"Planet Tree just doesn't have the zing that Planet Sp-,"

- - - -

She sat up and moved over towards the DHD while deliberately muttering loudly enough for him to hear, "Maybe I can get this thing working. What's a few broken crystals anyway?"

- - -

- - -

Ch 38: STORM

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A week had passed since they'd given up on fixing the DHD or being able to access the Gate's power source. The first few days had been cloudy and cold, but then it started to rain again. And it rained continuously for days. The only change was the intensity of the rainfall.

They stayed either within the shelter or the sleeping tent.
Making forays for food when the storm abated temporarily.

Sam rationed her computer usage in case they weren't able to recharge the batteries any time soon. They both occupied themselves with cards, conversation and continued work on their shelter so that they stayed as dry as possible.

The rain finally stopped in mid-afternoon of the eighth day of the storm. That final downpour had been the most intense of the entire storm system, with the sheer volume of water sheeting down preventing them from even attempting to leave the tent.

Now they stood quietly surveying their soggy clearing. Most of their gear was fairly dry, if not a bit damp. Everything else was sodden... the muddy ground squelched under their feet, the trees dripped and the grass and weeds were sopping wet.

But as wet as everything was, they both relished the chance to stretch and walk around without rain pelting down on them.

They inspected their shelter. It had held up extremely well, and would only need some minor repairs. The series of small drainage ditches needed to be retrenched before they filled in completely with mud. Other than that, their camp had fared exceptionally well.

Next, they headed to the river for water. They stopped at the top of the river bank and surveyed the angry, rushing waters of the swollen stream. The river had slowly risen and grown over the 8-days of the storm, but the sudden increase in water volume from the past 10 hours had completely changed the character of their river. No longer was it the picturesque stream winding through the trees. Now it was roiling and seething with uprooted trees, brush and general forest litter.

"We'll have to strain the water through some cloth before boiling," Sam observed.

"Oh yummy," Jack returned sarcastically, because they both knew that even after straining, the water would still taste and feel like the mud that was in it. And then he sighed, "Well, let's see how bad it is," and they headed down to the present water's edge.

The swift water filled their canteens rapidly and while the muddy bank made their footing precarious, neither of them fell in. Turning to head back up the slippery slope, however, the ground suddenly seemed to shift and ripple.

Both officers instinctively dropped to their hands and knees as they slid towards the water.

And then the movement stilled and so did their downward slide.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, You?" she returned.

"Just peachy," he replied acerbically as he surveyed his precarious position. His legs from the knees down were in the water and the only thing stopping him from sliding completely into the river was the small amount of friction he could maintain against the muddy slope. He looked over at Sam to see that she had stopped her slide with her feet about two feet above the water's edge.

"Don't move," she instructed.

"Wasn't in my immediate plans," he admitted.

"I'll crawl up and get a rope," she continued and then started inching slowly and carefully up the slope. Five laborious minutes later and she crawled over the top of the bank. Quickly looking around, she immediately saw what was happening... it was the beginning of a landslide... or mudflow...or debris flow... depending on what actually ended up going into the water. She could clearly see the newly formed cracks beginning to form the outline of head of the tongue-shaped slide.

"I'll be right back," she sent down to him and then she sprinted back to camp. Returning a few minutes later, she quickly tied the rope around a tree aways back from the river's berm.

"Rope," she called and then took careful aim and sent the end of the rope down towards him. It landed about a foot from his right hand and the end of the rope sailed out into the water.

He quickly tied off the canteens and then grasped the rope to haul himself up.

And then the ground under him rippled again.
As if it were a fluid, brown mass.

And then it fell away beneath him.

He held tightly to the rope as the tons of mud slid underneath him and slammed him around like a rag doll in the wind. But he didn't lose his grip.

But then something in the river smashed into his lower body and the rope was torn from his bloodied hands.

He felt the cold rush of the water as he was swept downstream.

Tumbling and twisting he fought for air.

He was tossed around with the ripped-up trees and forest debris.

And then the river took a sharp bend and... he didn't.
He slammed into a rock and his movement halted.
Water pounded against his back and pinned him against the outcrop.

Struggling to breath against the crushing power of the water, he tried to move.
His legs wouldn't cooperate, but his arms flailed for purchase.
He scrabbled, pulled and pushed.

And finally he moved.
A bit sideways... and towards the downstream direction, not the bank.

But some movement was better than staying here while the river pounded the life out of him.

"Jack!" He looked sideways to see Sam scrambling down the river bank. He wanted to tell her to stay back. To be careful. So that she didn't end up in the river with him. But the crushing weight of the water prevented him from getting enough air in his lungs to speak.

And right then, he shifted again. Sideways again.
And then the river swept him along.
Away from her.

He caught a glimpse of the horrified look on her face and then he was dragged under.

- - -

TBC

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