Breakfast is instant oatmeal. Apple and cinnamon one of my favorites. Since the packages were looted yesterday it is shared by all. The idea of instant packaged foods is new and there is a great deal of discussion about how such food might be packaged by the kingdom. I'm not going to be the one to burst their bubble telling them their kingdom in little better shape than our nation. Their happy discussions are interrupted by the sound of distant gunfire.
A few guns firing would lead me to believe that a group of survivors was fighting off a group of, or a very large monster. This is more like fifteen to twenty guns maybe more if they are taking the time to aim between firing. Soon the firing trickles off.
Dan’s expression is stale and distant. “That’s in the direction we are heading,” He says.
“Which of us should go scout it?” I ask.
“I would like to say me but I can’t compete with your eyes in this gloom. Go slow. Stop and look often. Make use of natural cover.”
“I hope it was a group dealing with a wolf pack or something like that.”
“Me too, but be safe.”
Since it is clear people from my world are involved I will be the advanced scout. There is a shopping center a mile or three up the road. Three chain stores and a small group of local businesses. As I get close I see a scene from a post-apocalypse survival game. Vehicles and broken building sections used to form a large compound around the remains of the shopping center. Building materials from fallen homes are being re-purposed to build new houses.
I am sure they heard the bike long before they saw me. The world is much quieter than it was two weeks ago. People are walking behind their barricade on watch. Once they spot me not one points a weapon at me but instead some are trying to flag my attention to get inside the barricade while others are pointing up the cross street. I am guessing that whatever they were shooting at earlier is still in the area. Since they seem quite friendly I will head for the barrier wall. I hope they have some sort of gate.
My arrival seems to have triggered the next wave of the attack against the shopping center. The, what I shall call, goblins come both for me and rush the barricade. Nasty-looking little purple people with rags for clothing and waving sharp objects. The facial expressions of the thirty or so who have broken off in my direction change drastically when I shoulder the AK-47. Seems they have learned about guns.
Once they are close enough for the targeting dot to reach the size of a softball I open fire. Twenty shots later I flip the clip stack over and continue for seventeen more shots. I ride the bike closer to the main group.
The main body of goblins which are charging the barricade have fashioned some crude shields made of particle board pulled off broken houses. They are in for a rude lesson in modern weapons. Their error is doubled when they squat and brace behind their improvised shields. They are trying to provide cover for the ones behind who are throwing sharpened sticks. The shield bearers are dropping like flies. There seem to be only a few marksmen among the defenders since the moving goblins are rarely hit.
That ends now. I pull out a fresh clip stack, brace, and take aim. There is a group of goblins in the backfield. They are larger and five are carrying staves. Unlike the last time, I will spare the staff and spoil the user. The backfield group doesn't realize where the attack is coming from right away so four of the five staff users are down before they turn in my direction. As number five drops the remaining goblins draw some decent swords but are unsure what action they should take. I am still forty yards away and their numbers are dropping fast. Indecision drops two more. One of them cries out but only a fraction of the crowd seems to hear so the retreat order causes a confused response to the goblins at the front. I on the other hand now have my next target, the boss. My aim is not misunderstood by the remains of the backfield goblins who crowd around the boss in an effort to shield him from my aim. Two shots later and both the shield goblin and the boss goblin have heads with very large holes in them. The backfield goblins are now turning to run and the front line goblins have figured out that the whole attack has failed. The accuracy of the defenders has greatly increased and the number of goblins dropping is turning their attack into their massacre. I don't like the idea of letting the backfield goblins get away so they are my first targets. I finish emptying my clip into the fleeing crowd flip it over and repeat the process. I didn't see any goblins escape but with that many, I am sure some did. Now, let's go check on those staves and swords that the rear guard goblins were wielding.
“Hey get out of there.” Yells someone from the barricade.
“What? Why? I was helping you guys.” I yell back
"No, you don't understand. You were great. Hell, you were amazing. It's the white smoke. It will get inside you. Mess with your head. You have to let it clear before you deal with the bodies."
