VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
TASTES OF FREEDOM - BOOK 2
(Sequel to Discoveries)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
March 2007 (Revised 05/2009)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 2 – CAMP BOGG
It was a warm summer afternoon. The skies were clear and the sun was beaming down with all of its usual radiance. In a remote area of the Appalachian Mountains, undisturbed by the ravages of humans was a little piece of paradise. It was a place unlike any which had ever been encountered before. In the midst of this paradise stood a vast lake, whose deep blue water was warm and crystal clear from the lack of pollution. Not too far from the lake's edge stood a small single room cabin. Encircling the lake, a forest of tall old-growth trees stood like a row of soldiers as if to keep out any obvious intruders. As the winds whispered through the trees, the sweet sounds of birds could be heard singing in the distance. The new spring foliage now highlighted the ground, like a lovely green carpet, lush and dense. By most men's standards, this area was as close to Heaven on Earth as one could possibly get.
In the background, that all too familiar whistling sound could be heard as the two Voyagers slipped through the time portal. They fell from the sky and came to a landing almost directly in front of the cabin.
"Ok! We're here! Are you ok, kid?" Bogg asked as he glanced over and saw his partner sitting on the ground a few feet away.
"Yea, I'm ok." Jeff reassured. His eyes were still closed as he attempted to get to his feet.
"Hey! No peeking!" Bogg said with a grin.
Jeff finally got to his feet and started walking in the direction of Bogg's voice.
"I'm not peeking. Where are we?" He asked. "Wait! Let me rephrase that… Where are you?" Jeff held out his arms and continued to inch his way closer to his partner. After stubbing his toe on a rock, he lost his balance and began to fall.
Bogg jumped to his feet. He ran over and quickly grabbed his partner in an attempt to keep him from falling on his face. Once he was again stable on his feet, he turned Jeff to face the beautiful lake.
"Ok, you can open your eyes now." Bogg said warmly.
Jeff began to slowly open his eyes. "Wooooooooow! Where…are…we?" He asked in amazement.
In response to his partner's extreme awe, he began to explain.
"This…believe it or not is my most favorite place in all of space and time. It's my sanctuary and I wanted to share it with you."
Jeff took a moment and cast his eyes over the area. "Bogg…this is great!" He exclaimed with overwhelming excitement in his voice.
"Well kid, ever since I pulled that terrible prank on you, I have felt so guilty. I know we have always played pranks on each other, but I believe I took that one a little bit too far."
Jeff turned to face Bogg and tried to dispel his guilt about the situation.
"Bogg, it's ok!" He whispered. "How could you have known I couldn't swim? As far as I'm concerned, it's history. There are no hard feelings and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it."
"No kid, it's not ok for me. I still feel really bad about it." Bogg said remorsefully. "Remember, when we talked afterward, I told you that I would make it up to you somehow."
"Yea, I remember."
"For days, I have wracked my brain to try to figure out what I could do to make it up to you. However, it wasn't until you began to talk about your childhood and your days growing up in New York, that an idea finally struck me.
"What was that, Bogg?" Jeff asked.
"Well, I figured there was only one way that I could possibly make it up to you."
"C'mon Bogg! The suspense is killing me!" Jeff exclaimed.
"The only way to make it up to you would be to subject you to the torture and agony of a long, excruciating, camping trip." Bogg said with a grin.
"A camping trip!" Jeff yelled with a look of disbelief in his eyes. "What do you mean by 'torture and agony?' I love camping!"
"How…" Bogg said as he started to laugh. "How could I ever forget your passion for the great outdoors? Not a day goes by that you don't say something about it. I know it's been a while since your last camping trip and that's one of the reasons I brought you here."
Jeff hugged his partner and said, "Thanks Bogg! You are terrific!"
"The same back at you, kid. But hold on, I'm not done yet. While we are here, I'm going to teach you how to swim."
"Wow! I can't wait!"
"C'mon kid, let me show you around the place and we'll set up camp." Bogg said as he put his arm around him.
Jeff examined the area curiously. Not finding any camping equipment within his immediate area he turned to his partner and posed the obvious question. "How can we set up camp when we didn't bring anything along?"
