“Ishima?”
Pawn pointed a hairy finger toward the crude drawing in the dirt. “Ishima. God of land and sky.” Other ape-men, over a hundred of them now, had moved in closer and stood behind Pawn. There was that same face; Pawn was turning furious again. Without thinking, Jason stepped in and delivered a roundhouse punch to the smaller caveman’s jaw. He fell down to the ground and didn’t move for several moments. The others behind him took several steps backwards. Pawn was slow to recover; first, getting to his knees, then standing with his balance wavering.
Jason hailed Billy.
“Go for Billy,”
With his eyes, Jason followed the switchback path up until he could no longer see it in the smoky haze above.
“Status?”
“It’s here, Cap. Hovering at the top of this cavern. There must be fifty dead apes laying around on the path up ahead that, I’m guessing, got in too close to the drone. All of them have nasty-looking scorch marks to their upper torsos.”
“Get the exact coordinates from Bristol and send them to me.”
Dira was at his side and looking up at his face. She smirked and retrieved several items from her MediKit. He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. “The nanites are already doing their thing. I’m fine.”
“Let me at least wipe off some of the blood,” she said, and proceeded to clean his cheek and then his forehead. She made a face marked with exasperation. “Seriously, you pick a fight with a prehistoric caveman?”
Billy, back on his NanoCom, said, “Here are the coordinates, Cap. Sending them now.”
Jason retrieved the message packet and forwarded them on to Ricket. Then he hailed him.
“Go for Ricket.”
“Got the coordinates?”
“Yes, Captain. I’m preparing to phase-shift the first paired drone now.”
“We’re inside of a rocky cavern. Will that make a difference?”
“It shouldn’t. The Minian is less than a thousand miles away from your position.”
Jason set his HUD to display Billy’s helmet feed. He saw the drone and the bodies on the surrounding pathways ahead.
There was a white flash and a second identical drone appeared. It hovered ten feet below the other. Both drones came alive and spun one hundred and eighty degrees, while hidden panels opened and weapon muzzles secured into place with distinctive clicks. Jason waited—watching the standoff, both drones looking angry as if they would fire on the other any second. Then, in unison, they put away their weaponry, closed their panels, and quietly hovered there together.
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
They left the cavern with two rhinos carrying Traveler, now in-and-out of consciousness. No more spears or rocks were thrown; apparently the ape-people were now appeased having two drones, or Gods, instead of just the one.
They made their way back to the shuttle late in the afternoon. Something was cooking on the open fire and Jason hoped it was antelope. Within minutes RCMs were unfolding and game, hunted by the rhinos on the return trip, was added to the fire. Dira was adamant that Traveler needed to be transported back to the Minian as soon as possible. Within minutes Ricket, on the Minian, had prepped one of the shuttles and remotely piloted it to their camp. Although smaller, it was virtually identical to the Magnum. The shuttle circled once overhead and then landed fifty yards from the other shuttle. With Traveler secured, and two others rhinos to accompany him, the shuttle was back in the air within five minutes.
Jason didn’t like the fact that Traveler, his friend and now the rhino leader, would be out of commission for a while. Even though Ricket had insisted Traveler would be fine alone up on the Minian, Jason was convinced it was more prudent that he be protected, on the off chance something happened up there. Ricket assured him that the other two rhinos could be returned to the planet within minutes, if necessary.
More rocks were soon placed around the fire and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Jason sat down next to Billy, who passed him a cigar. Rarely did he accept one of Billy’s stink bombs, but he took it and leaned forward for a light. He stifled a cough, then drew in the rich, aromatic smoke.
“Not a bad day’s work,” Billy said, looking pleased with himself. “Hell, if the rest of the drones go that easy—”
Jason held up a hand and shook his head. “You know what you just did, don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t jinx anything. I’m just saying …”
“We have four more of those suckers to pair up. I think we need to be ready for the worst,” Jason answered, watching the glowing hot ember at the end of his cigar.
Rizzo was handing out platters of meat and some kind of roasted, locally harvested, potatoes. As Jason reached up for his, his eyes caught an image at the edge of the camp. Two gargantuan lionesses. Licking their chops, they watched as everyone ate. The rhino-warrior named Few Words walked up to the fire and tore off one of the large antelope legs. As he approached the female lions they rose up off their haunches, looking ready to bolt. But apparently the rhino’s total lack of fear, and the aroma of the roasted meat, kept the lionesses put. They accepted the leg and wasted no time tearing and eating its flesh. But what surprised Jason the most was how they permitted Few Words to sit down on the ground next to them. At one point, the rhino gave the larger of the two cats a scratch behind her ears and left his arm resting along her back. Dira and Grimes, sitting together, both pointed to the sight with mouths ajar.
Jason tossed what remained of his cigar into the flames. He’d had enough of the acrid-tasting thing. Billy threw him a pained expression. Using one hand, Jason pulled his virtual notepad from a pouch on his belt and expanded it out in front of them.
