The Event Series (Book 3): The Archive and Beyond Page 21

  Brown sealed the facility up, and also locked up the Archive. And as we walked back toward the helicopter, we could see to the west a storm was building, and hurried home before it hit us.

  Brown and Lance spent a lot of time kibitzing after that. I think he is trying to find out more about the place and she is happy to find an assistant. One would have thought that would have been Mills’ job.

  Dinner tonight was some more goodies that the Major had brought back from Fort Knox, some canned hash and some mixed vegetables.

  We did Vespers tonight, a lot of talk about the Archive, and what is in there. Asuna, Lucy and I headed back to the cabin after that.

  “Tom, what do you think of Lt. Mills?” she asked.

  “Why? I haven’t really dealt with him all that much.”

  “I don’t know, just seems funny, I can’t put my finger on it,” she told me.

  “Okay, well, I will keep an eye on him, any other feelings about our newbies?” I asked.

  “I like Brown, she is sharp, McManus is a good soldier, and I like him. And then there is Gilbert, that man is a wingnut,” she smiled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He is very funny, I think for the most part he is a good guy, but he is a nut,” she added.

  “You mean like a psycho nut? Dangerous?”

  “No, oh no,” she laughed, “He just has a weird sense of humor and looks at things, almost childlike. And that accent, You All, it kills me.”

  “Ah, okay that is fine, I’m just not crazy about finding another one like the teacher, the psycho killer.”

  (Margo) Tom and a bunch of the military types are heading up to the underground thing they found. I wanted to go, but there are too many in the helicopter, so Code and I stayed here at the camp. Just as well, we took a walk out to the ledge, I wanted to check on Momma, or at least let her know I was back. Even if we did not see her, I would leave a scent for her.

  We also took a ride out to the horse farm just to check on Lemon Drop and Chuckles. We saddled them up and did a quick ride. We talked with Teckla for a bit. She said that the horses are all doing well, and she thinks that Strawberry might be pregnant.

  After dinner tonight it was Fire Pit and most of the talk was about the underground thing. It sounds kind of cool, I hope I can check it out soon.

  (Lance) Tom was going to leave me behind when they went up to The Mountain. Bullshit on that, I pitched a bitch and he realized that really I had found it, I had reminded the Major about it and that helped get him back up here when the Fort Knox people wanted him to stay there. So I got to go.

  The place is amazing, it has power, and rooms, and food, and really, it might be something we should think about as a new home. It could be very good for us.

  I spent time working with Sergeant Brown, she is awesome, and knows about this place. And what is better, she is willing to share her knowledge about it. It is obvious that she studied and researched these places. She knows.

  I got back tonight, Del and I hung out, and we went to Vespers. I listened a lot as Sergeant Brown filled the crew in on some of the things about The Mountain, she calls it the Archive.

  Got back to the cabin tonight, odd, the Sat-Comm was moved, I think, I thought, I’m not sure.

  (Matt) We were on the road a little later this morning than I wanted us to be. We kind of dogged it a little. The goal for the day was Sudbury, we figured a 13 hour drive, but that didn’t happen, we had a little issue (I got us lost) coming around Thunder Bay and then a storm coming off of Lake Superior slowed us down a little.

  In the course of the day we made no contact with anyone although we saw some smoke off in the distance a couple of times. We could try to trace the source, but it is time to get home.

  Sudbury has an airport and we fueled up there. Then we found a little B&B, the Sunflower Inn, which we stayed at. It was calm, and peaceful.

  I had hoped that we could have made it home late tomorrow, but that is not going to happen, one more night on the road.

  August 22nd

  (Matt) Based upon the GPS and the maps we are about 11 hours from home, I think we can make it today, just finished breakfast, cold cereal and hot tea. We are off; it is about 6:45.

  We drove all day and decided that the most effective route would be to continue on the Trans Canadian until we almost got to Ottawa, then head straight south and cross the St. Lawrence River follow it down until we hit I-90. We would be able to avoid Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo. I am sure Buffalo was nuked, and I am thinking that Toronto probably suffered a similar fate, although we have seen other big cities in Canada untouched in that way.

