Chapter 60

Tonko avoided me in the morning. In fact, Tonko avoided everyone that morning. Gogra came over to speak with me before I could even get into line to get some food.

“You need to speak with Tonko,” Gogra awkwardly informed me, his voice hesitant, but filled with concern. “You must tell him that everything is all right. He is embarrassed and upset, and only you can speak to him.”

I nodded my head in understanding. I’d been going to speak with Burton and the others about the day. Now that would have to wait as the look on Gogra’s face told me that the matter was very serious.

I could understand why. I knew enough about the Horse People’s culture to understand the difficulty that Gogra was having, coming to me about this problem. With the Horse People, a hunter was an island unto his own. It was why the Horse People didn’t interfere when a hunter punished his mate or children. They were his and not theirs, and so the Horse People closed their eyes to a lot of things, including when a hunter was having ‘personal’ problems. For Gogra to come to me about Tonko, when it went against everything Gogra had grown up with, meant that the matter was very serious indeed.

I found Tonko where we’d been grazing our horses. He was busy brushing down a dun mare when I walked up. He was so intent on the work that he didn’t notice me until I was standing close to him. When he did see me, Tonko blushed and looked away.

“You needn’t be embarrassed,” I told Tonko firmly. “What happened yesterday happened, and there is nothing you can do about it now; except to accept that it happened, and move on.”

Tonko just shook his head and tried not to look at me. It was clear that he was really upset.

“Look, Tonko,” I said to the young man, “you weren’t the only one affected yesterday. I can assure you that in the future, if others travel by the Gateway, they will be affected as well. I told everyone that the device moved you from one place to another, and that it might bother you. However, I also told everyone that it would be all right if they found the trip to be disconcerting. You need to let the matter go as it was to be expected...”

My words fell on deaf ears. Without showing any sign he was listening to me, Tonko stepped over to another horse and he started brushing it. Frustrated, I shook my head and tried again.

“What’s bothering you, Tonko?” I asked. “Is it the fact you were affected by the transfer or is it the fact that people witnessed it. I, for one, do not hold it against you. You did a brave thing yesterday! Even though you really didn’t understand what was going to happen, you followed me into the unknown, and you experienced it. Now you need to accept what happened and move on. No one will hold this against you.”

“I will,” Tonko blurted out suddenly, startling the horse that he’d been brushing. The horse moved away from Tonko and Tonko let it go.

“Why do you hold it against yourself?” I pressed the young man when he didn’t say anything else.

“I hold it against myself because I came to your village to go on adventures,” Tonko snapped at me through trembling lips. “I failed yesterday. I went on an adventure, and failed.”

“You didn’t fail,” I told Tonko, speaking softly to him. “You went on the biggest adventure of your life, and you experienced something that few have ever experienced. Yes, it was scary and upsetting, but you pulled through it! When it was time to step through the Gateway again, you walked through it without flinching, even though I knew you’d prefer to walk back here. You have nothing to be ashamed of or to be embarrassed about.”

“But I am afraid to do it again,” Tonko admitted hanging his head as he said the words. “I have failed.”

“You haven’t failed,” I corrected the young man, a little more forcefully. “I’m your chief and I’m telling you this as your chief. You are a good hunter, and a good leader. You took a risk, yesterday. It upset you, but we knew that might happen. You still came along on the adventure and I’m proud that you did. You didn’t fail, but if that is what you think is true, then you have a choice to make. It is just like riding a horse. If a rider is thrown by the animal he has a choice. He can get back up on the horse and try riding again, or he can walk away and pick another path in life. I have seen you pick yourself up again and again, from the day you came to me and ask to join my tribe. You are afraid, and that is a good thing. It means you are aware of dangers and you will think twice before doing something foolish. It is what makes you a good leader. I plan to take Sygor and Ozmat through the Gateway today, so they too can experience the transfer, before we head north. I want you to come with us. The Gateway is the horse, Tonko. You can get back up on it, or you can walk away. I will respect your choice either way.”

