Chapter 1

I was hunting elk high in the Colorado mountains. It was a crisp cool morning just past sunrise. I heard the boom and looked up. There was a bright flame falling right toward me. It did not appear to be big, maybe a basketball sized meteor, but it was falling fast. I looked for some cover just as it hit the ground. There was a bright flash, and I felt a wave of heat and pressure pass over me as I was curled up fetal on the ground.
When enough time had passed, I was not sure how long it was, I stood and walked to the crater.

WOW!

The crater was about 20 feet across and 6 feet deep, making a cone downward. In the middle was what looked somewhat like slime but seemed to be more like smoke or a vapor. About 50 feet around, the crater looked like it had been sanded rough smooth like concrete. Everything was gone inside that 50-foot circle. The trees and stuff at the outer edge looked like it had been pressed out and down for another 20 feet.

Then I suddenly felt peculiar; hot, freezing, heavy, floating, itching, electrocuted, sunburned, wet, dizzy, nauseous, confused.

Then I heard: WEUSALL and found I could remember anything and everything I had seen, heard, read, experienced. It was like a photographic memory recall!

I was still standing at the edge of the crater but it was empty now.

WEUSALL communicated with me much slower this time. I did not know what they or it was or were, as they could only explain that I was now WE US ALL.

Then I could suddenly see myself standing at the edge of the crater but I was using a squirrel’s eyes? Yes, it was in a tree that had been pushed sideways and the animal had come out to see what happened.

Then I was suddenly looking down at the crater from the eyes of a hawk. I could see a small herd of elk farther up the draw, about 300 yards. There were about 20; all cows with about 8 calves. NO bulls, and I only had a bull tag. [whatever that means!]

Then I thought about the hawk and wondered if it could see any bulls around. I felt a strange sensation almost like “duh” and again was looking with the hawk’s eyes at a huge 8-point bull at the top of the ridge. He was watching his herd of females. I turned and looked up at the ridge and could just barely make out his shadow near the top. It was over 400 yards away.

The strange sensation returned. This time it was very strong and shouting, “DANGER!” I could see a mountain lion charging me with the bull’s eyes.

Quickly turning and drawing my pistol, I fired once from the hip and a second time as I got to a two-handed grip on the revolver. I was ready to fire a third, cocking the hammer, as I looked at the huge cat tumbling on the ground. The head was a mess as both .45 long Colt rounds hit between the eyes, almost one on top of the other.

How in the hell did I do that? Even luck could not account for that precision.

WEUSALL were in danger from this predator and assisted in destroying it. The chemically propelled projectile was more than enough to destroy the predator, but the second projectile was considered advisable, so it was implemented.

Okay, no elk, but now I had to report and turn in this mountain lion. It looked to be a 170-to-180-pound tom.

I asked who, what, where, when, why, HOW? All I got was WEUSALL. So, tossing the tom over my shoulder, picking up my gear, and walking back to my truck which was about 3 miles away, like I was taking a stroll through a shopping mall, made me wonder what had happened to me.

I tossed the tom into the bed like it weighed maybe 50 pounds, stowed my stuff behind the driver seat, and off I went to the wildlife center to face the music.

The radio came on and began to scroll through all the different radio stations, stopping as if to listen when someone was talking, and only pausing at music for a short time. The fact that I did not turn the radio on or that it was still in the off mode, was kinda weird.

I pulled up to the ranger station and got out just as an ATV pulled around the building. A cute female got off the ATV, and as I walked up to the door, she joined me. I read her name badge -T. Bold-. She had dirty blonde hair braided into a ponytail that reached just below her shoulder blades, hazel eyes, and a wonderful smile that went so well with her 36B-30-32 body.

I wondered how I knew these dimensions.

Hello, she said, as I held the door open for her.

Hi, quick question. I have a dead cat in my truck, what do I do with it?

Her smile was gone at once, and she took on a look that scared me.

Why do you have a dead cat in your truck? Is it a mountain lion?

It was attacking me, I just turned and saw it charging me, so I pulled my pistol and shot it.

Let me see the animal.

I took her to the truck and showed her the tom.

Do you expect me to believe you shot this cat as it was charging you and hit it clean in the head? “This looks like you shot it out of a tree, she shouted.

Why would I shoot it out of a tree then bring it here?