"Like I said, kid, everything we need is right here. Come, I'll show you." Bogg said with a smile. He escorted his partner over to the little cabin and opened the door. "Take a look in there!"
Jeff peeked through the door and examined the contents inside. Much to his surprise, there in front of him was a tent, two sleeping bags, a lantern, some swimming gear and two small canoes.
"Wow, Bogg! You weren't kidding when you said everything we need is right here!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Told ya! C'mon let's get started."
Bogg and Jeff pulled out the equipment and set up camp not too far from the lake's edge. Once everything was in place, they decided the time had come to have some fun. After donning their swimming gear, the two made their way toward the pristine lake.
"Last one in…swabs the deck!" Bogg yelled as he dived into the water.
"What deck?" Jeff asked.
"Smart kids give me a pain." Bogg muttered. "Never mind kid; just come on in."
Bogg leisurely swam out several feet from the shore until the water was a little more than waist deep on him. Upon looking back, he noticed his partner had yet to enter the water.
"Hey! What are you waiting for?" Bogg teased. "Come on in!"
"Duh! Haven't you forgotten something?" Jeff quipped. "I can't swim and I don't have a life jacket."
"It's ok. It's not too deep here and besides, I've got my eye on you." Bogg reassured. "If anything happens, I'll be right there."
"Ok, if you say so." Jeff said nervously. With some trepidation, he began to cautiously enter the water.
"That's it Jeff, you can do it!" Bogg yelled confidently. "Just keep coming toward me, ok?"
Jeff slowly continued toward his partner until the water around him was about waist deep. At that point, he stopped.
"Ok, Bogg. This is as far as I'm going." He stated.
"That's ok. You just stay put and I'll be right there." Bogg reassured further. He sensed Jeff's fear of the water and knew he had to help him to overcome it somehow. He promptly swam over to Jeff's side and started teasing him in an attempt to rid him of his fears.
"Well this is great, just great!" Bogg said in a robust, yet sarcastic tone. "I just had to have a partner who's a sugar cube. Kid, I think you better go ashore. You might just melt if you stay out here too long!"
Bogg's teasing had struck the wrong chord with his partner, which was what he had anticipated. At this point, Jeff had heard enough. In retaliation, he reached down and threw a large handful of water in Bogg's face.
"Here, take that!" Jeff said as he began to laugh. "I'm no sugar cube and I won't melt either!"
"Oh, so you wanna play rough now? Don't ya!" Bogg taunted. He quickly immersed his cupped hands and slung a good amount of water up onto Jeff.
Jeff returned the favor once again and Bogg did so in return. This battle, which from a distance looked like a school of sharks at feeding time, continued uninterrupted for several minutes.
Now waterlogged, Bogg stopped and exclaimed, "Ok kid, I give! I've had enough!"
"So you've had enough now, haven't you? Well I haven't." Jeff quipped. "This is for all those times you have teased me and for all those practical jokes you've pulled on me in the past."
Jeff continued to soak his partner and Bogg continued to do the same in return. The heated battle continued for several more minutes until finally Bogg called for a truce.
"Ok, Jeff. Stop! Truce! I give up!" He exclaimed as he held his arms up and surrendered.
Jeff threw his clenched fists into the air. "Yay! I won! I finally beat the great Bogg at his own game" He yelled confidently.
With the battle now over, a mischievous look came over Bogg's face. In an unexpected move, he swiftly picked up his partner in his arms and proceeded to take him out deeper into the lake.
"Bogg! What are you doing? Remember, I can't swim!" Jeff screamed.
"I know kid. I've got you and I'm not going to let go." Bogg teased. "Well, at least not just yet."
Overtaken by his partner's last bit of teasing, Jeff looked up at Bogg with a look of concern in his eyes and asked, "Bogg, what do you mean by the 'not just yet' part?"
"Relax kid!" Bogg reassured. "Now that we've had our little bit of fun, it's time to let you in on what just occurred. "
"All that splashing around was done for a reason. It was to make you more comfortable while you were in the water. You could call it lesson number one and you passed with flying colors!"
"Lesson one? C'mon Bogg, what are you talking about?" Jeff asked. Within moments of posing his question, he had an epiphany. "Wait a minute! You don't mean swimming lesson number one?"