“No, you don’t understand. The white smoke will help you deal with the increase in gravity by making you stronger. The crazy dreams are coming from your mind trying to adapt the white smoke into something that will help you.”
This has created quite a buzz behind the barricade.
Now back to examining the “dropped” items. He he he.
“Are you sure?” Great more yelling
"Yes. I have had several conversations with people from the other world. This white smoke is considered to be a gift from the gods."
"You have spoken with people from the other world? The bastards we met killed Kenny. We promptly shot them right after that. They had no clue about guns. Guess the folks you met were friendlier than the ones that showed up here. How were you able to talk to them?"
“Took a little while but I was able to learn enough of their language that we can now communicate.”
“What sort of people are they?”
"The daughter of a duke with her two maids and eight guards, two magic users, an elf, and nine cat people. One of them got a little grabby at first but once that was straightened out we got along quite well."
"Sounds like quite an important group you met up with. Where are they now?"
"They are about two miles up the road. Once I have collected the goodies the goblins I shot had I will head back and bring them to hear."
“How do you think we should deal with the six people we shot? Should we let the people you are with know we killed them?”
“I don’t suppose they carried ID. Did they carry anything unique that would identify them?”
“Each one carried a shield. The shield had a design in the upper right corner. Each one had a common theme but had unique elements.”
I scratch my head, “I wonder if they were their version of knights?”
“Could be. Hope they weren’t friends of your little duchess.”
“Me too. I wonder how we can feel around the situation without spilling the beans.”
"Well, we could all smile and wave as they sail on by." The man from the survivor group replies with a sheepish grin
"Might work, right now everyone is curious about each other. So, that will work for today but these are your new neighbors. Sooner or later someone will spill the beans."
"Yea, not a good approach for long-term friendly relations. Theirs is a nobility based society. If it's a true feudal system we need to make it clear we aren't part of their kingdom." Unease is creeping into his voice.
“That’s for sure. Unless you want to fall into the class of being peasants belonging to the local lord you need to make it clear that you are an autonomous people on your own land. Since these people are a few miles down the road you will be trading and talking with them. Sooner or later someone from their side will find out about those knights. Don’t know when but they need to understand those knights came and murdered one of your people and paid the price.”
“I wonder if the local nobility will be able to accept that level of independence from us?”
“Right now they have little choice but to accept it. Most royalty and nobles are dead, buried under the rubble of their big fancy stone houses. Those that aren’t have their hands full keeping people alive and happy. I’ll bet more than usual want to kill them for failing to protect them.” I reply.
“How could they expect their lord to protect them from this?”
“They have real Gods on their side. And, the Gods warned them that this was coming. The lords took the attitude that their magic would hold things together.”
“So then, the little duchess?”
“She is living in denial right now. Her whole team is.”
“You think we should tell them about the six knights we killed?”
"Yes. Make a point now. The kingdom is fractured at best. There is a good chance any local nobles who are still alive will use this to their advantage. An opportunist will likely have few allies who are neighbors. Letting them know that six of their knights are no threat to you is a good idea. Sooner or later the neighborhood will get back on its feet. Before that happens the people from our world will need to get themselves organized and educated about how the world is now. Being a bunch of peaceniks will get you turned into slaves."
“We have a few fragile people with us but not that many. Most people who survived the first week are tough as nails. I will take what you said under advisement but I am inclined to just make those initial knights disappear. Let us lead the conversation about that.”
"Ok. You do understand that I will be the translator. I don't know exactly what kind of magic they have but I have seen something that suggests they can influence the mind. I am going to be straight with both sides. If you don't want something known don't say it out loud. If I get caught in a lie then all negotiations become meaningless."
“See you in what, maybe an hour or so?”
"After I collect what I came out here for in the first place. You really should get your people out here. I and my cats have hit saturation on this noosha."
“Cats? Noosha?”
My backpack is open and two small heads appear over my shoulders. The noise from the firefight was too much for them and they had burrowed deep into my pack to escape the worst of the noise.
