SAND OF DEATH
Chapter 2
The sun wasn't up yet when John Danziger stirred awake. He turned on his cot and stretched to loosen stiff muscles. He looked over at his daughter True, sleeping peacefully on the other cot. A soft snore drifted from her and he smiled to himself when he heard the sound.
Quietly Danziger pushed aside the drapes that covered the tent's opening and crossed the camp. A soft, pink glow in the east held the promise of another bright day. He passed the fire on his way to the Martin's tent and nodded his good morning at Baines who had the last watch.
For lack of a door to knock on, he scratched the tent-cloth to wake the couple inside. When he received no reply John grazed his nails a little more loudly along the tarp.
"Time to wake up, Morgan," he called merrily, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Someone stirred inside.
"G'way," a muffled voice called back. "It's not even light yet."
"Come on, Martin, we got a long day ahead."
The flap was pulled aside and a disheveled-looking Bess faced Danziger. Behind her Morgan was a shapeless mound underneath the blankets. The mound moved lazily.
"We'll be right there," Bess promised Danziger. "Give me a few minutes."
He nodded and crossed the camp again to the vehicles that were parked neatly side by side. Though battered and scratched from the long miles across the rough terrain they remained in tiptop condition with the mechanic's deft care.
Danziger walked to the DuneRail and checked the batteries. He grunted in satisfaction; they were fully charged and should give him and Morgan quite a few hours of travel time. Enough to head deep into the uncharted territory and get an idea what Eden Advance would be up against if they decided to continue on their current course.
He began to gather supplies for their scouting trip. Extra water tanks were put on the back seat; a long drive in the hot glare of the sun required drinking a lot of water to prevent sunstroke. He packed a crate with semolina bars and other foodstuff and tied it next to the water tanks. Almost as an afterthought he threw in a spare tent. They'd be grateful for its shelter if the scout unexpectedly turned into an overnighter.
While he worked on the preparations the camp woke up around him. One by one the colonists appeared from their tents. Devon spied Danziger working on the DuneRail and walked over to him.
"John," she called.
He turned to watch her coming up to him. Her auburn hair was brushed back and she looked fresh and rested. Except for the small frown of concern that wrinkled her brow.
"Morning, Devon," he replied.
"John, I want you to be careful today," Devon stated.
"Aren't I always?" He grinned at her.
She smiled absently at his words.
"Danziger, I'm serious," she said. "I've got a bad feeling about this place. I don't want you to go too far. Just enough to decide if the terrain's passable. I want the group to stay together as much as possible."
She was silent for a moment, gazing past him towards the desert that lay ahead of them. "And make sure you stay within Gear range," she finished her instructions.
"Yes ma'am," Danziger replied and he mock-saluted her. Then he caught sight of Morgan. Bess was dragging him towards where Danziger and Devon stood beside the Rail.
"Looks like my travel companion isn't too happy about the arrangements," Danziger muttered beneath his breath yet loud enough for Devon to hear. She glanced over her shoulder at the approaching couple.
"Don't be too hard on him," she told Danziger. "He's trying."
They could see Morgan complaining to Bess but the woman, used to her husband's lamentations, simply ignored his protests. As soon as they came within earshot Morgan called out to Devon.
"Devon, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm not cut out for scouting parties. Let Alonzo go, or Walman, or Baines."
"Morgan," Bess admonished him, "we've been over this. It's your turn to go scouting. We all go when it's our turn."
"I need someone I know will use his head," Devon tried to mollify Morgan. Behind her Danziger snorted but she ignored him. "I know I can trust you to stay within range and keep your Gear activated at all times. I told John not to go far and if all goes well, you should be back tonight."
"See, Morgan," Bess said, "it isn't so bad." With a soft push she guided him towards the Rail. "And when you get back, I promise I'll give you a nice back rub."
Somewhat appeased by Devon's trust in him and Bess' promise Morgan reluctantly climbed in the shotgun seat of the Rail. Danziger walked around the vehicle and jumped behind the wheel. With a quick push against the transmission he gunned the vehicle forward smoothly and drove off.
