Junkyard raiders, p.7
Junkyard Raiders, page 7
part #5 of Junkyard Pirate Series
“Looks like he did a job on you already,” Darnell voiced the obvious.
“He could have crushed my arm,” she said. “He showed restraint. Chordatile are smarter than we give them credit.”
“Is it common for animals to transition so easily between vertical and horizontal?” AJ said. “I’ve only seen that in apes.”
“Very unusual,” Jayne said. “They run on their knuckles. I can’t imagine the force that transfers to their hands. I bet that’s held them back, evolutionarily speaking. I wish he hadn’t hurt himself getting up.”
“Well, maybe he’ll tell his buddies we’re not the bad guys and they’ll leave us alone,” Darnell said. “Are you ready to be blown away?”
AJ quirked a grin at his friend. “Sure, what do you got?”
“Follow us,” Darnell said, placing a hand on Jayne’s back as the pair walked away from the makeshift pen. “Glad you’re okay, Doc. That was intense.”
Catching up with them, AJ looked ahead, guessing where they were headed. Something like shock registered as he became aware of several giant piles of discarded machinery and other material came into view. “What in the hell?” he asked.
“Looks like Kasic was a junker,” Darnell said. “His piles aren’t as big as yours, but I’d say Kasic could have been a competitor.”
“Do you believe the Tok commander picked this spot because of the junk pile?” Jayne asked. “That's kind of perverse, don’t you think?”
The closer they got, the larger the piles became. AJ recognized that the previous inhabitant had chosen a depression on the side of the mountain in which to pile his junk. “Perverse?” AJ asked, unable to turn away. “It’s a damn gold mine.”
“Like a hog in slop,” Darnell chuckled. “I told you he’d be like this, Doc.”
“It’s just junk,” Jayne said. “I don’t understand the fascination. It’s been sitting out here in the open for who knows how long.”
“Aww, baby, don’t listen to her,” AJ crooned, crawling over a pile and pushing aside a giant piece of sheeting. Without hesitation, he slid into a framed cage and started poking in the dark. “And you’ve even got a little charge left.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, catching up to him.
“Stand back a bit, would you, Doc?”
“Have you gone mad?” she asked, backing away.
Suddenly, the pile around AJ lurched as smaller pieces were sloughed off and the machine underneath took shape. The machine emitted an angry squeal, and he frantically punched more buttons until he successfully quieted it.
“Well, doesn’t that beat all,” AJ grabbed the top of the operator’s cage and swung his legs out. The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear. “Looks like it’s working but probably needs a bit of tweaking.”
“What was that squealing noise?” Jayne asked, shaking her head in confusion at AJ’s excitement.
“It sounded like a loose belt. Might just need tightening, or maybe we’ll have to search for parts.” AJ gestured across the junkpile.
“Anything in there to fix Big Max?” Darnell asked.
“Well, the big problem with Big Max is that she’s rolled onto her back,” AJ said. “This little lifter might look small, but I’d bet anything I can rig up enough pullies and cables to set her right.”
“What difference does it make?” Darnell asked. “We don’t even have fuel for her.”
“You know me. I solve one problem at a time,” AJ said. “Now, I swear someone promised breakfast.”
Jayne slid her hand into AJ’s as the trio walked back toward the main house. When they got closer, Greybeard bounded off the porch and ran up to greet them, his bark drawing Purba out onto the porch.
“Nit says the Beltigersk have finished their council,” Jayne said. “I think they’d like to tell us what they’ve found.”
“Is that right, BB?” AJ asked.
Beverly appeared, wearing a blue jumpsuit with a red polka-dot scarf wrapped around her head. “Doctor Jayne is right.”
“Rosie the Riveter. You’ve done her before,” AJ remarked. He and Beverly played a game where she’d dress as a historical figure and it was AJ’s role to guess who she was projecting. She tended to repeat her favorite women pioneers like Amelia Earhart, Rosie the Riveter, Harriet Tubman, and the like, making some days easier than others. Ordinarily, the dress clued him into her mood, the subject under discussion, or what she expected from the day.
