Bootstrap Colony

by Hechtl, Chris

  “I don’t think they would go too far inland, then again, new experience with an unknown species. If it has traits like a Terran bull shark, it might be able to live in freshwater. I doubt the crocs would like the competition,” he observed. She nodded. “I have some video if you want to see them,” Mitch suggested.

  She shook her head shivering a little. “Not now, god, these things are scary enough dead!”

  He smiled and nodded in reply. “Catch ya later.”

  Mitch and Brian made a dozen of the tent greenhouses, and sent them in the next convoy to Mike. Jolie told Mike they were coming. Jack overheard and asked how they were set up. She called Brian in and he explained. When Paul returned he met Mitch and Hejira in one of the greenhouses. “Speaking of greenhouses...” He waved to the tent ones outside. “Jack passed on a request for some of those tent ones like you built for Mike.”

  Hejira delicately sniffed a flower, and then stuck her fingers into the soil, checking the water. Mick cocked his head. “Yeah, I thought that would happen,” he replied.

  Paul snorted. “They rigged a couple with the two sheets of plastic they had on hand, but they do only have makeshift racks for the seeds, no drip lines or pumps.” He pointed to the hoses and pump.

  Hejira nodded. “Can we build them a set?”

  Mitch nodded. “I already sicked Brian, Walter, and Wayne on it when Jack called. We should have them ready the next time you head there Paul,” Mitch replied. Paul nodded.

  “I would like to see their set up and aide if I may,” Hejira commented.

  “Of course,” Mick bowed to the expert and left with a smile.

  He finished work with the air compressor, sensing Lisa and Jolie coming up behind him. Jolie had turned into a flirt, but was more subdued when Lisa was around. He tried to hide the mischievous grin as he got an idea. “Hey, Whatcha doing?” Jolie asked, sauntering up with her hands in her pockets.

  “Repairing an ANDY. Stuck hip joint,” Mitch replied. He pointed to the parts then pulled the air wrench off and slipped a tip on. Lisa came over interested.

  Jolie wrinkled her nose; she wasn’t into the grime and grease like Lisa the grease monkey. When Lisa was totally engaged in looking over the part Mitch pointed the tip at her rear and squeezed the trigger. The puff of air made her jump in fright, her hair flying about. She whirled with a yippee, then hit him on the shoulder when she realized who the culprit was. Chuckling Mitch turned to shoulder the blow and then laughed.

  Jolie looked startled, and then laughed too. He coiled the hose as Lisa glared at him. Ducking like an errant kid, he kept laughing quietly. She was getting better, if he had done that a month or two before she would have been hysterical. She was starting to come out of her shell. Her subconscious mind was starting to feel secure and safe. Damn she could hit though, he thought feeling the pain in the shoulder.

  He chuckled a bit, and then yipped himself as she kicked his shin. “Ow!” He yipped, suddenly in a lot more pain.

  “You gotta pay for your pleasures,” Jolie giggled.

  “I thought I had!” he said, rubbing the calf.

  “It wasn’t that funny! What if I had dropped the part?” Lisa accused, eyes glaring at him.

  He snorted. “Not likely, I trusted you.” She turned, face suddenly heating. Jolie gave her a look as her giggled faded. He nodded as he scooped up the part. “All right, I have an anxiously waiting ANDY who needed this.” With that as his parting shot he left. He could hear the girls talking behind him.

  Jacklynn flew a UAV up the Copper River to find sulfur and was attacked by Shriekers. She caught a glimpse of a giant long legged tentacle creature before the UAV crashed. She reported to Mitch, who watched the recording, replayed it, and then grimaced. “What?” she asked.

  He asked for the location and bearing, then bearing of the creature. Angie came in; Jacklynn let her know the UAV crashed, explaining to her and Paul who followed her in about the creature. Paul asked if they were going to retrieve it and Mitch shook his head.

  “Not what I am worried about right now,” he muttered. He held up his tablet. “According to this, if you were here, and the creature was here, its direction of travel made right for vicinity of the Copper village.”

  Angie paled at this news. “With those Shriekers around we won’t be able to fly in time to help. Paul get them on the horn and warn Jack now,” Angie said, turning to Paul.

  Paul sprinted for the communications shack. Jacklynn swore. “Damn I didn’t think of that and the way that thing was stripping everything in sight...” She paled in horror. “We gotta do something!” She slapped her hands.