"Remember to stay within range!" Devon called after them.
* * *
"Devon, can I talk to you for a minute?" Alonzo's voice was calm but the urgency in his tone was obvious. As Devon looked at him his appearance startled her. His features were drawn tight in concern and his brown eyes were serious. It wasn't like the pilot to worry; Alonzo tended to float through life carefree and light-hearted.
"Uly, why don't you go and see if Yale needs your help." She gave the boy a gentle push in the direction of the TransRover where the tutor was busy taking inventory of their food supply.
"Mo-om," Uly began to protest, then thought better of it when he noticed the stern look on his mother's face. He shrugged and trotted off towards Yale.
Devon nodded at the pilot.
"What 's on your mind, Alonzo?" she asked.
He looked around at the bustling campsite and she followed his gaze. Despite the sweltering heat, people were occupied with repairing tents, mending clothes and collecting wood for tonight's fire. On the far side of the camp she noticed Julia coming out of the med-tent, discarding food samples she had tested for their edibility.
"Not here," Alonzo said. He strode away from her, inviting her with a quick jerk of his head to follow. Devon trudged on his heels, leaving the camp and the grove behind. When they cleared the trees and walked out of their shade, the full force of the sun struck them and Devon immediately felt beads of perspiration spring from her pores.
"Alonzo, what is it?" she asked a little impatiently.
"It's this place," he said, pointing to the swarthy desert ahead. "The Terrians contacted me last night."
"Ah," Devon understood. "Julia said she thought you had a Terrian dream. What did they have to say?"
"It was unclear," the pilot replied. "They warned me -us- to stay away from here. Devon, we should go back and around, take another course. There's a reason why the Council hasn't explored this area and I don't think we want to find out what it is."
Devon was silent for a moment while she mulled over his words. She gazed at the desert they would have to cross to reach New Pacifica. She didn't see anything untoward but she had learned about the invisible dangers that sometimes lurked beneath the surface.
"Alonzo," she finally said as she turned back to face the pilot. "We can't just detour for miles without a good reason. Why don't we wait for the scouting party before we decide? Maybe they'll tell us it's impassable. But if the way seems clear for the vehicles--" She didn't finish; she didn't have to, her meaning was obvious. If the vehicles could pass through the desert they would continue that way to New Pacifica.
"Whatever," Alonzo muttered. "Just don't say I didn't warn you." He stalked back in the direction of camp with large steps, his back rigid with tension.
* * *
"Base, come in please." A tinny voice crackled from the Gear.
Devon grabbed her set and put it on. Before she could switch it to transmit, Bess broke in on the channel. "John, this is Bess. Where are you? Is Morgan okay?"
"We're both fine. We're about three hours away from camp. The Rail broke down and it is taking longer to fix than I thought. We won't make it back tonight."
"Do you need help? Should we come get you?" Devon asked. She frowned at the news. It was nearly dark and it would be difficult to find the scouts' location at night.
"Nah," Danziger replied. "We're okay. We got food and water for another forty-eight hours if necessary. And I packed a spare tent. We're covered."
"So what's the situation there?" Devon was glad to hear no rescue was needed and John had the situation under control. "Can we travel across with the vehicles?"
"Yeah," Danziger replied. "Shouldn't be a problem. It's another desert. We got as far as forty miles before turning back. No mountains or ravines that the vehicles wouldn't be able to take. I think we're still okay for New Pacifica."
Devon sighed in relief. She worried why the Council left the map unmarked, yet she didn't relish the idea of going around. Skirting the area would add weeks to their travel time and they were behind schedule as it was.
"Adair," Danziger interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't you pack up and follow us tomorrow? That way you won't have to wait for us to get back and I'll have more time to repair the Rail."
Devon looked at the assembled group. They'd all heard Danziger's suggestion over their Gears. Slowly one by one they nodded their assent. Devon sought out Alonzo; as their eyes met he shrugged and walked away. Julia shot Devon a puzzled look and turned to follow the pilot.
"Okay, John, we'll catch up with you tomorrow. Adair out," Devon said.
