Outward Borne
Page 30
“No! How did that come about?”
“It’s a story that I don’t completely understand myself, but my niece managed to give them her computer. It was one of yours, Arun, and now you may thank the many gods that you know. They are using her friend’s iSite and are video conferencing with some people inside the space ship. They have only one computer, Arun, and the battery will not last long. I need to get them some good tech gear, power supplies, all that stuff, some bodies to help them, food, clothes, whatever they need to stay in place until we can negotiate proper treatment by our rather reluctant government. Can you take care of this, Arun? I will be flying into Reno and may be hard to reach for the next six hours. And Arun, put the fear of Steve in them, no leaks. If anyone finds out what they have done, it will be all over.”
The CEO of Apple was not one to let a good marketing ploy pass him by. He immediately called Deni Rossum, who was the leader of the New Products Group, and got him out of bed. Deni organized demonstrations and set up shows for new Apple products, and was someone who could obtain the latest equipment and have it operational by early the next morning. They agreed to provide all of the Voyagers with an iCom2, the new super-thin phone with full communications and computer capabilities, and with three laptop computers, that were loaded, encrypted, and networked to a wireless server that could be controlled from the landing site. Deni could get his team to assemble the equipment, but they would need more than hardware to stay in the mountains for a week or more. He arranged to have a small plane leave San Jose Airport at 6:15 in the morning and fly to Reno in time to meet Bill Hanson. Now, all Deni needed to do was arrange everything in the middle of the night and with all the stores closed, and have it all at the airport on time.
Deni had one good shot. His secretary had taken the week off to go cliff climbing with her gawky brother and her boyfriend. Sad, really, she was very good and it would be a shame to lose her, but maybe he could co-opt her camping gear and keep her alive for a while longer. He woke her up, promised Janet that Sharma himself would buy them new equipment and supplies, whatever they wanted, but he could not tell her why he needed their stuff. She knew only that she would have a story to tell her grandkids when this was all over. Just get the gear to the airport, plus food for seven for a week, and some boots and rugged clothing for a five-foot-ten man. The lawyer would look odd walking around the forest in a rumpled suit.
With a great deal of texting and hustle, Will Knolles (boyfriend), Stan Miguel (brother) and Jin Leung (electrical engineer) loaded their gear into the plane in the early morning light and flew off to Reno. They would stay in contact with Janet, and she would collect whatever else they, or the kids, would need to stay the duration. She would bring it up on the next wave.
Hanson realized, somewhere over Kansas, that he was ill prepared to spend a week in the forest, something he had never done before. When he arrived in Reno, he was relieved to learn that they had clothes, gear, and a tent for him, though the boots were too big. He changed during the thirty-minute flight into Tower Canyon, but the helicopter was not allowed to land within view of the meadow. They were made to put down in the next valley and walk in. The four made good time, all things considered, and arrived at the campsite by eleven in the morning. Martha was still hyped about their contact with the Voyagers and ran up to give her uncle a hug, which had never happened before, as she thought him somewhat scary. While the equipment was unpacked and tents set up, Martha, Patty, and Derik told them about the latest happenings.
“We have talked with a bunch of Voyagers already,” Patty said, as she logged in.
“How long have you been here?” Uncle Bill asked.
“It has been two weeks already, we got here before they came out and made their speech.”
“You look too clean to have been out here so long, sleeping in the dirt.”
Patty opened the link to the lander. “Oh, we went swimming yesterday, in a pond on the other side of the bluff.”
“The water was so cold I was numb for an hour,” said Martha. Derik had a too-goofy grin, like he wanted to tell all.
Bill wondered why they would have brought bathing suits to a cold place like this, but he decided to forego that line of inquiry. William Hanson could hardly believe it when Patty opened the connection. He had time to tell Ragnar about the equipment that they had coming. It was just in time apparently, as the battery on Patty’s computer died. They would have new communication devices, upgraded computers, spare batteries and portable power supplies, but what could they do with it?