"Well I was wondering when you'd catch on." Bogg said. "For a moment there, I thought all that water had washed the sand out from between your ears."
"It would take more than water to get rid of what's between these ears." Jeff bragged.
After making this bold statement, Jeff had unknowingly set the wheels in motion for more of Bogg's witty repartee. Snatching up another golden opportunity to tease his partner, Bogg craned his neck and began to peer inside Jeff's ear.
"Ah, I see what you mean." Bogg said with a serious tone. "Looks as if there hasn't been any work done in there in quite some time. I would recommend some soap, a brush and a whole lot of elbow grease. Don't worry though, there's still hope for you yet. At least I cannot see through to the other side."
"Funny, Bogg. Very funny!"
"Are you ready for lesson number two?" Bogg asked.
"Yea! I'm ready." Jeff exclaimed exuberantly.
Bogg reached a point in the lake where the water was now waist deep on him and stopped.
"Ok, now. The next thing you need to learn is how to keep yourself afloat." Bogg continued. "What I want you to do now is to spread your legs and arms apart as I lower you into the water. Got it?"
"Yea Bogg, got it."
Jeff spread his arms and legs wide as Bogg lowered him into the water. Once the water had reached Jeff's armpits, he began to tense up and put his arms and legs back together again.
"Don't tense up, Jeff. Just relax." Bogg reassured. "I still have hold of you. Now do as I said and stretch out your arms and legs."
"Ok Bogg."
"Now I want you to relax and keep your eyes on me. Whatever you do, just keep looking at me.", Bogg repeated. Slowly, Bogg began to release his hold on Jeff as he continued to distract him.
"You may have won that little water fight due to sheer luck. But, you haven't won the battle. I've got some bad news for you. When it comes to water fights, I can't be beaten. I'm the champ!" Bogg boasted.
"Yea, right!" Jeff said wryly. "And just who was the first one to give up?"
By this time, Bogg had released his grip on Jeff and he was now floating in the water unaided.
"I didn't give up… I was just distracting you." Bogg teased.
"You didn't distract me!" Jeff exclaimed. "I won it fair and square."
"No kid, you were just lucky." Bogg quipped.
"Hey, you want a rematch?" Jeff asked boldly. "I'm ready when you are."
"Ooo! Bring it on, kid. Bring it on!"
Bogg smiled at his partner and continued to watch him floating in the water.
"What! Why the silly grin?" Jeff asked. "I know I can beat ya'"
"It's not that." Bogg said as he nodded his head.
"Then what is it?" Jeff quipped.
"Well it looks as if you have mastered lesson two without even realizing it." Bogg said jokingly.
Jeff looked around and suddenly realized he was no longer being held by Bogg. He was now floating unaided in the waist deep water.
"What? What do you mean? Wait! Bogg, I'm floating." Jeff exclaimed.
"Yep, like a buoy. How 'bout that." Bogg acknowledged as he smiled at his partner and continued to reinforce his teaching.
"Just remember. If you are ever in the water, spread yourself out and you will stay afloat."
Bogg continued with his swimming lessons and after a few hours Jeff had learned the basics and was now quite comfortable in the water.
"Kid, I think we need to stop now and go ashore." Bogg recommended. "I don't know about you, but I am shriveled up like a prune. We'll continue these lessons at a later time. Ok?"
"Ok." Jeff replied in agreement.
The two went ashore and dried themselves off. Once they changed back into their clothes, Bogg took his young partner on a hike through the woods. Several hours later and exhausted from their long walk, the two returned to their campsite and collapsed onto the ground. A few minutes had passed before Bogg looked over at his partner and posed the question his partner had long awaited to hear.
"Hey kid, how about we get something to eat?"
"Yea. Sounds good to me. But what are we going to eat?" Jeff asked. "All we have with us is jerky."
"How about some fish?" Bogg asked.
"Alright! I love grilled fish."
"Well I've got to catch them first. Why don't you go and gather some wood for the fire and I'll catch the fish. Oh, we'll also need a couple of long sticks and some rocks to make a fire pit."
"Ok. You get the fish and I'll make the fire." Jeff agreed.
