Chapter 1: Bobbi writes

My brother and his wife are cruel people. All Charlie and Andy want to do is stay on their farm and raise children, crops, and horses. He served three two-year terms as Director of Protection and could have been reelected many times more if he would run. He wouldn't. Neither of them will go exploring. If I didn't love them so much, they would make me angry.

It's the winter of 2050 and I also found that no one is keeping up our history. David says there are more important things than to keep up a history that no one reads. My mothers are just as bad and Bennie will not challenge them. He just walks around his farm happy.

Of course, David and I have our own farm that he has made successful through hard and intelligent work. We are coming upon our ninth anniversary and have no children yet. On this issue, David's wildcat will not bend. There must be one more trip before I start having babies!

SJ and Jacob have been married for five years and they want to travel even more than I. We are putting together a plan. The C-130's are ready being regularly used as cargo planes along with other planes. SJ and Jacob are regular pilots. They have recruited good crews of other, mostly young, people to fly both planes on an exploration mission.

My sister and her husband were frequent guests at our farm. After being resistant, David had come on board with the idea of the trip and was helping with the planning. We were talking about Asia with a crossing over the Pacific Ocean or Bering Sea through Alaska into Russian Siberia. There had been no news from all of that area since the Day and many are curious. Even my parents and grandparents were interested in our trip. My brother and his wife were in our discussions because they were so sensible and smart. SJ and I hoped that would change their minds and Charlie and Andy would make the trip. David was another who didn't make comments often but was worth listening to because of his insight. One night after making love and during pillow talk, I asked, "David Dear, would you be co-leader with me on the expedition? I have been asked to sound you out on the idea. People would be happier if we led rather than with me leading."

"I hadn't thought about, 'Cat. You've always been the one up front for us."

"David, I have never knowingly taken a stance that didn't have your agreement and support. People are pretty sharp. They know you are smart and that I look to your judgment. Your wildcat may not be tamed but she listens to every word you speak and even some you don't speak.

"There are many people who will derive comfort from your involvement in the leadership of the expedition including me. SJ and Jacob want you on board. I think your grandmother, my parents, and my grandparents would all be happier. You've been involved in the planning and all your ideas have been incorporated into the plan. You should see those plans through from a management perspective."

"Let me sleep on it."

"David, you can sleep on it later. I want another round with your body." We did sleep later cuddled tightly together.

A month later, it was late spring and we were co-leaders. To my surprise, David and I were among the older ones on the trip. The planes were loaded and tanked up as were the vehicles they carried. Plenty of warm clothing was packed along with light weight clothes. SJ and I are my mothers' children. Given a chance, we showed skin. Our husbands were used to it and enjoyed it. My favorite mode of dress was what Momma Janice called a string bikini with a gun belt with a pair of automatic pistols in holsters on my hips. On my feet were heavy socks and combat boots. David loved that outfit. If we were alone, it was always considered by him an invitation to ravish me. He does that so well.

We flew out of the Protection airport to Port Lavaca adding three more couples there. We stayed two days enjoying the hospitality with our friends. While there, we found that George's two youngest sons, Ed and Joe, had refurbished a boat, the Yellow Rose II, for distance travel. They planned to circumnavigate South America stopping frequently.

The ship was a large sailing vessel with a diesel motor. The Rose would carry a crew of twenty-five with plenty of room for provisions. It was also well-armed. There were four wheelers and motorcycles in a cargo hold with plenty of gas. Radios were everywhere. They planned to leave in another week with Ed's wife, Margie, to perform secretarial duties. The youngest son, Joe, had never married though many young women had been interested. He admitted that he liked many of the young women but hadn't found the right one for a wife.

Our next stop was El Paso. The people in El Paso had prospered and multiplied after the peace that came as a result of vanquishing the Plainsmen.

It was interesting to see many of them who were also grown and married after so many years. A few people travel by plane but most stay in their homes. My parents were fondly remembered. All of my other siblings were married with children except for Elaine and she was pregnant. They were happy to farm and had no desire to travel like SJ and I. We spent an enjoyable night there before flying on to the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix.

It was another happy community of people. Most of the people from Lake Havasu had moved here and that location was thought to be vacant. We spent another fun night talking and laughing. In the morning, we would start into areas where no one had gone for years.

We landed in Los Angeles at LAX. We were seeing no signs of people. The runway was rough with cracks from small earthquakes. We found fuel but that fuel was gradually going bad or becoming contaminated. David was having misgivings because of fuel but only discussed the issue with me. He said, "My worry will be later when we leave Alaska. I am concerned about entering Russia without knowledge of fuel or airports. Siberia is not an easy land."