Schooled
Page 10
“My parents are Carl and Annette Peterson,” Beaker informed them.
“My parents are nobodies. They are just working to gather the oral histories of our species,” Sport added.
“And I already confessed to who my parents were,” Fubar stated.
All eyes fell on Stone. “My mother is Bianca Stone, my father is the android Jacob Stone.”
“Okay. We have all confessed our parentage. And almost all of us have powerful parents. At the least we have notable parents,” Beaker stated. “There is an issue we have to face. It isn’t very hot for all the sand, and it may get really cold here come dark. It is approaching evening now, perhaps we should move towards that dubious shelter, or back down the none too secure ladder.”
Lyla looked to Goru, “Truce?”
Goru held out a tentative hand, “Truce. Let’s get moving.” Everyone lined up and they began the long hike.
- - - - - - -
Lyla’s mind and emotions were in complete turmoil. Her parents had effectively lied to her her whole life. Her mother had made enemies, and Lyla would reap the consequences. Finally she understood why she had been sent to this school. Lyla pulled herself out of her own head and looked back the way they came. She could still see the elevator shaft and the couch. It felt like they had been walking for days the distance didn't seem to be shortening.
Her bottomless bag rubbed at her shoulder. It didn’t weigh much but it did chafe a bit. Lyla unzipped the bag and dug through the supply pouches. She thought about eating a ration bar. She hadn’t eaten at all today. Instead she pulled out a pouch of water and began sipping at it. She blinked against sweat dripping in her eyes. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her T-shirt, and focused her eyes on the patch of green.
Lyla fleetingly wished she would just get there already. Suddenly she was standing in the middle of the oasis on the shore of a glistening lake. Across the lake was a sparsely populated town. There were herds of sheep and goats mulling around the perimeter of the town.
Lyla looked over her shoulder into the desert. She blinked and suddenly her eyes were able to pick out her companions in the distance. She turned her eyes to the sun. Lyla worried her companions would not make it to the oasis before the sun set behind the distant mountains. As the worry churned in her gut, her mind whirled. Then like the setting of a tumbler in a lock her vision blurred and then suddenly she knew how to bring them to her. It was so simple. Before next breath her companions joined her next to the lake.
“Lyla?” Goru blurted. There was a tinge of surprise in his voice. He had arrived two steps in front of Lyla.
Lyla felt dizzy and nauseous. She barely registered their surprise before she passed out.
- - - - - - -
Millie watched as Goru rushed to catch Lyla as she fell. Her collapse alarmed Millie. What could it be? An injury, a toxin, a disease, anything could have caused her collapse. What if this was something serious. What if it was spreading. With almost a sharp pain, Millie felt Milo press his concern on her. She had been lost in thought. Her own private thoughts.
“Are you alright?” Milo pressed on her mind.
Millie leaned into the ebb and flow of their link. It worried her that the strain this situation was putting on her link with Milo might bend or break it. Millie wasn’t sure she could stand being alone in thought for long.
Goru lowered Lyla to the dirt near a tree. “Faith, come work your magic!”
Faith rushed to Lyla’s side, and placed her hand on Lyla’s forehead for a moment. “Her cells are starving. I think she needs sugar.”
“There should be a glucose IV glove in the med kit,” Beaker stated joining them. Faith pulled out the medical kit and Beaker began riffling through it.
“You think she’s the one who got us here?” Goru asked Beaker.
Beaker shrugged and handed a finger-less glove to Faith. “It would explain the massive drop in blood sugar.”
Faith pulled the glove onto Lyla’s right hand and tapped the button to activate it. “We should let her rest.”
“Good thinking, and good job,” Goru stated, his eyes took in Beaker and Faith.
Beaker stood and gazed across the lake, “We might find help over there.”
“Or we might find harm, maybe we should split up. A small group to go see if they can find help over there and the rest of us will set up camp here and prepare to mount a rescue if they are unfriendly,” Goru suggested.
