On the Edge of Now: Book III - Redemption, page 13
“Really? I didn’t notice—about what?”
“I still don’t have proof one way or the other if the event is natural or artificial—however, considering the frequency with which Tag is entering and exiting the portals, one of two scenarios is likely . . .” He turned, facing her. “Either it’s a purposely built transportation system being controlled by some entity for unknown reasons, or it’s natural.” He paused, thinking about the next part. “And, something about Tag’s body chemistry is attracting it like a proverbial magnet— when it appears, he and his friends hop on for a ride . . .”
Neither said anything.
Finally, she cocked an eyebrow, waiting for a grand finale to his thought.
Kyle shrugged. “That’s it—it’s not much, but I don’t have anything else . . .” After a few seconds, his expression brightened, and he smiled. “Yet . . .”
Jackie returned the smile, and hugged him by the shoulders. “That’s my boy—still pitching into the ninth inning! You’ll figure it out—just don’t burn yourself out getting there . . .”
They remained together with her arms around him, which he determined was a hell of a lot nicer than simply sitting at his desk pondering. Eventually, Jackie stirred and pulled away from him enough to see his face. “What if it’s door number one that’s happening? Obviously, it’s powerful and advanced way beyond us—why would they be trying to control or influence Tag as well as his movements?”
“Why, indeed . . .”
****
With the absence of modern, civilized conveniences, when night falls in the forest it’s as black as squid ink. Protected by the rock overhang, little moonlight or starlight filtered through the trees, and everything resembled a dark void. Claire, however, didn’t feel lost or inconsequential— she lay beside Devin, cocooned in his arms, facing him—he was gently snoring, yet not loudly enough to keep her awake. Apparently, she could stay awake all on her own . . .
Unable to nod off, she rewound the events leading up to her present situation of existing in a primitive camp in the deep forest of an unknown world. Why am I here? How can everything change in just a few weeks? Then, she landed on the most important question. Where the hell am I? Intellectually, Claire could follow the events, understanding the reasons why things unfolded as they did. Spiritually? She hadn’t yet caught up to her circumstance—that part of her still reeled.
She missed her parents. As an only child, there weren’t siblings to muddy the waters of her affections, and her mom and dad were always there to protect her. In their current world, however, she knew she had to be self-sufficient, caring for her own, particular interests. But, with the advent of Devin, she was learning to appreciate the fact sometimes a person needs help carrying the load.
Then she thought about Devin—when she met him, he was embroiled in a less than reputable job for a criminal gang leader—but, she thought, now he’s firmly ensconced with the forces of goodness and righteousness.
Then, there was the portal—a ribbon of light capable of carrying them safely through vast, deadly reaches of space. On the upside, its sudden appearance in her world did save them from a treacherous circumstance moments before their capture—they were toast without its appearance. And, if she were to be honest with herself, Claire had to admit to a certain, unexpected level of excitement—a sense of adventure she didn’t seek. The randomness made her smile, shaking her head in wonder. Student one day, dimension hopper the next.
She let her mind drift for a while, recalling life events before Rose’s introducing her to Tag, and everything thereafter. Decisions she had to make in her world seemed petty and easily dismissed, especially since she recently experienced several gunfights as well as an old fashioned bar brawl.
Finally, her thoughts landed on a recent acquaintance, as she knew it would—Ranj. Despite her captivity, during their three days together they formed an attachment as each strove to learn from the other within a time-compressed environment. The opposing sides thing between her group and his was silly, and she was convinced if the chips were really down, she could rely on him.
And, he could rely on her.
She couldn’t help it—she felt conflicted. Given a choice, more time with him would be the highest priority. However, if that were to happen, likely violence would ensue between the groups, and that was unacceptable. Isn’t there a way to bring the groups together with the realization they may be able to help each other?
As she wound down and drifted off to sleep, her mind grappled with a method to solve the riddle of coexistence.
****
Claire wasn’t the only one in the camp having sleep issues—Rose, too. Asleep, Tag sprawled next to her, happily babbling away about his dog, Lego.
The wolf encounter kept rewinding like an unattended video loop stuck on play. As long as she kept herself occupied with other chores during the day, she could function normally—however, when she had time to herself, the images were crystal clear. She felt no fear—rather, a sense of wonder and joy. Concern, too, when she thought of the wolf pup—how did it fare after its ordeal? There was no question Rose experienced maternal thoughts and feelings, and she found them pleasing—especially when she thought of her three siblings. She missed them and, after leaving her world with Tag and Claire, she had no idea of how they were doing. The last time her family was together was the morning her parents, brothers, and sister departed for a family vacation on the West Coast.
From there, she had no idea what happened . . .
****
“Have you heard anything from the last portal team?” His superior officer gave him a hard look.
“Not a thing since they left . . .” The operator of the sensor array dutifully maneuvered the switches and levers using his three fingers and two thumbs in a coordinated effort to capture signals sent from the team that left their world several weeks prior.