“I will think about it,” Tonko muttered in reply, looking away as he did. “I will let you know later.”

I left the matter there. I walked over to the young man and I patted him on the shoulder, in a reassuring manner. Then I turned and headed off as I hadn’t had breakfast yet, and I was hungry. Last night had taken a lot out of me.

I ran into Terry on the way to the mess hall. He’d been over where the men had been building the new fishing boats, checking out their work. Now he was strolling back towards the fishing village to rejoin his native girlfriend. He slowed down to chat to me when he saw me walking along.

“Do you have a minute to chat with an old sea dog?” Terry asked amiably, in his heavily accented English.

I told him yes, though I’d prefer to keep walking if he didn’t mind. I explained I’d missed breakfast and that I was hungry. He agreed to walk with me and talk, and he reassured me that he wouldn’t just chew my ear off and what he had to say would only take a minute.

“I heard that you’ve found a way to make use of the Gateway,” Terry pointed out as a preamble. “I was on my boat yesterday so I missed the meeting, but it didn’t take long for word to get to me. Hendrick told me this morning when I came to see the rigging on the fishing boats. He’s done a fine job there, by the way. In any case, he told me the news. I guess that means you won’t have much need for me and my boat?”

I paused and looked at the man. There was worry on his wrinkled, weathered face. I shook my head and then smiled.

“You’ve got it wrong, Terry,” I told him plainly, as I began strolling along again. “I’m going to need you and the ‘Heather’ even more, now. It’s true that I’ve thought of a way to use the Gateway to our advantage, but without satellites guiding the device, we’re limited in what the machine can do. I’m going to need someone to venture forth on their own, to discover new places that we want to visit, and new people we want to trade with. That’s going to be you. I’ll see to it that you’re given a transponder. When you get somewhere interesting, then you’ll activate the transponder and the system here will collect the coordinates. But, without you to take the transponder, we’ll never see any of those new places. You might not even visit the same place twice, but I can assure you that I’ve got ample work for you to do. That is, if you still want it?”

Terry most certainly still wanted it. We shook hands on it, and then Terry let me go so I could get my belated breakfast. I smiled watching him walk off. There was a renewed spring in his step that hadn’t been there a few minutes before.

When I got to the mess hall I found it was empty. Breakfast was over and most people had moved on to whatever jobs they had to do that day. I went up to the kitchen unit and I got the duty cook to give me whatever she had already prepared. The cook, a local, was tall, slender, and very pretty. I didn’t remember her as having ever visited my bed; but I was certain from the smile that the young woman gave me, that an invitation, if made to her, wouldn’t be turned down. I’d have to speak to Ohba about her.

I sat alone and ate which gave me time to reflect upon a lot of things. I had a lot of ‘irons in the fire’ as the expression went, and I needed to organize them in my head before taking on another task.

My big problem was that while most of the irons in my fire could be dealt with by others, those same people I wanted to delegate the work to, wanted to come north with me. It made my job harder, especially since I actually wanted those people to come north with me. I trusted them, and knew in my heart, that they needed to be with me when we finally confronted Winslow, and put an end to him. It meant that I would have to find alternative leaders who could take over some of the jobs that needed to get done, before I actually packed up and left.

My musing kept me in the mess hall longer than I intended. By the time I was done eating and thinking, an hour had passed. Realizing this, and the fact people were waiting upon me, I quickly cleaned up my dishes, and headed out.

I found everyone up at the temporary shelter. To my surprise, several people were there that I hadn’t expected to see. There were even two horses who were in the care of two young women who belonged to Ohba’s squad. Surprised, I looked enquiringly towards Burton when I finally spotted him.

“What’s going on, here?” I asked pointedly. “I thought we were only going for a short jump, just to familiarize Sygor and Ozmat to what the Gateway does. I didn’t know we were setting out on an expedition.”

