New Territory - Part 1
January 20, 2000 3:37 am
Rob
"You're telling me that you don't see it?" Nathan said as he pointed ahead using his finger with both hands still on the steering wheel.
"I just can't see the mountains." I responded putting my right arm on the arm rest of the oversized van seat. I like the comfort offered by the big cushy seats my van has.
"You got to look at the contrast between the sky and the land closely." Nathan was pointing ahead at the darkness beyond the headlights.
"All I see is the lights from the truck up ahead." A semi-truck passed us awhile back due to Nathans slow driving. That's what happens when you spend time driving a 4 wheel drive with suspension high enough to take on any terrain everywhere you go, you lose a bit of your ability to drive a normal vehicle under bad conditions. It has stopped snowing and the sky has cleared up a bit but there is a layer of snow on the road about three inches thick. It is causing some traction problems so Nathan is taking it slow. I would still be driving if I was not so damn tired.
"I see the truck as well. All I am saying is that the mountains look cool." Nathan said as we started around the next bend that led us to the left.
"I know the mountains look cool, I have seen them during the day." I said as I sat back in my seat.
"How are you still awake?" Nathan asked me. To be honest I am not actually sure how I am staying awake. Perhaps it is the soda working its magic.
"I'm not sure." That answer was simple enough, yet did its job effectively.
"Is the snow blowing? I see the lights flickering up ahead." Nathan was pointing out the window and at the back of the truck up ahead. It was going up the impending hill.
"You better hope the wind doesn't start blowing through the mountains." I said. If the snow starts blowing around it will reduce the visibility to zero and cause massive drifts across the road. Running in to one of these is how I wreaked my truck.
"That will cause an instant white out." Nathan understood the power of blowing snow.
"I think that truck has some sort of electrical fault." I said.
"How so?" Nathan asked.
"Look, ever time it hits a bump the lights on the trailer flicker but the orange lights on the side of the cab stay lit." We were going around a left bend and he truck was far enough ahead that we could sort of see the side. We were on a section of road that was raised by an artificial slope due to the change in elevation as we approached the mountains.
"Won't they stop him at the border if that's the case?" Nathan asked me.
"Only if someone is watching, there is no security to go in to Canada." I said. I have made this drive before and never once was I stopped before I passed in to Canada.
"So that means getting Christine in won't be a problem." Nathan said.
"I think getting her back out will be the hard part, can't they just look up her current registration?" I asked.
"Yes, but you are not the listed owner and they will ask questions and things will have a good chance of going wrong from there." He said.
"I hate questions, things usually end badly. And I don't see this being any exception." I said. I have had bad experiences with people asking questions in the past. It is just not my sort of thing. It seems that if I get asked a question that I either don't know the answer to or I don't want to answer I just sidestep it the best I can and hope for the best.
"Are we here already?" Nathan asked as we passed a 35mph speed sign, He let off the accelerator now that we were at the top of the hill and the speed dropped down from 40mph.
"Shit that truck is stopping." I said.
"Did he just get busted?" Nathan asked.
"I have no idea. I got to hide Christine just in case." I said as I unbuckled my seat belt. I got to think of a plan, and quick. I have never seen the border patrol actively patrolling outbound traffic. I don't have the time to ponder their motives either.
"So now you have some sort of grand plan?" Nathan was getting closer to the check point. The trucks lights flickered some more. I think the guards were inspecting the truck.
"Christine. Wake up." I said to her, she didn't move. I got down on my knees and put my hand on her back and shook her a little "Wake up." She started to move a bit. I removed my hand from her.
"What…?" She asked, then she yawned.
"The border patrol is out and about. So just…" I pause for a second as I look for something to hide a Glaceon "Use this blanket, cover up and stay quiet." I instructed as I placed the blanket over her. She started to move around.
"What the hell! We are going to get caught!" I laid down next to her on my side and warped my arms around the mass that was Christine in a blanket.
"Stay quiet and don't move, that is how we get busted." She started to comply with these orders. "Just, whatever happens, don't move or talk." I grabbed more blankets and added them to the pile so the mound looks like a pile of blankets and not a hidden Pokemon. I got up as Nathan stopped behind the truck. The truck started to pull forward and move aside on to the shoulder of the road and we were waved ahead by a lone border guard. Then told to halt by way of hand signal.
