey, don’t be sorry, buddy. Tell you what, take a break for a bit, I’ll drive.”
Ben reached down to pick up Jake, swinging him around his body and wrapping his arms around his neck. As Jake caught hold, he found a good spot on Ben’s oversized belt harness that he could stand on, taking some of the weight off his shoulders.
“See, light as a feather.”
No way in hell I’d be able to do this back home, kid weighs a friggin’ ton now.
“But you’ll get tired faster.”
“I can barely even feel you back there. Jake, you still there, buddy?” He forced an edge of humor into his voice, hoping to help raise Jake’s spirits a bit. The response was a light slap across the top of his helmet, a snort of laughter following.
“Ha ha, dad. Very funny.”
“Don’t you be laughing, mister. You’re gunna carry me next when I start getting tired.”
The laughter continued for a short while as Ben continued his measured stride across the barren, grey landscape of the lunar surface. Some craters dotted the area here and there but for the most part it was completely flat. Just up ahead, however, was a small ridge that blocked his line of sight to anything beyond.
The way station should be just beyond that ridge if I’m reading this damn thing right.
His breathing was becoming ragged now as Ben glanced down at the small GPS device from the cruiser, eyes straining to see through the moisture sticking to his glass visor.
* * *
“Ben, look out!”
One of Sara’s legs rose in panic, bracing herself against the cruiser’s dash as the vehicle came down hard from the four meter drop. Skidding the cruiser from side to side, Ben fought against the wheel to regain control, straightening out its heading after some effort.
Jake’s sudden outburst of laughter broke them both out of their shock.
“That… was... awesome! We totally have to do that again.”
Sara’s free hand shot out, punching Ben hard on the shoulder, her other arm still pinning Jake to the middle seat.
“Dammit, Ben! That was way too fast. Way too high.”
“Language, honey,” he smiled a sly grin, jokingly wagging a finger at her.
“Don’t you even start-“
“Dad!”
Jake didn’t even have a chance to motion toward the small boulder they collided into moments later, the metal framework buckling under the two forces smashing together. The car began to flip, going into a sustained roll that seemed to go on and on…
* * *
“I thought you said it was just over the ridge?”
“Huh?”
Ben shook his head, clearing the memories and focusing back on his son’s voice.
“That ridge back there, you said the way station was just over that ridge. Where is it?”
Ben came to a stop, sliding along the ground a few extra paces due to the extra weight on his back. Taking a quick look back down to the GPS device, the red dot highlighting the way station was still just ahead of his position.
Wish this thing would tell me just how far ahead that dot was… or even some kind of terrain map. But no, I get stuck with this piece of-
“Dad?”
“Yea, I see it. Looks like it’s…” Ben took a quick stock of his surroundings once again, still nothing but small crater pockets and a single large ridge ahead, in the direction of the GPS’ locator dot, “… just over that ridge, over there, I guess.”
“You guess? Mom doesn’t have time for guesses, dad.”
“I know that, dammit.” Ben’s voice carried more bite and anger than he meant to put into it, his own frustration starting to seep through. Pushing off of the soft patch of dirt, he started again towards the next ridge off in the distance, in silence.
That’s the one, the thought rolled through his head like a mantra now, just over that ridge…
* * *
The car began to flip, going into a sustained roll that seemed to go on and on…
Sounds of metal crunching under the onslaught filled Ben’s helmet, passing visions of ground, sky, ground, and sky through the shattered window as the cruiser tumbled along the broken terrain. With a final crash, the vehicle came to a rest, upside-down against a large, grey boulder.
“Ben...” Sara’s voice was strained, her breath seeming to hiss out in a soft, continuous stream from the seat next to him, “...my leg. Ben...”
His head still buzzing from the hard knock it took against the steel roll cage, his vision cleared enough for Ben to see the grisly scene beside him. One of the support struts running along the cruiser’s side had snapped clean off during the roll, now having embedded itself through Sara’s upper thigh and into the floor below.
That’s not her breath making that hissing sound, Ben thought with dawning awareness, now rushing to search the cabin for the cruiser’s emergency kit.
“Dad, what...” Jake began stirring next to him, eyes glossed over in a daze but otherwise unharmed, “What’s going on? Mom!”
Pulling the emergency kit from behind the cruiser’s bench seat, Ben took the sealant gel gun from its case and started applying it around the strut punched through Sara’s leg. The clear gel expanded instantly into a bright, white foam as it came into contact with her punctured suit. It took only a few moments for the gel to close the suit tear, preventing any more air from leaking out.
Sara screamed out in pain as the super-heated foam came in contact with her leg, cauterizing the wound as it sealed the suit. Her eyes fluttered briefly as she reached out toward Jake, dropping flat to the seat as she passed out from the pain.