“We need to repair Big Max,” she said. “We don’t believe High Commander Cer intended to wreck your vessel, although, surprisingly, she would miscalculate necessary fuel reserves.”
“Why would she care? We landed. We’re alive. We’re stranded. Weren’t those all goals of her tantrum?” AJ asked.
“I wouldn’t characterize Commander Cer’s behavior as a tantrum,” Beverly said.
“Potato, tomato,” AJ said. “She got her way and caused us grief in the process. Call it what you want.”
As he entered the great room, Purba presented him with a plate. “You need to eat, Albert Jenkins. The chief needs to be well-fed so he may meet the day.”
“Well, thanks,” he said, accepting the plate, not completely sure how to respond.
“Amanda Jayne, I have also prepared your plate. One who brings medicine has great responsibility to the tribe. You must not allow yourself to wither. Will you join me in replanting my tribe’s garden? I did not see where you have started your own,” Purba said.
AJ and Jayne exchanged a look and laughed. “What have you done with the quiet girl we rescued yesterday?” AJ asked.
Purba hurried to Lisa’s side almost as if AJ had struck her. “Have I offended Albert Jenkins? I did not mean to overstep.” She allowed Lisa to drape a protective arm over her.
“Now, see what you’ve done? You’ve gone and scared her with all that sarcasm and crap,” Lisa scolded. “Don’t you pay him any attention. He’s just a big dumb brute.”
AJ set his plate on the large stone-slab table and picked up a fork. The eggs were cold and the toast soggy, but he was hungry enough not to mind either way.
“It’ll take some time to get used to us, Purba,” Jayne finally said. “AJ and I are equal parts of this crew and we don’t need special treatment. What you have done is appreciated, however. Thank you for taking care of our breakfast.”
“Lisa, do you have any of those comm ear thingies back on Big Max? I was hoping to get Purba hooked up,” AJ said.
“I thought I’d take her over and empty the galley today,” Lisa said. “I’ll find one for her. We only have a couple of weeks of supplies. We’ll need to come up with a way to trade in that nearby town. Think we could use the rocket pack vests?”
“We’ll have to see if we can get some solar collection going,” AJ said. “Those packs we used yesterday are low on power. I’m not sure we’d make it the forty kilometers.”
“What about the runabout?” Lisa asked. “Did you check if Commander Cer took all that fuel too?”
“I’m not sure it matters. The runabout is pinned by Big Max right now,” Darnell said.
“I assume you’re working on that,” she said.
“We’ll get serious about flipping her over later this afternoon,” Darnell said. “Assuming we don’t get any unexpected visitors.”
“Beverly, are you ready to spill the beans on what you all have been chatting about and why you’re hot to trot on getting Big Max running again? If I recall, Commander Cer wasn’t giving us much of a leash. Did something change?”
Beverly walked across the stone island top and sat on a tiny round, metal stool that appeared beneath her. She was oriented to see the crew – aside from Purba, who couldn’t hear her anyway. “To understand our predicament, you need to understand, at least minimally, the Tok Primacy and how it fits into the Galactic Empire. In short, Fimil Alpha, which is in Tok Primacy’s territory, is at the very edge of civilized space. The Tok Primacy has not shared much information with the rest of the Galactic Empire about what lies beyond Fimil Alpha except to warn against travel. While they have not strictly forbidden explorers from going beyond Fimil Alpha to date, no expedition that has gone into what is often referred to as the Dark Beyond has ever returned.”
“Do we need a campfire?” AJ said. “I feel like you’re telling ghost stories to scare us.”
“Others have offered that theory,” Beverly said. “Some believe the Tok Primacy discovered something so rare, so useful, so valuable that they concocted this story to scare others away. The theory does not explain why so many expeditions have failed, however.”
“What’s this got to do with the imprint of huge trapezoidal ship landing gear and tree-trunk-sized footprints?” AJ asked.