  We made good time and moved down into the US in there early afternoon, where we picked up Route 37. The roads were mostly clear, but as we drove along you could not help but see now much nature had reclaimed already after only a year and a half. I cannot imagine what 5 and 10 years will hold for us.

  Wow, it has only been about 18 months since this all started. It seems a lifetime ago. So much has changed, I have change, we, the clan have changed, we have lost so many, and yet we have grown so much.

  “You’re awfully quiet” piped up Tanya.

  “Yeah, sorry, was just thinking.”

  “Guy thinking? I don’t want to talk about it thinking?” She smiled.

  “No, I was thinking that it seemed forever ago that this all started but it has really only been about a year and a half.” I told her.

  “Mmmm, I was kind of thinking the same thing. We have grown, we are different now.” She said.

  “Yes, we have, and ….. I wonder….”

  “What?”

  I looked at her, “When we came back from Stanwix that last time, after the battle, I couldn’t stop to see if Helen was okay, should we stop this time?”

  Tanya sat silently for a few minutes, then finally, “Yes, I think we should, I think we need to.”

  We did a little check of the maps and GPS and found that it would add an hour to our trip, and even if it added one extra night to the trip to visit her, it would be worth it.

  Fred and Jan were initially confused by the detour, but when we explained it a little more they were excited to meet the “Library Lady”.

  We rolled into Fulton-Montgomery at about 5:30. As we come into the library building it was dark, no lights, but then it was still day time. We called out to her, but no answer.

  We checked the kitchen area and it seemed that it had been used recently, within a week, give or take. The dishes were all cleaned and stacked neatly. But they were not dusty. In fact, the entire place was as it always had been, neat, tidy, well kept. It was just as if she had taken a walk or a trip off site for some reason.

  We started back toward the trucks, but before we got to the door Tanya saw a hand written note on the table where we had eaten spaghetti with her in the past.

  “Matt, Tanya, sorry I will not be here when you arrive, Sylvester and I are out at a meeting, but you know where everything is. Stay the night, have some dinner, dream.”

  We looked at each other; it was a surprise, but then, not really. It was good that she is alive, and okay.

  “Should we stay?” Tanya asked me.

  “I think we should, she always had something for us, something mysterious that we got out of our visits,” I answered.

  She nodded.

  Fred and Jan seemed hesitant at first, but when we filled them in on the past meetings with Helen they understood. We told them about how she had helped us to determine a set of ethics, to find the old ways, Sky Father, Earth Mother. We talked about the peyote ceremony that we had gone through. They listened and seemed to understand the importance of this woman.

  After we cleaned up, Tanya and I walked up to Stack Three, I touched the books we had studied, inhaled the past, and remembered. I kept hoping she and that scruffy cat would show up. They didn’t.

  (Margo) It was a nothing day, just wandered around, sketched.

  (Lance) We flew up to the mountain agai
n today. We did more exploring, It was the Major, Sgt. Brown (Washa, she told me to call her Washa), the soldier, McManus, and Del. She came along instead of Tom.

  We explored, The Major spent most of his time in the Infirmary, checking, finding out what he had for equipment and supplies. It turns out that he has a pretty good set up. It is not state of the art, but he has an X-ray machine, and a pretty good pharmacy set up. It is much better than what we have. On the flight back to the camp he said that he would set up a schedule and we could all have physicals.

  Washa and I worked on the elevators and we able to find the keys that allowed access to them. We checked out the radar room first, it was up one level, the top level. But we were unable to get anything to work. She said she would check with Fort Knox when we get back to see if they had suggestions. Although really, why? It is not like we are tracking anything.

  Then we went down a level. Wow, we have food, lots of it. 55 gallon drums of flour, and sugar, and rice and dried beans. There were canned hams, and all kinds of canned fruits and veggies, and olives, friggin’ olives! Taylor will have her work cut out for her.

