Dinosaur Thunder (35 page)

“How long do we have?” Reverend asked, walking up behind them.

“Hours,” Nick said. “A day at the most.”

“Then we best prepare,” Reverend said, falling to his knees and folding his hands.

Seeing the reverend on his knees, praying, Elizabeth said, “Oh, this is bad.”

41

In Orbit

The three adventurous companions were surprised and stupefied, despite their scientific reasonings. They felt themselves being carried into the domain of wonders!… Their feet no longer clung to the floor of the projectile.… Fancy has depicted men without reflection, others without shadow. But here reality, by the neutralizations of attractive forces, produced men in whom nothing had any weight, and who weighed nothing themselves.

—Jules Verne,
From the Earth to the Moon

Present Time
Earth Orbit

Locked in the cockpit, Commander Watson and Aurora pilot Rosa Perez-Roberts could do nothing but monitor the work of Mission Specialists Sarasa Chandra and Rick Maven. As promised, the Payload Assist Module was waiting for them, delivered on an Air Force bird out of Vandenberg. The PAM came equipped with a docking collar, so it was only a matter of attaching the twin cylinders to the collar and then lighting up the engines. The problem was working in zero gravity, where leverage did not come naturally. Any force exerted tended to put objects into a spin, since there was no friction or gravity to arrest motion.

Chandra and Maven worked with tethers at first, disconnecting cylinders to free them from the Aurora’s cargo hold. Then they used a small hydraulic arm to lift them out. Now the two cylinders floated between the Aurora and the PAM, ready to be moved into place.

The astronauts pulled themselves into the hold, backing into the cradles for the MMUs (Manned Maneuvering Units). The units latched to the back of each astronaut’s space suit. Powered by nitrogen gas, the MMUs would allow Maven and Chandra to maneuver the cylinders into position.

“We’re set,” Maven radioed.

The astronauts released the MMUs from their cradles and pushed off, floating out of the cargo bay.

“Let’s give it a try,” Maven said.

Everyone held their breath as Maven used the hand controls to release a jet of gas to propel him toward the near cylinder. Watching his monitor, Watson saw a small spray of nitrogen crystals from jets on the MMU, and then Maven shot across the gap, bouncing off the cylinder.

“Whoa!” Maven said, now floating back toward the Aurora. “It’s not like the simulator.”

“Arrest your rotation,” Chandra said.

Maven touched his controls, and now he was rotating the opposite direction.

“Too much,” Chandra said.

“Really?” Maven said, irritated. “The throttle isn’t set up for the level of control that we need.”

“Do we need to abort?” Watson asked.

“Have some faith,” Maven said. “I’ll get the hang of it, Commander.”

It took Maven four more tries before he stopped his spin and then moved gently toward the cylinder. “Your turn, Sarasa,” Maven said.

To Maven’s embarrassment, Chandra managed to move away from the Aurora and toward the cylinder without running into it or putting herself into a spin.

“Nothing to it,” Chandra said.

“Show-off,” Maven said.

Using a fraction of the expected propellant, the astronauts positioned themselves at two points on the first cylinder, then moved it toward the PAM. The Payload Assist Module was simple in design, essentially a large cylinder with a rocket nozzle on one end and a docking collar on the other. Frustrated by being locked in the cockpit, Watson could only watch as Chandra and Maven maneuvered the cylinder into place. Normally careful, they were extra careful, since their MMUs were hypersensitive, the jets producing more thrust than they had trained for. Two hours later, they had both cylinders mated to the docking collar, the astronauts rechecking every connection and making sure all tools had been retrieved.

“Everything’s nominal on this side,” Chandra said.

“Everything’s extra nominal on my side,” Maven said.

“The PAM is responding,” Perez-Roberts said. “All indicators are good to go.”

“Houston, we are finished and retrieving our astronauts,” Watson sent back to Earth.

“I’ll let Dr. Puglisi know,” West said. “As soon as you have retrieved your crew, move to a safe distance.”

Watching Chandra and Maven return to the cargo hold using tiny bursts of gas, Watson questioned the decision to destroy the material they had gathered on the moon. The fact that Dr. Puglisi insisted on it made Watson wonder what else was going on. Given the recent history of the planet, it might be terrible indeed.

