“It’s all gone!” cried Chris.
Circles of light from their flashlights shone around the wet deck and revealed more.
Al added, “The solar panel is gone. We won’t be able to re-charge the power cell.”
Kira sat down; finding it difficult to stand, unconscious of the water she sat in. “We cannot go on?” she asked.
Time was passing, and Al wanted to get underway again. “Yes, we can. We’re not done yet. The ship appears to be sound—so, get us pointed west again Chris, and we’ll go until we run out of juice. The cell had a full charge when we shut the drive down and should last for a while. The next time we have to stop we can discuss our options.
The boat was lighter, which allowed them to go faster, and the sea remained calm. The wind in their hair and the speed of the water going by made it seem they were just short of flying. The sun came up, with no sign of Falkor, and the three of them grew progressively more concerned. They spent the morning searching the water below and the skies above, looking for any sign of their lost companion.
Just before noon, Al noticed a dot far in the distance ahead. He pointed it out to Kira and Chris, but it was a minute before they spotted it. The dot gradually flattened out, and changed to a short, thin line, horizontal to the horizon; waving in the wind. The line grew, and the ends began to flap until it morphed into a flying creature, heading out of the West in their direction.
Faster than Al would have thought possible, the creature buzzed by overhead, and screamed in delight. It was a bright green lizard with wings, and he was making no attempt to hide. His wing strokes were powerful, and he navigated the sky with little effort. Falkor had returned, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheers rose from the relieved seafarers, as the dragon made a wide circle to get behind them, matched their speed, and landed lightly on the speeding deck. They gathered around him and petted his head, telling him what a great dragon he was. He was as happy as they were and bounced up and down to lick their faces, forcing them to stand back while they laughed.
Kira, the person closest to him, noticed something different. “He has dried mud on his feet.”
Caked mud covered his claws, clear up to the ankles. Pieces were flaking off, turning again to wet dirt as the water on deck washed over them.
Realization dawned on them, and Al stated the unmistakable. “There is land ahead. We are almost there!”
It was not long after Falkor’s return that the drive unit quit. The energy cell powering it died, and the sound of rushing water faded. The boat sat down in the water and slowed until the ripples on each side dissipated.
They were adrift and left roasting in the sun; bobbing gently with the ocean.
“What now, Al?”
“I’m not sure—still thinking.”
Just for a second, Kira got a whiff of something. She said, “I think I smelled flowers.”
Falkor was curled up in his place at the bow, but now he got up and started acting like he had something to say. He took to the air and circled the boat. He would squawk each time he headed west, silently circle, and do it again. He did this several times and then landed on the deck; tilting his head with questioning looks.
“I think he’s telling us we are not far away,” said Al.
“That’s my guess,” replied Chris.
Kira nodded her head vigorously. “We must find a way to continue. Our paradise is not far away.”
Al had been in situations like this before, and he made some mistakes. Those mistakes, not always foreseeable or his fault, still haunted him. But he had learned some valuable lessons and used that knowledge when planning this trip to maximize the chances of success. He built in backup plans.
“Chris, do you want to know why Kira is with us?” he asked.
“Because she’s a lot of fun and laughs a lot?”
Kira smiled and lowered her head; embarrassed.
Al grinned. “Yes and no. The main reason she is here is that she is a strong swimmer. If by chance, we were left adrift and ran out of options, we have two strong swimmers aboard. I think it’s possible we can pull the boat.”
“Do you think so?”
“Do you have any other ideas?”
“None that come to mind. You will need to be careful and not overdo it. She is only a girl you know.”
He avoided the first swipe by ducking, but she got him with the second.
Al laughed and said, “I will match my speed to hers. But first, we have to find something we can use for rope. Let’s see what we can find below.”
Elizabeth and Tammy, when they outfitted the boat, had been thinking ahead also. When the stranded sailors opened the crates, they found a hidden treasure. In one of the first boxes they opened, Al found a note from his wife.
Just in case things go wrong, as they seem to do with you, Tammy and I have added a backup set of Emergency supplies. You will find extra rations of food, fire starters, a tent that sleeps three, a water recycler, and other assorted useful items.
Let nothing stop you from completing your mission.
We anxiously await word of your safe arrival.