“We’re not going on an expedition,” Burton stated reassuringly in reply, just before letting a thin smile cross his lips as he went on, “however, I have made a few command decisions while you’ve been off stuffing your face and woolgathering. Given the fact that time is of the essence now that you’ve decided to go north after Winslow, and given your desire to ride into battle against the man on your big bay mare, I thought we’d expedite matters. Koo informed me that the computer system driving the Gateway has the coordinates of both the first northern landing, and the southern compound. It is how the good doctor sent Winslow north. When she told me that, I suggested that she send us to the southern compound.”

“You’re joking, right?” I asked Burton pointedly, interrupting him as I did. I was looking at the man as wide-eyed disbelief spread across my face. “They had the coordinates of the southern compound and instead of using the Gateway to send troops there or to evacuate the place; Winslow sent men on ATVs and in helicopters. What the hell were they thinking?”

“I don’t know,” Burton declared with a shrug of his shoulders, “and I don’t really care. I asked Koo the same thing and she didn’t have an answer, other than to say that she hadn’t known the Gateway could be used locally, like we’re planning, at least not without orbiting satellite systems and anchor points to make it all work. The first time she heard that von Stubbing could send people elsewhere on this Earth was when the good doctor sent Winslow north.”

I was still at a loss in my attempt to understand the stupidity of the man even though I knew it was a losing battle. The man had made blunders left and right from the start, but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around this newest piece of information. In the end I had to let it go. I just told Burton to explain the rest of his plan as I stepped back and tried to clear my head.

It was a very simple plan. According to Lottie, the two aircraft technicians were at the southern compound and by going there we could pick them up. She only needed them for a day or two. Her need depended on just what the technicians needed to do to prep the Huey for the trip through the Gateway which we’d find out when we spoke to them. In the meantime, the two riders, Zahta and Xypha would ride north to the settlement. Koo had given them a transponder. Once there they’d activate the transponder and hopefully, given range and the terrain in between us and the settlement, the Gateway would pick it up. If it did, we could easily use the Gateway to return home to visit, and to pick up whatever we needed including my bay horse. If it didn’t work, the women would ride back to the compound leading what stock we wanted, and they would catch a ride back to the base when the Gateway opened there.

It was a good plan. There were some uncertainties in it, but Kim and Koo had factored those in. Kim had come over and joined Burton and I while we were talking and she’d pointed those factors out. The distance and the terrain problem would be overcome with Koo opening a Gateway just outside the compound at noon daily, until she got a signal from the settlement, or until the riders returned. I simply hoped it would work.

In addition to Burton, Sygor, Ozmat, and the two riders, Ohba was there, as were Bogdi, Geeta, and Gort. They were all dressed for inclement weather which got me worried.

“I guess I should go find a parka and gloves,” I pointed out once I noted everyone else’s attire. “I should be back in a few minutes.”

I didn’t get far as Kim had already provided for me and she stopped me before I’d even turned to go. Once she’d pointed out my gear, I went over and put it on. By the time I had, another person had showed up to come on the trip. It was Tonko.

“Good to see you,” I told the young man as he milled about at the edge of the group. Tonko just nodded his head in turn. “Just stick close to me and everything will be fine.”

Tonko opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance. Kim shouted that the Gateway was opening, and a second later the energy field crackled to life. As the field expanded I stepped forward as did everyone else. A second later we were gone.

What happened next occurred in quick succession. We arrived. Dogs started to bark. People started to scream and yell. I started yelling at people to settle down. For almost a minute of time, there was complete chaos. Fortunately, no one got shot!

The Gateway had dropped us in the open field east of the compound. It put us roughly three hundred yards from the place and about two hundred feet from the wreckage of the Puma. That kept us from just blundering into the people who were there. That was a good thing; for them and for us.

The screams came from two sources. The first scream came from one of the two ex-River girls who’d come along to ride back to the main settlement. She was shaking and hyperventilating, and clinging to her horse in an attempt to keep on her feet. Her companion was trying to comfort her, with very little success.

The young woman’s screams had set off the second set of screams, and both sets of screams and shouts had set off the dogs. The second set of screams had come from the two aircraft technicians. They’d been working on the Puma, oblivious to our arrival until the young woman had started screaming. That had drawn their attention towards the source of the scream. When the two uptime women saw us standing there with weapons at the ready, they instinctively shrieked.