“I will go,” Milo blurted. He hadn’t even presented an argument for them going before volunteering them. Quietly he practically whispered to Millie in thoughts, “I will go alone. You will stay here. That way we know firsthand what is going on.”
“How will we communicate? How will you know we need rescued?” Stone asked, “My telepathy is unreliable. I don’t think any of you are skilled.”
Fubar flashed her teeth in a strange sort of grin, “I am truebreed clan. I have fully developed telepathy, and Faith is an intuitive Empath.”
That practically screamed for Milo and Millie to reiterate their bond, “We are…telepathically linked…I see what he sees…and I see what she sees...There is no… better communication,” They traded off, in sync for now.
Goru looked as though he questioned whether or not that would be sufficient communication. Ultimately his words surprised her, “Okay, between you two and Fubar we should be able to track your progress, I don’t feel comfortable sending just Milo though.”
“Oh, I am going!” Sport stated.
“Me too,” Stone stepped up. That left Lyla, Goru, Beaker, Faith and Fubar staying.
“You’ve got your gear, daylight is not going to last much longer,” Goru said measuring the sun against the horizon. Millie wrapped her arms around Milo just before he rose to head out. Their eyes locked. “Stay safe!” Millie didn’t know which of them the thought had come from.
Chapter Seven
Oasis
When Lyla collapsed Faith rushed to Lyla’s side, almost as quickly as Goru caught her. Faith placed her hand on Lyla’s forehead for a moment. That moment left Faith feeling her own hunger magnified, “Her cells are starving. I think she needs sugar.”
“There should be a glucose IV glove in the med kit,” Beaker stated as he came up beside them. Faith pulled out the medical kit and Beaker began riffling through it.
“You think she’s the one who got us here?” Goru asked Beaker.
Faith looked up from Lyla to see Beaker shrug. He handed a finger-less glove to Faith. “It would explain the massive drop in blood sugar,” Beaker suggested
Faith pulled the glove onto Lyla’s right hand and tapped the button to activate it. “We should let her rest.”
“Good thinking, and good job,” Goru stated, his eyes took in Beaker and Faith. Faith flushed at the unexpected approval from Goru. She felt strangely affirmed by his praise. It was strange how much it mattered to her. She rubbed her forearms and considered stepping away to relieve her tension. Could she find enough privacy here?
Beaker stood and gazed across the lake, “We might find help over there.”
Faith was finding it nearly impossible to focus on anything but the anticipated relief of her anxiety she would feel as soon as she could gain enough privacy. Until that moment she honestly hadn’t realized how much of an issue it was. She had never put off acting on the impulse like this before. In her room it felt like there was no one to hide it from.
Fubar was talking, “…Faith is an intuitive Empath.” The mention of her name stirred Faith’s thoughts from her need to cut back into what was going on.
That led to Millie and Milo verbally reiterating their bond, “We are…telepathically linked…I see what he sees…and I see what she sees...There is no… better communication,” They traded off. Faith struggled with keeping her focus on what was going on.
Goru looked as though he questioned whether that would be sufficient communication. Ultimately his words surprised her, “Okay, between you two and Fubar we should be a
ble to track your progress, I don’t feel comfortable sending just Milo though.”
“Oh, I am going!” Sport stated.
“Me too,” Stone stepped up.
“You’ve got your gear, daylight is not going to last much longer,” Goru said with his gaze focused on the horizon. Millie and Milo hugged briefly. Then the group left without another word.
Faith rocked back on her heels their departure was unaccountably encouraging. Perhaps she would have an opportunity….
- - - - - - -
Stone didn’t question for a moment that she would be among the group to check out the town. She wouldn’t have taken no for an answer. She found the town intriguing, partially because she had never experienced anything like it. There didn’t appear to be any electronics, or there was something seriously wrong with her ability to sense them. Stone preferred to ignore that possibility. Her mother would bring her home immediately if she were aware of any possible malfunction. To be honest the idea was more than slightly terrifying to Stone as well. She was a one of creature. Nothing like her existed anywhere else in creation.