TBC
Chapter 2
The sun wasn't up yet when John Danziger stirred awake. He turned on his cot and stretched to loosen stiff muscles. He looked over at his daughter True, sleeping peacefully on the other cot. A soft snore drifted from her and he smiled to himself when he heard the sound.
Quietly Danziger pushed aside the drapes that covered the tent's opening and crossed the camp. A soft, pink glow in the east held the promise of another bright day. He passed the fire on his way to the Martin's tent and nodded his good morning at Baines who had the last watch.
For lack of a door to knock on, he scratched the tent-cloth to wake the couple inside. When he received no reply John grazed his nails a little more loudly along the tarp.
"Time to wake up, Morgan," he called merrily, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Someone stirred inside.
"G'way," a muffled voice called back. "It's not even light yet."
"Come on, Martin, we got a long day ahead."
The flap was pulled aside and a disheveled-looking Bess faced Danziger. Behind her Morgan was a shapeless mound underneath the blankets. The mound moved lazily.
"We'll be right there," Bess promised Danziger. "Give me a few minutes."
He nodded and crossed the camp again to the vehicles that were parked neatly side by side. Though battered and scratched from the long miles across the rough terrain they remained in tiptop condition with the mechanic's deft care.
Danziger walked to the DuneRail and checked the batteries. He grunted in satisfaction; they were fully charged and should give him and Morgan quite a few hours of travel time. Enough to head deep into the uncharted territory and get an idea what Eden Advance would be up against if they decided to continue on their current course.
He began to gather supplies for their scouting trip. Extra water tanks were put on the back seat; a long drive in the hot glare of the sun required drinking a lot of water to prevent sunstroke. He packed a crate with semolina bars and other foodstuff and tied it next to the water tanks. Almost as an afterthought he threw in a spare tent. They'd be grateful for its shelter if the scout unexpectedly turned into an overnighter.
While he worked on the preparations the camp woke up around him. One by one the colonists appeared from their tents. Devon spied Danziger working on the DuneRail and walked over to him.
"John," she called.
He turned to watch her coming up to him. Her auburn hair was brushed back and she looked fresh and rested. Except for the small frown of concern that wrinkled her brow.
"Morning, Devon," he replied.
"John, I want you to be careful today," Devon stated.
"Aren't I always?" He grinned at her.
She smiled absently at his words.
"Danziger, I'm serious," she said. "I've got a bad feeling about this place. I don't want you to go too far. Just enough to decide if the terrain's passable. I want the group to stay together as much as possible."
She was silent for a moment, gazing past him towards the desert that lay ahead of them. "And make sure you stay within Gear range," she finished her instructions.
"Yes ma'am," Danziger replied and he mock-saluted her. Then he caught sight of Morgan. Bess was dragging him towards where Danziger and Devon stood beside the Rail.
"Looks like my travel companion isn't too happy about the arrangements," Danziger muttered beneath his breath yet loud enough for Devon to hear. She glanced over her shoulder at the approaching couple.
"Don't be too hard on him," she told Danziger. "He's trying."
They could see Morgan complaining to Bess but the woman, used to her husband's lamentations, simply ignored his protests. As soon as they came within earshot Morgan called out to Devon.
"Devon, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm not cut out for scouting parties. Let Alonzo go, or Walman, or Baines."
"Morgan," Bess admonished him, "we've been over this. It's your turn to go scouting. We all go when it's our turn."
"I need someone I know will use his head," Devon tried to mollify Morgan. Behind her Danziger snorted but she ignored him. "I know I can trust you to stay within range and keep your Gear activated at all times. I told John not to go far and if all goes well, you should be back tonight."
"See, Morgan," Bess said, "it isn't so bad." With a soft push she guided him towards the Rail. "And when you get back, I promise I'll give you a nice back rub."
Somewhat appeased by Devon's trust in him and Bess' promise Morgan reluctantly climbed in the shotgun seat of the Rail. Danziger walked around the vehicle and jumped behind the wheel. With a quick push against the transmission he gunned the vehicle forward smoothly and drove off.
