Still Falling: Book 1: Solstice 31 Saga (14 page)

The stars were beginning to reveal themselves as they cleared the gatehouse door.

Barcus ran.

The road was quickly covered by an arch of trees, but he didn't stop. He could hear them behind him so he ran faster and faster.

The horses’ training prevailed. They seemed to know they were to follow him. The low gravity served him well as he moved as fast as these horses at full gallop. Glancing, he could see that both held a hand full of the horses’ manes. Barcus ran full tilt for nine minutes.

When he could hear the ship, he began to slow. His HUD told him they were 5.7 clicks from The Abbey. Far enough for most tactical nukes. Well, small ones.

The road opened to the sky at this point.
Cover was better
he told himself. The Horses pulled up and nearly reared. Ash was waiting just inside the clearing.

Barcus held up a silencing hand.

They could hear the roar of the ship above. The ship and its vapor trail were still in the sunlight as it passed behind them.

Po was worried, “Barcus, what's happening?” She looked up. “It's the Keepers. We see them like this sometimes.”

Olias chimed in, still breathing a little hard, “My mother always said that they were on the Errands of the Mighty. We are naught but ants.” He sounded like he was quoting.

They waited.

Darkness had fallen fully before they turned back. Po and Olias were both shivering by the time they got back. The blackness of the open maw of the gatehouse door was unsettling. Barcus turned on the light from his multi-tool. They entered the fountain court and turned into the stable yard. He snapped off the light.

“I'll take care of the horses. Goodnight,” Olias said uncharacteristically sober.

“
Barcus, the ship continued without deviation until it was out of range,”
Em Said in his mind.

They went into the gatehouse, and Barcus sat and started to unlace his boots.

Po just stood in front of the fire warming herself.

“I'm sorry, Po. I didn't mean to frighten you,” Barcus said quietly.

“How could you run... like that?” Po said.

That was not the question he expected.

“Where I come from, we are very strong and fast.”

“Do you have to go tomorrow?” she queried.

“I do.”

“What was it you wanted me to do while you were gone?” Po asked.

Pulling his other boot off, he said, “Get ready for bed and I will tell you.”

She went into the loft to change into her night dress. He watched her through the HUD, even as he changed into his nightshirt. He got the book from the side table and waited.

She climbed in and sat up next to Barcus. She remembered.

“A is for Apple. B is for Bee.” She traced the letters with her finger, then turned the page and cocked her head.

“Try.” Barcus encouraged.

“Cat?” she guessed. “We could use some cats around here.”

A livestock list window popped open and “cats” was added.

“C is for Cat. D is for Dog,” Barcus said

“E is for Ear. F is for Fire.” Barcus continued making the “f” sound.

She sat, and they went through the book dozens of times. Barcus explained that letters made words, words made sentences, and sentences held the thoughts or ideas. The back cover of the book had random letters scattered over it.

“Show me a T.” Po found it easily. They did a few more until she almost chose wrong on “W.”

“That's enough for tonight. I want you to read it every night I am gone. Think about the letters, the words.”

Po set the book on the side table, added a large log to the fire and blew out all the candles.

Em said in his HUD,
“Barcus, Par will be here in four hours. They will quietly unload, and she will be ready to go whenever you want.”

Just then Po spoke. “Barcus, when I was a young girl, I lived on an estate just below the gorge. House of Keeper Volk. He discovered one day that the head cook could recognize the name of the spices from the jars. He made us all watch as he beat her to death, bashing her head in, with an ax handle. After he was done, he cried because he would miss her pastries. He said only witches could read, and we are always obliged to kill witches.”

“No one will kill you as long as I have a say. Besides, you are already a witch,” he teased.

In the middle of that night, he caught her out of bed reading the book by the light from the fire. It was when she said out loud “F is for Fire” that he woke. At first light, she was at it again. He smiled and watched her sitting on the floor. When she saw he was awake, she asked, “Is P for Po?”