“Noosha is what the other world people call the white smoke.”
“Kittens. You are traveling through the apocalypse with kittens.”
“A week alone in the dark. These guys are the only family I have. Besides they are special.”
He rolls his eyes a little and turns back toward the barricade. Now I can continue my search in peace.
First I examine the staffs two are fixed with a crown of junky-looking crystals, one has a single very large crystal tied to the end with gut. The last two were clearly stolen from people of the other world. The quality of the workmanship far exceeds anything else the goblins carried. Five of the swords are of human manufacture. I use the clothing of the backfield goblins to bundle up my treasures and find it quite difficult to manage on the bike. As soon as I get out of sight I stash the bundle and race back to our little caravan.
"Dan there is a large group of survivors at the crossroads shopping mall at Turnabout. Turns out one of the safest places to be in the apocalypse is a parking lot."
"We heard a lot of gunfire coming from that area. You look fine. Is everything taken care of now?"
“There was a group of small purple people like creatures who started attacking when I arrived. I helped take down a few and the attack turned into a rout. I don’t know if any of the little purple punks survived.”
“How many is a few?”
"Seventy-seven I think. There were three rounds left in the first clip stack"
“The gunfire made it sound like a lot of people. What is going on over there?”
"There were a lot of single-family homes built up around that area. Looks like the people who survived got busy. My guess is everyone had the same idea about looting the shopping area and rather than fighting it out they organized around the shopping area."
“Do you think our friends will be welcome there?”
“For the most part. As long as everybody is patient with the lack of formality.”
This has been a bit of a sore point with the guards and maids of the duke's daughter. The girl herself is fine with the careless attitude Dan and I take around her, but her entourage struggles with it.
I pass the information about what has happened and what to expect to our friends and we start moving forward. When I reach my stash I reclaim the bundle pull out the best-looking staff and hand it to the lady who tried to steal Cheeter. I hope this peace offering finally thaws that frosty attitude she has taken with me. It was her fault that the ugly incident happened in the first place. If nothing else the surprise written on her face made the gift at least half worth it.
This close I hear a couple of other engines running. There are two older diesel pickups in the street. People are busy loading goblin corpses into the back. In the distance, I can hear another large engine laboring away. The animals that the soldiers are riding are getting a bit skittish but the days next to the tractor and bike seem to have acclimated them to the noise. As we get closer the work slows down as those doing the work notice the strange animals and our demi-human companions.
We stop outside the barricade and my job as translator begins. No surprise Canisia the duke's daughter takes the lead as the representative for the other-worlders. An older man named Andy takes the lead as the representative of the people living in the area. After three hours they take mercy on me and bring the discussion to a close. Dan has spent his time talking with people in the area as has the lady we picked up yesterday.
“James this place has most of what you were looking for in a place to settle down.”
"Farmland too?"
"Fifty years back there were several farms around hear inheritance taxes wiped most of them out. Now there are just a few hobby farms and hayfields left. More good news on that front. One of the few remaining farms scaled way back and put in a large number of greenhouses a few years back. The owner said that he can rebuild over half the greenhouses from the remains. If the skies will clear up even a little then the people here can get a head start on getting crops going. The resources around here are excellent. There is a grocery store, hardware store, sporting goods, and down the street are the remains of a farmers supply store."
"You left out the teriyaki, pizza, and haircut shops."
“Hu?”
"This area is a second home for me I spent almost every summer growing up in this area."
“Right. Anyway, don’t you think that this is a good place to settle down?”
“Yes. I have to admit I am a little torn though.”
"You want to explore a world straight out of a fantasy novel?"
"Magic, knights, dragons, even catgirls, who wouldn't want to explore that?"
"Sounds great. A feudal system of government, death waiting for you with sharp teeth, let's not forget that you hold a little secret that could get you burned at the stake by religious fanatics."
“Yes, that last one is a problem.”
"So, we will be staying. Well, I will be in any event."