The dogs had been sniffing about the perimeter of the field, left to roam freely while they stood guard over the women. Their cries startled the dogs. The dogs barked an alarm and then they came bounding towards us, running full out.

“Stop them,” I snapped turning my head towards where Gort was standing off to the right of my group.

Gort didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly moved towards one approaching animal, calling out to it. Geeta went with him, doing the same thing, but focusing on another dog. Their voices were clear and firm, and reassuring, and amazingly they were calling the dogs by name. As I watched Bogdi stepped in to help out as another dog appeared, coming from the opposite direction. I smiled when, at Bogdi’s urging, the animal sat down.

At that point, as the barking and the screaming came to an end, I took a moment to glance about to check on the rest of my party. Ohba was now standing with the young woman who’d started screaming and her companion, clearly trying to help calm down the young woman. Burton was standing on my right covering that flank. Dunbar was on the left doing the same. I glanced at Sygor, Ozmat, and Tonko. Sygor had a surprised look on his face. He was glancing about, almost as if he was oblivious to what was transpiring about him. Tonko on the other hand was standing beside Ozmat. Tonko looked fine in my eyes. He was alert to his surroundings, even though his focus was on Ozmat. Ozmat was looking a bit embarrassed.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked as I glanced about. For the most part everyone nodded yes. When Ozmat didn’t, I glanced questioningly to Tonko.

“He’ll be fine,” Tonko reassured me. “I’ll take care of him.”

I nodded my head in acknowledgement and then turned my gaze back to what was unfolding before me. By now the two technicians had calmed down, once their minds recognized us as being friendly. I noticed questioning looks upon their faces as they tried to figure out where we’d come from. It was clear they wanted to ask, but were a bit nervous about speaking up. I decided to spare them both the confusion and the effort.

“The Gateway,” I stated in a matter of fact manner. “We’ve figured out how to use it to move from one point to another. I decided to pay you a visit and see how you’re doing. I’m sorry we frightened you.”

Thelma the tallest one of the two stepped forward to respond but she never got the chance. Even as she opened her mouth to do so, a man mounted on a horse came bursting out of the nearby forest. He was closely followed by three other men. He was shouting a warning at us as he rode towards us.

“Back off,” the lead rider shouted anxiously. “Stay where you are. You’ve been warned.”

I laughed aloud at that, letting my carbine dangle as I released my grip on it and raised my hands above my head. As I did I turned and faced the approaching rider. He’d just reined in his mount. Behind him his companions were already off their horses and they were spreading out defensively behind their leader. All were armed with automatic shotguns.

“Hello, Kobo,” I called out in greetings. “How are you?”

My greetings took the wind out of the older man’s sails. He looked at me for a moment or two, blinking at me in disbelief. Then a light bulb went on inside his head, and the man started to grin.

“Jake!” Kobo shouted in recognition. “What in the name of the Earth Mother are you doing here?”

We all went to the shelter of the compound to talk. As we walked, Kobo strolled beside me peppering me with questions that I told him I would answer once we were indoors and sitting comfortably. Unfortunately, my declaration didn’t keep Kobo from continuing to prattle on. Out of courtesy I didn’t shut him down.

Kobo wasn’t the only one asking questions. Thelma and Beatrice were just as anxious to learn more about why we were here. However, instead of badgering me, they turned their questions on Dunbar and Burton. Given that Kobo wasn’t letting anyone else get a word in edgewise, it made sense. Still, Thelma made certain her questions were asked loud enough that I could overhear them, and it became obvious very quickly that Thelma hadn’t bought the story I’d blurted out just before Kobo had shown up. To my relief, both Dunbar and Burton decided to follow my lead. They told both Thelma and Beatrice to be patient and wait until we were inside and settled. Neither woman liked the reply.

We ended up in the command post container. It was the only container that was still fully functioning with all the amenities of our Earth. When we got there, I sent Kobo and the two women in ahead of us. I sent Burton along with them to keep them company. Then I took my people aside to chat.

