NOTE: This is derived from the "Swept Away" RP continuity which started in 2007 and has continued in various forms and spinoffs ever since, first on the old Hillbilly Hell forum and presently in Wingnut City. I'm sure it's not the first or only "Humans in the Carsverse" thing that ever came up, but boy, has it had staying power. By the in-RP timeline, the events of Planes 2 would be taking place perhaps 6 years after the humans' arrival.
**********
Mii'auww crouched on the slope, with binoculars in hand and N'sheki ground-tied beside her. The newcomer hadn't been on base for ten minutes before something else happened - whiffs of smoke were blown back over the ridge from the larger valley beside, inducing the mare to jig nervously and paw the ground before Mii's hand stilled her. Fire was something no equine wanted anything to do with, just smelling smoke was more than enough to make them uneasy.
Nick was still up there, finding out what was what. But that "what" was now becoming an explosion of activity as the now-familiar sounds of aircraft engines and rotor blades reverberated off the canyon walls. Two twin-props and a big green helicopter raced over the ridge, with the new arrival tagging along whether wanted or not. Mii clutched at N'sheki's bridle as the animal snorted and half-reared in response to the great twin-boomed transport passing directly overhead. A male, she figured, as this massive fellow was low enough to show the finer details of his belly. Not young, but in good shape, in tones of grey, black and red. Fortunately for her, he and his companions would be too focused on the task at hand to be much concerned about who or what they might be overflying. The smaller plane, a bright yellow air tanker, followed seconds after. The helicopter, a skycrane-type, was the slowest of the lot. Dusty was still the biggest worry, but he wouldn't be smelling anything else but smoke right now.
"Come on." Mii'auww tugged at the reins of the reluctant mare. N'sheki tossed her head in protest, but had no choice but to trot along as Mii scrambled back up the pass to get a view of what was going on in the greater park. At the crest of the ridge, she stooped again, and pulled the mare's head down as she squinted into the distance and debated the risk of using the binoculars again, as the lenses might flash in the sunlight here. But here, within arm's reach, there was a thicket of wild plums - small, red, edible fruit. Mii grabbed a few, pitted them and fed them to N'sheki to pacify her before taking a couple for herself. How many such trees were there in this park? If this one, there were others. Looking out once more, she beheld a column of smoke rising from the park's northwestern section. It didn't appear particularly large, but the team was obviously intent on ensuring that a "little" fire didn't grow into a big conflagration. It was then that the first helicopter re-emerged, coming directly through that smoke.How did he manage THAT without coughing up a storm?
"I see you found the wild plums already." Nick's voice chuckled behind her. The blue light passed along N'sheki's offside flank, dodging the mare's cow-kick and snapping teeth. Mii'auww growled at the horse and jerked her still again. "Behave yourself, you little witch." She pointed out towards the blaze, and its oncoming attackers. "So what did you find out about Dusty?"
"Apparently, he's looking to get training there - as a firefighter." Nick answered. "Exactly why he didn't say yet, but Dipper - that twin-prop girl in yellow - was already all over him. She's a certified air tanker and certified man-crazy as well. Not that there's anything wrong with her work ethic, as you can see, but if she doesn't try to jump poor Dusty's frame at least once in the next week, I'd be surprised."
"And the others?"
"Big twin-boom guy is Cabbie, the skycrane's Windlifter, of course. Oh, looks like we'll be seeing the smokejumpers in a sec." The spark jigged in anticipation. "There they go." From out of the rear of the great twin-boom, five bobcat/ATV types leaped out and descended by parachute. One of them was large enough to require double chutes. This wasn't the first time Mii had witnessed a para-drop in her six years in this world - she had seen an air show once - but these vehicles, with one exception, were a bit on the heavy side, and their combined weight quite a load for even a large plane to carry.
"Risky." Mii muttered, between plums.
"Nobody ever said it wasn't." Nick made a shrug-bob. "But then, same for 'copters doing loops, if you get my drift."
Mii'auww paused, her little penknife in the middle of pitting, and gave him a hard look. "Accident, was it?"
"Yeah." there was a sigh. "Stupid accident. Crosswinds happen. I just didn't expect it then and there. Nobody expects to die just for the sake of entertainment, but now and again somebody's number comes up." Nick snorted. "We helicopters are, if you give any credit to the least of the stereotypes, hard-nosed, no-nonsense, always on the alert when off the ground. There's truth to that - fixed-wing aircraft have a BIT of a margin for complacency, rotorcraft can't afford it. Too much joie de vivre, too much levity, and a chopper ends up like yours truly, in a smouldering heap on the ground. But I can at least be thankful I didn't crash into a building, or on a busy roadway, and take other people with me - damn, what is that guy DOING?!" he groaned. "Dude, watch where the hell you're going!"
Mii'auww's eyes snapped up, then squinted before she shaded them. A word surged up from inside and through her larynx and into the chamber of her mouth, one that she had heard occasionally out of the mouths of of the mountain people in moments of anger or irritation, but that no one wanted to hear in "polite company" and especially not from children. "Oh, fu-" she swallowed the half-uttered expletive. "Sorry."