“That is the best idea. I guess I will put down roots hear myself.”
At that point, Dan and I were interrupted.
"People and their pets. I am surprised by how well behaved these two are. Cats are quite territorial by nature. That these two seem so at ease in a strange area around so many people is quite unusual."
“According to them, I am their territory.”
At this, she laughed. "Would you like me to take a look at them?"
"Why would I want you to do that?"
“Sorry, I thought I recognized you. My name is Linda, I’m the local vet.”
“I am kind of a local so you may have seen me in the area a few times. I’m a new pet owner so never been to the local vet. I’ll see if I can get these two to cooperate.”
“I am quite used to dealing with reluctant pets.”
“These two are a little different.”
“All the animals I have examined recently are now a little different. That is one of the reasons I wish to look.”
=Rascal this person wants to hold you for a little bit. She is going to look at strong you are on the inside.=
=Do I have to?=
=You are braver than Cheeter so please.=
=I am the brave one so ok.=
At which point Rascal ends his assault on the twig and trots over to the vet.
“What?” Linda doesn’t understand what has happened.
“You wanted to examine one of the cats right?”
“Yes, but?”
“Let me know when you want to look in his mouth.”
"Um, yes." She deftly scoops Rascal up and deposits him on a nearby car hood.
=Boss this isn’t nice petting.=
=Be good and I will give you a treat when she is done.=
=Two treats.=
"So, can you get him to open his mouth for me?" The tone is dripping with sarcasm.
=Two treats if you yawn in her face.=
She waist no time to check the wide-open mouth but then her eyes lock on me.
“Is it just the kittens who have changed?”
“No. I have gone through a few changes myself.”
“How well have you adjusted to the increase in gravity?”
"Don't notice it until I try to jump. Then it is just a matter of adjusting my expectations."
"You were saying it is good to absorb the white smoke."
“The people from the other world call it noosha and yes it is why I have no problem with the increase in gravity.”
“It messes with your head.”
"No. It is a symbiotic life form that will tap into your knowledge base to adapt itself to you. That's what is going on in the crazy dreams that happen after you absorb the noosha. In my case, it used life that was close to me adapting us to each other. This is why I have an improved ability to see in the dark, and why the kittens and I can communicate. Someone like yourself might find a number of improvements given your knowledge in biology and chemistry."
At this point, Dan wants back into the conversation.
"Like James, I no longer have any problems with the gravity and my health has never been better. The dreams have settled down. I did not end up as "Blessed" as James with abilities like seeing in the dark or having cat familiars." Given the situation, I can't even give Dan a dirty look.
“Can I get you to let me give you an exam?”
“Later.” Much later. “Is there anything different about Rascal?”
"Well, his teeth tell me he is less than twelve weeks old. His size now along with his paws ears and tail suggest he will be a very big cat with a head that is a bit broader and deeper than you would expect from a house cat." Her expression is begging a question.
“What does very big mean?”
"Before everything was shaken into rubble your average healthy cat would be between eight and twelve pounds with the larger breeds getting up over twenty. Your little rascal with the new gravity will reach over fifty pounds. How much I can not say. Your cats are the most affected animals I have seen to date. They already seem abnormally intelligent. I hope people will treat them with respect. Big cats are at the top of the food chain for a good reason.
I saw what happened when you entered the fight with those little purple savages. You recommend bathing in that white smoke. What is the cost? Are you still even human at this point?”
"I lost my home, my job, my comfortable life. My friends and family are likely dead. I spent a week in the dark fighting monsters all alone. Am I still the same human I was two weeks ago? No. Are you? Is anybody? Do I still have the same wants and desires I did two weeks ago? Well, my expectations have certainly dropped. Wanting an interesting life has gone a bit overboard. I still want friends and once I can feel safe maybe family. Has this noosha changed me? Absolutely. For the most part, I am loving it. I wish I had a little more control over the process but I can't complain. The changes have been very helpful."
She is silent for quite a while with a scowl on her face.
“Think this is what a pod person would say to lure you to your death?” I ask.
