Chapter 11: Oh No Here Come the Kitty Cats

Tarna was interested in sharing information about not only my life but hers as well. Tarna was very interested in the truck we were in. Her questions began with did I build it, where did it come from (As she knew it wasn’t built anywhere on, or around this planet). So I told her as much as I had to be believed. “Well Tarna, as I have no way to return, I am from a planet that I really have no idea how far away it is. The planet that I am from is called Earth.” I said.

Tarna’s eyes really looked like the big cartoon character’s eyes, at the same time her jaws dropped open. “You are from Earth! So am I! Wow! You can’t be from my Earth though as just about all forms of transportation somehow involves horses. Not this thing you call a truck. You are also not dressed like an Earth person would be. Wow, I can’t believe you are from Earth. There can’t be two planets called the same thing. This is so unbelievable. You see, I was born on Earth also, in the year 1864 on Earth, in what later became the United States of America. We left later that year there. In the two hundred years my people were there a war that was going on somewhere on the planet, and it was felt we would be subject to some conflict it we stayed on Earth. Also it was getting harder and harder to remain hidden. Needless to say, the way women were treated as second class citizens did not sit too well in our camps. As Earth was a male dominate society, we took the men we had captured and left, as we couldn’t see the people of Earth ever changing from a war like people.” she said.

“You carry no pistols tied to your leg as was so common, nor do you carry a rifle. Although we saw you do have horses, they are larger than most breeds of the horses I saw in our files as common, and you don’t ride them to get around.” Tarna said.

“Tarna, you are asking for information faster than I can answer it. I am also from the United State of America, I was born in the state of Michigan nearly 100 years after you. Let me just say that the Earth of 1860’s that you are familiar with is very much different than the Earth that I left in 2015. We have a saying on Earth that may or may not have been spoken when your folks were around. The more things, change the more they stay the same.” I said. Tarna looked at me somewhat puzzled. “Tarna, what that saying in its simplest terms means no matter what new inventions come along, all the old ways still exist. If we were on Earth, someone somewhere is still living as though it is the 1860’s way of life. Some people live that way because they choose to, while others know no other way. Or the place they live in is so poor they have no choice, even if they knew a better way. Some cultures have rejected the modern ways and chose to live without many of the latest modern inventions. But that is how it simply is.” I said.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Queen Kamora was all over both Malta and Challa about the camp’s defenses. “Listen, Challa, I need to know what defenses you have as there is no guarantee that Alex can and will return, as he and Tarna are only two against who knows how many. This may be a large camp, but we can’t afford to lose that many men before we may not make it as a camp. I have to take over this camp to ensure the camp is ready, just in case this trouble makes it all the way here.” Queen Kamora said.

“Alex has not been gone five minutes and you are already trying to assume control of this camp after giving your word to Alex you would not attempt a takeover whilst he was gone. Yet he is barely out of sight, and you are doing exactly what you claimed you wouldn’t do. My advice to you is to stay away from me, and if and I say if something, or somebody gets here and sets up to fight us, we will be ready. You and your girls, show up with whatever you have got, and I will do the same with what I can bring to the fight. And the camp will be safe, trust in that. Otherwise you can pack up your girls and go, I have a building to build to get my camp members indoors before winter comes!” Challa shouted.

Queen Kamora was red faced as Challa’s loud voice was drawing a crowd of unfriendly looking people. The Queen and her crew retired to the part of the machine cave that they could access to work on the chargers for their weapons. But they were also very curious about the areas beyond the locked doors in the machine cave. But they had no way to access those areas. Kamora did not want to talk to Malta or Challa concerning anything important for a few days. But overall, the Asorians liked this camp. With indoor plumbing and hot and cold running water and a dozen cave things not likely to be found elsewhere on this planet, which meant she would have to deal with Alex and takeover if he returned. Tarna knew her first job was to help eliminate the man-eaters. But her second job was to look at Alex to size him up, as she was the best warrior among all of the remaining Asorians.