42

Column

The Indians surrounding the soldiers on Custer Hill were now joined by others from every section of the field, from downriver where they had been chasing horses, from along the ridge where they had stripped the dead of guns and ammunition, from upriver, where Reno’s men could hear the beginning of the last heavy volley a few minutes past 5. “There were great numbers of us,” said Eagle Bear, an Oglala, “some on horseback, others on foot. Back and forth in front of Custer we passed, firing all of the time.”

—Thomas Powers

Sixty-five Million Years Ago
Unknown Place

If Leah was distressed over leaving Reverend’s flock, she did not show it. After the first few miles, Leah drifted over, taking Jacob’s hand and walking close, occasionally breaking into a smile. Bonnie had to be carried when she saw the Inhumans outside the compound, and Bea clung to her mother’s hand. But after the Inhumans were out of sight, and no attack came, the girls relaxed, taking their cues from the adults. People whispered at first, as if afraid to be heard, and then chatted openly, speculating on what they would do back in the world. Children began to wander, farther and farther from the secure base of their parents, and soon the joy of anticipation infected the entire caravan.

“I barely remember the world,” Leah said, squeezing Jacob’s hand. “It seems like a dream. Could it be as good as I remember it? I wonder if I can still drive a car? Do they have cars? We could go for a drive. No, let’s go to a mall. Oh, I know, let’s take the girls for ice cream. They’ve never had ice cream.”

“Sure,” Jacob said. “We’ll need to get some money.”

Leah pulled a thick wad of bills from her apron pocket.

“You still have money?” Jacob asked.

“I know we were supposed to turn all of our mammon in so the reverend could burn it,” Leah said, “but I couldn’t do it. I kept hoping we would get home someday, so I hid what I had and every time I found some, I added it to my stash.”

“We can eat ice cream for a year with all of that,” Jacob said.

“Dairy Queen,” Leah said wistfully. “Would you mind if I put on a few pounds? I want to eat all the things I missed.”

“On you, a few more pounds would look good,” Jacob said. “On you, everything looks good.”

Leah gave Jacob her full smile, and Jacob fell in love with Leah all over again. It wasn’t just Jacob’s love of Leah that made him happy; it was the sense of being useful again. He never had the skills to survive in the wilderness, but back in the world, he could make a living and provide for his family. Leah would not have to work herself into an early grave, and the girls could look forward to something better than a teenage marriage to a boy selected by Reverend.

“Can I walk by the horsie?” Bea asked, tugging on Leah’s apron. “Sarah and Melanie are walking by the horsie.”

Leah looked at Jacob, who nodded. “Careful with your dress,” Leah said.

“I go,” Bonnie said, wriggling out of Jacob’s arms.

“Take your sister,” Leah said.

Bea ran back, took Bonnie’s hand, and the two ran alongside the column to the front, where Officer Conyers led her horse. Dr. Gah rode Torino, hanging on to the saddle horn for dear life. Children walked parallel to the horse, the officer answering questions, warning the children not to get too close. Ranger Wynooski and Crazy Kramer walked at the front with the officer, Wynooski’s mouth running constantly. Wynooski was why the Lewinskis were deeper into the column. Jacob did not like the plump, know-it-all ranger.

“Do you think we could get a house? One just for our family?” Leah asked. “I love these people, but I want a place of our own. Is that selfish? I want a bathroom with a flush toilet and a shower. I want to sleep with you whenever we want and not have to wait our turn for some privacy.”

“I was a Realtor,” Jacob said. “I’ll get us a house.”

“Could you?”

“I won the Realtor of the Year Award, two years in a row,” Jacob bragged.

“Even if you don’t get us a house, I’ll be happy. We could live in a tent or a trailer and it would be better than here. At least there won’t be demons trying to kill us and dinosaurs trying to eat us.”

“The only dinosaurs are in zoos, so I won’t need this anymore,” Jacob said, patting the rifle hanging over his shoulder.

“I wonder if my mother is still alive?” Leah said sadly, her mind wandering.

Years of hunting had sensitized Jacob, and now he felt movement in the trees. Instinctively, the rifle was off his shoulder before he realized it. Leah stiffened, seeing the look on his face.

“What is it? Dinosaur?”

“Maybe nothing,” Jacob said, eyes on the trees.

The column was crossing a clearing and approaching another copse of trees.