As Jeff went off to gather the items he needed to build a fire, Bogg went inside the cabin in search of his fishing gear. Once inside the room, he began to cast an eye over the area. Suddenly, he noticed his fishing pole hanging above a canoe on the far wall. He walked over and stood in front of it before reaching up and releasing it from its bonds. With all haste and his fishing pole in hand, he turned and started toward the door. Halfway there, he stopped abruptly, snapped his finger and nodded his head as if he had forgotten something. After leaning the pole against the door frame, he turned back to face the chaos of supplies and continued his search. For a moment, he stood in the midst of it all, scratching his head as he tried to remember just where he had put that one item he was now looking for. Without warning, he walked over to a stack of crates leaned against the wall and began to rummage through their contents.
Within a few minutes, he had reached into the last crate and pulled out a small gray-green box. He held it up to the light and slowly opened the lid as he peered inside. At this point, he smiled a bit, closed the lid and stuffed the box of lures into the pocket of his jerkin. Once again, he turned and grabbed his pole and ran swiftly out the door as he headed toward the lake. Upon reaching the lake's edge, he sat down on an old log and began to stealth his prey.
While Bogg was busy enjoying his stint as a fisherman, Jeff was combing the area looking for the perfect rocks he needed to build the fire pit. Building this pit, as he had done so many times in the past with his dad, was simply a matter of pride. Even though his parents were no longer with him in the physical world, he still felt their presence around him as if they were watching over him and observing his every move. After all they had taught him on their many camping adventures, he knew they would not be pleased if he took a half-hearted attempt at this endeavor.
After about thirty minutes of gathering the various rocks, wood and kindling needed to build the pit and start the fire, Jeff walked over to the area and dropped the last armload of wood to the ground. Falling to his knees in front of the huge pile of materials, he grabbed a small shovel and began to dig out a shallow hole some three feet in diameter. Upon completing the digging, he meticulously placed each of the rocks he had found around the hole and stacked the wood inside it. Going through the motions much like he had done so many times in the past, he reached into his pocket and suddenly realized there was one important item neither of them had thought about…Matches! He jumped to his feet and walked over to lake's edge where his partner now sat.
"Oh Bogg?" Jeff asked as he crept up behind him.
"Shhhh…Kid!" Bogg whispered as he waived his arm in the air. "You'll scare the fish."
"Bogg, I think we have a problem." Jeff whispered.
Bogg turned to face his partner. "What's that, kiddo?"
"I built the fire pit and gathered the wood for the fire, but I don't have any matches to start it."
"Oh, we don't need matches." Bogg said emphatically. "Here, take these fish and come with me."
Bogg put down his fishing pole and the two of them walked over to the fire pit.
"Wow, kid. You didn't have to go to all this trouble to build a fire pit. This is excellent!" Bogg said as he patted Jeff on the back.
"Yea. Dad and I were always in charge of building the fire pit for mom. If we didn't do it right, she'd make us do it over."
"Well, I assure you, you won't need to redo this one." Bogg acknowledged.
"Bogg?" Jeff asked. "How are we going to get the fire started without matches?"
"I'll show you how. You just wait here for a moment and I'll be right back." Bogg said boldly. He then walked a few feet away from his partner and began to search the surrounding area.
"Bogg, what are you looking for?" Jeff asked.
"Just you wait and see." Bogg said anxiously. "Ah ha! Found it!"
"Found what?" Jeff asked.
"Just what we need to make a fire. A piece of flint."
"A piece of what?"
"Flint, kid!" Bogg quipped. "Haven't you ever started a fire without matches before?"
"Nope! We always carried a box of matches with us when we camped."
"That's cheating." Bogg yelled to his partner and laughed.
"Nuh uh" Jeff replied. "That's not cheating!"
Bogg walked back over to the fire pit and dropped to his knees in front of it. "Kid, if you're going to go to all the trouble of 'roughing it', you have to do it right you know. Come over here and let me show you some magic."
Jeff walked over and stood beside his partner as he watched him take a knife from his pocket, open it and hold it up in front of him.
"Ok. This is a knife." Bogg said with a hint of humor in his voice.
"Duh!" Jeff exclaimed. "Like I've never seen one before."