“Five thousand years ago, when the Tok were still a technologically young species, they visited Fimil Alpha and traded with the Fimil tribesmen,” Beverly said. “At that time, the Fimil people’s technology was akin to the iron age, although due to a severe lack of naturally occurring iron, there were differences … I’m digressing. The Fimil people were quite accepting of the small, exceptionally intelligent Tok and a deep friendship was forged.”
“And then they found out the Fimil had other friends? Maybe, big tree-type stomping folks?” AJ suggested impatiently.
“No. They had a single petrified corpse of something the Fimil called Laugoni.” Beverly projected a three-legged, forty-foot-tall being that looked to be composed of thick, fibrous, brown plantlike material. It had no head but instead had a thick bump above where a pair of appendages that resembled arms hung from broad shoulders.
“Oh, crap, that’s a big boy,” AJ said.
“And it’s been around for at least five thousand years?” Jayne asked. “That’s a lot of time for advancement.”
“We can find no mention of Laugoni appearing anywhere else,” Beverly said. “Suspiciously, however, the Tok ambassador will not officially deny its existence. Further, when I provided the details we uncovered at Purba’s tribal home, all communication was cut off between Beltigersk and Tok Primacy.”
“Cut off? Like they hung up the phone?” AJ asked.
“Diplomatic relations between Beltigersk and Tok Primacy were severed.”
SEVEN
FORTY BOTTLE JACKS
“How could a species of this kind successfully evolve?” Jayne asked. “How would they manipulate the world around them. Their science would be woefully inadequate without fine motor controls.”
“First, let’s put a name to the species. In scientific circles, it is referred to as Laugoni. Some shorten this to Lago. And there has been much discussion of their evolution, Doctor Jayne. There are numerous theories,” Beverly said. “No theory has been publicly advanced, nor has significant discussion on this species occurred in a millennium. When I analyzed the impressions we found and attempted to identify what species might be responsible, I discovered Tok actively suppressing scientific inquiries. When I elevated my questions through the Beltigersk Science Ministry, diplomatic relations between Tok and Beltigersk were interrupted.”
“Will that be permanent?” Darnell asked.
“No,” she answered. “The Tok’s actions were meant as a warning. Beltigersk will apologize and after a few months, relations will return to normal, assuming no further inquiries occur.”
“So, Tok put us on this world knowing all about these Lago. We’re blatantly drawn into an encounter within minutes of arrival and now we’re cut off,” AJ said. “I’m not sure what to make of that.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Lisa said. “Tok are hoping we’ll stick our necks out and get our heads knocked off. Then they’ll act all surprised when it happens.”
“Not very elegant for the most advanced species in the Galactic Empire,” Jayne said.
“Tight timing on our arrival and that attack had to be hard,” AJ said. “Or do you think they got lucky with Purba?”
“I could only speculate,” Beverly said.
“I’m not sure how this discovery changes anything,” AJ said, nodding. “If we take an assessment of our current situation, we’re not exactly in a defensible position. Our ship is inoperable and our base could be easily breached. Boogiemen are the least of our problems. If those Chords decide to make another run at us, we’d be in just as much trouble.”
“Our food stock is limited and I’m not sure what we even have to trade,” Lisa said. “And while I’m grateful for Purba’s family's plants, they won't be ready for consumption any time soon.”
“We have no fuel aside from what’s in the runabout – assuming Tok left anything in it,” Darnell said. “Even if they left a full tank, it wouldn’t be enough to get Big Max into space.”
“We’ll split up,” AJ said. “I’ll work on a plan to get Big Max on a better footing. I’ll need your help, Big-D. Once she’s rolled over, we’ll assess the damage and come up with a repair plan. There were a lot of crops out by Purba’s home. If the runabout is usable, we could send a group to harvest whatever is left to extend our food stores.”
“There’s a locked door in the lower level of this building,” Lisa said. “I left it alone yesterday, but I’d like to make sure there aren’t any surprises. I’d appreciate it if Greybeard could stick around here today, just in case.”
“What would you have me do?” Purba asked, stroking the top of Greybeard’s head, something he seemed to enjoy immensely.