Milo headed out after a quick hug with his twin. Stone shook herself from her internal dialog over her malfunctioning sense. With her remaining entirely natural senses Stone quested after as much information as she could get to calculate a response to their situation. She focused her vision. She could just see people moving around the village, but she nearly tripped over her own feet to do so.
Stone attempted to focus her hearing. At first she heard only the sounds of the wind and her party moving efficiently towards the village. She eliminated those sounds from her awareness. Then she picked up the bleating and baaing of the domesticated animals. She eliminated those sounds as well. Focusing further she heard other sounds of the desert around them. One, the sound of large wings flapping drew Stone’s attention to the sky. Digging deep in her internal data-banks, Stone identified the bird as a California condor.
“Hey, Milo, please let Beaker know I have positively identified a California condor. I am fairly certain we are on North America on an Earth,” Stone asked.
Milo nodded and kept walking. Stone turned her ears back to searching for voices. She removed layer after layer of sound until all she heard was the soft rustling of distant clothing. Unsatisfied, Stone listened harder. Her head was starting to hurt. She backed her senses down a notch and just put her attention to keeping her feet stable. She noticed that the borrowed boots were starting to wear blisters. Stone formed the intention to ask for a break and managed to walk right into Milo’s back. He held out a hand to support her and held a finger to his lips then pointed. They were just yards from the village with some mid-sized shrubs between them and it.
- - - - - - -
Milo felt strange as he walked away from his sister. This was the first time he had voluntarily left her side. He was going out into the unknown. He wasn’t really leaving her. There was still the nearly split screen consciousness they shared. He didn’t think he could do it without her internal support. Milo focused his mind and body on putting one foot in front of the other, despite the fact each step took him further from her.
For the most part the walk was pleasant, Milo made note of the plants he passed. He also paid attention to the few animals. He let Millie decide whether or not to tell Beaker about them. Stone piped up along the walk, “Hey, Milo, please let Beaker know I have positively identified a California condor. I am fairly certain we are on North America on an Earth.”
Milo nodded and passed the information to Millie without missing a step. They kept walking. Sport kept his distance and seemed to be attempting to make himself look like a native animal that just happened to be going the same way as Milo and Stone. Milo sent Sport a nod. Ahead there was a trickle of a stream flowing into the lake with a hedge of bushes on this side. The village was just a few yards away on the other side. Milo had to stop for the bushes. Stone wasn’t paying attention. She ended up walking right into Milo’s back. Milo spun and put an arm up to keep her from falling.
He held a finger to his lips then pointed to the village just ahead. Stone nodded and looked around. “Where’s Sport?” She mouthed.
Milo pointed to where Sport was lying in wait in lower shrubs, nearer to the village. “I think he has the sense to keep out of sight, unless we need backup,” He whispered. Internally he asked Millie for a consensus as to what to do now.
Millie’s internal voice throbbed with relief. He hadn’t been focused on what she was communicating for some time. “Milo, Lyla woke up. She seems disoriented.”
Milo passed the information on to Stone, “Lyla is awake, but she is disoriented. Any ideas in your cyborg memories?”
“Give her some water, as a Porusan hybrid her body can provide or collect almost anything else she needs.”
Milo passed on the suggestion. Millie relayed it on her end, then responded, “It seems to be helping. Goru suggested and we agreed you should try to make contact.”
Milo gestured for Stone to stay where she was and made his way around the bushes. He entered the town alone to gauge their reaction. Several adults eyed him then seemed to purposefully ignore his presence scurrying on about their business. They were all dressed in ragged homespun wool clothing. Milo could feel no thoughts or emotions from any of them, not even the blatant fear on their faces. There was something about these people that put Milo on edge. Still, it seemed safe enough. He gestured for Stone and Sport to join him.