  We flew back around 7pm, dinner was waiting for us and Mark was a little pissy about our being late. But when he heard about the food stores that would be available to him, he lightened up pretty quick.

  Cabin seemed normal tonight, I guess I was just imagining the ‘something seemed not right’.

  (Tom) I wonder how Matt and Crew are doing, I hope, and pray that the folks at Whidbey got the message to them and they are on their way back home.

  Another trip to the Archive today, but I stayed behind today; I really don’t need to go up there, to the mountain. I would just get in the way.

  Mac came to see me when they got back tonight. He told me that he thinks that there may be someone in the area, a camp or group. I asked why and he explained that he had seen some smoke, and also, he caught a couple of flashes, like from a mirror or piece of shiny metal, maybe binoculars.

  We looked at the map and he pointed at the area around Middlefield. But that was not the only place, he had also noticed that there was an oxbow in the river, the Connecticut River that had seemed to be ‘cultivated’ like there was still farming going on.

  When we looked at that oxbow on the map, it would be a good and logical place to set up a camp, it was almost an island. It is easily defensible from the Zoms, and for that matter, human intervention. It is close, but not too close to urban areas so they could easily scavenge. Assuming there are people there, I guess the question is whether they are hostile.

  Either way, it is probably obvious to them that we are around, chopper and all, and that is a problem. I spoke with Steven about it and he will take different approaches to both the base on the mountain and also to coming to our camp. If we mix it up, we should be able to buy some time. One of the things that the trip out west showed us is that there are good and bad people out there and we need to be cautious.

  I guess it is pretty clear that since we, Asuna and I, have returned that The Three is really kind of no more. I’m not sure why that is, but with everything that has been going on, we are back to the early days.

  August 23rd

  At Vespers last night I told everyone about the things that Mac had seen; the flashes and the oxbow fields. I took it easy, not wanting to put anyone in a panic, I think that the camp might still be a little edgy after the Stanwix stuff.

  Although The Three has stepped back, and for the record, I was not even sure who the three were, but it is the Major, Teckla and Charlene. And this morning before the Major left for the mountain I spoke with them about my thoughts on the two sightings. I was not so concerned about the oxbow, that seemed to be a reasonable course of action, like us, we built gardens, and were fruitful. They may be like us, defensive, but not unreasonable.

  Those flashes, the reflections, they could be something else, a potential threat. That is more like something that an aggressive or scavenger group might do. They might be peaceful, and for that matter, connected with the farming island, although a little far away. We need to be careful here.

  We will have to think about this a little, and the question of whether we should try to make contact with these strangers is one that will need to be thought through. I think we should get some scouting done; maybe a little trip to look around those areas would be good.

  The rest of the day was mostly quiet. Asuna and I just hung out for most of it. We had nothing that we needed to do. Kind of a visit and talk with fellow campers kind of day. Fire pit tonight was good, Matt, Tanya and crew rolled in about 10:30 this morning and it is great to have them back. I talked to them about the trip and what they had seen. It sounded like some of the people they met were interesting in a good way; unlike some of the people we met. It gave me a feeling, a good feeling, that things could move forward. We will never be where were once were, not in my lifetime, but there is a future.

  Asuna and I talked this evening after fire pit, she suggested that maybe I should back off a little on the taking charge of things, she’s right, The Three have it down. I guess I just kind of got carried away with the mission to get the pills to Cheyenne Mountain and then all the ‘Commander of the Mass. Militia’ crap.

  She is good about these things; she pulls my head out of the sky, or my ass when she needs to.

  (Lance) Flew up to the Archive today, we took a kind of odd route heading north out of camp, and did a big loop to come in a little differently. We also flew pretty low. I didn’t get it at first, but then Steven explained it to me and I understood. I had not really considered that there might be other people, camps, groups in the area. I mean, really, since the Biker thing we haven’t had anyone close to us. Yeah, we knew about and dealt with Stanwix, but it was far away.