Bogg placed the knife on the ground and then picked up the piece of flint.
"And this, my young apprentice is a piece of flint." Bogg said as he chuckled a bit.
"Wow, we have a knife and a rock." Jeff said sarcastically. "I can't wait to see what you are going to show me next. Is this show and tell or something?"
Bogg rolled his eyes. "Kid, you're just a barrel of laughs. Enough of the wise-cracks! Listen up and you might just learn something!"
"Ok, OK!" Jeff exclaimed. "I'm listening."
Bogg picked up the knife and stuck the tip of it into the ground underneath the wood Jeff had so neatly stacked inside the pit. He reached behind him and grabbed some dry leaves and placed them next to the blade.
"Now watch closely." Bogg urged.
With his partner's attention now focused on him, he picked up the piece of flint, leaned over and began to strike it against the back of the knife blade. At this point, sparks began to fly.
"Wow Bogg, sparks!" Jeff said excitedly. "I never knew you could do that."
Bogg continued to strike the flint against the blade until he saw a small glow and a ribbon of smoke coming from the midst of the dry leaves. Once he noticed the ember, he gently began to caress it with his breath and it suddenly grew into a small flame. After carefully placing some small twigs over it, he continued to nurture the baby flame until at last it had grown into a roaring fire.
Bogg stood up and asked, "How's that for a fire?"
Jeff was amazed with his partner's magic. "Wow Bogg, that was great! I've never seen that done before. "
"Here kid, catch! " Bogg warned before tossing the piece of flint to his partner. "Put that in your pocket and hold on to it."
"Hey thanks!" Jeff said warmly.
Bogg walked over to the edge of the wood and started looking around as if he were searching for treasure. After a few moments, he kneeled in front of a small leafy plant and plucked several leaves from it. Next, he walked over to a small bush with long thin leaves and plucked a few of those. Once he was finished there, he picked up two "Y" shaped branches from the ground before returning to the edge of the fire pit.
"What's all that for, Bogg?" Jeff asked curiously.
"It's some wild herbs to season the fish and a few branches to help us grill it." He explained.
Bogg knelt down and stuck the two Y-shaped branches into the ground on opposite sides of the fire pit. With all haste, he began to prepare the fish for grilling. Once he finished, he placed them on the two sticks Jeff had found and rubbed them briskly with the herbs he himself had gathered. Carefully, he placed the skewered fish on the Y-shaped branches over the fire pit.
"Bogg, I think you've done this before." Jeff insisted.
"Many times, kid…" Bogg said as he winked at his partner.
As the two sat and waited for the fish to cook, Bogg began to talk about all the times he had camped there.
"How did you find this place?" Jeff asked.
Bogg put his hands behind his head and lay back onto the ground. "It's a long story, but it'll be a while before the fish are done, so I'll tell you. Many years ago, while I was a student at Voyager Academy, I came to a point where I began to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. The stress of trying to digest so much information in such a little bit of time was taking its toll. It was at that time, a fellow classmate told me about this place where his parents had taken him camping when he was a kid. He said it was the most beautiful and serene place on Earth and a visit there was just what I needed to clear my head and regroup."
Jeff looked at his partner and asked the obvious. "Bogg, how did you get here without an omni?"
"Well, I did have an omni." Bogg said as he smiled bashfully.
"They give you an omni when you are still in Voyager school?" Jeff asked.
"Yea kid." Bogg replied. "I know it's hard to believe, but they give you a 'training omni.'"
"So tell me more about this 'training omni.'" Jeff prodded.
"It's an omni that only has limited functions." Bogg explained. "Once a voyager reaches his second year of training, he is given one of these special omnis. Trainees use it to familiarize themselves with the real thing and to do their homework assignments. Don't be misled, kid. It may be called a 'training omni', but it still has the capability of basic time travel."
"Anyway, I needed some time away from VA to clear my head, so that's when I decided to dial up this place on my training omni and investigate. When I arrived the first time, I found it to be much like a haven of sorts. It had such a calming effect on me. It was just the thing I needed to get myself back on track."
"Did you get in trouble for coming here?" Jeff asked.
