Chapter 20

June 18^th 2043

Another pod landed today. Really, close too. I was having a good morning, I'd just had a shower and was listening to some music when there was a loud crash. I jumped with a scream then scrambled into a shirt, and grabbing my rifle, ran for the door. Outside I looked around and saw a bunch of birds flying in all directions from the pond. I ran towards the pond and came out through the trees to see a parachute hanging on the cliff about 50 yards past the pond. I cautiously crossed the creek and made my way over to it. There, at an angle, filling this little ravine was a pod.

I was a bit shocked to see it. Columbus is a big planet to have one pod land near me is amazing enough. To have two is astounding!

Warily I approached, as I did, I noticed the damage to the sides. They seemed to have buckled and burst the water tanks, when they hit the edge of the ravine. The smell on the left side was pretty rank. Fortunately, there wasn't much. I climbed up onto the deck and reached over to knock on the hatch. When no one answered, I knocked again harder and then pounded on it yelling if anyone was there. Finally, I reached over broke the seal on the emergency open switch and opened the door.

The pod was empty but a mess. Lots of things had come loose in the crash. It was also a boys pod. There were dirty clothes all over the place. The smell was pretty rank but I guess that's to be expected when they've been there over a month.

Has it really been a month? Wow! It seems hard to believe but I guess it has. Where did the time go?

Any way the smell was pretty bad and I actually gagged when I opened the fridge. I finally had to leave when my eyes started watering. After gratefully breathing in some fresh air, I went up to the garage pod to get the mask, some gloves, and some goggles. There was no way I could explore the pod without them.

I am sooo pissed off right now. The pod belonged to a James Duval, college student, governor's aide, and slimeball first class. Actually calling him a slimeball is an insult to other lowlifes. If he'd arrived with his pod, I'd have shot him. The guy had a case of Eroctin in his pod and that wasn't the worst thing either. He had a freaking drug lab and warehouse in his pod! There were several pounds of marijuana, a couple kilos of cocaine, and several large aspirin bottles filled with various uppers and downers, and roofies. It made the cases of beer and wine, and the box of cigarettes seem tame. He also had the means to make more. There was a portable chemistry set as well as seeds to grow tobacco and marijuana plants. I really hope he's roasting in a very hot place. And all that doesn't include his personal porn collection. He actually videoed his conquests. Those he didn't video he still recorded in his little black book. I can't help wondering how our illustrious governor would feel to know that not only did James take his daughter's virginity but that he also knocked her up and is very proud of it. And no I didn't watch the video.

After finding the drugs, lab, as well as porn I'm pretty glad there wasn't anyone in the pod. I know without a doubt that he would have drugged and fucked me at his first opportunity. And he would have kept me drugged and fucked for as long as he wanted.

I did find some good things though. I found a telescope, a periscope, binoculars, spyglass, and lots of books, mostly about sailing and astronomy, fiction and fact. That was in addition to the clothes, bedding, cooking things and food. Not including the spoiled stuff in the fridge, of course. I mean the packages of cookies and crackers and things. That was in addition to all the supplies the pod came with like first aid kits, tools, plumbing, etc.

The shirts and jackets aren't any problem but the pants are a bit big and won't fit too well but I only plan to use them in emergency. No I do not plan to use the underwear even then. If it gets to that point I'll go without. I didn't even bring them over to the cave with the other things.

I wasn't going to leave things in the pod. At least not the things I can use. In fact if I can figure out how to get all the appliances out and move them into the cave then I will. Even if I can't I figure I can still use the pod as an emergency storehouse. It's just too far away and at too much of an angle to be of much use for anything else. And yes I did wash everything before I put them away.