“All right, let’s take a look at where we’re off to next.” Rizzo and Orion got up and stood behind them. A map depicting Europe hovered in the air. A pulsating icon came into view, then disappeared.
“Is that France?” Billy asked.
“Yes, northern area—a little place called Conches. I’d guess close to Paris,” Jason replied.
Bristol, who had been thoroughly engrossed in his meal, stood up, threw several greasy bones into the fire and hovered behind Rizzo and Orion. “I may be able to find the next one somewhat easier.”
Heads turned in his direction.
“I mean, what are the odds it will be in a cave, or underground, again?”
No one answered and Jason closed down his virtual notepad. Getting to his feet, he stretched. “Up at 0600. I need everyone rested—big day tomorrow.” He nodded and smiled to Dira and Grimes, still deep in conversation, and headed off toward his RCM.
* * *
Jason was up at first light, well before 0600. The six remaining rhinos were clearing the campsite. As Few Words carried one of the fireside rocks and tossed it back out into the plains, one of the lionesses looked up, growled, then fell back into a bed of tall grass.
RCMs refolded into themselves as each of the SEALs and other teammates staggered out into the morning air. Jason had gotten coffee brewing first thing and offered up steaming mugs as they shuffled over to the shuttle. Orion, eyes half-closed, accepted the mug of coffee and smiled.
“Gunny, you’ll want to reconfigure everyone’s multi-gun default settings. I have a feeling stun levels won’t cut it—not today,” Jason said.
“Aye, Cap,” she said, looking around. “Where’s all the rocks?”
“Don’t get comfortable; we’re wheels up in ten,” Jason said, staring at the one standing RCM. “Let me guess, Bristol?”
“Who else?” Billy said, shaking his head. “Want me to get him going?”
“Yeah, you better. Before you know it half the day will be shot.”
* * *
As soon as Lieutenant Grimes flew the Magnum up into the air, the time-reference indicator on Jason’s HUD started to change—slow at first, then changing every second or two. The total estimated distance between Johannesburg and Conches was 5,154 miles, and within four minutes, th
e shuttle was halfway there. Bristol, seated, was staring at the equipment on his lap. The rhinos, standing at the back of the shuttle, swayed and grabbed for handholds as the shuttle banked sharply to the left.
Jason sat in the cockpit next to Grimes. He watched her as she confidently handled the controls—always active, checking settings, making adjustments, and scoping out the terrain below. There was something edgy about her, which reminded him of Nan. His heart missed a beat at the thought of Nan, now gone; he would never see her or touch her again. He fought away the shroud of sadness that was rushing to overwhelm him, wanting to engulf him.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Grimes asked, quickly glancing in Jason’s direction.
He smiled. “Huh, I haven’t heard that expression in years.”
“Midwest roots, there’s a lot more where that came from,” she said, smiling back.
Jason stared forward at the dense cloud-cover ahead.
“How about two pennies for your thoughts?”
Jason chucked. “I was just thinking that you reminded me of someone.”
“Like how I look?”
“No, not so much look. More of a presence.”
“Presence?”
“Yeah, I guess more like a state-of-beingness. Your confidence, edginess.”
She nodded without looking in his direction, then said, “Well, I suppose a lot of that comes from being a female in a male-dominated environment. Ten years ago, I assure you, I was quite demure and ladylike.”
“I never said you weren’t ladylike.”
With that said, Jason turned around to face the team, jam-packed in the hold behind him. “Two minutes. Billy, once on the ground, let’s get out there and set up a defensive perimeter. Rhinos, give us a few moments to check out the surroundings before you vacate.”
There were nods all around and expressions of anticipation, even excitement. The truth was, he was excited too. How often could one actually experience a form of time travel like theirs? And like the spin of a roulette wheel, they could easily fall into virtually any timeframe.
The Magnum descended as those on board looked out through the cockpit window or through the portholes on either side. Slowing now, breaks in the cloud cover reveal the terrain below; one that is covered in tall pines, an occasional winding road, and cleared farmland. Their vertical descent culminated with a gentle thump thump as the landing struts touched down.
Jason checked his HUD’s time-reference date: June 2, 1944.
“Of course, why make it easy?” Jason asked aloud. He knew of this timeframe in military history. Four days before the invasion of Normandy—they’d landed in an inhospitable location in a most inhospitable year.
The back of the shuttle lowered and a gust of warm dusty air filled the cramped compartment.
“Hold on, everyone,” Jason said, standing and scanning the terrain beyond. Definitely farmland but their were sounds … distant sounds of motors, squeaky treads, and men’s voices. His HUD showed too many life-sign icons to count, coming from all sides. In the distance a tall white clapboard barn stood solitary alone in a recently plowed field.
“There, Grimes. Get us over to that barn!”