The Commander winced at the expected answer. Four highly trained team members, and he didn’t have clue if they arrived in a suitable world for colonization. There was always the possibility they disappeared in space—alternatively, if they did arrive safely, he had two teams ready to go if they received an affirmative response from the previously dispatched pathfinder unit. He waged an inner debate whether or not to commit them anyway in the event the portal reappeared—a decision rendered moot if the damned thing didn’t show up again.
Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. Goran was one of his better leaders—that’s why he sent his team in first. The real problem lay with the little they knew about the portal system—it appeared off and on in several locations in their world, and they experimented by placing inanimate objects into its opening, watching them disappear. He assumed they landed elsewhere—and, that was the kicker. Where did they end up? One object did vanish, then reappeared several time units later without any obvious ill effects—it was the instance prompting the idea to send living specimens. An advance team to scope out what was on the other side—and, it was a risk worth taking even if there were a slim chance of success. Three teams were previously dispatched several moons ago—none returned.
Should he send another team? Perhaps, but how many lives should he risk? Unconsciously, he spoke to his missing team leader. “Come on, Goran—what’s going on?”
The technical assistant half heard his leader’s muttered remark. “Sir?”
The Commander waived him off. “It’s nothing—I’m just talking to myself again . . .” He looked at the signal operator, turned, and walked away, thinking about Goran’s team. He knew Goran was a solid choice, as were Ranj and Pa’la. It was Songa he didn’t know much about because of last-minute orders bumping out the regular number two. Her sneering attitude didn’t impress him, and he hoped her teammates could handle it.
Goran, he was certain, would consider her a royal pain in the ass.
****
Goran pondered his choices—should they follow the aliens further west and deeper into the mountains, or should they travel east to explore the foothills and plains area thoroughly? Both were reasonable options—but, there was a third choice, as well. They could head back to the east, exit their current valley system, and then head north or south. But, it was his final option that seemed easiest—they could stay put, and build a more permanent camp.
None presented an obvious solution—upon first arrival in their current world, he appreciated the wide open, unpopulated spaces. But, no longer—the beginnings of an uncomfortable feeling lingered below the surface of his awareness most of the time. When it did register, he attributed the sensation to the dramatic difference between his world with its overpopulated, polluted condition. Where he stood, the solitude and quiet were starting to bug him.
But, there was something else—if his team of four and the alien group of four were the only ones present in their world, why did they end up in the same place at roughly the same time? Granted, it was a massive world, so the chances of everything happening as it did were pretty slim, and he couldn’t make sense of that simple fact. Yet, he took comfort from the concept only his current region was uninhabited— other parts of the world may teem with cities filled with inhabitants. It was, however, unlikely.
The decision of which direction to take was his—but, if he polled his team members, he received conflicting results. It was clear Pa’la—supported by Ranj—wanted to leave the alien group alone, thereby eliminating the choice of heading west. Listening to that bitch, Songa, would lead them back into a chase scenario, likely resulting in another violent confrontation with the alien group. Before the last encounter, Goran felt his team was superior and the result would be favorable. However, after licking his wounds, he wasn’t optimistic they wouldn’t take more serious casualties in the next sortie against the aliens.
Obviously, they were more resilient than they looked.
Events previously unfolded without planning—each side reacted to the other sparked by fluid conditions. Admittedly, the other side didn’t initiate an active hunt of his group other than the rescue of their captured team member. And, he couldn’t fault them for that—he hoped his team would do the same. Everything else the aliens did was reactive to his team’s being offensively minded—a mindset causing them to walk into the ambush.
Ranj’s suggestion, he figured, was a last resort—find the aliens and talk peace. Convince them they could share the land. Well, that sounded nice, but his mandate for being sent through the portal system in the first place was to land in a suitable world where they could migrate population. He doubted the higher-ups in his world would be fond of sharing with other new arrivals.
Not for the first time, Goran wished he didn’t have to make profound decisions affecting his home world as well as his current one. Not to mention, he could do without the political bullshit—just give him a straightforward mission with narrow parameters, and turn him loose.
As he walked back to camp still unclear of the best option, he lamented the fact there was nothing to drink in their godforsaken world—what he really needed was to get blitzed so he could forget about it for a while!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Nearly ten days passed since detecting the aliens. Without sensing the Watchers within the same amount of time, Tag decided it was safe to venture further west for a sweeping surveillance. In his recent worlds, he didn’t have the chance to explore, and it seemed as if they were only traveling from one unknown area to another. So, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to become familiar with the terrain in case they had to retreat quickly due to unsafe circumstances. Rose campaigned to join him, but he patiently pointed out he would be moving at a fast, stealthy pace, and one body moving through the forest had a greater likelihood of avoiding detection. She got it, agreeing to stay behind.
He struck out as soon as light filtered through the trees, stopping to rest and eat at midday. Sitting on a log lopsided enough for him to concentrate on not losing his balance, Tag found the silence profound. No people. No sound. Things he took for granted were no longer a part of his life—at least, at that moment. But, as pleasant as it was, there was an eeriness he found disquieting—not quite spooky, but something was on the fringe.