“Mom! Dad, we have to-”
“I know, Jake, I know,” Ben shouted, interrupting his son before he could ramp himself into hysterics, “We just have to be calm and call for help on the radio.”
Ben punched various dials and switches around the cabin, finding all of the power out and most of the radio transmission equipment damaged from the rough crash. Outside the window, a small cloud of dust had kicked up and settled around them, a dull grey haze limiting their sight.
No good... radio out, location transmitter out, cruiser good as dead, Ben ticked off the list in his head, taking stock of the situation. Only a few hours of air left in the cruiser’s tanks... that’s fine for Sara if we take the portables, but her leg...
Turning back to face Jake, Ben placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to have to leave your mother.”
* * *
“Didn’t you say just over this ridge, Dad?”
“I did...” Ben slowed, letting his momentum come to a stop over a few paces as he retrieved the GPS de
vice from one of his belt pouches. Raising it to his visor, he caught sight of a red flashing indicator attached to his suit glove.
Oxygen level... way lower than it... should be...
Ben was so lost in thought that he had completely lost track of how hard he was pushing himself. Jake weighed next to nothing in this environment but it was still enough over these long distances to drain away what little endurance he had left.
And my air... dropping too fast...
Craning his head around his father’s shoulder, Jake caught sight of the flashing oxygen warning.
“Dad, your air’s almost out. You said we’d have at least two hours... it’s only been one.”
“Its fine, Jake... let me just... just catch my breath,” nearly doubled over, Ben had a hard time pulling the air back into his lungs, “Just need a minute.”
Ben could just make out the soft click and slide of the air transfer tube connecting to his suit from behind, Jake pumping air from his own portable tank into his father’s. Reaching back, Ben tried to grab at the tank and Jake’s hand.
“Jake, no, you need that air for yourself!”
“I still have half a tank left, Dad, and you’re the one doing all the work. This way we can both keep going.”
The rush of oxygen filled Ben’s helmet, the sweat on his brow cool from the momentary breeze across his face. Breathing deep, his mind instantly sharpened, the dreary haze that had settled over his head blowing away.
Can’t argue with the kid... at least we have a chance of getting to that damn way station this way.
Giving the GPS device another once over, Ben was certain that the red locator dot was getting closer to their position. Over the top of the screen, he could make out a large crater ridge off in the distance, in the direction of where the locator was pointing them.
“Almost there now, Jake, just over that ridge.”
* * *
“We’re going to have to leave your mother.”
“No way, Dad! Just look at her, she’s hurt bad... we need to help her, gotta call for help and stay here.”
Ben motioned toward the broken panels inside the cruiser, thin wisps of smoke now starting to escape through the console deck. “Jake, it’s all dead. Radio’s out. Best bet is for us to put a flare up and walk to the nearest way station.”
Pulling an older model GPS device from the emergency kit, Ben showed his son the locator beacon on the small screen.
“Looks like due east from here, not sure how far but shouldn’t be too bad. We can head there, contact someone on the radio and get help. It’s our best bet.”
Jake hung his head low, hiding the tears beginning to form from his father. Raising his chin back up with a hand under his helmet, Ben smiled with reassurance.
“Hey buddy, it’s alright. Honest, it could be a lot worse. Mom’s stable for now but we have to get a move on.”
Nodding his head with a sniffle, Jake slipped out from the cruiser’s harness and started climbing out. As Jake stepped out of the vehicle’s warped side door, Ben heard a soft moan come from his wife. Moving closer, Sara raised her hand slowly and pulled him in, bringing their helmets close together.
* * *
The wheezing sound, shallow and fast, brought him back to his senses. Ben’s pace had slowed to a crawl over the last half-hour, the featureless, grey ridge just a few hundred meters ahead of them now.
Fighting the urge to ignore the truth, he forced himself to look at the oxygen indicator on his wrist again.
Empty...
The body on his back had gone slack, no longer bouncing along with the steady pace Ben had been maintaining. Pulling the arms loose around his neck, he lowered Jake to the soft dirt below, a small puff of dust kicking up around them.
Asleep... nearly empty tank... just enough to... Ben shook his head, cutting the thought off before he could take it any further. Still, it lingered. Just enough to make it over the ridge...
* * *
Moving closer, Sara raised her hand slowly and pulled him in, bringing their helmets close together.
“Jake... make sure he...” the voice was almost too soft to hear, Ben wasn’t sure if she was even conscious.
“I’ll get you both out, we’ll-”
“Jake... make sure... Jake...”
* * *
Can’t go anymore... can’t... breathe...