The Voyagers agreed that they would not wait until dark, even though it would be safer for Broga. There would be too much stuff for one small dog to carry, and running back and forth at midday would surely be noticed. Ragnar was not worried, however, and said that he would arrange things.
Kelli put a muzzle band on Gustie, Cari Umbala’s particular friend. It was a device they used in training dogs to walk in line. She tied Gusties’ band to Broga’s backsack, and they were ready to go, except for one thing. Gifts had been collected for the girls, and for Derik, and these were added to Broga’s load.
The Army’s observation had become particularly attentive since the Voyager’s appearance. Surely, they would see the two dogs leave the lander. They would unless there was a significant distraction, Ragnar thought. Four large dogs running wild through the meadow might be sufficient, especially if it looked as though one might escape into the forest. Rodik had Rugge and the others, Redi, an even taller red racer, and Huffer, an even bigger Great Dog, sitting ready at the hatch. The dogs were trained to respond to a whistle, and they would, if they did not take out after some poor rabbit. That would be untried territory. The four big dogs took off, with gleeful barking. The smaller ones dropped quietly from beneath the lander, and followed their flybot guide.
Broga ran right to Patty Palmer, who gave him a big hug. Gustie got one too. She opened the backsacks and let out a squeal. The Voyagers had sent presents. She got a fine blue cap with a nice hand-written note from Cari Umbala, and Derik received a long red cape from JiDaSon Alomar (superman quips to follow). Martha opened her bundle to find a yellow-and-black-striped knee-length top from someone called DePat. She quickly put it on and twirled around. It was made from a delightful airy fabric, like nothing she had worn before. A bit later, when she stuck her hand into the deep side pocket, she felt two small cubes and a second note.
Miss Marta,
Please take care of this small gift. It is a very secret present to you, and very important to me. Someday, I will come to visit you and exchange it for something better. After we exit the lander, I will stand by the fence. Please wave to me if you have received my gift.
Your friends,
Muff and DePat
Martha held the small copper boxes up to the light. They were not really boxes though, more like cubes with a top. Each about the size of a walnut, with the outside inscribed with complex, curving designs, and a top that flipped open to show tiny brightly colored pictures, but it was not clear what the pictures were. She closed her hand and stuffed them into her pocket. No one saw.
Everything worked as they had hoped. Patty stuffed a big bag of M&Ms into the sack, and sent Broga and his caboose running. The flybot and dogs disappeared into the bushes and were halfway across the field before anyone saw them.
Colonel Fitzsimmons was reading a report on the arrival of the containment units when he was informed that a Mr. Hanson had arrived. Some legal fellow who claims to represent the Voyagers, his aide said.
“Colonel, thank you for seeing me. May I sit? Colonel, I have several items related to the Voyagers that I would like to make you aware of. This is a Voyager document, in their language and writing, which I have been told, states that a Mr. Ragnar Jondar has been selected as leader of the Voyagers and is authorized to speak on their behalf. The symbols down the sides are their signatures. Quite a valuable piece of paper, I should think,” he said chuckling.
Fitzsimmons wanted to kn
ow how he had gotten such a document, but Hanson kept his peace for now.
“Here, Colonel, is a power of attorney letter, signed by Mr. Jondar, authorizing me to represent the Voyager community. Quite an honor, I can tell you. In that role, I have applied for citizenship in countries based upon the residence or birthplace of the original captives, and as of today, the Voyagers have been granted provisional German citizenship. Very prompt those Germans. When the Voyagers depart from the lander, I will present their passports to you for your inspection, or to an immigration authority if you wish. Other petitions are being considered, including U.S. citizenship.”
Colonel Fitzsimons shook his head and smiled. He rather liked this fellow, and could do nothing but admire how he had pulled off.
