SAND OF DEATH
Chapter 6
Slowly the ATV rode across the desert sands. Alonzo kept the vehicle at a slow pace so he wouldn't stir up the surface so much. If Julia's warning against speeding hadn't been enough to stop him, her drawn face that grew more worried every night, did make him pay heed.
He was on a forward scout, checking the way ahead and searching for water. Not that he expected water in this godforsaken desert. But there had to be an end to the seemingly endless plains. He squinted ahead. The sun glared down on the wastelands making the distant horizon shimmer. As far as the eye could see nothing broke the monotony of the flat sands.
Alonzo slowed the ATV to a halt and drew a large gulp from his canteen. He shook the flask and listened to the water sloshing inside. Less than a quarter left. He'd better return to the others now, he thought.
Disappointed with his unsuccessful scout he put the ATV in motion again and began to turn it around. He glanced at the scanner's screen as he did so -- and abruptly halted the vehicle. He blinked at the display; it didn't change. Could it be...? He leaned forward anxiously; he feared the image would disappear if he took a closer look. His heart began to beat a little faster as he confirmed his first impression: the scanner showed a body of water at the edge of the its detection range. Alonzo decided to head out a little further, just to make sure before he called the camp with the good news.
He drove forward another mile, all the time keeping an eye on the scanner's screen. The display remained unchanged: a large body of water, a pool or even a small lake, lay only a day's travel ahead.
He again halted the ATV and brought out his Gear. The connection was bad, static interrupting the conversation. Alonzo figured the metal particles in the air interfered with the transmission. When he told them the good news, the relief in Devon's voice was loud and clear over the airwaves.
Alonzo signed off and stretched to relieve the strain in his back muscles. He was sore from sitting in the ATV's seat all day. A bit stiffly he climbed out of the vehicle. He decided to take a little break and exercise his legs a little before returning to meet the rest of the group.
* * *
"Dammit Morgan, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your face covered?" yelled a disgruntled Dr. Heller at the station bureaucrat.
With a remorseful look he shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"And stop shuffling! You're stirring up dust."
"Gee, Julia," he muttered. "No need to make such a fuss. I'm not comfortable with that damp rag over my nose. I can't breathe and it makes me nauseous."
"You'll feel a lot more uncomfortable soon if you don't put it on," Julia warned him.
He sighed and tied the moist cloth across his face.
Her steady stare bore into him for a moment. "And now keep it on," she told him. "Or I'll tell Bess."
Morgan's eyes grew round at the threat. He shook his head. Bess would never let him hear the last of it if she found out he went against doctor's orders.
"Julia!" Devon called, sparing Morgan any further tongue-lashings. He quickly scurried away.
"Did you hear Alonzo?" Devon asked.
Julia shook her head. "No. I was telling Morgan to keep his face covered. Again." She drew her eyebrows together in displeasure at the memory. "What did Alonzo say?"
"He had good news." Devon almost burst with pleasure. "He found water. Only a day further ahead. I told him to come back now."
Julia nodded absently. She was already mentally calculating distances and quantities. Only one more day to go. She thought they would have enough time to reach the water. The symptoms caused by the slow poisoning of their bodies weren't yet serious enough to hinder travel. She worried about the children most. Their small bodies were more prone to reach their limits soon. She straightened as she made her decision.
"Devon, give Uly and True both an extra ration to drink. And make sure they stay in the TransRover."
* * *
In a cloud of swirling sand the ATV came screeching to a halt and Alonzo jumped out. A thin layer of black soot caked both man and vehicle. Alonzo's dark eyes shone brightly in contrast to his powdered features.
Danziger yelled at him to be more careful. Julia rushed from the back of the Rover to see what the racket was about. When she noticed the dust glittering in the bright light of the sun, settling slowly, she opened her mouth to scold Alonzo for being so reckless.
"Where's Devon?" he asked before she could say a word. He broke into a coughing fit and her anger faded to be replaced by concern. She quickly went to him but he waved her away. "We've got to find shelter and find it quickly," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
Before anyone could ask why, Morgan whispered, "Oh my God," and pointed. On the far horizon a huge black column rose. Even from this distance they could see the cloud churning in turmoil. Mouths dropped open while they all stared at the milling blackness.
"What the hell is that?" Danziger demanded from no one in particular. "It doesn't look like a thunderstorm."
"It isn't," Alonzo confirmed. "It's a dust storm. And it's coming our way."
Once his words filtered through the camp erupted in frenzied activity.
People started running around everywhere. They tried to pack as many items as they could in crates and boxes. "Cover the vehicles!" Danziger called. "If that dust gets into the engines--" He continued to relay instructions to Baines and Walman.
"Leave it!" Julia countered Danziger's orders. "We need to secure shelter for ourselves. If that storm catches us in the open, we'll--"
"We need the vehicles," Danziger reminded her.
They exchanged a worried look. Then Julia nodded. "Okay, cover the vehicles." She turned to survey the rest of the camp. "Everybody else, secure the tarp over the Rover's cargo bed. That's where we'll have to wait out this storm together and we have to make sure it's airtight."