“Are you okay?” I asked Xypha, the younger of the two women who’d be riding back to the settlement with the transponder.

Xypha blushed in response to my question. She bit her lower lip in response and then looked away. I waited patiently for her to reply. It was Ohba who prodded her to answer me, whispering her something in her ear.

“I’m fine, Jake,” Xypha finally told me, replying hesitantly. “I was just startled when we appeared here. I just wasn’t expecting to go from one place to another without moving. It frightened me for a moment, but now I am fine.”

I nodded my head in reply to her words. She’d started off tentatively at first, but as she went on in her explanation, her words had become more confident. Noting this, I smiled at the young woman in a reassuring manner, and then I directed my attention to Ozmat.

“What about you Ozmat?” I asked the young man. “Are you fine as well?”

Ozmat turned out to be more embarrassed than Xypha had been. I understood why. He was a hunter and a leader, and unfortunately, he’d pissed himself. It was embarrassing to say the very least. Ozmat looked away when I asked him the question.

“He’ll be fine,” Tonko informed me coming to Ozmat’s defence. “He was just unsettled by the magic that brought us here. He will be fine in a bit.”

I nodded and let the matter go, for now. I glanced at the others. Sygor seemed fine, now. His gaze was steady when my eyes met his, and in fact, challenging. It was clear to me that he’d bounced back from his response to the trip, and now he was his old self once more. I let him be, as well.

“All right, then,” I stated openly, “we won’t be here long. I’m going to go and speak to Kobo and the women. When I am done, we will be returning to the base. I would suggest that you people take the time to rest and collect yourself for that trip through the Gateway. Hopefully it will not be as bad as the first time through. As for Zahta and Xypha, I suggest you find a place to bunk tonight. While the day might be relatively new and there are still several hours of daylight left in it, the trip to our settlement is a long one and you’d do better riding back tomorrow than today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and speak to the others. I’ll see you again, shortly.”

I stopped and spoke with Dunbar before I went into the container and climbed the steps to the upper level of it. I asked the man to keep an eye on the group. I had concerns about all of them, not just the ones who’d reacted to the transfer. The compound held dark memories for several of them, in particular Gort. I wanted somebody keeping an eye on him although at the moment he seemed fine. He was talking to the young man who’d taken charge of the dogs once all the commotion had settled. The youth was Tamar, Moya’s son and one of Balto’s animal handlers. While technically both boys were roughly the same age, Gort was taller and more heavily built; the results of eating well, and living in my tribe. I hoped time and a better diet would help Tamar grow in the same way. In any case the two boys were obviously friends.

Dunbar assured me that he’d keep an eye on things, so I turned and went inside.

Thelma handed me a cup of tea when I got upstairs. Then she pointedly asked why we were there. To my pleasant surprise she was speaking the common tongue. She laughed when I pointed it out.

“I started learning back at the base once everything had settled and it became clear what you intended to do with us,” Thelma informed me, smiling broadly as she did. “Of course, it’s helped that I’ve always had a good ear for languages. I spoke French, Spanish, and German when I was a kid.”

I congratulated the woman on her achievements. She wasn’t fluent in the language, but she spoke it better than a lot of people who’d been speaking it longer. We still spent much of the conversation translating what was being said for Beatrice as her proficiency in the common tongue was somewhat lacking.

I took thirty minutes to explain everything to the two women and another thirty to explain what was going on to Kobo. The women got it quickly, given the fact that they knew what the Gateway was. It actually excited them knowing that we’d come up with an idea of how to make use of it. It also excited them to hear that I needed their help back at the base. Thelma actually admitted that prepping the Huey was a minor job, and that she’d be able to do it alone, but she did suggest that Beatrice should come along for the ride; if nothing else then to see old faces and to get away from venison stew. I chuckled at that. Sika, Kobo’s mate was there and she’d been doing most of the cooking. I warned the two women that their visit to the base would be short and sweet and that I thought the mess hall was serving venison stew as well, tonight. Both still wanted to go and I agreed with it.

