Episode 43: NOMADS LAND

After a quiet night of slumber Jack Ramse was up before the dawn. Leaving the shelter of a rundown tuna boat called Heavens to Betsy he stretched to greet the day. Within it he found bound letters to a long lost lover left by a crew member. He decided to respect the writers privacy and leave them intact. That and in opening them he knew his heart would find more thoughts on both Ruby Goddard and his own wife Renee left back in 2025. His only salvage then became a bobbing Hula Girl from the dash of the controls.

According to the captain’s log the boat was from the year 1986, Newfoundland. Too bad there was no tuna on board, his belly was grumbling. Luckily for him he never had to eat much thanks to hid new DNA. That weaver bug saved not just his life but his need for much of anything. Still, food did sound appealing.

At first light on the horizon Jack and his faithful drone Fenway moved on. His run reaching the 150 mark of a 200 mile trek across desert he discovered a whole new world. The differences now being he was running into insects. Crickets at early morning. Mosquitos at mid day. Flies and butterflies just after noon. Birds were in the sky even, if not sparsely. At one point a flock of geese lost in formation made him stop and absorb a bit of home.

Grass was becoming more and more abundant. The scent of lingering salt tickled his sensitive nose as a smile crept across his face. He knew he was close. Avian life became noisy. Gulls! Where there were seagulls there had to be fish. A good meal would brighten his trip. Maybe that tuna boat was a good omen.

It still seemed so distant. Each footfall felt like a mile in itself. The bright blue sky above was the nearest ocean he had known in a long time. Yet, without a single drop of rain, it had been misery until the discovery of the underground sea. Then a few good baths. To know that this land had more to offer kept him sane.

Cliffs were coming into view. The land narrowing down in favor of mighty ridges of rock. Not quite mountains, but close enough. He could hear the crashing of waves. The thriving of wildlife. Lush fields of weeds merged with grassy plains. Tall grass. Uncut, merely trampled by something large at one point. That was a concern. Regardless, he followed the trail of crushed wetlands. As his feet found water in the form of a marsh he crouched to wash his hands and rinse the sweat from his revealed flesh. His turban used as a towel. It felt great. Living became worth it.

“At least I know where the troops can relocate to if they get ready to escape the Ganthorian Hilton. Paradise might just be around the corner yet. Greta’s cattle would love the grass.”

Trudging forward the marsh land teemed with life. Cranes! Flamingos! Fish a plenty. On the other side of the marsh large hills of dry land. Trees in thin sections. Climbing a large sand formation he just knew the ocean was over the horizon above. Fenway reaching the sight long before Jack hovered above in wait sharing shrill pings of metallic excitement. It was almost as if Fenway was a living creature. Jack noticed its emotional thrill. He didn’t know what to make of it. “The kid has talent if he created Frankendrone there.”

The final climb was over. Never was there a more beautiful sight. There it was. A massive ocean bluer than the sky. Stretching as far as the eye could see. There was no end. Sea life thrived. Fish leaping from the water playfully. Large humps he presumed to be whales in the deeper water. It was breathtaking.

“Ain’t this something.” Jack dropped to his knees in the sand and removed his bulky backpack. Resting the sword Soultaker on the ground, beside his favorite sniper rifle. He would take a seat in the sand and rest. For an hour he could only reflect on the majesty of it all.

Sighing at his relaxation he looked around good before deciding on his next move. He needed to make certain there were no predators around. Convinced it was secure, Jack had already made his decision. He would camp here for the night. Although early, it was a prime spot. Water source! Fruit trees. Plenty of dry wood for a campfire. It was close enough to paradise, next to Eden of course! That place still haunted him.

Unpacking a hatchet, he went about gathering wood, stones, and thin brush to begin his fire. Piling up enough for the night and early morning he used a firestarter and nurtured a nice blaze. It felt good. Between the breeze off the water and the fire it was a nice mixture.

No tent he merely unrolled a sleeping bag he had brought along and one of the Indian blankets from the cargo containers. They would be enough against the chill. His heightened body chemistry maintained a healthy core temperature at all times. He was cozy.

Eying the water Jack had another thought. As the sun began to set he needed two things. Food for sure. The second? He wanted a refreshing bath. A nice swim in the surf was inviting. Stripping down out of his jeans and black pullover tank top he paraded barefoot down to the beach. Leaving Fenway to watch over his belongings, the sphere responded perfectly like an obedient dog.

Moving out waist deep Jack noted a number of fish flopping about. He would keep an eye on them as he bathed off the road dust and sweat. The cool water wonderful. As Jack splashed about he kept feeling as if he were being watched. He hadn’t noticed any footprints other than birds, but again he was more worried about larger prints than human sized. Still, he did have Fenway scour the vicinity for life. Outside of birds and bugs he hadn’t located any threats. Of course, what defined a threat to the sensors of a floating orb?

Risk taken he polished off his bath and decided to dive under. Eyes wide at the abundance of large fish about thirty feet away. He hugged the bottom trying to appear inconspicuous. Once amid the fish he reached out and snatched up two large fish. Variety uncertain! They just looked meaty. A battle to escape lost Jack marched from the sea with dinner in hand

His journey to camp brought on more sensations of onlookers. He decided to send Fenway on another recon. Giving him time to scale and filet his fish. Remaining nude for comfort, it felt nice to have this freedom. At least his belongings were all there. Having Fenway stand guard and creating a gravity field around his camp meant things would be too heavy to pick up by traditional hands.

Designing a quick grill out of larger sticks suspended over surrounding rocks he spreads the fish filets out to cook. The scent was delicious. He knew it might attract beasts looking for food. Still, he settled back knowing Fenway was circling a large area around camp. If danger loomed the sphere would warn and protect him to the best of its ability. Regardless, he had arranged his weapons for any emergency.

Night falling the fire was his only light source. Outside of frogs and crickets the vicinity seemed quiet. The surf’s continual beating upon the beach otherwise. It was certainly relaxing. So, calm that after his belly was full Jack felt like kicking back on his sleeping bag to look up at the stars. It was an amazing sight. Zero pollution in the atmosphere the sky was teeming with astral bodies. Magnificent!

“This sure beats smog.”

Thoughts turned to Ruby. He wished that she could share in this moment. Recalling the one and only night he shared with her and just how beautiful she was, even in the darkness. Sex was great. Power trip over power trip. Each exchanging and asserting their own versions of dominance. As much as his taking her that night at first traumatized her, he knew later that her feelings for him were still there.

He tried not to think about knocking her up. Instead choosing the night of conception as his inspiration. If that were really the case. In this crazy place it could be anything. Regardless of his in and out thoughts on the subject Jack Ramse nurtured a healthy erection. Leading to a palm and curling fingers. Jack was off to the races.