Tarna was just so fascinated about anything and everything Alex was saying. “Modern day revolvers look similar to the guns you have some knowledge of, still only carrying six bullets. Other pistols called semi-automatics are visually smaller than the same sized revolver, but they have as many as sixteen bullets, including one in the chamber, making the gun ready to shoot when drawn from the holster. The bullets for a semi-automatic pistol are loaded into a portable chamber called a magazine. I travel with at least four extra magazines myself, plus the sixteen in the loaded gun gives me forty-six shots to deal with trouble. There is a couple of boxes of bullets, or as we call them, shells nowadays. I do have some modern day revolvers of different sizes. I just choose not to use them other than to practice to remain accurate using them. As far as wars go, there continues to be some kind of conflict somewhere in the world even during times of what is called peace.” I said.

“Horses are still in use all over the world as you knew them to be. But limited to uses of pleasure, or remote locations where the terrain makes their use a necessity. Cattle ranches still use horses to work the animal herds they care for. But small four wheeled vehicles are used also, thus limiting the use of horses. I have some of these vehicles to use later after some trails have been worn in. As well as some two wheeled vehicles for my pleasure. The automobile industry didn’t really get started until the early 1900’s. Henry Ford, the man whom this truck is named for, was born in 1863, he died in 1947. His descendants still continue to this day to own much of the company he started in 1903. At one time in America, Mr. Ford had most of the automobile industry all to himself. His car, the model T, put the automobile industry on the map, as he made a way so many more people could afford to buy a car. Mr. Ford said you could have any color you wanted as long as it was black.” I said.

“Cars have either two or four doors, with a small space to store things called the trunk. Cars come in three sizes, small, medium, and large. Some are built for pure speed, while others are easy to get and maintain, while others are for comfort. Cars have many different uses. Trucks came along after cars became popular to help make people’s work much easier. Personal pickup trucks like this became popular in the 1940’s and beyond as the trucks, like cars, grew in size and stature along the way. Trucks are more car like now compared to what they were many years ago. While they come in different sizes with either two or four doors, or a space just behind the seat called an extended cab. With different lengths of the truck beds five-½, six-½, or eight-foot lengths. This truck has been custom built as well as the one Challa drives with a twelve-foot bed and tandem axles in the back.” I went on to explain the different truck sizes from the smallest to the tractor-trailers etc, etc. Since 1977 the Ford motor company has sold more pickup trucks in America than any company on planet Earth.

I went to tell Tarna the weapon she saw me use earlier was the modern day version of Dr. Gatling’s gun of the late 1800’s. “Is this where that saying you said earlier the more things change the more they stay the same?” Tarna asked.

“You are catching onto the situation. If you invent something and you patent it, you only have a limited amount of time before others can make the same item, and you can’t stop them. They are allowed to profit off your original design if they can. It becomes your job to remake your part better, and/or invent something new.

“My ride here I knew was a one-way trip. I don’t expect to ever leave here. I brought as many things as I could get to help me get along here. Other than a few sports broadcasts that make their way to this planet I have no other connection with Earth. I knew what I was getting into when I arrived so I was ok with making the trip. I slept all the way here so I can’t tell you how long it took, meaning I have no idea how far Earth is in relation to where we are standing, or sitting, as the case is right now.”

Tarna had told me the route they took to get to Earth from their home world had a star that look as though it could go supernova in a few million years, They expected to return home in less than a thousand years. Well it didn’t last nearly that long, as they approached the area the star was in, they were drawn into a black hole. Trying to escape the black hole’s grip all but destroyed their main engines. Their spaceship was defenseless and just limping along when they came upon this planet. They managed to crash land, losing only a few passengers, namely most of the men with them. They began making a life here as they had not much hope of ever being found here, as like me they didn’t know where here was. They had long scouted the area and found the men were nowhere near advanced enough to mate with. But as they had no choice, they were scouting to find the best possible candidate. They were a day or more away when the mountain blew up.