The attempt to stand back up burst a vessel in his eye, his lungs desperately straining to draw in oxygen that just wasn’t there. Ben wasn’t sure how the air transfer tube made its way into his hand, but it stood hanging over Jake’s tank valve, an uneasy silence hanging in his ears.
So close... just... one more ridge...
* * *
“Jake... make sure... Jake...”
* * *
With a gentle click, the tube locked into place, his hand grasping the release lever. His hand easing downward, the lever began to give way.
“Jake... I...”
LOST by Susan Brookshire
“If you don’t keep up, I am leaving you.” Bronson threatened his younger brother.
“Yeah, if you do that, I’ll tell dad and he will thrash you.” Byron yelled back in complete confidence.
Byron, who was ten years old, tried to speed his climb up the steep slope. He did not like being outpaced by his brother, who was five years older than him. Unfortunately every four or five steps he climbed, a small section of the hillside sloughed off and he slid back down a couple of feet. The end goal was to reach the top where Bronson had built a fort, before the heat hit 125 degrees. Byron had almost made it to the top when the dry brittle ground began to crumble, sending him sliding several feet back down the hillside.
“This is the last time I am letting you come here with me.” Bronson yelled from the hilltop.
Byron went to yell his rebuttal when his eyes landed on a metal object in the newly exposed hillside. “Well then I won’t tell you what I found.”
Bronson laughed at him, “What’s that… your dress?”
“No!”
“Oh right, because you're still wearing it.” Bronson’s laugh cut off when he heard his brother grunt, followed by the clank of small loose pebbles bouncing off something metal. Curious now, Bronson looked down the hillside and saw his brother holding a dull canister.
“Hey, what is that?” Bronson asked beginning his descent to meet his brother. “Here, let me see it,” he said when he got to where his little brother was perched on the hillside.
Byron rejected the outstretched hand, pulling the canister closer to his chest. “No, it’s mine. I found it.”
Bronson knew his brother was not going to budge on this, so he decided it was deal time. “You can barely climb up when you’re not holding anything. Let me hold it, I will climb with you the rest of the way, and we won’t check it out until we get to the fort.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. If I break it, you can have my fort.”
“Swear?”
“I swear. Now, come on let’s go.”
Byron reluctantly handed the canister to his brother. Together they made their way to the top, at a speed Byron could handle. Byron’s foot only slipped out from under him once more and his older brother grabbed his wrist so he would not slide back down. Once at the top Bronson handed the canister back to his brother. Following Bronson’s lead they both jogged across the plateau to where the fort was hidden.
The main walls of the fort were made out of an enormous oak tree that had lost one of its large limbs. The limb did not snap off the tree entirely and worked as a solid wall they could lean branches against. The roof was constructed out of dead pine needles tied into bunches, which protected them from the direct midday sun glaring down upon them. Bronson pushed his way inside stepping down into the five by five foot room that he had dug out almost two feet deep in some places. It was much cooler underground than on the surface, he learned long ago.
Byron came in and sat down staring at the canister, but
was unable to figure out how to open it. Bronson watched him knowing that if he kept his mouth shut for just a few more minutes his brother would ask him to help. If he suggested it though, they could be sitting there for another half hour before Byron conceded and handed it over to him.
“I can’t get this stupid thing to open. Do you know how it works?” Byron asked.
“No, I don’t. I would have to mess with it like you did. Let me know if you want me to try.”
Byron tried pulling and turning the end a few more times and then tossed it to his brother. “I give up, you try. What do you think is in there? Maybe it is someone’s gold, or diamonds, or like a million dollars. Someone could have buried it, like a treasure, and just forgot about it.”
Bronson did not reply, he was engrossed in how the locking mechanism worked. The thing was an antique. He wasn’t even sure it would open if he was doing it right. He was able to force a piece in the middle of the lid up and could tell that it spun, but it was too hard for him. His younger brother insisted on trying before he gave it another shot. It took a while and after banging it a few times on a rock, he was able to twist the lock that allowed the lid to unscrew.
“Let me see. It’s mine, let me see it.”
“I will, but you should let me check it real quick in case there is something bad in there.” Works every time Bronson thought to himself as he began pulling old items out of the canister. “It’s a time-capsule.”
There were a few coins that Bronson immediately handed to his brother. Next, he pulled out an old fashioned picture of a town that looked like it was built not far from where they vacationed, but whatever town was there had been gone for centuries. He looked at the back of the picture and saw the date May 2nd, 2102.
“Check this out. This is what this place looked like almost five hundred years ago.”
Byron grabbed the picture while still holding the ancient coins in his hand. “Look at the buildings. Oh look, they have those old petrol, what is it called… um combustion engine cars.”
Science Fiction Short Stories Books 1 & 2: Twelve Engaging Sci-Fi Tales (One Mind, Different Voices Series) Page 9