“There is another entrance at the back,” Lisa said. “It’s currently overgrown, but I think the guy before us, Kasic, might have had a garden back there. I’m not sure where he got his water, so we’ll need to work that out. Purba, since you’re familiar with local plants and you have your family’s roots to get in the ground, perhaps you could make that your priority.”
Purba brightened at the suggestion. “I do not know how I could be so lucky to be accepted by such generous people. If not for your funny, tiny little noses, you could be Fimil plainsmen.”
“I’ll tag along with Lisa,” Jayne said. “I’d like to see if Kasic left any scientific journals behind. Nit informs me that none of his work was ever published after he left the university system.”
“What kind of research did he do before coming to Fimil Alpha?” Lisa asked.
“Essentially, he was an anthropologist or maybe better stated, a xenobiologist.”
“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” AJ said. “Until we’re more confident in our security, let’s do hourly check-ins. BB, could you keep track of that for us?”
“Yes. It is a reasonable precaution.”
“Please tell me who this BB is,” Purba said, swiping the air above the table. “It is like you all speak to a ghost. Mostly Albert Jenkins, though. Am I making fantasies?”
“You’re not crazy, dear,” Lisa said. “Beverly is a friend you can’t see. When we gain access to our vessel, I’ll get you something so you can see her too.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No. Completely harmless.”
AJ set his cup down and looked around, finding nothing that resembled a sink. “Where do we clean up?” he asked.
“Leave them,” Jayne said. “There’s a cleaner beneath the counter. Nit and I were going to research it after breakfast.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he said, standing. “We’ll be nearby if anyone needs us.”
Darnell walked outside with him. “What do you want to tackle first?”
“I figured we could check the outbuildings,” AJ said. “If we’re lucky, this Kasic fella will have something that can help us move Big Max. Top of the list would be grease, fuel, solar panels, or some sort of reactor. A Mr. Fusion would be a good find.”
“That’s not a real thing,” Darnell said. “That’s from a movie.”
“Right,” AJ said, nodding. “Cables, snatch-blocks, come-alongs ... pretty much anything you could imagine on the back of a wrecker would be interesting.”
“Big Max weighs several thousand tons,” Darnell said. “No wrecker in history is lifting it.”
“You could be right,” AJ said, nodding. “She’s on a hill, though. If we could get four hundred tons of lift in the right place, she’d roll right over.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“Well, if he had forty big bottle jacks, that’d do it. Maybe Kasic was a car enthusiast.”
“You’re nuts.”
“Big problems need big dreams,” AJ said, fiddling with a simple lock on the first shed he came up to. “BB, would you help inventory while we look through here?”
“Of course, AJ,” Beverly said, appearing with a clipboard in her hands.
“Handles on these shovels aren’t in bad shape,” Darnell said, testing one of the tools he found. “Must be a synthetic material.”
AJ pulled a narrow ten-foot-tall machine off the wall. “Well, this is something,” The bottom of the device was an auger, already loaded with a steel metal rod. A dozen more of the rods were leaning against the wall close by. “It’s some sort of drill and posthole combo.”
“Looks like it might connect to that frontend loader machine you pulled out of the junk pile. Why do we care to drill holes already?”
“We need an immovable object if we want to pull Big Max over with some sort of winch. Imagine anchoring twenty steel posts on an angle with cables connected to the ends. I’d have to run some calculations, but we’d get plenty of holding power.”
“Hmm,” Darnell mused, already moving on to a cabinet full of items. “Got your grease, and Petey is lighting up on some spare parts for that loader you uncovered. There are also some big old tools on the lower shelf, which are probably for loader maintenance.
“You don’t say,” AJ said, joining him and forgetting about the post hole tool. “Yeah, that’s something. Say, BB; I don’t suppose you could find the manual for that machine, could you?”
“I anticipated your request and have accessed it, AJ,” Beverly said. “What would you like to review?”
“Does it have any type of slow charge capacity? Those are electric motors. It should be possible.”
