WOW I am so sorry for the delay. I don't have internet at my house so i have to go to a library to get internet then I have been busy with moving so I am super sorry for holding up the story for so long. Please forgive me. I promise as soon as I get home today to write you a new chapter. I try to update once a week but it is hard sometimes. I have a full time job trying to go back to college and taking care of my grandmother. I hope you all enjoy though.
A few hours later, their flight landed. Robert and Lucas made their way through security and baggage claim and out to a waiting car that Robert had rented. From the car, they drove into town.
"We have to pick up our supplies, and then we are getting a hotel for the night. It is a couple hours' drive to Yellowstone; then, we have the hike to the campsite, so we will get an early start in the morning," Robert said, outlining the game plan. "We will call Dad when we get to the hotel, okay?"
"Yeah, I am still not into the whole camping thing, but whatever you say," Lucas answered, looking out the window at the passing scenery.
Lucas and Robert got settled in their hotel room when the vid-phone rang, and Melanie popped up on the screen.
"Robert, I am so sorry about what I said this morning. I was being selfish. I guess since I am an only child, I never realized the connection that two siblings can share. Is there any way you can forgive me for being a complete idiot?" Melanie begged over the phone as Robert just watched her.
"I don't know, Melanie. Can we talk about this when I get back? I have to call my dad and tell him we arrived safely. Okay?" Robert said, knowing he needed to think this all through, and a week in the woods would give him that time.
"Okay, take your time. I will be here. I love you, Robert," Melanie said sadly as she hung up the phone.
Robert then used his security codes to create a vid-link to seaQuest. Tim O'Neill was the one to answer; he looked ready to fall asleep. They were on the opposite side of the globe helping out an underwater colony.
"Hey, Tim, is my dad on duty right now?" Robert asked, thinking he was probably asleep.
"No, he went to his quarters about 30 minutes ago; let me see if he is awake," O'Neill said as he opened a connection to the captain's quarter. "Captain, I have a vid-link from Lucas and Robert."
"Send it through to my quarters; thank you, O'Neill," Nathan said, sitting up in his bunk and walking into the view of his vid-link.
"How are you two doing?" Nathan asked the moment his sons appeared onscreen.
"Great," Lucas said sarcastically, "for someone who was practically kidnapped and now forced to live like a Neanderthal for an entire week."
"Oh, Lucas, you will enjoy it. I used to take Robert camping all the time when he was young, and he always enjoyed it," Nathan explained. "So when do you two head out?"
"First thing in the morning; it is a couple hours' drive from the hotel to the park, then half a day's hike up to our campsite," Robert explained. "It is wonderful the whole park is surrounded by jamming technology so that everyone can truly be cut off, but since we are going for an entire week, a ranger is going to check in halfway through to ensure we are okay."
"That sounds nice," Nathan said, but he could hear Lucas scoff. "I wish I could be with you guys, but you know duty calls. Maybe we can plan to go together later on."
"Not likely," Lucas replied. "I may be tricked into going once, but if you think I will do this again, you are crazy. Now I am going to shower and then enjoy the twenty-first century while I still can. You two have fun talking." And with that, Lucas left for the bathroom.
"Robert, watch him carefully please. He has not had any problems with his knee in months, but I would take the hike slowly, just in case. He has never pushed it that far since he was shot there," Nathan warned.
"I will, Dad; take care. We will call as soon as we return to civilization," Robert said as he said good night to his dad.
The next morning came all too soon for Lucas's liking. He could not understand why his brother was going to drag him to some God-forsaken place to live there for a week. He certainly would not be going on vacation with him again anytime soon. They drove for two and a half hours in their rental car and stopped in front of a ranger's station just outside the park.
"Good morning," the ranger greeted. "Do you have a reservation for a campsite?"
"Yes," Robert answered "It's under Robert Bridger; it should be for a one-week stay."
"Oh, yes, here it is," the ranger replied as she looked though the files from her computer. "Parking is half a mile down the road inside the park. Here is your map and compass to direct you to your campsite; have fun."
"Not likely," Lucas murmured.
"Thank you," Robert replied.
After parking, they both picked up their bags and began their eight-mile hike up to their campsite. Robert enjoyed the scenery, the trees that seemed to reach the sky, and the fresh smell in the air that one could only find miles from civilization. Lucas walked along, seemingly bored, wondering how people lived before computers. A rustling was heard in the bushes to their left, causing Lucas to jump nearly a foot in the air and Robert to burst into laughter as a young doe walked out of the brush, took one look at the pair and darted off.
"Lucas, it was just a deer. You need to calm down; there is nothing really dangerous in these woods. The bears are sanctioned off from the rest of the miles from here," Robert explained with a slight grin.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Lucas said sarcastically, "and when we get eaten alive by one, I will bring us back to life and kill you myself."
"Okay, okay, why don't we take a little break? Then, we can continue to the campsite. We are about halfway there," Robert said as he pulled out water bottles and a couple protein bars he had packed.
"Fine," Lucas complied as they sat on a fallen tree a few feet away.
After about a half hour's rest, the two continued through to their campsite. It was about mid-afternoon before they reached the campsite and began putting up their tent. Robert took out a rope and suspended their food supplies above the ground so they didn't attract any unwanted animals. Then, he started a fire and began cooking lunch for the two of them.
"So what exactly are we going to do here except sit around?" Lucas asked.
"Well, there is a place for fishing and taking hikes and just enjoying nature, although I would think you like sitting around. Isn't that what you do all day on your computer?" Robert teased.
"That is different. I have a purpose then, and this is just pointless," Lucas countered.
"It's to help you relax, so why don't you do that?" Robert said as he turned back to fixing their lunch.
As soon as they had eaten lunch, Robert and Lucas walked half a mile to a steam with their fishing poles.
"Have you ever gone fishing before, Lucas?" Robert asked as he baited his hook and cast it into the lake.
"No, Lawrence never had the time. He was always working on some project. World power had been the center of his attention for the last eight years. He was never really a family guy. But then again, my mom was not either. I remember an argument they had just a couple weeks before she died. They didn't even realize I was home yet from college. They had admitted to each other that they never meant to have kids. I was a mistake off a drunken night after some dinner, and they had forgotten to use protection," Lucas spat, "They only kept me because of how bad an abortion would look. So, if they had been some lower-class couple, I guess I would not even be here. My 'parents', if you could call them that, never cared enough to do anything with me."
"Well, then I am happy Dad and I can still teach you things then," Robert answered, trying to make better of the situation. He had known how starved for affection Lucas had been, but this was just awful. So Robert showed him how to bait his hook and cast the line. "Now all we do is wait for a bite."
It took a good ten minutes before Lucas felt a sudden tug on his line. He had no idea what to do. Robert looked over at him and started giving instructions.
"Okay, start reeling him in slowly; don't pull too hard; let him come to you, otherwise you could snap the line. That's it; good job. Okay, let me get the net." After the fish was caught, he baited the hook again and continued to fish until they had caught a couple motes, then headed back to the campsite.
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