  “We can’t get to them in time,” Mitch answered softly, staring at the tablet. She grimaced.

  Paul came racing back, letting them know Jack got the word and they were going to button down the hatches. Sam was half way there and was going to drop his load and try to make a run for it to help out. Grimacing, Mitch nodded. “Jacklynn, is the plane fixed?”

  “Yeah best we can, wait you're not going to try to fly with those... those things there!”

  “No, but the moment they are clear, we can get Doc out there,” he said. She nodded, now grim and worried.

  A tense wait began for some, but Mitch shooed hanger ons back to work. When Helen began talking on the radio, Pete turned it up for all in the area to hear. “There is a mist coming in from the north east along the river. We can see something moving. Shriekers have been flying around all day, circling us like vultures, gave me the creeps,” Helen said and then cleared her throat. “Jack has everyone under cover; we just finished the last roof. Ben and Gwen are playing look out. Thank god for all that cement!” Scrambling sound could be heard in the background. “Okay, I moved to the window. We can hear a low thumping thud, and feel a vibration. There is a low moaning sound, like out of this world. Like a whale or something or other.”

  Mitch grimaced. Pete looked shocked and awed. Doc came in; she gave Pete a look and got Mitch’s attention. She pointed to Pete. Mitch shook his head. She pursed her lips then listened as well. “Gwen just called, said there is something, I dunno tree trunks moving? It is THAT BIG?” She started to gibber.

  “Oh my god Jesus protect me! Protect us all!” That ended in a wail as a low thumping could be heard over the radio. Static began to play havoc with reception.

  Mitch tapped Pete, who looked up, then began playing with the knobs. Finally they got a weak signal. “This thing is huge!” Helen was almost crying, whispering. “It has tentacles all over, and those Shrieker things roost on its back! Omygod! It just ripped a dinosaur! My god! The tentacles have...Spikes on them! It is...Oh god... It looked like it is sucking the Dino with a tentacle, ripping it to shreds. The Shriekers are swooping and picking up the pieces.” They could hear sounds of gagging. “God please don’t let it come here!”

  Jack came on the radio. “Base this is Jack. It looks like this thing is over one hundred feet tall, has six long legs. It looked like it is a few minutes out...”

  A few minutes later Jack returned. “It kept moving, right straight for us. I moved everyone to the bunker, but there is no room for the animals.” They could hear sounds of crashing over the radio. “Shit!” They could hear a low pitched moan. “Damn that thing is loud! It's shaking the place with the sound and stomping. It is stepping over the wall!” Janet blanched at this news, ringing her hands on her apron. “Faugh! The stench is... like a skunk! Or rotting fish.” Janet grimaced, so did Mitch.

  In the background animals could be heard bawling in fear and terror. Whimpering sounds near the radio were cut off as they heard Jack ask for quiet. His voice dropped into a near whisper: “It looks like it has two knees; the legs are covered in chitin armor.” Loud crashing sounds over the radio then static... “Great, it is clumsy too; it just flattened a tool shed.”

  “Damn! Tore the top off that roof! We just built that! Oh crap OH crap...” A wet eerie slither was heard. “Damn tentacles are relentless. Jason! What the hell are yo
u doing! Get back inside you moro...Oh my god! Look out!” They could hear sounds of muted screaming. Janet began to tear up, holding Pete to her. Loud pop pops of weapons fire could be heard in the background... Then a shaken Jack returned. “Damn fool, it ripped him apart.”

  “The tentacles are soft, but have spines that act like a chain saw,” Jack said over Helen's weeping. There was a sound of retching and gagging.

  “My god that poor poor boy,” Helen said over and over. She could be heard weeping in the background. There were sounds of Jack comforting her. A low pitched screeching sound and then an unearthly moan made them both stop.

  “Damn thing. The legs are just shrugging off the bullets, looked like some sort of chitin,” Jack snarled. There was a loud screech and thump making Pete jumped and clutch at Janet. She petted his head, stroking his short hair.

  There were sounds of crashing... “Damn it found the stable.” Jack sighed in frustration. “There go the animals.” Mitch winced. Loud trumpeting noise, then... “Crap it stopped over us! We can hear the tentacles slapping on the roofs and walls. I boarded up the window just before it came.”