“Invasion of the body snatchers, the reference is appropriate.”
"Here is something else to think about then. You have already been colonized. The levels of noosha are going to slowly grow in your body no matter what you do. There are no labs left that can prevent this. Embrace the change maximize the benefit gained from the noosha sooner, or allow a natural level to establish itself in you over time for minimal benefits."
Linda’s face gets a distant expression as she thinks over what I have said. “I will be with Andy when the talks continue. I think Greg should be involved as well”
“More talks? My ears will melt.”
“I want clarity on how the other worlds people deal with this noosha and what benefits they derive from it.”
“That will involve Gods and blessings.”
"So for them, this stuff is part of their religion?" She asks.
"Since I will be playing interpreter and this subject could get sticky why don't you explain blessings and the price tag that comes with them, Dan. In fact, you might want to sit on their side of the table for the next round of talks to help them ask the right questions. That should help prevent misunderstandings."
Dan screws up his face, “Why don’t you just take care of that?”
"This morning's talks ended with a discussion about territory. The northern baron whose territory should be closest to hear is something of a problem for the duke. He is constantly trying to take both his neighbors' territory and peasants. Moving boundary markers, diverting streams, making claims that his neighbors have taken his peasants things like that. He has made several attempts to expand his territory by claiming and developing the dark wood. Our little chunk of the world is now sitting a short way into the dark wood. If the duke acknowledges our territory and declares the dark wood as a buffer zone then the problem baron is hemmed in. While these aren't formal negotiations they are but a short step from them. Since we all want this to go well I must take as neutral a position as possible."
"Ok. So, Linda, it seems that gods over there are real and have taken a much more active role than here." And Dan begins to go over much of what he and I have discussed over the past few days.
The afternoon discussions go somewhat long but end on a positive note for both the crossroads community and the duchess's group. I on the other hand have been painted into a corner. Since I am rapidly becoming fluent in the other world language both sides have asked that I continue with the duchess so that I might be something of an ambassador. Someone with a blessing suitable to being an ambassador will be traveling back to crossroads after we arrive at Penacray. I suspect that I will be returning shortly after establishing that it is a pile of rubble with the people there more interested in day-to-day survival than in neighbors.
That evening after dinner I did some trading. Krysal tagged along so I played tour guide. Everyone was fascinated by her and it may have made trading a little easier. I dumped two of my 38's and my 9 mm revolver all my 38 ammo and half my 9 mm ammo. In exchange, I picked up a modest amount of 308 and 10 mm ammo. No one wants to part with the higher caliber ammunition but adding a weapon to the deal makes the difference. The only reason I held onto my last 9 mm is that it was the best compact conceal carry weapon my father had collected. I picked up some notebooks and a few pens. Linda the vet caught up with Krysal and me and begged us to let her give us a brief exam.
Spoken in common
“Why was she so shocked? What did she see in your eyes? And that light. I thought you said that your people don’t have magic.” Krysal is now staring intently at my left eye.
“The light is a fine wire heated up with electricity.”
“Electricity? Sounds like magic to me. What is so surprising about your eyes?”
"She thinks my eyes are more like your eyes than they are like hers."
“Different from what she expected, but that much surprise?”
"When a cat's eyes get exposed to light there is a reflection from the back of the eye. Normal humans eyes don't do that."
“Oh. Are you turning into a cat?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Too bad.”
Spoken in English
“What are you two talking about?”
“Why you almost fell over your chair.”
“You know?”
“Reflective surface behind the cornea.”
“You knew.”
"How else can I explain my sudden improvement in eyesight in these dim conditions."
“Are you still human?”
“I think we already had this discussion. Is Krysal human? Does it matter? Look at Krysal. She is far less human than I. She is friendly, fun to be, with easy to talk to. Well, if you speak the same language anyway”
“She is also very pretty in an exotic sort of way. She also has her eye on you.”
“She will outlive me by one hundred and fifty years.”
“Then how about the little duchess? She also was casting her eyes your way.”