"Yea, the first time." Bogg admitted, with some shame. "When my instructor found out about my little trip, he was so upset. He called me to his office, sat me down and read me the riot act. He told me that I had made an unauthorized journey and I shouldn't have gone alone. Once my tongue-lashing was complete, he pronounced sentence on me for my actions."
"What did he do?" Jeff asked. "They didn't kick you out of Voyager Academy, did they?"
Bogg took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Nope, nothing that drastic. My punishment was to help him dust and straighten all of the books at the Voyager Academy Library."
"I'll bet that was easy." Jeff teased. "I've had worse punishments than that."
Bogg nodded. "Kid, obviously you have never been to Voyager Academy library. It has three floors and over a million volumes. Once I was done, it took weeks to get all the dust out of my lungs."
Jeff's eyes grew wide as he was now stunned. "Oh."
"After that, I didn't get to come back here again until I had graduated. Before we met, I came here quite often to clear my head. I'm just happy to have the opportunity to share this place with you, in much the same way it was shared with me."
Jeff smiled at Bogg and expressed his feelings with regard to Bogg's gesture. "Thanks Bogg. Thanks for bringing me here and sharing this with me. I hope this won't be the last time we come here."
"No, kid." Bogg reassured. "We'll be back! I promise."
Bogg reached over and began to poke the fish to see if they were done. He picked up a skewer and handed it to his partner.
"Looks like the fish are done." He announced. "Here, Jeff. You first! Have one."
Jeff took the skewer from his partner. "Thanks."
As Bogg sat and watched intently, Jeff slowly raised the skewer to his mouth and took a nibble of the fish. After a few moments, Jeff took yet another bite, but still said nothing.
"Well?" Bogg asked impatiently. "How is it!"
Jeff looked over at his partner and put his mind at ease. "This is good! Really good! Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I just love to cook, but I hardly ever get the chance anymore." Bogg replied.
"Ummm…If it tastes like this, you can cook for me anytime." Jeff said as he took another bite.
"Hey… thanks!"
For the remainder of the evening, the two Voyagers sat around the campfire, enjoying their meal and each other's conversation. As the sun made its way below the horizon, darkness had fallen over the area. Through the flickering flames, Bogg peered curiously over at his partner, who by now had decided to lie down in his sleeping bag and rest for a while.
"Hey kid, you still awake?" Bogg prodded.
Jeff sat up and began to yawn. "Yea. I'm awake, just barely. I'm tired. It's been a long day".
"It's been a long day for me, too. " Bogg said as he tried to hold back a yawn. "Maybe we should turn in for the night. We have another big day ahead of us tomorrow."
Jeff lowered himself back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.
Bogg grabbed his sleeping bag, walked over and unrolled it next to his partner. After getting inside, he struggled for a moment to get to a comfortable position before finally closing his eyes.
"Good night, Jeff."
"Good night, Bogg."
------------------------------------
Several days passed. The two Voyagers continued to enjoy their little vacation away from it all. The schedule for most days included exploring, relaxing by the lake, talking and eating. Not only was Bogg able to get in some good quality bonding time with his new partner, but he also was able to continue working on his partner's swimming skills as well. In addition, he honed his hunting, fishing and cooking skills as he prepared the meals for the two of them. By the morning of the third day, after much deserved rest and relaxation, the two were now ready to take on their next assignment. Nudged by the bright rays of the morning sun and the sounds of birds singing in the trees, the two awakened to the start of a new day.
Bogg, still half inside his sleeping bag, sat up, rubbed his eyes and yawned. For a moment, he sat there with his head down, silent, attempting to come back to life after such a sound sleep. Upon his return to the land of the living, he glanced over at his partner, who was still fast asleep.
"Hey kiddo! Wake up!" Bogg said in a whisper as he nudged him gently.
There was no response. Bogg threw back the cover of his sleeping bag, crawled out and kneeled at his partner's side. After putting his hand on Jeff's shoulder, he once again attempted to wake him.
"C'mon Jeff, it's time to wake up.", Bogg said in a slight whisper. "We've got a big day ahead of us."
Jeff turned over and while still half asleep, muttered, "Dad, I'm so tired. Can't I stay home from school today?"