  Helen’s weak voice cut in. “Thank the lord you did.”

  “The tentacles pulse and ripple when they have something ooze a slime that is dripping on everything. What a stench!”

  Pete looked up and muttered. “Someone needed deodorant, major BO.” With a weak smile he looked to the adults for reassurance but didn’t get any and went back to staring at the radio.

  “It seems, yeah, digesting...” There was a crashing sound. “It just dropped the bodies. Ugh. What a mess. Hey, stop shooting it and shoot them!” Jack yelled on a walkie talkie, causing static over the ham. Pete turned it down. “Yeah, good! Got one! Axel just shot a Shrieker, looked like we hit a couple for the egg heads to study... Awe crap... NO you damn fool idget! Leave it! Shit Shit SHIT!”

  They could here sounds of weapons fire then a loud foosh. “Yeah! Burn! BURN YOU BASTARD!” Axel could be heard shouting. Squealing sounds could be heard.

  Helen: “TJ went to grab one of the Shrieker bodies when the tentacles began snatching them up, but got caught. His brother went to rescue him, so did Axel and a few others. Oh my god. The J brothers got chewed up, I don’t think CJ will live, it got him right in the stomach.”

  There was a retching sound behind Mitch. Mitch turned to see Maggie comforting a girl. It looked like everyone was there, either in the room or the hallway nearby. “We are definitely going to need Doc here ASAP. Axel rigged a flame thrower and burned it good,” They heard a loud thumping sound. “Yup, it didn’t like it, serves it right. The slimy thing is moving on. Jack said to tell you...what north? No? Oh, Okay, it is heading east, south east. Tell Jacklynn to fly north of us and come in from the west. Sam improved the runway.”

  Pete nodded when Mitch touched him. He cleared his throat and then hit the transmit key. “Roger that.”

  “Pete that you? Oh my god honey you were there the entire time?!”

  “Yeah.”

  Mitch took the mike. “I couldn’t keep them away Helen.” She swore at him. “Helen, when a friend is in trouble you don’t turn your back.”

  “Roger that,” Jack answered.

  “Sam can you read?” Jack sounded defeated.

  “Yeah,” Sam responded. He sounded a little shook up.

  “Sam, make sure you aren’t anywhere near this things path.”

  ”Roger that. It looked like it is heading... Yeah, south by south east. To the sea I think, through the shark hound pass.”

  Jack: “You can see it?”

  Sam: “Hell yeah, scariest damn thing I have ever seen! We are on a ridge north east of you, bout twenty kilometers away. Right at the mouth of the pass. This thing is massive; we can see it for miles without the mist...It is...dropping something. I dunno, waste or another victim, I sure ain’t going to find out. We’re on our way in.”

  Jack: “Roger that.” He sounded relieved.

  “Jack, you better get someone on those fires or the entire place will go up,” Sam warned.

  Jack grunted. “Working on it Sam.”

  “Roger.”

  Jacklynn called on the radio: “Taking off now.”

  Mitch looked around, not finding Doc. “Jacklynn you got Doc and Cassie?”

  “Yeah and Dora. I was in the plane listening in. Doc just came running and said to take off.”

  “Roger that.”

  Jack sighed. “Thanks Jacklynn, see you in a few. Bless you darling.” Pete turned and cried in Janet’s arms. Jolene was tearful as well. Angie patted her shoulder and she turned and hugged her, crying softly.

  “They will do what they can. Folks, that is all, any of us can do,” Mitch said quietly. They look up to Mitch. “Maggie, they’re going to need more animals, food too probably.”

  Paul cleared his throat, eyes unsure. “Another expedition?”

  “Yeah.”

  Paul nodded. “Okay, I will get check with Lisa and get organized.”

  “Okay. Relief expedition Paul! Tish...” He pointed to Tish.

  She pointed at herself. “Me?”

  “Yeah you. I want you to go through the database, look up flame throwers. Get with Lisa, Brian, and the others, see if we can make a few.” She nodded and ran out. “Janet, I will man the store here, can you get Pete and Jolene here a fresh cup?” She nodded. Angie helped Jolene out.

  Jack called in...Weary sometime later. “Damn thing...squelch...ate ...damn...”

  Mitch waited a moment and then called back, “Jack repeat?”

