Bootstrap Colony (20 page)

“How about it ladies, do you want
to stay here? Anne and Sara could use your help in the greenhouses and the
barns,” he said. They only stared at the ground. “You have until we leave to
change your minds,” he warned. He turned to a woman talking with Roserita and
trying to get his attention.

One woman asked if he would
trade. Mitch asked what she had, she offered her laptop. He nodded and said he
would trade her food and tools for it. She happily agreed. He pulled out a
wheel of cheese, hatchet, shovel, bag of nails, and a case of MREs. He took the
laptop. She grinned and lugged her stuff away with the girls following.

Another girl offered sex; he
shook his head and told her he was flattered but was he doesn’t do that.
“You're too young anyway little lady,” he said, easing her disappointment as he
gave her an MRE. Doc patted her on the shoulder and the group dispersed. He
called after them to save the packaging for recycling.

He noted three girls; a woman
with the little girl had quietly slipped into the back of his truck with
Brian’s help. The priestess was hovering around him, trying to hurry him off
and didn’t notice.

He quietly told Doc he would try
to make one more trip before the snow hit but couldn't promise anything. Doc
said she would like to go, but they needed her here. He told her she will have
to decide, the good of a dying village of idealists, or the life of her and her
daughter.

She nodded reluctantly. A
kilometer from the village Brian asked if they were going to make it and Mitch
shook his head no. The girls in the back cried softly. Brian handed them food
and a canteen.

Mitch set his jaw grimly aware of
the situation and torn about what to do about it. He spotted a mother and calf
Sivartherium near the trail. The ancient giraffe must have been separated from
the migrating herds or decided to remain behind. Brian was driving and he asked
him to pull over. Brian asked why he was doing okay, but Mitch waved him off as
he reached for the gun case.

Brian complied. Mitch pulled the
Bushmaster rifle out and shot the calf. The mother started at the noise, and
bleated in distress as the calf tottered and fell. Brian asked why and Mitch
smiled grimly. “Look, the mother is staying put.” He got a bead and shot again;
it took two shots to drop the mother.

They turned around and they
headed back to the village. He told the guard they had shot two ancient giraffe
a kilometer from camp and gave her directions. The guard was excited and called
the hunters who gathered their things. He gave them a ride in the back of the
trailer; they dropped them off at the carcasses. They waved good luck and left
them to their grim work. Brian asked why they didn’t let them in the truck,
Mitch murmured that they stank, and damned if he was going to clean up the
fleas after they sat inside. “Had to do it three times already,” Mitch
grumbled. Brian laughed and swerved the truck to avoid a rock.

 “Going to have to do it again
now,” Brian warned, eyes cutting to their passengers. Mitch sighed and nodded
wearily.

Ten days later they got their
first dusting of snow in the night. He checked the weather forecast, he didn’t
see any more on the horizon, and so took a truck loaded with trade goods,
Brian, and Paul Fenn up to the Amazon’s village. On the way he killed an elk
and with Paul’s help lashed it to the roof while Brian acted as a guard.

He pulled up the guard shack,
there was a different female there but she smiled tentatively. Mitch nodded
politely to her. Brian was distant. Paul nodded politely to the girl, unaware
of some of the history. The girl whistled and someone in the compound looked up
and then called to others. In moments they had a crowd. Mitch asked one of the
huntresses to help get the elk down. When she asked what it was for, he replied
for her and the women. She nodded her thanks and smiled slightly.

One of the girls handed him rifle
slugs. He looked them over. “From last week,” she said by way of explanation.
He nodded and thanked her. He dropped the slugs into the cup holder on the door
and then handed the girl an MRE and Swiss army knife. Her eyes widened, and
then she smiled and thanked him. He nodded.

One of the girls quietly offered
an I pod; he smiled and plugged it into the truck port. He tossed her an energy
bar, and then handed her the I pod back. She looked at him and he said it was
hers to have. He gave her a basket of food and then turned to the next person.

Two women gave him computers and
saved MRE packaging, he gave them food and tools they made recently from iron
and wood. After a few trades a woman came up. He casually asked if she was here
to trade and she shook her head biting her lip. “Ma’am?”

She pushed the gaunt child to
him. “Please take care of her,” she whispered and turned to leave.