I returned to my seat as Nathan cranked down the window. The small part of road we are on is illumined by a high powered lamp on the roof of the guard building to the left of us. "Good morning gentlemen." The guard addressed both of us at once.
"Hello" Nathan said,
"Hi." I said.
"The weather service is forecasting some rough weather today so I am here to make sure that all vehicles comply with safety standards to ensure safe travel." The security officer had a large Maglite flashlight. He shined the light on the lower left corner of the front window at the inspection and emission stickers. "North Carolina? Who owns this van?"
"I'm the owner." I said from the passenger seat.
"I need to see your driver license, sir." In response to the guards demand I get my wallet out of my back pocket and pull out my CDL and hand it over to the guard.
"Are you headed back to the states?" The guard asks as he hands me back the license.
"We are just passing through. How is the highway up ahead?" I asked quickly changing the subject.
"From what I have been hearing the road is covered in snow but there will be a snow plow up here in a few hours to clear things out. My advice is to pull in to the parking area up ahead and wait it out and follow the snow plow." The guard said.
"I don't know if we have the time to sit around and wait, I got to be in Oregon in a few days." Nathan spoke up. The last thing I want to do is hang around here for too long.
"I see. Now I got to know, are you carrying any dangerous or explosive or live cargo? It's just a standard question that I am required to ask anyone with a CDL. Especially since your hazmat endorsed." The guard shined his light in to the back of the van, right at the Pokemon.
"Just my Pokemon." Nathan said. As the guard looked at the sleeping Pokemon
"I am going to need to see your registration papers." The guard said.
"Hold on, they're in my bag." Nathan unbuckled his seatbelt and went to his bag and pulled out the required papers from one of the side pockets. He walked back to the front and handed the folded up papers to the guard.
The guard quickly flipped through them all and handed them back to Nathan. "Everything seems to be in order. Do you compete?"
"Yah, I have been competing for years. I won the Alaskan state championship, in 1997. That's why I am headed to Oregon. To try to win another badge this year." Nathan was just talking away. It's hard to hide my feelings so he better speed this up and get us out of here before I start to become annoyed. Then the guard will know something is up. For now it's just sit back and let them talk. Nathan went on for a few more minutes about his plans.
"To bad that Washington State is non-fighting, it's a lot closer. The entire system is messed up the way the government has it set up. I heard that in some of the most remote parts of the country there are death factories. Places where the working conditions are so foul that no human will ever be allowed to work there. They use un-owned Pokemon that are turned in by the government to work there until they die. But it's funny how when they are questioned about such places existing they act like they don't exist at all." Is this guard insane?
"That's just a myth thought up by animal rights activists to scare the general public in to taking their side. They had a report on CNN a few weeks ago about how these outraged people are starting to go rogue and slander the American government. They have even went as far as staging a riot at a Pokemon contest in Oklahoma." Nathan said.
"I believe they are doing what they need to do to get their message across. Anyway, I don't want to take up anymore of your time, so good luck on your tournament and if you win I will be sure to read all about it in the paper." The guard walked away and Nathan rolled the window back up. By now I had the heat on full blast because it was getting cold from having the window down. Nathan put the van in drive and we went on our way towards Canada.
I got up out of my seat and walked over to the Christine pile and removed the blankets. She appeared to be asleep again before she started to move. "Did we make it?" She asked.
"We got through." I said. But there is something that I have been wondering and I feel like now is a good time to ask. "Do you often wake up like this?"
"What do you mean?" She replied
"Well you seem to be waking up constantly. Is this a regular thing?" I need to know if she has a condition the keeps her from sleeping.
"Not always, I think it happens when I am under stress." She said.
"Well I can see why would be stressed out right now. My advice to you i-
Welcome to Canada
Yukon
Larger than life
(Plus grand que nature)
NOTE: From this point forward. All units of measurement will now be Metric as the story is now in Canada. All times are now in Pacific Standard Time.