“Maybe we should stop?” Leah suggested, looking ahead at the deep shadows of the trees.

“Yeah, maybe,” Jacob said, eyes on the trees.

Jacob let go of Leah, separating from the column and walking a few yards into the clearing. Others noticed him, two other men with rifles splitting off, spacing themselves ten yards on either side of Jacob. Slowly, Jacob worked the bolt, loading a shell. Jacob’s eyes fixed on the trees across the clearing, and darted from place to place at every little movement. He saw nothing, but the other riflemen were just as wary.

“Get the girls,” Jacob said to Leah.

Without a word, Leah ran toward the front of the column. Person by person, word of what the riflemen were doing spread both directions in the column, reaching the front at the same time as Leah, who grabbed each girl by the hand, pulling them into the column, protecting her children with the bodies of other people. Conyers helped Dr. Gah off Torino, mounted, and rode back to where Jacob and the riflemen stood.

“What is it?” Conyers asked.

“Movement in the trees,” Jacob said.

“Where?” Conyers asked.

“I don’t see nothing,” Ranger Wynooski said, marching up, then standing with her hands on her hips, staring at the tree line. “You’ve got everyone all riled up for nothing.”

“See the gap between that clump on right and the rock with the tree behind it?” Jacob asked. “There’s something in there.”

Torino danced impatiently while Conyers studied the gap.

“Bring it on!” Kramer said, walking up behind Wynooski.

Gah hobbled over, and behind him, Willy and Mel Williams, with their bows and arrows. There were two more rifles in the column, three pistols, and very little ammunition, some of which was bad. Another fifteen men were armed with bows and arrows, but had few arrows left after the battle with the Inhumans who drove them out of their compound.

“There’s nothing there,” Wynooski said in a voice so certain that Jacob almost believed her.

“I saw something,” Jacob insisted.

“I’ll check it out,” Conyers said, putting her white helmet on and snapping the chin strap.

With a light touch of the reins, Torino turned from the column and walked across the meadow toward the gap Jacob had pointed out. Never a rider, Jacob nevertheless saw Torino as the beautiful animal he was. Unlike dinosaurs that specialized in ugly, mammals like the horse had symmetry, grace, and beauty.

With a hundred yards to go, Torino hesitated, dancing sideways. Nudged with the heels of Conyers’s boots, Torino started forward, his neck bunched, his eyes wide and fixed on the gap. Jacob did not know horses, but he knew the horse did not want to keep moving forward.

“Come back!” Jacob yelled.

Conyers pulled up, turning Torino to look back at the column of refugees, waiting for word. “I’m almost there,” Conyers said, then turned Torino, nudging him toward the gap.

Bucking gently, Torino refused to move. Just as Conyers started kicking Torino’s haunches, an Inhuman burst from the shadows, spear in his hand. Taking her pistol, Conyers held her fire, pulling Torino around and trying to steady the horse to get a clear shot. The Inhuman launched the spear, putting all its strength into the throw, nearly falling as it did. Kicking Torino, Conyers yanked on the reins, the horse jumping forward and right, the spear flying past his haunches. Kicking Torino into a run, Conyers raced toward the column.

Dozens of Inhuman warriors burst from the gap, spreading out, charging across the meadow, yodeling their battle cry.

“Circle up!” Jacob ordered, others echoing the cry.

The refugees pulled closer together, women and children on the inside, men on the outside, those with weapons separating to join the riflemen. Conyers reached Jacob and the others now forming a battle line. Fifty men made up the line, most armed with clubs, axes, hammers, and knives. A few, like Crazy, had machetes. Those with bows or guns bunched in the middle, taking aim.

“Hold your fire!” Conyers yelled, taking Torino to one end of the line of armed men. “Hold. Hold.”

Crazy Kramer stood next to Jacob, dancing on his toes, shaking his machete. “Come and get some!”

Dried blood from the last battle still caked his machete, clothes, face, and beard. Crazy looked like the insane maniac that he was in the midst of battle.

Jacob estimated the spear range of the Inhumans, realizing they were getting close now. Much past that point, and they could throw over the human battle line and into the huddled women and children. Jacob hoped Conyers understood the danger.

“Take aim!” Conyers shouted.

Bows tilted up while pistols and rifles aimed straight.