Mitch grabbed the woman by the
elbow before she left. “I have a better idea.
You
do that,” he said and
then maneuvered her into the back seat of the truck with the child. He handed
them an MRE, water bottle, and blanket.

She blessed him weakly, too tired
and distraught to cry. He patted her on the shoulder. Three more women came
also asking him to take their children; again he put them in the truck with
food. The priestess noted this and protested. He gave her a warning look, and
then ignored her. She called the hunters to disperse the crowd but they too
ignore her. A few of the women do leave however. Doc approached, he noted that
the priestess and dominatrix held Cassie back.

Quietly he patted her arm and
then handed her a care package from Janet and the gang. He slipped her a
package of energy bars. She stuffed into the front of her coat and another into
her bosom before the priestess spotted it. Mitch noted this and his eyes
glittered. “So they are confiscating the packets for themselves?” he murmured
to her. She gave a quick nod. His jaw tightened in anger as he watched her
leave. He made a few more trades before they left. Four women and five girls
ranging in age from three to ten came with them. It was crowded in the truck,
every lap was full. At least with all the bodies they didn't need the heater
much.

On the way home he cranked up the
heat in the rear, the women thanked him. One asked how her Billy was. Paul told
her he was fine. She said she was out picking berries with the group when her
husband Charlie was killed by a cat. A week later she came back to find Billy
beaten for allegedly stealing food.

She had been forced to live off
the kindness of hunters and Mitch after a fall injured her ankle. She tried her
best to feed her kids. She cried softly at what had been done to her son. One
of the women patted her and told her it was all right now.

Mitch called Janet and let her
know what was coming. She said she had been worried, but had anticipated the
need. When they arrived they went through the usual de-lousing. Later around a
fire in the Great Hall the women were huddled under blankets clutching coffee
mugs. They reluctantly and quietly told the others about things, how it had
gotten bad and was getting worse in the village.

Maggie told of sermons, more
rants and desperate prayers than spiritual affairs. They told the group that
only a few children were left in the village, the rest were teens and adults.
Maggie stroked Billy’s hair, smiling softly as he watched the fire. Sasha told
them how Cassie was kept under constant guard while the Doctor was away, and
how the dominatrix threatened her if her mother didn’t return.

The next day in class Billy
looked out the window at the falling snow and when he was asked about his
pensive mood he turned. “Why?”

Mitch sat near and looked over
them all. He told them about the agrarian society, and how it worked. Janet
came by and stood near the door as they get into a discussion about religion.
Mitch asked them if they ever heard of the Donner party.

“Like the reindeer?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Oh.”

“No the Donner party was a group
back in the eighteen hundreds that decided to try to emigrate across the
continental US. They got caught in snow in a mountain pass near the end of
their journey that now bears their name. The people prayed and prayed, but in
the end fell upon their own dead in desperation,” he explained and then sighed.

“They ate them?” Billy asked. The
kids were aghast.

Mitch nodded grimly. “Yes, and by
some reported, killed the weak and sick and ate them as well.” His face was
bleak. “Good bible thumping god fearing people who let their beliefs that god
would protect them, lead them, and let it happen to them. Piety is nice, but
piety doesn’t put food on the table, or a roof over your head. Hard work does
that. Right?” He turned to the class with a challenging look.

“RIGHT!” The kids responded.
Janet was troubled, but nodded. She wiped her hands and then cleared her throat
and chased the kids off to chores.

Mitch, Brian, and Vance did a
little hunting with the hummers and trailers before the snow really hit hard.
Flights by the drones had spotted elk, tauntauns, and bison that remained
behind after the major herds left. Hunting helped to keep the freezer full.
Mitch was pretty certain they were going to need the extra food soon. They even
caught a few auroch to turn over to Jeff and Sean.

When Maggie quietly informed him
she was a veterinarian he gladly turned over the animal care duties to her
expert hands. Sean was a little upset at first, but straightens out after a few
days when Maggie took him under her wing as an apprentice. Jeff seemed
relieved.

Mitch and Maggie had a few
discussions about the animals, trading theories about their evolution and
biology in front of the fire. “I still can’t believe they are feathered,” Sean
piped up.

“Too much Hollywood hype,” Mitch
commented with a snort.

Maggie nodded. “Scientists have
had evidence that dinosaurs, especially the therapod dinos were related to
birds. There is even direct evolutionary evidence as well,” she explained. Sean
nodded looking thoughtful.