"S'OK." Nick "shrugged" again. "Way too close, but still a miss. But for one split second, Blade had that "life flashing before my eyes" look before he went to "Who the Hell are YOU" and "Now I'm Really, Really Annoyed." If Dusty's seriously aiming for a new career, for whatever reason, a near-collision with the air boss before they've had the chance to say hello is not exactly the way to start a nice working relationship."
"So he'll get a talking-to when they come back?"
"At least." Nick's tone took on a smirk. "But I think he'll let the poor bastard live. THIS time." He groaned again. "Dude, NOOOoooo... You HAD to top off your previous breeeellliannnt maneuver by flying right through the retardant? Get your dumb !% #$! aft back to the base, where it shoulda stayed in th' first place!" He jigged, and darted back down the pass. "OK, I've delayed us long enough. Gotta get all camped out and squared away before dark..."
Mii followed, with the mare plodding behind. It was she who was now smirking. Nick had used an interesting combination of words. The first part, "mother", was clean enough.
The participle that followed, not so much.
*******************
By the red light of the small flashlight, Mii'auww withdrew a plastic-wrapped packet from one of her saddlebags. She had decided to mark her arrival with the luxury of an "A-pack" meal, one of a small box of rations the elders had given her, among other things, prior to her going on passage, to be used if nothing else could be had. She had taken four, but hadn't touched them yet. It wasn't the Nomad way to eat too heavily while on the move. The Mountain people had had years of such shelf-stable food packed away, apparently, before the "blowup" and the deployment of the "elevator" device that had brought their mountain and all inside it to this timeline.
Over the years, Mii had taken lunches with the Mountain children, after the morning classes, and there were some things she had grown to like; pasta was one of them. She doubted that the "Creamy Chicken Tetrazinni" was anything like what was served in the Mountain dining hall, but it was better than raw roots and greens in a fireless camp. She loaded the heating bag, then poured in the salt water solution that would get things bubbling. Off to the right, N'sheki was picketed in the corner of the remains of the stone foundation that now served as their shelter. The mare was munching on red clover that Mii'auww had foraged for her as darkness fell and Nick headed back to the base to see how a certain would-be trainee had fared. Above, clouds were gathering. There was no aerial firefighting activity more than thirty minutes past sunset, that was the rule according to the ghost. Mii would be reasonably safe going down to the meadows to graze and water her mare and refill her canteen - but not right now.
While the tetrazinni was heating, Mii poured the contents of a lemonade-flavored electrolyte packet into the canteen, closed it and shook it. She already had crackers, peanut butter, raisins and "Smarties" laid out. After the last week and a half, she had noted a bit of a weight loss, in her and her mount, and they both needed to recover calories, even if the raisins were a trifle too metallic in flavor for Mii's liking. Despite the dry conditions, the grass down by the river banks was lush and green enough, and would sustain N'sheki as long as she wasn't too terribly taxed for the next few days.Thank the Lady that mares are quiet. Even if Taki could've made the trip, he'd be calling out all over the place.
Once things were heated up, Mii'auww heaped the tetrazinni onto the crackers. She had never been keen on the mountain people's eating utensils, finding this more convenient. She let N'sheki have the peanut butter and the sugar from the accessory pack that came with the rations; the mare accepted them eagerly. At least she was enthusiastic about something. The smarties were saved for last, chocolate being something else that Mii had come to appreciate. As she finished the last of it, it occured to Mii that Nick had been gone a good while, and she wondered just what he'd have to tell when he returned. But having had the fullest meal in what seemed like eternity, it felt like the next thing in order would be a good sleep, at least a few hours' worth. She had already set paracord across the surrounding trees. If any creature crossed it, it would tug at her hand. She had already seen "Deere" tracks in the surrounding area, and didn't really want to find out if there was anything bigger, or worse out there.
A few hours later, Mii'auww awoke to the sound of crashing thunder. N'sheki was shifting nervously and pawing. Nick was beside her again, flickering. "Just dry lightning." he said. "No rain coming down, though everybody wishes there was. It'll probably start another fire in the bigger valley."
"Why not in this one?" Mii asked.
"This one gets a little more moisture, as it gets the full benefit of the prevailing winds." the spark answered. "Those canyon walls between? They create a rain shadow, making V6 Valley tinder-dry in the summer. If you ask me, they shoulda built the Damned Futile Lodge over here instead, but y'know, the other place is bigger and prettier."
"So what kind of excitement did you see at the base?
"Well, you'll be relieved to know that Dusty didn't get his prop ripped off by the chief." Nick also sounded rather gratified. "Dusty's not a totally stupid guy, just over-eager and gets caught up in the moment a little too much. He's a bit taller than he was, now that they put pontoons on him. And they gave him "the initiation".
"Initiation?" Mii frowned slightly.