“I expect that the Voyagers will be treated with all rights accruing to foreign nationals. Furthermore, the German Ambassador has delivered a letter to the State Department requesting that formalities related to visa status be waived, along with complications associated with their rather unusual mode of entry. I believe that he received a favorable response from State, but you may wish to confirm this for yourself.”
“A separate matter involves Superior Enterprises, Inc. Superior is an employee-owned Delaware company that represents its employees in various activities, typically movie and book contracts, concerts, and public appearances, that sort of thing. All of the Voyagers are now employees of Superior Enterprises. Superior will be in a position to file an injunction seeking damages should their employees be held beyond a period agreed to by their own medical advisors. Colonel, I believe they have estimated an amount of $1,000,000 for each day of lost combined income for the Voyagers. Celebrity status pays well, it seems, but I doubt that will be necessary.”
“Finally, I have a signed letter of understanding detailing the conditions under which the Voyagers will leave the lander. It is very much as you have lain out. They will agree to be taken to a military medical facility of your choosing; that their own medical advisors will provide medical treatment during quarantine and that they be granted freedom of movement on some date considered safe by those same advisors. To this end, they have contracted with the Stanford University School of Medicine, who will provide specialists in whatever disciplines are required. You may have your own medical staff observe and review the proceedings throughout the period of quarantine, and of course, that would be welcome.”
“Affix your signature Colonel, and we can begin to arrange the departure. If you need to consult higher authorities, I will leave these documents for your consideration.”
The Colonel received these revelations with mounting calm. This duty had been elevated beyond his authority to that of his superior officers or to some politicians. Good, he thought, that suits me well enough. He had a strong feeling that everything he was doing was creating history, and he rather enjoyed it.
The interior of the landing craft was cramped, with rows of protective pods surrounded by banks of robotic medical and emergency repair equipment, and much else. The dogs recovered first, then, one by one, the voyagers were able to stand and move about. It was crowded, smelly, and uncomfortable. The bodies of their two dead companions were left in their pods to save space; even so, it was hard to find room to sleep. Food and water were limited. Needless to say, the M&Ms, once they figured out that they could be eaten, were a sensation. Imagine being brought up without chocolate? The Voyagers developed high, soon to be dashed, hopes for all the wonderful new foods they would experience here.
Jondar had scheduled the departure date. Activity and excitement rose to a frenzy on that day. The Voyagers cleaned and groomed themselves as best they could with the small amount of water available, and no mirrors, or even privacy. They helped each other dress in the unfamiliar ‘Earth-clothes’ that had been specifically designed and produced for this moment. The ObLaDas had warned them to act normal, like normal people of Earth that is, and not to show off or do anything peculiar - nothing too alien. Magnar Remton, for one, thought that it would be more appropriate to dress in his best full-length, screaming yellow body cape and tall iridescent purple crest, but he put on the designated narrow, dark gray trousers and white over-top instead.
The Voyagers had requested that a space be partitioned off around the lander to allow them room to disembark and acclimate themselves, however briefly, to their new surroundings. They would spend a short time in this area, before being taken away for medical examination and quarantine. Colonel Fitzsimmons had thought to have the Voyagers proceed directly to his secure facilities, but he agreed to this reasonable request. He hoped to limit the media circus by allowing a single pool of cameras to be set up outside the craft and to broadcast only those pictures from the site, but once again, the Voyagers had their own cameras in the air.
The Voyagers lined up in pairs, with their dogs, if they had any. When the moment came, the port cover slid open and bright sunlight streamed into the dingy passageway for the first and last time. The emergence commenced at 11:03 AM on 25 July 2065. The People would spend some time in the open air, with their feet on the ground, for the first time in 1415 years, as near as they could determine. The Voyagers left the landing craft with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing, and even those would soon be taken away. They entered this land with nothing, just as their ancestors had when they were taken away.