Signed with Love,
Elizabeth and Tammy
P.S. Your power must be used wisely. Act accordingly!
In one box marked ‘Teleporter Cables’, Chris found two packages of Military grade parachute cord. They were small packs, but in times like these—priceless. Each package contained two hundred and fifty feet of weaved nylon line. Originally intended for parachutes, the eighth-inch all-purpose rope was durable and incredibly strong.
“That is one smart mom you have Chris,” said Al.
Chris smiled knowingly and replied, “She is, isn’t she? I have a pretty smart wife too. We are lucky men.”
“Yes Chris, we are, aren’t we?”
In another box, they found a grappling gun for ascending steep slopes, and two climbing harnesses.
“We can wear the harnesses, and fasten the Paracord to the tie-downs to pull the boat. We have everything we need. Let’s get going,” suggested Al.
A picture of the first watcher’s demise popped into Chris’ head. “What if you run into one of those sea snakes?”
“If we do, I want you to shoot it. You have your rifle. Don’t be afraid to use it.”
They grabbed the gear and headed back above deck. Al tied one end of each Paracord to the railing at the point of the bow. Kira and Al donned the harnesses, and Al looped the other end of the cord through the tie-downs on each harness, and again to the bow railing.
“There, now we have a double line tying us to the ship. Are you ready Kira?”
There was no wind, and the waves were mild. She answered, “Am I ready to find land? Nothing can stop me!”
Chris and Kira had seen Al transform before, but it was still something to see. He sat on the rail, closed his eyes, and muttered the key phrase that turned on the potential of his robotic body. They watched as he changed and were again amazed.
With a quick nod, they jumped overboard. Al swam to the left, and Kira to the right. Appearing like two oversized orange bobbers, they gradually took out the slack in the lines and started the boat moving. Al had to gauge himself carefully with Kira, but soon they were once again moving forward. They weren’t skimming over the water as they had, but they were once again underway.
They swam for two hours, then stopped so Kira could rest. She had cybernetic legs, but the rest of her was not. Even with her extraordinary prosthetics, swimming with a forty foot boat tied to your back is tiring.
After Al had powered down, Chris asked how his power reserves were holding out. Al told him over eighty percent, which concerned the young man.
“Only eighty percent? You seem to be using your power pack faster this time around. Do you want me to try swimming for a while? I’m a decent swimmer.”
“No Chris, I don’t think you would be able to keep up with Kira. Don’t worry; we’ll be fine.”
They rested for thirty minutes and prepared themselves to return to the water. When Al effected the change from normal to enhanced, he used his advanced eyesight to scan the water ahead of them.
“There is an outline of land ahead,” he announced.
Chris stepped to the rail and looked to the west. “Land? You can see it?”
“Six point two miles ahead according to my readings. If we hurry, we might make it before dark.”
Kira jumped into the water and yelled up, “What are you waiting for Mister Clark? We have a new land to explore.”
Al smiled, tapped Chris on the shoulder, and followed her example. Ever so slowly, the shoreline grew, changing as they got a better view. The stark contrast of the gray cliffs and the giant forest above them became a little more distinct each minute.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chris glimpsed a shadow moving below the water. Before he could give warning, a sea snake rose to the surface, growing in size until it equaled the length of the boat.
“We have a visitor!” yelled Chris.
Chris reached for the laser rifle and followed the dark sea creature with it, ready to shoot if it made any threatening moves.
Al yelled, “Back in the boat—quickly!”
It seemed more curious than hungry, and kept pace with the slowly moving floating thing, alternately going from one side to the other, as if trying to understand this new kind of animal in its water. Chris lowered the rope ladder, and the two swimmers climbed aboard.
“Should we kill it?” asked Chris.
Al’s answer was, “Let’s wait a minute and see what it does. It doesn’t seem to be aggressive.”
They watched the beast from the rail, as it slowly swam around the now motionless craft. “I believe it wants to know what we are,” said Kira.
Chris looked up at the falling sun. “We are wasting time. I think we should shoot it.”
The silence and lack of movement woke Falkor, who was sleeping until now. He quickly assessed what was going on, and knew if Al and Kira could not get back into the water to continue pulling the boat, their sea voyage would never end.
