Chapter 9

May 22^nd 2043

I made it about halfway today. I drove my pod upriver to the creek and then up the creek. Let me tell you, it isn't easy steering by camera alone. I missed the creek and had to float back, while I sat with my legs dangling through the emergency hatch looking for it. When I found the creek, I wiggled my way back in and turned my pod up it. After that, I had to use the auto-guidance program to keep from bumping into things while I watched for the first area I had to turn off the creek. When I found it, I anchored my pod and went out to cut some trees. I couldn't hold my rifle and cut at the same time but it was in the wagon with the chainsaw and other tools. I did wear a pistol though, so I wasn't completely unarmed.

It was a lot of hard work. Even though some of the trees were small, it still took a lot to move them. There were also more than I anticipated because some of the trees trunks were kind of teepee-shaped. Several trunks grew out of the ground at an angle to each other. Then they merged into one and grew up straight from there. Some of the bigger ones had nearly solid trunks, making little caves inside. As I was trying to figure out a path through one section, something started growling at me. I think it lived in one of the TeePee trees. Not wanting to provoke it, I backed up and went around decided to take a secondary route. It was probably better anyway, as Plan B wasn't as steep, but it was longer.

They weren't the only big trees though. There were lots of big trees. I didn't see any drive-a-car-through sized, other than the TeePee trees but there were some big ones. The one that stopped me for today is actually a fallen bluewood tree. It's at least 6ft high, (or is it wide), and I couldn't tell where the top was. I'm wondering if there's any way I can keep part of it as a wall. Maybe with a kind of drawbridge to get past it. I don't know how I'd manage to do that though. However it does cross a path that I need to go up, so I'm either going to have to cut through it or go around. I'm hoping I don't want to have to go around. I'll decide what do to tomorrow.

My "road" if you will, kind of snakes along with the creek and crosses it a couple times where it's really shallow. Sometimes it wanders far from sight of the creek at times but it always comes back. I'm glad I had the wagon with me. I wouldn't have wanted to carry all the tools that far. As it is, I left them behind each time I went back to move my pod forward.

I was pretty nervous going through the clearing where I saw that wolf but I didnt see anything except for some remains, just bones mostly, that I steered clear of.

Over all, I think I did pretty good. If it wasn't for what I saw on the way back to my pod, I'd be feeling pretty good, sore but good. After lunch I was heading back to continue making my road when I stopped to stretch and as I was looking up I saw four pods re-entering with big smoke trails behind them. Then one of them exploded. Three of the pods continued on but one of them just ended in a big ball of smoke with little trails falling from it. I felt like my heart stopped and I fell to my knees, my hands over my mouth, in horror as I watched debris fall from it. Then I started crying. I knew someone had just died. The pod could have been empty but I know it wasn't.

I don't know how long I cried but when I stopped I headed back to work. I suppose you might think me heartless but I can't do anything for them and I need to get my pod to my homesite.

May 23^rd 2043

After a bad night I decided not to work on the log today. It would take me way too long to cut through it. I do plan on coming back later though. It would be a good source of lumber that I don't have to cut down.

I drove my pod up to it and it got really tense for a while as the thrusters lifted me over. The thrusters were giving me a high-pitched whine that set my teeth on edge and gave me a headache. I was afraid I'd have to take another route but my pod just barely scraped over the log. I really need to get to my homesite soon. Fortunately, the trunk was my last major obstacle. I'm currently parked in the creek in the middle of where my farm will be. I probably could have made it today but I want to check out the cave first before I drive up to it. Still, I could have made it today if I hadn't spent half the day ... um ... uh ... okay, I'll say it. Masturbating. It isn't like I planned to or anything. I just couldn't stop myself.