“Now we have proof that they are
endothermic, and have an avian circulatory system,” Mitch added.

Sean cocked his head. “Endo...”
Sean tried to sound the word out.

Mitch smiled. “Endo means interior.
Thermic means heat. In other words, dinosaurs are warm blooded like us.” Maggie
nodded in agreement.

“Speaking of heat...” Maggie gave
a dramatic shudder. “I am so glad you shut that waterfall off.” She pointed to
the dark opening above. “I am one for bed. Mucking out is early.” She gave Sean
a long look. He gusted a sigh, got up and followed her out to his own bed.

After a major storm hit the area
Janet and Anne asked if he would go to the village. Mitch looked out the window
and then said no, the way was now far too dangerous. When he noted their sighs
of resignation he gave them a long look. “Do you want me to check on the Doc
and Cassie?” They hemmed and haw a bit. He snorted knowing he was beat.

Maggie, Sasha, Kathy, and
Roserita peeked in; Sasha quietly asked Janet if he was going to do it. The he
in question snorted. “I guess I don’t have a choice do I?” he asked, raising
his voice. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow. They all look at the floor,
or away. He snorted again. “Okay. Did you ask anyone else?” They shrugged.

“Is Brian ready? Or Paul? Or are
one of you volunteering to ride shotgun this time?” Mitch asked. Sasha raised
her hand reluctantly, but Anne waved her off.

“I will go,” she volunteered
firmly.

“Can you shoot?” Mitch asked,
eying her. She nodded. He blew out his cheeks a few times. “The question is,
will you have too?” he asked bleakly. No one answered that as they got ready to
go.

Four hours later they arrived at
the edge of the village. He had stopped to shoot an elk, but missed. Later a
juvenile Tauntaun wasn’t so lucky. They had been seeing more of the creatures,
two legged creatures with short stubby forelimbs and ram horns. The one meter
tall creatures were covered in shaggy brown fur, and had a nasty disposition
when provoked.

He felt a bit of relief that the
gate was still manned. The girl there was under a lean too, clutching her hands
under her armpits. She had makeshift furs and rags on for warmth.

The guard waved and said the Doc
needed them. Mitch nodded. He waved to Anne to unload the catch of the day with
the guard and the frozen blocks of rabbit meat stew and furs she had brought
along. The guard thanked Anne for the food, waving to another girl to help.
“Thank you.” The guard said feverantly, looking at Anne, then to Mitch. The
wind picked up and she shivered. “Thank you for this.”

The Doctor came, bundled in the
fur. Anne greeted her, but the Doc’s solemn face made her ask what was going
on. “Cassie got a thorn in her foot. I got it out but I think it is poisonous.
She has a fever and is delirious.”

Mitch looked down and then up to
her. “What do you want to do?” he asked.

She nodded to his truck. “We are
going,” she responded. He nodded.

He pulled into the camp, around
the bonfire right to the hut. The village was in shambles, many of the huts
were down, their roofs collapsed from the weight of snow. He went in and
carried Cassie out, ignoring the gathering throng. Doc started to get in but
the priestess grabbed her arm, demanding to know what she was doing. She
grabbed the hand and pulled it off, glaring. “Saving my daughter Diane,” she
snarled.

Doc got into the truck before
Diane could stop her. Mitch covered her and waved the others in. The priestess
and dominatrix rallied their followers, chanting about the evils of men and
even throwing rocks. Mitch looked out around them as the others ducked. His
face was bleak and cold. “I pity you,” Mitch muttered. A rock hits his
windshield and it cracked. Another hit his shoulder hard. Pain lanced through him
and in rage he pulled his weapon and fired a shot into the air. The crowd
scattered in fright. He stood on the edge of the door frame, turning to look
about him. “I PITY YOU, NOT FOR YOUR BELIEFS, BUT YOU’RE STUPIDITY. I PITY YOUR
CHILDREN MORE. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL,” he bellowed, glaring about.

He got into the truck and snorted
when he noted Cassie, once looking feverish and out cold looking at him wide
eyed. Huddled under her blanket were a trio of kids, smuggled in during the
distraction. He looked at Doc. “Sick... surrre,” he teased as the truck moved
out.

Doc blushed. “What was I supposed
to do?” she asked softly.