Stunned by the words of his partner, Bogg paused for a moment as he attempted to process what he had just heard. He had always considered himself a father to the young boy, but being called 'dad' was quite a different matter. Much to his surprise, a warm and fuzzy feeling now came over him, one that reached to the very depths of his soul. In response to this feeling, he began to beam with joy as a big smile came over his face.
Putting aside his plans for the day, Bogg decided to play along and allow Jeff to enjoy one last day of sleeping late. He leaned over his partner and pushed his tousled hair away from his face and whispered in his ear.
"It's ok kid. There's no school today." He said softly. "You just stay home and rest." After pulling the top of the sleeping bag up under Jeff's chin, Bogg got to his feet and tiptoed quietly away.
While his partner slept, Bogg worked feverishly to gather up all of the camping gear and stow it away inside the cabin. Once he had finished cleaning up, he started a fire and made breakfast for the two of them.
As Bogg went about preparing breakfast, a mouth-watering aroma had begun to permeate the area. It was an aroma so overpowering; it was enough to bring Jeff out of his current state of slumber. Unexpectedly, Jeff sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Bogg?" Jeff said sleepily.
"Hey Rip. What took you so long?" Bogg teased. "You almost missed breakfast."
Jeff stood up, walked over and kneeled beside the campfire.
"Rip?" Jeff asked as he rubbed his neck and yawned. "Who's Rip?"
Bogg laughed. "Rip Van Winkle… You know the guy that slept for ages."
"Funny Bogg." Jeff said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "I didn't sleep THAT long."
"I was just teasing you, kiddo. Did you sleep well?" Bogg asked.
"Yea." Jeff replied as he peered curiously around the area.
"Bogg, how long have you been up?" Jeff asked.
"Well, kid, I'd say at least a couple of hours now. "
"I would say so from the looks of things." Jeff said in a sarcastic manner. "I see you've put away all our gear as well as made breakfast for the two of us. Why didn't you wake me so I could give you a hand?" He admonished.
"You looked like you needed a little extra sleep and I really needed the exercise." Bogg said as he smiled at Jeff and continued preparing their breakfast.
"But Bogg, it's not fair for you to have to do ALL of the work!" Jeff exclaimed. "This vacation was just as much for you as it was for me. You have worked yourself to death waiting on me while we've been here."
"It's ok!" Bogg reassured as he winked at Jeff. "I don't mind the work at all. It's all for a good cause. And besides, the exercise was good for me. There's nothing like a little manual labor to get the old heart pumping again."
"Are you sure Bogg?" Jeff asked.
"Kid! Really, it's ok.", Bogg quipped. "Now quit being a pain, get over here and have something to eat. Otherwise, I may have to drop you off on the snowy slopes of Siberia. Got it? And since you don't have any skis with you, getting down might just be a problem."
"Got it Bogg!" Jeff replied. "You don't have to remind me twice."
Jeff slid over next to Bogg and served himself up a generous portion of breakfast his partner had prepared. Bogg served himself and the two sat silently enjoying their meal and the scenery around them. Once they had finished, Bogg looked to his partner and started to discuss the day's agenda.
"Kid, I don't know about you, but I think it's time we get on with our next mission."
"Yea. As much as I love camping we just can't stay here forever." Jeff agreed. "We're Voyagers. It's up to us to keep things on track. We can't do our job if we spend all our time on vacation."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Bogg said. "I knew there was something I liked about you. Now c'mon, we need to finish picking up here and we'll be ready to go."
The two voyagers packed up their remaining gear and placed it inside the cabin. After dousing the fire with water, Bogg checked the door of the cabin one more time to see if it was securely fastened. At this point, he walked over and stood next to his partner. After slipping the omni from his belt, he opened it and adjusted the dials.
"Well, kid. I guess it's time." Bogg said with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
"Yea, but, we'll be back and I can't wait to come here again." Jeff said excitedly.
Bogg held his arm out for his partner. "Me too, Jeff! It's been quite a while since I have had this much fun. Ready?"
Jeff grabbed hold of his arm. "Ready, Bogg."
"Another adventure is just waiting for us." Bogg said boldly as he waived his hand across the heavens.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't be dull." Jeff teased.
Bogg closed the omni, hit the button and they vanished.