“We were heartbroken as we rushed back to our campsite, to find the cave-in that saved our equipment and our supplies but not the people inside. Even though the lava flow was directed on the other side and the wind was thankfully blowing away from us as well. (I am no volcano expert that said, this is just a story. Think of Gazoo helping Asorians. Please do not tell me it couldn’t have happened that way. Thanks a lot.) It took Tarna and company more than a few weeks to dig out their compound, and retrieve what they salvaged and begin looking for new grounds, all the while avoiding all others. Tarna went on to say the only reason they stopped at my door was for the most logical reason, that there is safety in numbers. And we had numbers, plus the trouble was coming our way anyway. So, this is where they chose to make a last stand if we had the normal survival skills.

“We all were quite shocked when you said you would go and meet these men alone and would be back in a week’s time like you were hunting for dinner only. We saw these men take over a whole camp that is how they got separated when the scout spotted some of us. Their plan was to take the hostages back to their camp, while the chase group located us. Then you go and kill all the chase group, you really are dangerous. When we return I want to mate with you as you are a formidable man as well as brave.” Tarna said. Now I was shocked, as I knew from Gazoo that all the Asorian females mated with the same male. This will be very interesting when we get back to camp in a few days from now.

“How do you intend to carry out your plan now with those five saber toothed tigers (smilodons) between you and where the men will be coming from, as those tigers will go after you as easy as them when they get here. Or these men will just scatter, and we won’t know where they are. Those men can still come to your camp when they regroup afterwards.” Tarna said.

“Do you trust me?” I asked. She had a look on her face I can’t really describe accurately. “What I mean is, does it seem as though I have some kind of a death wish? Let me tell you right here, right now, what I told somebody else lately I truly believe strongly in self preservation! I intend to return to camp in the same condition that I left it. The thought of your Queen taking over my camp is something I just won’t let happen. Just let tomorrow morning take care of itself. Let’s get some sleep, we have been talking for hours. Hell, you enjoy my food and drink and barely mentioned it, asking about Earth and the many changes since you left. You can hardly keep your eyes open you are so sleepy.” I said.

Gazoo came to me the second I passed out. “Alex, the female tiger’s leg is being repaired as we speak. She will be limping, but still be able to defend herself and her cubs. The male is not the father to the cubs, by the way. With our help they are now a family unit, and they will be loyal to you and anyone that they see is loyal to you. Clyde and the rest of the horses will trust them after they see them with you and smell them. We are adding a scent gland to them that all of the horses will be able to recognize. Any wild horses you catch later on will also be taught about these cats and any cats loyal to you, as in offspring from any of these cats. The offspring would be loyal to your camp from birth, and thus would also carry the same extra scent. Each smells different, naturally, and that is still true, but the scent gland lets the horses know that these cats are your cats.” Gazoo said.

“We will have some brand new kitchen pieces for you to install in your cave when you get back, as you have a larger family unit now. The kitchen area will be like what you had on earth in 21st century. While what you have there right now is what you will install in the new building you are building now. It will be easy and simple for you to remove, and will be very light to move during transportation to where it has to go. The Asorians are not dumb, but they need not know about me. I don’t think it would do us any good if they learn of my presence, as we have no intention of trying to assist them in leaving. Like I mentioned to you before, we want no direct interaction with anyone but you and Challa. Of course we would help them medically if the need arose, but we want to limit our contact with them to emergency need only. I really didn’t think you would ever run into them, as they were not really close to you, plus they were well on the other side of the large game herds. They, like you, were just picking off the edge of their side of that large herd. But we are beyond that now. I talked to Challa and we both think it is best they not know she is from Earth in any way, as it will lead to them discovering about me.” Gazoo said.

“That is fine with me keeping you undercover. But what about these cats, are they truly going to be loyal to me, and no danger to my camp?” I asked.