Silence is a funny thing—it invites contemplation and, as Tag munched on his meager lunch, he considered the social condition of humans as well as what happens to people when removed from personal interactions with others of their kind. At least he had Rose, Claire, and Devin, and he shuddered to think of being stranded alone in the middle of his new world—even though he could support himself, he imagined a person might eventually go around the bend.
In the middle of considering the possibility of making nice with the aliens, he heard sudden, heavy sounds of something large making its way through the underbrush. He stood, orienting toward the noise while keeping his eyes fixed in position and, through his peripheral vision, he could see just enough to snag his backpack. Just then, a grizzly with two cubs rustled into view and, without taking his eyes off of them, Tag slowly backed away. Whether he made too much noise, or she caught his scent, the result was the same—she charged, closing the distance between them at an alarming rate.
Tag instantly pivoted and lunged into the trees, dodging and weaving, knowing the uneven race would end badly for him if he stayed on the ground. He spotted a decent-sized tree with low branches—low enough for him to make a running leap with higher branches well-spaced for climbing. Without pause, he launched himself off the ground—if he missed, he was dead meat.
His right hand caught a partial hold, then slipped off the branch. Luckily, Tag’s left hand grip came up strong—but, as momentum propelled him forward, his left shoulder took the full force of his body’s inertia. Somehow, he managed to grip with his right hand and, using both arms and one foot leveraged against the tree trunk, he swung up onto the branch, positioning himself within reach of the next. Separate movements flowed into one as he continued scaling the tree, not seeing the grizzly stand upright, swipe with a mighty paw, and miss his right leg by inches.
Once he was high enough, he paused to glance down— still upright, the mama bear tested the strength of the tree, shoving its trunk with a powerful force. Her goal not realized, she started to climb.
So did Tag.
Her successful chase, however, wasn’t to be. Taking a long look at her quarry, she realized her target was out of reach and, deciding whether to continue, she heard a fearful squeal from one of her cubs. After one more look at Tag, motherhood prevailed and she climbed down to investigate. Soon, she ambled off, cubs in tow.
Tag watched from his branch, debating whether to stay in the tree, or take a chance. Finally, he decided to descend and resume his westward course, waiting to move forward until she was out of sight. After ten minutes without evidence of being followed, he slowed his pace to a brisk walk.
Clear.
****
A slender, diminutive figure suddenly stepped from the foliage, its mottled green and brown skin a natural camouflage in addition to its lack of scent. By design, only one of the cubs detected it, letting out a yowl loud enough to distract its mama, and bring her running.
Of course, Tag couldn’t see anything from his perch in the tree, so he had no idea of the subterfuge employed by the small visitor.
Subterfuge by purposeful distraction.
Standing alone and checking out the tree involved in the recent action, the being wondered if its intervention were a wise choice. However, the human who was being chased made such a graceful maneuver to transition from running to scaling the tree, he decided it would be wasteful to allow the bear to end it. Perhaps, he thought, the bear wouldn’t have made it that far . . . in any event, it was done, and each went its own way. Seelo hoped he wouldn’t regret his involvement— he was well aware things had a tendency to boomerang . . .
****
The on-site Commander laid out the parameters— however, she felt they were too restrictive, illconceived, and counterproductive. Besides, their duty was clear. The reason for the entrusted mission—its sole purpose—related to the finding, investigating, and identifying the viability of a new world available for the migration of a good portion of their population. Provided, of course, the portal were available.
Songa considered their situation. Now, she fumed, this blasted Goran wants to handcuff us, especially when it comes to the alien group. If he leaves them alone, they’ll contact their people—they’ll beat us here, effecting their own colonization effort. It was no secret Songa figured the better strategy would be to nip it in the bud by terminating the alien group before any more of them arrived. Hell—if we’re lucky, maybe we can dispose of the aliens before they notify their home world . . . In that event, no one on their side would know they found the perfect place.
But, Songa wasn’t stupid—she knew directly confronting her superior may lead to unwanted repercussions. Therefore, any action she took would have to be on the sly—and, that included that dolt, Ranj, and the sneaky Pa’la. Songa couldn’t abide that bitch, always watching, never saying anything.
Her campaign started on the second day after their glorious leader decided they should stay put, sitting on their collective asses instead of following through with their mission. She left camp—purportedly to scout for danger, as well as collect food—going the extra step to extend the prescribed range from their campsite. She figured by expanding their periphery, she might find clues, or locate the aliens—better yet, she could spot their camp, or find one of them alone in the forest. Then, she could be merciless . . .
It wasn’t easy—it took days of intense reconnoitering before she caught the first whiff of their possible whereabouts. The clues led predominately west with a few backtracks and trail puzzles, but nothing too elaborate or complex to decipher. Continuing from the point where she left off the previous day, she kept at it for successive time units, moving forward, always on the alert.
Her perseverance paid dividends.