Quickly they pulled down the tarp across the back of the Rover. They tied it as firmly as they could but many cracks still showed.
Julia glared at the cracks. "These must be sealed," she said, pointing at the gaps in the covering. She threw a quick look over her shoulder in the direction of the storm. It was coming on fast; the entire horizon to the north was a wall of black, milling dust.
"If we set up a tent inside, wouldn't that provide an extra cover?" Bess ventured hesitantly.
"Good idea," Julia nodded and Mazatl and Cameron quickly grabbed two of the tents from the baskets at the large truck's side. The Rover's bed wasn't nearly large enough for the tents to be fully set up but with the collapsible poles strung together ingeniously they created an inner dome within the Rover's own covering.
The wind was picking up fast now, whipping around the vehicles and abandoned luggage. People began to cough as the first tendrils of dust sneaked among the Eden group, entering their airways despite the masks they wore.
* * *
Danziger finished securing the DuneRail and ATV and ran back to the Rover. One look at the engine compartment told him the large truck should be safe from the worst of the assault. Walman did a good job with it.
He threw the cabin door open. The children cowered on the seat, their eyes large. Bess had climbed in with them, trying to distract them, and he gave her a grateful look. He grabbed Devon and pushed her up inside, crowding the other occupants. She protested loudly and he told her to shut up.
"Devon, you're still recovering from your illness. And the children need you with them. You'll be okay; the cabin is sealed." Before she could reply he slammed the door and told the vehicle to lock up. With a click the voice-controlled bolts snapped shut.
Danziger glanced at the oncoming storm. The cloud of black dust was nearly on them, blotting out the sun. The sky was darkening as if an early dusk was falling. He coughed as he accidentally inhaled some of the dust swirling ahead of the storm.
"Come on, Danziger, hurry!" Julia waved urgently at him from the back of the large truck. He quickly climbed in, secured the tarp behind him and joined the group huddled in the makeshift tent beneath the Rover's covering.
The tent's canvas was flapping wildly in the force of the wind, despite the cover the outside tarp provided. Julia shouted for people to hold on to the tarp, to add their body weight to secure it to the truck. On his left Danziger recognized Morgan's plaintive voice when he called for Bess. Danziger gruffly told him Bess was safe in the cabin. Baines uttered a curse when someone stepped on his toes in the confusion and Alonzo's voice muttered an apology in reply.
The Rover rocked back and forth on its wheels as the wind tore at the vehicle and Danziger hoped that it wouldn't topple over. Then the full force of the storm hit them. It got pitch dark inside the tent and the wind howling around the truck drowned out the sound of the human voices.
TBC
Chapter 6
Slowly the ATV rode across the desert sands. Alonzo kept the vehicle at a slow pace so he wouldn't stir up the surface so much. If Julia's warning against speeding hadn't been enough to stop him, her drawn face that grew more worried every night, did make him pay heed.
He was on a forward scout, checking the way ahead and searching for water. Not that he expected water in this godforsaken desert. But there had to be an end to the seemingly endless plains. He squinted ahead. The sun glared down on the wastelands making the distant horizon shimmer. As far as the eye could see nothing broke the monotony of the flat sands.
Alonzo slowed the ATV to a halt and drew a large gulp from his canteen. He shook the flask and listened to the water sloshing inside. Less than a quarter left. He'd better return to the others now, he thought.
Disappointed with his unsuccessful scout he put the ATV in motion again and began to turn it around. He glanced at the scanner's screen as he did so -- and abruptly halted the vehicle. He blinked at the display; it didn't change. Could it be...? He leaned forward anxiously; he feared the image would disappear if he took a closer look. His heart began to beat a little faster as he confirmed his first impression: the scanner showed a body of water at the edge of the its detection range. Alonzo decided to head out a little further, just to make sure before he called the camp with the good news.
He drove forward another mile, all the time keeping an eye on the scanner's screen. The display remained unchanged: a large body of water, a pool or even a small lake, lay only a day's travel ahead.
He again halted the ATV and brought out his Gear. The connection was bad, static interrupting the conversation. Alonzo figured the metal particles in the air interfered with the transmission. When he told them the good news, the relief in Devon's voice was loud and clear over the airwaves.
Alonzo signed off and stretched to relieve the strain in his back muscles. He was sore from sitting in the ATV's seat all day. A bit stiffly he climbed out of the vehicle. He decided to take a little break and exercise his legs a little before returning to meet the rest of the group.
* * *
"Dammit Morgan, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your face covered?" yelled a disgruntled Dr. Heller at the station bureaucrat.
With a remorseful look he shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"And stop shuffling! You're stirring up dust."
"Gee, Julia," he muttered. "No need to make such a fuss. I'm not comfortable with that damp rag over my nose. I can't breathe and it makes me nauseous."
"You'll feel a lot more uncomfortable soon if you don't put it on," Julia warned him.
He sighed and tied the moist cloth across his face.
Her steady stare bore into him for a moment. "And now keep it on," she told him. "Or I'll tell Bess."
Morgan's eyes grew round at the threat. He shook his head. Bess would never let him hear the last of it if she found out he went against doctor's orders.