"She is still a kid. Then there is also the issue of her being a Duke's daughter. Maybe not so important to us but very important to the duke."
“You are more special than you know and getting more special by the day.”
“That blabbermouth.”
“Don’t blame your friend Dan. He is easy to manipulate. Thank you for letting me take a look at you two. It was most informative. It looks like she is wanting to be the center of attention again. Good luck.”
Hmm? Is she seeing something I am not? Krysal has been tasked to learn as much as she can through me by the little duchess. She also sees me as someone who may be able to offer her people a godless blessing. Guess I will have to wait for Canisia to get board with me. And, I have either delivered or completely failed to pass along my DIY blessing. I will sort out the truth about how she feels about me then. In the meantime having her as a friend is nice.
As the gloom is slowly berried by the darkness I am explaining what was sold in each of the now ruined buildings. Krysal wants to try teriaki. I wonder if I can trade for a jar of sauce tomorrow before I leave? Shoot Dan and I will be dividing up our spoils before I take off. I guess I will find out what I have time for tomorrow.
Dan is nowhere to be found. Instead of discussing the division of the looted items, we found I break out one of the notebooks and begin to block out what I think the colony module should contain. That night the dreams are as wild as ever. Most of what has gone on is lost but there are a few announcements that stick. Operating system upgraded to beta. Magic analysis, thermal manipulation complete. Auditory enhancement complete, awaiting implementation. Colony module research unavailable until stable operating system is established. Unassigned resources available seventy eight percent.
Oh. This is good. My interface has gone from a text stream where I scroll up and down to find what I want to a collection of text boxes. When I turn my attention to a box it expands to give the details associated with the label. In the magic application module along with electric discharge, magnetic pulse, and plasma bolt I now have heat and cool. Light fires? Boil water? Make ice cubes? With ninety-plus percent of humanity wiped out why can't I find the privacy to try some of this stuff out? In private! At least I have learned that I can load ideas for modules into the system. I am guessing that my focus on the hardware side of electronics is why the operating system is taking so long to be finalized. While I have written my share of code much of it was machine code modules and optimizations for the programming group.
"Hey, where were you last night?" Dan has dragged his butt over to where the other worlders and I are at the end of breakfast.
“Too much talking and too much beer.”
“Enjoy it while you can. The beer will dry up eventually.”
"Do you have any idea how much beer wine and liquor a supermarket stocks?"
"Like bullets, there is a limited supply."
“Unlike wine beer cans do not improve with age.”
“No apologies for swilling it down then.”
“None. I will proudly be the one to drink the last can.”
“Be my guest. So, about what we looted together, how should we divide this up.”
"Fifty fifty I would think. That works for the food but not so well for things like the tractor, the fifty cal, or the boat."
"The tractor and the fifty cal were yours. I have been talking with the people around here. And, even after all that drinking, I still remember most of what was said. There are no places to use a boat within the area that these people have explored. So, use the boat as a means to haul your stuff."
"Thanks. About the fifty cal. I don't like the idea of taking it to Penacray. If things go badly I don't want something like that in their hands. Use it here to keep the people safe. I will also leave about two-thirds of my share of the long-term food here. If things are so crappy there that I need it I will be coming back to stay. I will also leave the mini bike and wagon of mine here. Now I am going to be greedy. If I need to get the hell out of Dodge I am going to want that dirt bike of yours."
"So, you want to trade a bike, a wagon, two months of food, and a fifty cal for an old dirt bike? What are you stupid? You should at least ask for an additional two hundred rounds of AK ammo."
"Thanks, Dan." I would have never believed I would come close to tearing up over ammunition. "Give me a hand sorting this all out and we will be off."
The cat people and the soldiers were willing hands and the job of repacking was quickly taken care of. I learned that Dan will be in charge of a scavenging team. Now that it is clear that there will be competition for scavenged goods they will be sending teams out to sweep inward both goods and people who wish to join the larger community. Dan is without question a champion scavenger.