He disappeared as he took to the air, his scales changing to the blue of the sky. Then reappeared above the head of the creature in his natural bright green colors, screaming a battle cry heard for miles with his talons stretched out as he dived. The surprised water creature retreated, but the dragon continued his harassment until the surprised beast slipped under the surface and disappeared into the deep water. Falkor returned to the boat and took a post at the bow, daring it to show its face again.
Chris cried, “Way to go Falkor!”
“That is one smart lizard,” said Al.
“He is much smarter than we think,” declared Kira.
Al and Kira returned to the water. By sunset, they were pulling the Argo onto dry land.
They spent the first night on the mainland occupying the sand of a narrow beach. Above them towered the hundred foot cliffs seen in the Watcher video, with the even taller trees above them. It was too risky to attempt climbing in the dark, so they decided to wait until morning.
Al, while still enhanced, pulled the boat far enough out of the water that it would not float away and then powered down. They unloaded the supplies necessary to get them through the night, and set up a primitive camp. They lit a fire. Not a large fire, but a fire more intended for atmosphere. Al explained why while they sat around it too excited to sleep, and waited for the dawn. “It’s not camping without a fire,” he said.
“I can’t hear any noise other than the ocean,” complained Chris. “I wonder what it will be like once we get up the cliff and into those trees. As big as those trees are, there could be a whole new world up there.”
Kira was attempting to roast an energy bar, to see if it tasted better. She said, “I have read in your Earth books of such places. They are called…jungles? I saw creatures I could never have imagined. Strange and beautiful things that come in all shapes and sizes.”
“Those are tall trees,” Al pointed out. “The canopy will be way above us, and down below it should be easy walking. At least I hope so.”
Falkor interrupted them and brought something from the jungle above. He laid a small rodent resembling a squirrel, but bigger and red, at Al’s feet; proudly begging for recognition.
“I’ll bet you know a good way to cook this, Kira. Want to eat this instead of that energy bar?”
“I can smell it cooking already, Mister Clark. Please let me have it, and I will make dinner.”
It was a great meal, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Kira lay back on the beach, feeling the effects of a full stomach and swimming while tied to a boat. She quickly fell asleep. Chris got up to lay a blanket over her, and then sat back down. Now they could express their concerns without worrying Kira.
“How are we getting the equipment where we need to get it?” asked Chris
“We have to carry it. I guess. Can we make some sort of cart with what we have here?”
Chris laid his thumbnail on his lip, thinking while he looked around. “Yeah maybe. I don’t have anything to use for wheels. How about a platform on skids?”
There were four boxes they needed to get to the new site. Three were four-foot squares, but the fourth was a larger rectangle and contained the teleport window. All were fragile and required handling with care.
“Like a sled? Yeah, that would work. What could you use for the platform?”
Chris frowned, “I hate to suggest this, but we could cut a big hole in the deck of the boat.”
They realized the watercraft they had worked so hard on would not be returning from its maiden voyage, that its usefulness had ended upon their arrival. Argo would not be taking them back.
“How are you going to cut it?”
Chris smiled and drew his laser pistol from its holster. He said, “I’ll cut it with this. We each have one, so if this one dies, we’ll still be okay.”
The Argo’s journey was not long, but the little ship performed above expectation and given them safe passage. They needed a sturdy platform for the sled, but it seemed wrong to use it for salvage. Al decided to do it anyway, “That needs to be our first priority in the morning.”
Chris looked up at the dark cliffs and then to Al, “How do we get the gear up the cliff?”
“We lift it…I guess.”
“You’re using up your reserves. If you keep exerting yourself while you’re enhanced, you’ll run out. You remember what happened last time, right?”
Al remembered almost dying.
“Thanks for reminding me, Chris. I forgot all about that.”
He did not need reminding. The experience was unforgettable.
They started before first light, assigning tasks, and eating the day’s ration of energy bars in the dark before dawn. When it was light enough to see, Chris cut the platform from the deck while Al disassembled part of the railing to use as skids. With Kira’s help, they tied it all together using the all-purpose Paracord.
The grappling gun that Elizabeth had so wisely added to the box marked ‘Transporter’ was simple compared to the one they lost, this one having only fifty feet of line versus the one-hundred feet included with the lost device. If not for Al’s wife and daughter-in-law, getting up that cliff would have been almost impossible.