"Julia!" Devon called, sparing Morgan any further tongue-lashings. He quickly scurried away.
"Did you hear Alonzo?" Devon asked.
Julia shook her head. "No. I was telling Morgan to keep his face covered. Again." She drew her eyebrows together in displeasure at the memory. "What did Alonzo say?"
"He had good news." Devon almost burst with pleasure. "He found water. Only a day further ahead. I told him to come back now."
Julia nodded absently. She was already mentally calculating distances and quantities. Only one more day to go. She thought they would have enough time to reach the water. The symptoms caused by the slow poisoning of their bodies weren't yet serious enough to hinder travel. She worried about the children most. Their small bodies were more prone to reach their limits soon. She straightened as she made her decision.
"Devon, give Uly and True both an extra ration to drink. And make sure they stay in the TransRover."
* * *
In a cloud of swirling sand the ATV came screeching to a halt and Alonzo jumped out. A thin layer of black soot caked both man and vehicle. Alonzo's dark eyes shone brightly in contrast to his powdered features.
Danziger yelled at him to be more careful. Julia rushed from the back of the Rover to see what the racket was about. When she noticed the dust glittering in the bright light of the sun, settling slowly, she opened her mouth to scold Alonzo for being so reckless.
"Where's Devon?" he asked before she could say a word. He broke into a coughing fit and her anger faded to be replaced by concern. She quickly went to him but he waved her away. "We've got to find shelter and find it quickly," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
Before anyone could ask why, Morgan whispered, "Oh my God," and pointed. On the far horizon a huge black column rose. Even from this distance they could see the cloud churning in turmoil. Mouths dropped open while they all stared at the milling blackness.
"What the hell is that?" Danziger demanded from no one in particular. "It doesn't look like a thunderstorm."
"It isn't," Alonzo confirmed. "It's a dust storm. And it's coming our way."
Once his words filtered through the camp erupted in frenzied activity.
People started running around everywhere. They tried to pack as many items as they could in crates and boxes. "Cover the vehicles!" Danziger called. "If that dust gets into the engines--" He continued to relay instructions to Baines and Walman.
"Leave it!" Julia countered Danziger's orders. "We need to secure shelter for ourselves. If that storm catches us in the open, we'll--"
"We need the vehicles," Danziger reminded her.
They exchanged a worried look. Then Julia nodded. "Okay, cover the vehicles." She turned to survey the rest of the camp. "Everybody else, secure the tarp over the Rover's cargo bed. That's where we'll have to wait out this storm together and we have to make sure it's airtight."
Quickly they pulled down the tarp across the back of the Rover. They tied it as firmly as they could but many cracks still showed.
Julia glared at the cracks. "These must be sealed," she said, pointing at the gaps in the covering. She threw a quick look over her shoulder in the direction of the storm. It was coming on fast; the entire horizon to the north was a wall of black, milling dust.
"If we set up a tent inside, wouldn't that provide an extra cover?" Bess ventured hesitantly.
"Good idea," Julia nodded and Mazatl and Cameron quickly grabbed two of the tents from the baskets at the large truck's side. The Rover's bed wasn't nearly large enough for the tents to be fully set up but with the collapsible poles strung together ingeniously they created an inner dome within the Rover's own covering.
The wind was picking up fast now, whipping around the vehicles and abandoned luggage. People began to cough as the first tendrils of dust sneaked among the Eden group, entering their airways despite the masks they wore.
* * *
Danziger finished securing the DuneRail and ATV and ran back to the Rover. One look at the engine compartment told him the large truck should be safe from the worst of the assault. Walman did a good job with it.
He threw the cabin door open. The children cowered on the seat, their eyes large. Bess had climbed in with them, trying to distract them, and he gave her a grateful look. He grabbed Devon and pushed her up inside, crowding the other occupants. She protested loudly and he told her to shut up.
"Devon, you're still recovering from your illness. And the children need you with them. You'll be okay; the cabin is sealed." Before she could reply he slammed the door and told the vehicle to lock up. With a click the voice-controlled bolts snapped shut.
Danziger glanced at the oncoming storm. The cloud of black dust was nearly on them, blotting out the sun. The sky was darkening as if an early dusk was falling. He coughed as he accidentally inhaled some of the dust swirling ahead of the storm.
"Come on, Danziger, hurry!" Julia waved urgently at him from the back of the large truck. He quickly climbed in, secured the tarp behind him and joined the group huddled in the makeshift tent beneath the Rover's covering.
The tent's canvas was flapping wildly in the force of the wind, despite the cover the outside tarp provided. Julia shouted for people to hold on to the tarp, to add their body weight to secure it to the truck. On his left Danziger recognized Morgan's plaintive voice when he called for Bess. Danziger gruffly told him Bess was safe in the cabin. Baines uttered a curse when someone stepped on his toes in the confusion and Alonzo's voice muttered an apology in reply.
The Rover rocked back and forth on its wheels as the wind tore at the vehicle and Danziger hoped that it wouldn't topple over. Then the full force of the storm hit them. It got pitch dark inside the tent and the wind howling around the truck drowned out the sound of the human voices.
TBC