He pointed to the chest, “Fresh
sandwiches in there kids.”

Cassie blinked. “Oh thank god I
am like STARVING!” she said feverantly as she reached for the container.

Mitch shook his head, smiling as
they crunched through the snow and left the village. Anne asked if this was all
and Doc nodded, tears trace down her cheeks as she said, all that were left.
Two girls had died from hypothermia yesterday.

Mitch shook his head, angry at
that news. “Stupid,” he muttered, smacking the steering wheel. “STUPID!” Doc
patted his shoulder. He winced, pain lancing through his shoulder and up his
neck. “Easy Doc. Rock hit there.”

Her face clouded in concern.
“Hurt?”

“Yeah, probably a good sized
bruise,” he answered. She nodded. “The armor protects against damage, but you
still feel the impact,” Mitch sighed.

He noted the girl with the I pod.
She waved and thanked him. He nodded in the mirror. “No problem. You’re Angie?”

“Yeah.”

“Nice to meet again you Angie.”

Angie poked the other girl. “This
is Jolie.” Jolie looked up shyly. He nodded to her. She mumbled something with
her mouth full.

He snorted. “Don’t eat too fast
or you will barf kids,” he warned. They all slowed down.

Janet called; Anne put the Doc on
the radio. Doc told her they were coming home. Janet muttered a thank the lord,
making Mitch snort. “We just picked up two guys half starved near the South
gate, Brian and Maggie got them to the medical wing. It looks like you have quite
a practice waiting Doc,” Janet warned. Doc snorted.

When they arrived the girls were
carried into the hospital wing. A bunch of people were waiting, including two
men sitting in beds trying to drink from mugs with their hands and feet
bundled. They put the girls on cots. Janet handed each a mug and blanket. They
murmured thanks. One exclaimed at drinking hot soup. Janet handed her a spoon.
Maggie came in with hot bread. The girls exclaimed in delight at the bread, and
fresh butter. Jolie’s eyes sparkled as tears glitter and fall. “How? I don’t
understand, how can you have all this?”

Janet pointed to Mitch. “We were
all warned, but he took it seriously,” she said. Mitch shrugged sheepishly as
the people in the room turned to him and then winced at the pain that the shrug
caused. Doc noted this.

He waved her off as her concerned
look registered. “Triage Doc,” he ordered, indicating her other patients. She
nodded. Dora jumped as did Anne. They swung into action, checking Henry Doyle
and Piotr Raslagovich, a brit and Russian who managed to find their way to the
base somehow.

Piotr had taken care to bandage
their hands, so frostbite was not too bad the doctor reported. Their feet were
a mess; Doc noted that Piotr might lose some toes. Doc hissed sympathetically at
this. Henry looked bleak. “We fell through an ice pond that had been dusted,
got chased by dire wolves for a bit so couldn’t change,” Henry explained,
looking at the black toes. Piotr nodded.

They were given hot compresses
and treated with medication to ease their aches. Doc checked the kids over,
noting malnutrition. Dora handed each a pill, telling Doc they were
multivitamins. The girls had mild hypothermia and frostbite, Jolie had lost a
fingernail.

She turned to look at Mitch but
he was gone. Brian was acting as a wary guard; he caught her look and nodded.
Janet noted the doctor's confusion and replied that Mitch had taken himself
off, most likely to work. She tisked in annoyance, “Even with everyone here
there doesn’t seem enough hours of the day to get everything that man wanted
done! He works twenty two hours a day sometimes! The man is going to drop from
a heart attack if he isn’t careful!” She shook her head.

Brian snorted. “He wanted to set
the hot tub up to help out,” he said.

Doc looked up in interest. “Hot
tub?” Janet, Angie, Jolie, and the others echoed that.

Brian smiled. “He may be a pack
rat, but he is a SMART pack rat.” Angie started giggling, startling a chuckle
from everyone.

Doc nodded thoughtfully as order
was restored. “So are you going to take over now? Going to teach?” Dora asked.

Cassie nodded. “Yeah mom, what
about it?” Doc smiled and nodded.

Dora cheered and did a little
dance. “Yes! No more nurse Cratchet!”

Janet snorted. “Now love you’ve
been doing well and you said you wanted to be a Doctor... now you have one to
train you.” She patted the girl’s arm.