“Yes!”

“M is for Magic...” she said.

“B is for Breakfast,” Barcus said. At that, her eyes flew wide.

“Is B also for Barcus?” she asked.

“You mean that there is a magic set of symbols that if I were to recognize it, I would see you in my mind?” her eyes were wide.

“Yes,” he smiled.

Breakfast that morning was cold meat and cheese with hot tea.

Barcus went out the gatehouse door for a bit, and when he came back, he had another book in his hand.

“This book has more magic than the other books. While I am gone, if you ever need to speak to me, all you have to do is open this book and call to me. Even a whisper will do. And then I can answer. Let's try it. I'll go out.”

He left the gatehouse and a minute later, Po opened the book while it was on the table and whispered, “Barcus, can you hear me?”

“Yes, Po. I can hear you,” came his reply.

There was an image of Barcus in the book, out into the air. He was on top of the bell tower. She looked out the window and she could see him there.

“It's like the other side of the mirror is there, not here,” she said.

“While I am gone, carry it with you in case I need to speak to you,” Barcus said.

And then the Plate became a simple mirror.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

STU

“The Emergency Module had valid intel that a massive bomb was inside a transport. This bomb was to be used north of the gorge somewhere. It was just being cautious. Barcus never knew about the four trackers Em killed as they fled the Abby.”

--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

<<<>>>

Barcus didn't see Olias before he left. It didn't bother Barcus – he knew Em would keep an eye on him. Olias would get more done around The Abbey than Barcus would know how to do. The boy was driven.

“Hello, Barcus,” Par said as he entered the cargo area from the rear ramp.

“Good morning, Pardosa.” The HUD activated before he even sat down, creating the illusion that the spider had opened and they were looking directly at the sky. “Is there anything new this morning, Em?”

“The inventory lists have been updated with the new goods Par just dropped off. That will keep them busy while we are away,” She replied efficiently.

“Bring up the tactical map with full annotations. Indicate the route you intend to take, current positions and ETA.”

They were already moving at a rate of speed that Barcus thought was too fast. He didn't say anything since the ride was smooth.

“How close will we need to get in order to bring the STU down via remote?”

Em replied, “If we make our way to the foothills here...” A spot on the map highlighted and zoomed. “...we should have the benefit of elevation and line of sight.”

“There is a pretty big distance between the two peaks. The one where the STU is parked will be just above the horizon at that point. Will a directional beam do it?” Barcus asked.

The HUD indicated it would be 45 hours to reach that point.

“We should have left a series of relay BUGs so we could remain in contact,” Em said. “All I was thinking about was that they were coming. We had to escape. I didn't know then if the BUGs would lead them right to us.”

Barcus settled in for the long ride. He had Par bring up the priority status items. On the screens, Par showed him the priorities once they had the STU. They would need a full systems check, a materials and capabilities inventory, and most notably, they would need to get Stu started on the comm traffic decryption effort.

There were new concerns listed about the weather. Em had collected data on the last storm and thought the pattern was going to repeat and intensify. “We will arrive and communicate with the STU just before dawn tomorrow. He will need time to fire all his systems up, but then we will have to wait for nightfall. We may be in luck with the weather for cover that night.”

“Then what?” Barcus asked.

Em answered, “The advanced Shuttle Transport Units have the new Kidwell Grav-foils that can redirect gravitational forces in any direction, as propulsion has its limits. Basically the ship just falls, but horizontally or in any direction or none. The speed while in atmosphere is limited. It will be fine for getting down off the mountain quietly. The steering won't be very good without thrusters, but we won't need to be precise. It will simply be falling in any direction we choose. But only as fast as the near gravity would fall.”

The track they had plotted was direct and constantly in wilderness. A large portion of the journey was through an area that looked as if it had suffered a forest fire a few months before. The burned area was contained by streams and land features, the margins of that area very clear.