"They showed tapes of our old show, played the "hoist" game with it. Maru - the mechanic - keeps these hidden away for occasions like this. It sounds wierd, but in its own perverse way, it kinda shows the newbies what lines not to cross with Blade. As for Blade, he just goes off and broods on the overlook while politely pretending those bootlegs don't exist. They never did a real DVD release of our show, because the executive producer passed on and his heirs are fighting over his estate, including all his TV properties. Until that case is resolved, an official release won't happen. Blade kind of hopes the greedy bastards go on fighting, the last thing he wants is renewed interest in CHoPs and "Where is Blazin' Blade Ranger now?" He's got enough to deal with in the park superintendent, thanks very much."
"I saw a white car go up the road to the base just after they landed. He was just blinding white all over and looked like a real self-important type. Was that the man you mentioned yesterday?" "Mentioned" was, in Mii's opinion, an understatement. "Ranted about" was more like it.
"Yeah, Mr. Tailpipe himself, Cad Spinner." Nick affirmed. "That guy who's all about the lodge, and VIP's and parties, and schmoozing with the rich, famous and mighty. Couldn't give an airborne intercourse for the rest of the park, least of all the firefighters. Nothing says "I love you guys" like diverting eighty percent of the fire control budget into that super-opulent makeover of the place - you ever get close enough to see inside, you'll know what I mean."
"Ugh." Mii reached down, grabbing a handful of soil and pine needles and rubbing it all between her fingers, then sniffing it. Assessing soil condition and vegetation was part of the skillset of every one of her people. "If it's this dry here, with the odd bit of rain coming in, I can't imagine what it must be like on the other side of the ridge. If the least of what you say is true, and I've no reason to doubt you now, Nick, this man shouldn't be in charge of a dungheap, let alone a park."
"I think it was his mother." Nick sniffed dismissively.
"What about his mother?"
"His mother had a lot of connections. Knowing and working all the right people can get you things, sure, but once you're there..."
"You need to know what to do with it."
"Exactly."
"How long has he been in charge?"
"Five years."
"And nothing really bad has happened yet?"
"Sheer luck." Nick flashed. "But this is an unusually long dry spell, and it could be... well, his undoing." there was a sound of exhaling. "Just hope it isn't everyone else's undoing as well. Speaking of... I still wanna hear about how you met the esteemed Dusty Crophopper BEFORE he became famous."
"It was three years ago." Mii'auww answered. "I was out watching the sheep, and we kids had just been given walkie-talkies. I heard that an old woman had gone missing from the mountain, she was over eighty years old, and she had... " Mii struggled slightly to remember the word, "dementia, that's it. She didn't even really know that the world around her was not the one she'd been born in. Well, anyway, she managed to get out and wander off, and everyone was in a panic. They asked everyone in the area to be on the lookout, and that went out on the aviation band as well."
"OK." Nick's spark "nodded" slowly. "So that's how Dusty would have got wind of this?"
Mii nodded back. "Uh-huh, yes. Our radios couldn't transmit on the aviation band, but they could monitor it. Just then I hear "Crophopper Seven" saying that he'd spotted a human woman wandering towards some cliffs, and he was concerned that she might fall over one. He happened to be flying southeast on some business for his boss, that's how he happened to be there that day. What he did next - well, it would be crazy, for a plane. He decided, then and there, to land. There was an old stretch of road going through, hardly anyone used it now. That's where he came down. He was going to see if he could stop this old lady before she got to the cliff's edge and found her death there."
Nick "hmmm'd". "Somehow... from what I saw today, that doesn't surprise me. He feels a lot, gets swept up. Only a guy like that would go so far."
"Well, somehow he gets to her, and kind of herds her away from the cliffs. She's got dementia, she's mostly blind, she doesn't even realize who or what is talking to her. But he manages to steer her away from the danger zone. I checked my map and figured out that it wasn't too far from where we were guarding sheep, and I left them to my brothers while I rode off to this place with the cliffs. I'd been there once before. Our people take on responsibilities a lot younger than the mountain children do."
"So I figured."
"I met them there. It was still early spring, wet and blustery, and the old woman was shivering. If the cliffs hadn't gotten her, exposure would've done it eventually. I gave her the tea in my canteen that was still warm, and my cloak. Dusty had shielded her from the wind and rain, but he could only do so much."
"He did buy her time, though." Nick interjected.
"He did do that. And the lady's family was very happy for it." Mii opened that selfsame canteen and took another swig of lemonade-tinged water. "The planes at the mountain invited Dusty back there to have something warm to drink before he went on. So he met other humans, but she and I were the first. I already know you aircraft, you don't ever forget the smell of the first humans you meet. Sure as hell he'd still remember mine."
"Which makes our business a bit more... complicated." Nick conceded.
"I know how to mask scent, but it's more work." Mii'auww lay back on her bedroll again. "Damn it, he's a sweet man, but we didn't need this."
"We'll just have to be a bit more careful." Nick's spark rose tentatively above the foundation walls. As long as the wind blows right, and Wally doesn't hear, we should be OK.