  “Ten four. I said, the damn thing ate all the damn food in the storage. It looks like one of those tentacles smashed the door down and sucked the room dry. What’s left is covered in slime. The slime burns when you touch it. That crap is everywhere, all over the roofs, courtyard,” he gusted a loud sigh.

  “Okay Jack, I am not sure wait one.” He turned to Maggie, “Digestive fluids?” Mitch asked. She cocked her head... Then waved her hand back and forth in an I'm not sure motion. Back on the radio, Mitch cleared his throat. “Jack that might be digestive fluids, hydrochloric acids of some sort.”

  Jack grunted. “Roger that, just what we needed.”

  Mitch: “You need a base or something to neutralize it.”

  “Fullers earth?” Jack asked.

  “No, not sure.”

  “Keep everyone away from it. Maggie will look it up.” He looked to Maggie who nodded and then pulled up her tablet. “Get everyone away from it, tell Nicole to institute contamination and poisonous substance procedures. Irrigate any exposed skin.”

  “Don’t breath next to it Jack, fumes are deadly,” Maggie warned over Mitch's shoulder.

  “Roger.” Gagging sounds could be heard over the radio. “I just saw a lizard slip into a patch... it just dissolved. God... I owe you big time for that roofing tile idea,” Jack said fervently. Mitch snorted. “Crap we could have been cooked! Or eaten alive!”

  “Okay Jack, we get the picture.”

  “Vividly,” Maggie muttered then looked up, “The best thing I can find is Sodium bicarbonate,” she said. Pete came in and took over. He repeated the suggestion.

  Jack grunted in annoyance. “Okay, and in the original Klingon?”

  Maggie snorted. “Baking soda.”

  “Oh sure, I’ll just take my truck here out to the local Wal-Mart and pick some up,” Jack’s sarcasm was almost as dripping as the acid.

  “Check with Helen, see if you can find some in the kitchen and dump it on the slime. We can synthesize some, there is also a small seam of it about forty kilometers east of here,” Maggie told him patiently.

  Mitch took the microphone. “Jack, were going to dig out as much as we can. As soon as Jacklynn gets there, help her unload and do a turn around, and we will ship you whatever MRE’s and baking soda she can carry.”

  Jack snorted. “Roger.”

  Jacklynn cut in. “Roger that. Guess it is too much to ask for overtime?” Jack chuc
kled.

  Doc reported in later, the medical team had lost two, but the others that were lightly hurt or touched by the slime might live. She asked if they can be air lifted to base. “It’s your call Doc, You and Nicole,” Mitch sighed. “We are loading up a couple sacks of baking soda now. We only have six though. As soon as Jacklynn lands we will get them out to you,” he finished.

  “Thank god. The fumes are terrible; we have had to move people to other areas upwind of the worst of the damage,” Doc reported. She paused for a moment. “Helen and Jack have work crews with masks tearing the roofs apart and hauling away the contaminated bits.”

  Mitch nodded and then had to ask the hard question. “Roger that. I’ll have someone dig up some respirator masks.”

  “It looked like a war zone here; they lost two grain silos and one entire stable. The animals outside in the pastures are gone, just bones. There is a smoldering trail all along the path of this damn thing,” She paused then continued. “There are a lot of smashed buildings; a few are still on fire,” she sighed.

  “Does Jack want to abandon?” Mitch asked, rubbing his brow as he envisioned the damage.

  “Hell NO!” Jack himself responded to that.

  Mitch chuckled. “Roger that good for you.” He handed the mike off to Jolie and then headed off to check on things.

  It took a week to get Copper village sorted out. CJ and Jason were buried in a brief ceremony. Jack sent some of the families with kids back with Sam to spend the winter at Base. TJ and the other wounded man were air lifted; they would take months to heal.

  Anne looked on as Vanessa and Hanna came into the room. They were holding hands and Vanessa pulled a giggling Hanna to her and kissed her soundly. Mitch snorted, and then took in the look on Anne’s face. He pulled her aside. “Anne is there a problem?”

  “Problem? No why would there be?”

  He sighed at the bite to her tone. “Anne look, if they are happy, that is all anyone can be at this stage. Be happy for them. Hell, I am, at least now Vanessa isn’t chasing me!” Anne flapped the towel she was folding. He grabbed it. Her eyes cut to his and then away.