Barcus spent a long time studying the weather estimates. The harshness of the estimates seemed extreme to him.

He slept in the module that first night without even pausing. He watched Olias and Po working on repairs at Whitehall. Eventually, he decided to call Po on the Plate.

She was getting ready for bed and was sitting tailor fashion in the middle of the bed reading her children's book.

“Barcus?” It was Em. “If you want me to, I have other children's books and reading lessons we could provide for her on the Plate.”

“That is an excellent idea. I will mention it. I am about to call her.”

“How would you like to do that? Audio only? AV? Or would you prefer full Augmented Reality?”

“Let's try Audio and Video only. Go slowly.”

The bedroom at the gatehouse suddenly filled the HUD in the spider. The BUG was obviously sitting on the mantle.

The Plate, in its book, rested on the bed by her knee. She jumped when it quietly chimed. She reached for it and when she opened it, Barcus could see that Em had filled its screen with swirling clouds.

“Hello, Po,” Barcus said.

“Hell...hello?” she stuttered.

“It's all right, Po. Just speak normally. Did you have a good day?”

“Yes. It was busy. Everything is fine,” She replied.

“Do you want to see me as well as hear my voice, Po?” He asked. “I can show you how.”

“Yes. Please,” she answered.

He appeared on the Plate.

Barcus said soothingly, “It's all right, Po. It's me.”

She lifted the Plate but said nothing.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She was looking up and down from the Plate.

“Are you here and invisible like the wind, or is this a ghost?”

Barcus laughed. “A little of both I think. I'm not really there. Just my image is there.”

“I can't touch you?” Po asked.

“No. But we can talk, even though I am very far away.”

“Where are you really?” she wondered.

“I am north, toward the mountains. I will be back in a few days.”

“Will your spirit stay here with me?” she said.

“Yes, Po.”

She was nodding and appeared close to being overwhelmed.

“The Plate can do more. I will show you. If you want. Please let me know if it is too much all at once.”

She did want more. Nodding her head.

Looking again, Po saw the Plate had the exact page, A is for Apple.

Po said it out loud.

Then it changed to B is for Bee. They went through the entire book again together.

“The Plate has more books for you if you want them. All you have to do is ask it. We will start here. Plate, I want to read Run Cat Run.”

The child's book came up in the display. “It will show you many books if you like.”

It read her the book. The words and letters glowed as they were spoken. Her eyes were wide.

“I will go now, Po,” He said.

“Yes, Barcus. Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Po.”

“Goodnight.”

Suddenly Barcus was very sleepy.

***

The next day, it was bright and sunny behind them and dark and forbidding in front of them. Clearly another storm front was coming through from the northwest. Barcus continued his morning status review. It had grown to hundreds of areas. He focused on the priority items usually, but on this trip, he got to review some of the lower priority reports.

One of the reports was a continuing effort to perform a detailed survey of the area surrounding Whitehall on an expanding radius.

This was an appendix to the Physical Security Status report that mostly focused on The Abbey proper. This appendix was the Proximity Report, Area Analysis, Possible Future Resources, Stone Quarry section. This report mapped the roads around The Abbey, where they went and why. A long unused road was found, which led to a stone block quarry. This was where the stones had been cut for use in The Abbey construction.

What caught his eye that day was an annotated still photo that was captioned “Predator activity indicated.”

“Em, how far is this from The Abbey?” He indicated the image.

“That quarry is 2.7 kilometers from Whitehall.” A large tactical map showing the exact location of the quarry relative The Abbey appeared simultaneously.

The image was of a great pile of deer remains, all piled in one spot on one of the terraced sides of the quarry walls. The remains were odd in that they were not entire deer carcasses, but parts of obviously dismembered deer. There were lots of skulls with antlers attached and hoofed feet that were recognizable. A few pelvises could be identified. But it was mostly shredded hides and parts not easily eaten by a carnivore. Hundreds of deer skulls could be seen.