Dora made a face. “Yeah, but when
someone is hurt I realized how much I don’t know, I mean, Mitch knows more, and
he
has paramedic training! But he put
me
in charge?!” She pointed
to her chest.

“It says something about you
doesn’t it?” Cassie responded.

Dora glared at her. “What?”

“He trusts you.”

Dora looked a little sheepish.
“Oh. Yeah, I guess he does.”

Doc smiled. “I will teach you.”

Cassie cleared her throat and
waved her free hand. ”Me too mom. I mean, if that is okay.”

Doc nodded, patted her daughters
covered leg. “Of course sweetie. Now, I gotta go see a man about a shoulder. He
better not be lifting, I felt something wrong with his collarbone...”

Janet looked up in concern. “Come
on.” Janet led them to where Mitch was trying to pull the fiberglass tub up
with one arm. Doc noted the way he was cradling his right arm, and nodded to
Janet. Janet sucked in a breath. “Bloody hell. All right you bloomin idiot what
have you gotten yourself into now?”

He looked up at them then
grunted, hauling on the chain. Brian stepped in and grabbing it. Paul came
over, pushing at the hovering tub. Janet grabbed the chain, muttering
imprecations and helped them get it into place and then together they eased it
down. Mitch paused for breath with them for a moment and then moved to get it
hooked up. Janet grabbed his arm making him cry out. “Leave off woman!” Doc
started at this. Brian quietly told him they were only trying to help.

“Then pass the screw gun. Let’s
get this done,” Mitch growled. He wearily pulled the directions out.

Doc stepped up and picked them
out of his hands. “I have a better idea, Brian, Paul and the others will do it,
and
you
will get checked, eat something and then go to bed.” He looked
at her. She crossed her arms and gave him the look... Janet did as well.

Maggie came in and noted the
taboo. “What’d I miss?”

Angie stepped in, and picked up
the directions. “You had them upside down,” she said helpfully.

Doc snorted. “Doctors orders?”
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and tapped her foot foot.

“Meddling women,” Mitch growled.

“What’s that?” Doc said in good
humor.

Angie giggled. “I think you got
outvoted boss. Best quit while you’re ahead,” Brian said, not even looking up
as he worked with Paul.

“All right all right!” Mitch
growled as he gave in with ill grace. “After you Doc.”

Doc pointed. “I don’t think so, I
don’t trust you not to duck off and get into mischief. March!” Janet tapped a
foot and Angie giggled set the boys to chuckling and shaking their heads.

Mitch sighed wearily and went to
the infirmary wing. Doc helped him pull off the sweater, noting he was cradling
his arm. She poked him a bit, and he winced and swayed in pain. Dora came over
and they get him to sit. “You are a cantankerous patient!” she growled at him.
He snorted.

Henry held up a cup. “Come on
gov’nor, what’s to complain about? Pretty nurses, women no less!” Piotr and
Henry laughed.

They eased the shirt off and see
a massive bruise on his upper shoulder. Doc hissed a bit and felt about. “Hmm,
I think it might be...” He winced and gasped... ”Hmm yup, it looks broken.”

Mitch waved at Dora. “Scanner.”

“Huh?”

“Medical scanner.”

“Huh?” she asked still confused.

He shook his head then cleared
his throat. “COMPUTER.” An AI voice responded with a beep.

Doc looked up and then down at
him. “My you are full of surprises,” she murmured. This got a small smile.
Cassie giggled. She turned and looked at her:

“Quiet you,” Doc ordered as she
noted the I pod she was sharing with Jolie.

Mitch called for a robot with the
scanner, it arrived a few minutes later by way of the medical bot. Doc and the
patients looked it over. It looked like a modernized Johnny five, white plastic
with an almost human head. It handed the scanner to Mitch. He passed it to the
red haired Doctor.

She fumbled with it as he
explained how it worked and then scanned his shoulder. “Yup, collar bone is
busted. Hairline fracture looked nasty. How can you be upright? Let alone
lifting stuff? You drove for nearly four hours!”

He shrugged. “There is a lot to
do Doc, and even injured you can’t just stop.”

She shrugged. “Well there are
plenty of people here now, we can help,” she replied firmly. The others in the
room nodded. He nodded in turn, albeit reluctantly.

“No more twenty two hour day’s
bub,” Doc growled.