My conversation with Kobo was a little more difficult. He had nothing in his array of experiences to refer to as I explained how we now had the ability to step from one place to another without having to travel the distance between them. The conversation left him shaking his head, both with a headache and in frustration. I just patted his arm and told him that one day it would all be clear to him. Kobo openly stated that he doubted it. He also stated that he’d be happy the day I returned to the tribe to deal with all this crazy stuff so he could go back to hunting. I chuckled at that.

I rounded up everyone including the two young women when it was time for us to go. I sent my party with Thelma and Beatrice out into the field to wait for me. I had a few last words with Zahta and Xypha, and a couple more with Kobo, regarding the two women and the task I’d given them. He said he’d make sure they made it back to the settlement safe and sound. Then I said my good-byes. I walked the three hundred yards out from the compound, leaving Kobo and the others watching from a distance. As I stepped up to where Dunbar and Burton were standing on guard, I pushed the transponder that I was wearing. A second later, the air crackled with energy and a moment after that we were gone.

“I have some good news and some bad news,” Koo told me later that day as I sat in the mess hall eating my supper. Koo had just joined us and her words caught everyone’s attention.

“Can we skip the bad news and go straight to the good news,” I asked in an off-hand manner, knowing full well that we couldn’t.

“Jake, be good,” Kim chided me from where she sat across from me. “I’m certain that Koo wouldn’t bring this up at supper if it wasn’t important.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Koo reassured everyone, “and to be truthful, the bad news isn’t really all that bad. It’s just that once you returned today from the southern compound, I asked Hendrick to complete a power usage analysis for me. I’d been speaking to him about how much power it took to run the Gateway. Even Dr. von Stubbing had been concerned with it. He’d mentioned it after sending Mr. Winslow and his companions north. I was wondering how much power was needed to run the machine and since Hendrick is our power systems manager I figured he’d be able to give me an answer which he did.”

“So what you’re about to tell me is the Gateway uses a lot of power,” I decided to state bluntly, extrapolating what was about to be said, “and you’re about to report that there are limitations involved in using the device. Am I correct?”

“You are,” Koo reassured me promptly, though her face was flushed with a tinge of colour, obviously slightly annoyed that I’d stolen her thunder. “According to Hendrick the solar arrays kept the battery farm charged to a hundred percent every day, regardless of the amount of power being used by the base, even when it was fully manned by Mr. Winslow and the rest of the base personnel. Now the day that Dr. von Stubbing sent Mr. Winslow north, the Gateway used nearly fifty-two percent of available power to complete the task. That drain of power was one of the reasons Dr. von Stubbing couldn’t simply yank Mr. Winslow back. There just wasn’t enough power.”

“All right,” I muttered in acknowledgement, musing on the information as I said it. “I assume that we haven’t been using as much energy in the four trips that we made. Tell me about those.”

Koo took the next half hour as she explained it to all of us. We used the least amount of energy going to the south to check out the site of our new base. That had taken only a total of eleven percent of the available power, going and coming back. That wasn’t too bad. Our trip to the southern compound had taken considerably more. In total it had taken forty-two percent of the available power. That didn’t bode too well for my plans for the device.

“I think distance and what we’re sending through the Gateway might be effecting the energy consumption,” Koo stated once she was done explaining everything. “I had Hendrick run a consumption model based on what you want to take north. He says we can still do it, but we will consume roughly eighty-five percent of the available power on the base. It means that once you’re there, it will be days if not weeks before the solar arrays have recharged the battery farm to the point that we can pull you back.”

It was indeed bad news, but it was bad news I could live with. I wasn’t expecting to find Winslow right away once we got there, and even if we did, I had other things I wanted to do in the north. I wanted to find out what had happened to the Hilltop people, and I had a drone to recover, if it was still where I’d left it. I assured Koo that a delay in coming back through the Gateway wouldn’t be a problem. That’s when Koo dropped the real bad news on me. You could have heard a pin drop after she had.