"Remember to stay within range!" Devon called after them.
* * *
"Devon, can I talk to you for a minute?" Alonzo's voice was calm but the urgency in his tone was obvious. As Devon looked at him his appearance startled her. His features were drawn tight in concern and his brown eyes were serious. It wasn't like the pilot to worry; Alonzo tended to float through life carefree and light-hearted.
"Uly, why don't you go and see if Yale needs your help." She gave the boy a gentle push in the direction of the TransRover where the tutor was busy taking inventory of their food supply.
"Mo-om," Uly began to protest, then thought better of it when he noticed the stern look on his mother's face. He shrugged and trotted off towards Yale.
Devon nodded at the pilot.
"What 's on your mind, Alonzo?" she asked.
He looked around at the bustling campsite and she followed his gaze. Despite the sweltering heat, people were occupied with repairing tents, mending clothes and collecting wood for tonight's fire. On the far side of the camp she noticed Julia coming out of the med-tent, discarding food samples she had tested for their edibility.
"Not here," Alonzo said. He strode away from her, inviting her with a quick jerk of his head to follow. Devon trudged on his heels, leaving the camp and the grove behind. When they cleared the trees and walked out of their shade, the full force of the sun struck them and Devon immediately felt beads of perspiration spring from her pores.
"Alonzo, what is it?" she asked a little impatiently.
"It's this place," he said, pointing to the swarthy desert ahead. "The Terrians contacted me last night."
"Ah," Devon understood. "Julia said she thought you had a Terrian dream. What did they have to say?"
"It was unclear," the pilot replied. "They warned me -us- to stay away from here. Devon, we should go back and around, take another course. There's a reason why the Council hasn't explored this area and I don't think we want to find out what it is."
Devon was silent for a moment while she mulled over his words. She gazed at the desert they would have to cross to reach New Pacifica. She didn't see anything untoward but she had learned about the invisible dangers that sometimes lurked beneath the surface.
"Alonzo," she finally said as she turned back to face the pilot. "We can't just detour for miles without a good reason. Why don't we wait for the scouting party before we decide? Maybe they'll tell us it's impassable. But if the way seems clear for the vehicles--" She didn't finish; she didn't have to, her meaning was obvious. If the vehicles could pass through the desert they would continue that way to New Pacifica.
"Whatever," Alonzo muttered. "Just don't say I didn't warn you." He stalked back in the direction of camp with large steps, his back rigid with tension.
* * *
"Base, come in please." A tinny voice crackled from the Gear.
Devon grabbed her set and put it on. Before she could switch it to transmit, Bess broke in on the channel. "John, this is Bess. Where are you? Is Morgan okay?"
"We're both fine. We're about three hours away from camp. The Rail broke down and it is taking longer to fix than I thought. We won't make it back tonight."
"Do you need help? Should we come get you?" Devon asked. She frowned at the news. It was nearly dark and it would be difficult to find the scouts' location at night.
"Nah," Danziger replied. "We're okay. We got food and water for another forty-eight hours if necessary. And I packed a spare tent. We're covered."
"So what's the situation there?" Devon was glad to hear no rescue was needed and John had the situation under control. "Can we travel across with the vehicles?"
"Yeah," Danziger replied. "Shouldn't be a problem. It's another desert. We got as far as forty miles before turning back. No mountains or ravines that the vehicles wouldn't be able to take. I think we're still okay for New Pacifica."
Devon sighed in relief. She worried why the Council left the map unmarked, yet she didn't relish the idea of going around. Skirting the area would add weeks to their travel time and they were behind schedule as it was.
"Adair," Danziger interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't you pack up and follow us tomorrow? That way you won't have to wait for us to get back and I'll have more time to repair the Rail."
Devon looked at the assembled group. They'd all heard Danziger's suggestion over their Gears. Slowly one by one they nodded their assent. Devon sought out Alonzo; as their eyes met he shrugged and walked away. Julia shot Devon a puzzled look and turned to follow the pilot.
"Okay, John, we'll catch up with you tomorrow. Adair out," Devon said.
TBC