Chapter Eight
The Town
The feeling of the town raised Sport’s hackles involuntarily. As Milo entered, it was all Sport could do to keep from snarling. the people of the town either took no notice of Milo or actively avoided him. Milo moved around the town a bit before he motioned for Sport and Stone to follow him in. Sport was no coward. He had braved wild bison in his manhood hunt, but this town brought out the frightened puppy in him. Ears laid back and tail dragging, Sport entered the town. It was eerily silent, physically and telepathically. There were no children something was wrong.
Stone met up with Milo first. They waited silently for Sport to join them. Milo stood ready with a plan, his shoulders were set a little angrily and he was muttering to himself, “All well and good they want us to put ourselves out there. They can’t feel this!” Milo grimaced, “Goru and the gang think we should pick an individual and force an interaction.”
Sport couldn’t hold back a low growl, “Something is definitely wrong here!”
“We know that. These people don’t talk. I was listening for them the whole way here. Not a single grunt or cleared throat. Their breathing and the rustling of their clothes is all I could hear,” Stone stated.
“They smell odd too,” Sport added. He couldn’t put a paw on what was wrong with their scents but he just couldn’t.
“Goru wants to know how many languages you have in your databases Stone,” Milo relayed.
“A huge number, including dialects and reconstructed root languages,” Stone replied.
Milo blinked, “Goru wants you to pick someone and throw a selection at them, start with Galactic.”
Stone nodded and danced off to talk to an older woman.
“Sport, make a circle of the town, see if you can find where they hide their children, I am supposed to see if i can access a dwelling,” Milo split off.
Sport ran around and through the village. There wasn’t so much as a toy to be found. He rejoined Stone and listened as she peppered the old woman with dozens of languages, all with no response.
Milo rejoined them looking perplexed, “We obviously aren’t going to get any help here. Goru wants us to withdraw to camp.”
“Thank the holy one, this place gets my hackles up,” Sport turned to make his way back. He waited for Stone and Milo realizing neither of them could scent their trail back to camp and they might become confused in the gathering twilight.
- - - - - - -
Goru stood watching Faith tend to Lyla fora moment before his
brain spurred him to action. They had set off in this direction in search of shelter and civilization. They had found civilization of a sort, but not necessarily shelter. It could still get cold tonight. Goru began digging in his survival bag for the self erecting shelter he knew was in it. He had plenty of choices of where to erect it he chose a level spot and placed the package on the ground he turned the dial to 9 and activated it. The device began unfolding. It went from a package the size of a Tic-Tac case to something larger than a refrigerator box with a door which opened in.
The shelter assembly drew Beaker’s attention from the plants and animals around the lake. “I didn’t know we had one of those,” Beaker said joining Goru.
“We have three spaced out among the bags. Faith has one. I have one and one of the twins has one,” Goru stated. He zipped his pack and palmed open the door to the shelter. Inside were four bunk beds and one single bed off to the side there was another doorway off into a small bathroom and a table with ten chairs.
“Sweet!”
“I think we should move Lyla to that bed,” Goru pointed.
Beaker nodded. He stepped around Goru grabbing the blanket off of the single bed, “Lets go.” Goru nodded and they rejoined Millie, Fubar, Faith, and Lyla.
“Beaker, Stone says she found a California condor, and that we are probably on North America,” Millie stated on their return.
“Any change?” Goru asked. Seeing Lyla so vulnerable made it hard for Goru to dislike her. If he pushed her mother from his mind, Goru thought she was almost pretty.
Faith blinked at Goru. She was an empath and without doubt had sensed Goru’s nearly charitable feelings towards Lyla, “She has been restless, and tried to pull the IV off in her sleep.”
Goru smiled flatly. Beaker folded the blanket in half and laid the blanket out beside Lyla. Fubar needed no instructions to join Beaker in transferring Lyla to the blanket. They grabbed the corners of the blanket and smoothly carried the improvised stretcher into the shelter. Faith followed closely clutching her med kit. That left Goru and Millie standing where Lyla had been.