“Em, has there been any other signs of this kind?” Barcus asked.

“No. We have been watching our thermal imaging recently, as well as looking for a large carnivore. It has probably moved south with the herd migrations or the seasons.”

“Keep me informed on any related data for this item. And make sure Ash secures the gates every night at Whitehall. In fact, were there any cut blocks left at the quarry? Maybe we should step up the repairs to the wall.”

“Yes, Barcus, there is a large quantity of cut blocks available, but they are grown over with vines. That was detailed in a previous survey report. It was also added to the itemized resources list.” Both reports popped open.

“Okay, Okay. Thanks.” Barcus was beginning to regret the full hands-on approach he had taken. Em was handling far more than he ever could.

He was tired. He should be taking advantage of the time to rest and not stress himself.

He reclined back.

“Par, bring up the Olias and Po monitors.”

He found that they were together in a room he had not seen previously. It looked like a larger, luxurious bathroom. A fire was roaring in the hearth, and a small trickle of water was running out of the wall via a stylized fish mouth to land in the tub below. The water that was coming out of the fountain was steaming.

“Where is that room at Whitehall?” Barcus asked.

A tactical map of The Abbey displayed, showing the location of the room. It was in the blasted out portion of The Abbey. The scarred heavy door to the room led out to the section that was blasted away and had collapsed into rubble three stories below. The access to the room was along the ramparts and down a ladder to that level and then in. The area’s roof was mostly intact but required a lot of repairs.

“At least now we will all be able to bathe like civilized people.” Po looked at Olias scowling. “Even you. The tub will be full in a few hours. We need only keep the fire lit for it to be warm.”

Barcus could see that the area outside the bath suite had a huge stockpile of firewood. He was glad that Po would be able to have a warm bath. He thought about himself as well. How long had it been?

He watched her as she bent over and retrieved a large canvas bag from the floor and began to unload brushes and rags and other cleaning supplies. She turned a tarnished lever, and brown water began to flow. She left the water to run and snagged chunks that the stone spigot spat out. After several blasts of dirty air, it began to run clear water. She began to scrub. The sink was an eight-foot long slab of stone with the basin carved into it and highly polished. She must have already done this procedure with the tub. Olias returned with buckets and mops, which he left there. His next trip brought several small rugs that he left outside by the firewood pile.

Olias went to the destroyed edge and looked over the side. It was about thirty feet down at this point, and he just sat down as if it were nothing, looking around and even up. Barcus wondered what he was thinking because he was thinking hard.

Then he waved.

“Em, who did he just wave to?” The BUGs scanned about, and then zoomed in on the bell tower. Ash was parked in the bell tower, watching.

It waved back then retreated into the shadows.

Em asked, “Is it okay for Ash to talk with the boy if he wants? Olias has tried to engage him on a few occasions. Plus, if you allow this, Ash can then function as a comm unit in an emergency without scaring the shit out of Olias.”

“I think it's a good idea, but go slowly.”

“Do you see the wall breach from this angle? Can you switch to Ash's view?” Ash's view had a much higher resolution than the BUGs’. “We need to get the lower section of that wall repaired and the water flowing from the aqueduct to jump this gap. If we don't, then ice is going to be a problem. If nothing else, let’s redirect the flow to the outside of the wall.”

“I see what you mean. The wall breach could have rows of the quarry block on the inside and outside and the center filled with packed rubble. Tiles here and here would allow the old pattern of flow,” Em said.

“Put Ash on it. I bet he could use a lot of the rubble that is there already. Plenty of blocks still in the rubble.”

“I think it would also get water in the stable systems too. You should also lift the night work constraints. If they get used to seeing him working, it will be better. Plus he could get twice as much done,” she suggested.

And then a moment later, she added, “Are laser cutters okay?”

“Sure, with standard precautions.”

“I know Olias wants to take Ash on another salvage run to the estate. What do you think?”

Barcus thought for a minute.