  After we landed Washa and I opened the place up and we got to work inside, cleaning. Taylor had come up with us also; she and Del were in the lower level doing inventory on the food that was there. The Major and Charlene spent the day working on getting the infirmary straightened up and making an inventory of the meds and equipment in there.

  By the end of the day we had a pretty good idea of what we had and where it all was. But there was one thing that seemed weird to me. We haven’t found the weapons lockers; that is odd. Why would a facility like this not have one? And why wouldn’t Washa know where it is, if it was here?

  I talked to the Major when we got back tonight; he kind of blew me off on that. I never really got a good answer.

  When Del and I got back to the cabin tonight I noticed something, someone had been in our cabin. It was subtle, but there was a smell, a kind of after shave smell. I remembered it because it was the same one my father had used, it was Old Spice. I still hate that smell. I looked around, everything seemed where it should be, there was nothing missing, but that smell, it isn’t right.

  “What you doing?” asked Del as I began to take out some tools and camera equipment.

  I smiled, “Be quiet, be vewy, vewy quiet, I am hunting weasels?” and turned on the CD player, kind of loud. I began to tickle her, and then I put my hand over her mouth and whispered, “We may be bugged”. She looked at me funny, and then her eyes opened wide.

  I grabbed a pad and wrote, “I think someone has been in here, and is doing something, not sure who, I mean it is one of the military guys, something is going on, it isn’t right.”

  Del just looked at me.

  I wrote more, “I want to set up a camera in here, want to see if someone is spooking us.”

  She nodded.

  “Something is fucked up,” I wrote.

  She nodded.

  I got the camera set up and hidden. It would show the door, so if someone came in, we could see who it was, and I also set up a microphone so I could hear if there was any conversation. I may be off the wall on this, but I have to know.

  It was kind of funny, at dinner I walked near all the soldiers, trying to get a whiff of them to see if I could match up the smell. That didn’t
work so well, no luck.

  We didn’t sleep well.

  (Margo) Tom caught up with me today, we talked a little and although he wouldn’t come out and say what, he seemed concerned about something. He kept asking about scouting trips, and if we had seen or heard anything different around camp. I told him no, but now, I will be keeping an extra eye out.

  After lunch Code and I headed up to the area of the ridge. While we were walking I told him about Tom being weird. He just nodded, and told me he hadn’t noticed it.

  When we reached the ledge area where Momma and the cubs hung out, we sat for a few minutes, quiet. Then a ball of tawny fur came tumbling down the hill. The cubs were fighting. I laughed and they froze for a second, one, the bigger one, the male backed up a little and crouched. The female, she just looked, I guess she figured out who we were and ran to me.

  They have grown, but are still just puma kitties, but bigger than I remember. I scratched the ears on the female. I guess I should name them. But what, what should I call them. I asked Code, and he looked at me, with a look of, ‘like I have no clue’.

  As I tried to think, Momma came to the top of the ledge and gave a snarl, not at us, but more at the cubs, it was like she was saying “Get your butts back up here, now!”

  The male took off like a shot; the female took one last ear rub and followed him. They cleared the ridge, and were gone. It was a great day.

  I have to work on the names, Luke and Leia, Ciel and Elizabeth, I don’t know, I’ll come up with something. Oh, how about Waldo and Dora……

  (Matt)It was a quiet night, and Helen didn’t return. In the course of the night I had dreams, but only one I remember. I saw Chris, and talked with him a little. He told us that things were good, and that mankind would survive the virus. He seemed to know about the cure. It was funny because where I first met him in the dream tonight he had a raven perched on his shoulder.

  I was awake early this morning and we wasted little time in getting back on the road, the plan was to be home by 10 or so, and we made it.

  I talked with Tom and Mom, they were glad to see us back. Mark was happy too. He took me aside and said that he thinks that Michelle might be pregnant. But they aren’t sure, so keep it quiet. I mentioned it to Tanya, but that was it.