The shuttle rose several feet and moved off in the direction of the barn. Heads were craning now to see out the rear window, or through portholes.
“There!” Rizzo pointed to the south, where plumes of dust filled the air. A distant convoy headed in their general direction.
Jason followed the sightline of the distant dirt road. Coming into view were hundreds of ground forces—the unmistakable outline of Panzer tanks and other armored personnel carriers. Grimes maneuvered the shuttle to the far side of the barn. Two closed barn doors stood before them.
“Go!” Jason barked.
Both Billy and Rizzo were out of the shuttle and running toward the big wooden doors. Within seconds they had them opened wide and pushed back against the outside of the barn.
“It’ll be tight, Captain,” Grimes said.
The shuttle was repositioned so its rear end was now pointed in, toward the open barn doors. Slowly, the shuttle began backing in.
Jason felt it in his ears, a compression followed by a release. What followed next was loud: continuous booming thuds, one after another. Instinctively, everyone crouched down low. In the distance a line of tanks turned in their direction. One after another, white puffs of smoke appeared from multiple turrets.
“Incoming!” Billy yelled, as he and Rizzo ran back toward the rear of the shuttle. Two hundred yards out the ground exploded, shooting dirt and rocks high into the air. A moment later two more explosions came, each consecutively hitting closer to the barn. First Billy, then Rizzo, leapt and landed hard on the shuttle’s back decking. Grimes wasted no time throttling fast forward, the sudden motion whipping everyone’s head back. Two more explosions, the last one hitting dead center in the barn. Its sides and roof blew out with a massive concussive fireball. Wooden shards clattered against the shuttle’s outer hull, several flying into the open rear hatch.
Jason watched as the barn exploded behind them and, a second or two later, saw a drone emerge from the burning embers. It flew past them at tremendous velocity. Then the shuttle’s hatch closed and latched into place.
“That’s our probe!” Jason yelled.
“I’m on it, Cap,” Grimes replied.
The shuttle followed the drone over several open fields until it disappeared into the tree line.
“Shit!” Grimes spat. “Forest is too dense. I can’t take us in there.”
“Shoot the trees, do not lose that drone,” Jason commanded, taking his seat next to her.
Grimes stole a quick glance at Jason. “Shoot the trees?”
“You heard me. Do it. Don’t you dare lose that drone.”
Grimes tapped several virtual keys in front of her and the light-blue holographic nav display reconfigured—adding another layer of red targeting components. Her thumbs tapped at small keys on the top of the control column. Energy bursts fired from the dual plasma cannons, positioned low at the shuttle’s bow. Closing in on the tall tree line, Grimes continued to target the closest trees, cutting a swathe twenty feet wide.
Both Jason and Grimes saw the drone increase its lead on both the nav display and their HUDs.
“Stay with it, but let’s keep our distance.”
Grimes nodded. Trees continued to disintegrate before them but now at a slower rate. The drone’s icon slowed and then came to a stop a quarter mile ahead. The shuttle emerged from the forest into a valley clearing below, where three sets of railroad tracks converged into what appeared to be some kind of railcar cemetery. Wooden shacks in disrepair dotted the landscape. Multiple rows of dark red and black boxcars were lined up and bunched together at the northern end of the desolate railcar scrapyard. At its center area, where once perhaps stood a bustling depot in years past, were row after row of ancient steam locomotives. From the shuttle’s distance above, they looked like a child’s discarded train set. One locomotive seemed precariously angled to one side, and almost obscured beneath it, in a slight hollow, sat the drone.
Jason glanced at his HUD’s time-reference date: it was still June 2, 1944.
“Let’s set down here, Grimes. Any closer and the drone might fly off again.”
She brought the Magnum down close to the tree line and activated the opening of the rear hatch. The warm air from outside rushed in, along with the distant sounds of war. Far away rifle fire crackled, along with the boom boom of mortar exploding.
The rhino-warriors were the first out, followed by the SEALs, and Bristol. As before, Grimes and two SEALs stayed with the shuttle. Sounds of combat were closing in from two sides. As a second thought, Jason told Dira to stay behind, for Grimes to keep everyone else on board, and to keep the Magnum’s shields up. He locked eyes with Dira for a fleeting moment and then trotted off with the team.
Bristol quickly fell behind, spending as much time looking down at his equipment as he did loo
king forward. Stumbling, he said, “Shit!”
They’d reached the first set of train tracks. Beyond the depot, in both directions, the trees had been cleared ten feet into the forest.
“That’s not good,” Billy remarked.
From the east a column of tanks and dark grey uniformed men were following the tracks and heading in their direction. Jason had spied them on his HUD but hadn’t expected them to be so close. He and his assault team quickly crossed the tracks and moved behind two adjoined wooden shacks.
“Wehrmacht,” Rizzo said.
Both Jason and Billy looked back at him with blank expressions.
Scrapyard Ship 4 Realms of Time Page 8