It was a clear, mostly sunny day with a few scattered clouds, somewhat cool and breezy. The grass was still green and a few summer wildflowers bloomed in the flat open meadow. Surrounded by granite cliffs and smooth rounded peaks, the canyon was a scenic spot by anyone’s standards, but a phenomenon to the Voyagers who had never seen the sky or felt the wind. Ragnar Jondar and Cari Umbala were the first to step off the lander platform onto Earth. The others followed, with their dogs on a string. Many were enraptured by the view, turning, and turning again, to look in every direction, heads high to marvel at the clouds in the surprisingly blue sky. Others, DePat among them, were fascinated by the mass of people lining the field, waving and calling to them in half a dozen languages. But the dogs, and not a few of the People, were in awe of dirt. Having lived their lives on flat plastic floors, this soft, gritty, smelly stuff was a marvel. Living plants, they had never imagined the existence of plants, just grew everywhere. In fact, it seemed living things were everywhere, except for the distant rocks. Tullie Dohar tried to pull up a clump of grass and was astounded by how hard it was to get it loose. She succeeded with a little help from Gustie, only to find worms. There were things living underground, amazing.
Flybots had been sent out some time during the night, and were now busy recording and broadcasting events to networks and blog sites worldwide. Before the Voyagers appeared, the flybots had flown above the nearby cliffs and spotted five snipers that the Army had put in position overlooking the meadow. The lander’s robots had watched the soldiers as they moved to the edge of the cliff south of the landing site. The craft’s computers warned the Colonel that it would be futile to attempt to shoot anyone, as the bullets would be intercepted and the five soldiers killed within an instant. Fitzsimmons did not believe the craft had that capability, but he explained that it was only a security precaution in case someone in the forest attempted to harm the Voyagers. True, but the lander was also truthful. The ObLaDas sent word that his security was not necessary, for they had all that was needed to control events. Fitzsimmons did not believe it.
Martha and Patty were too excited, as they pressed against the barrier to watch the Voyagers walk from beneath the lander. They were about fifty meters away. After a while, a tall man came to the edge of the Voyager’s fence, and looked in their direction.
Martha screamed for the binoculars. “I must have them to see, please,” she was almost in tears.
Jin Leung gave her his pair, and she focused on the Voyager.
“Oh my God. Oh-my-God!”
“What is it?” asked Patty.
“He is the handsomest man ever,” whispered Martha.
“My DePat, over there with the little dog. Oh my God, he is waving to me. I think I am going to die.”
Martha adjusted the binoculars and looked at the tall, lean young man, with flowing blond hair, and unusually straight eyebrows, soon to be the most famous unibrows since Frieda Kahlo.
“You’re so right,” was all Patty could manage.
The flybots continued to broadcast images throughout the day. They swooped over the field, showed the people straining against the restraining barriers, and in one memorable sequence, they slowly panned back to the Voyagers and focused on DePat as he stood holding Muff. He was shown smiling and waving, clearly delighted by the reception they were receiving, and oh so handsome. It was the general opinion, and the first notice that set DePat a bit apart from the others.
The Voyagers’ ordeal began soon thereafter, however. As they left the meadow, the Voyagers were ushered into a plastic covered tunnel where they were given sterile coverings and face masks. They were moved further into an enclosure that was lined by armed men in protective white suits. This was expected, if not welcome, but some became anxious when they were split up into small groups and loaded into windowless vans. They had never been in a vehicle, and were startled when the vans sped off, accompanied by motorcycle escorts, sirens blaring, and helicopters hovering overhead. The convoy drove to a prepared clearing not far away, where three large helicopters sat waiting, rotors turning. A few of the Voyagers panicked, not wanting to get into the things, but they were forced. The cargo helicopters flew them to the Walker Medical Facility in Fort Irvine, deep in the Mojave dessert, a hot, barren place. Nothing was heard about them after that. They were held in strict quarantine for eleven weeks, during which they were tested, examined, scanned, and injected a lot. None of them were ill, except for Aneus Gunthar, who had an allergic reaction to the AIDS vaccine he had been given.