Keepers of the Blue Planet: The Arora Saga, #3

By CR Delport

After three months of peace and serenity, the people of White River are yanked back to reality when one of their scout parties report a strange alien-like structure that landed near their town. Other scout parties confirm more of these structures in other parts of the country.

Once again the people of White River turns to Sam to lead them through this difficult time. They learn of a new threat to humanity that could end all life on earth. Are these aliens there to destroy them or to help them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: CR Delport
• Release date: Dec 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370566174

CR Delport

I am a South African born author. I am currently single and live in the lively town of Brakpan. Apart from my love for writing, I also play golf, love gardening and do loads and loads of fishing.

Book preview

For my Mom:

Keepers of the Blue Planet

By

CR Delport

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PUBLISHED BY:

CR Delport at Smashwords

Cover Art:

www.myebookcover.co.za

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Keepers of the Blue Planet

Copyright © 2015 by CR Delport

Chapter 1

The red sun rose over the horizon, its rays fighting through the ever present dust, ready to bathe the farm in another day of searing heat. The screen door opened with a loud squeak, and a man stepped onto the porch with a mug of coffee in his hand.

Tall, with wide shoulders, he was dressed in faded jeans and a blue checkered shirt. His bright blue eyes sparkled like two crystal-clear swimming pools. Sam rubbed a hand over his short, spiky blond hair.

A few weeks ago, Linda convinced him that short hair would work better in the heat. She was right, it did, but for some reason he missed his shoulder-length locks.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area. In the distance, the earth was dry and barren. The wind whipped up the sand as it blew across the surface of the earth. With no vegetation to keep the sand on the ground, there was a lot of dust in the air.

The dark blue bandana around Sam’s neck was not there for decoration. When he was out in the open, he had to wear it to protect his lungs from the dust.

A chicken crowed and Sam smiled at the rooster. Good morning, Fester.

Against the backdrop of its surroundings, the farm seemed like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

The main house was a solid two-bedroom structure with a raised back porch. The outside of the building needed a fresh coat of paint, but so did the rest of the buildings that were scattered around the farm.

Two things on the property immediately caught the eye. The first was the huge square concrete dam two hundred meters from the main house. Twin wind pumps to the left of the dam stood five meters apart. Their shiny silver rotors turned eagerly in the morning breeze.

The discharge pipe from the left pump fed a huge ten thousand liter tank built on top of a raised platform, while the second pump fed the dam. An overflow pipe from the tank also led into the dam.

The water rippled on the dam as the wind swept over the surface. The second thing that caught the eye was to the right of the dam. Rows and rows of growing tunnels stood in the sun. Their see-through panels let the light onto the plants inside. Two pumping stations next to the dam supplied water for the tunnels.

The first row of tunnels was thirty by twenty meters, and was used for growing vegetables. In the second row, the tunnels were fifty by twenty-five meters, and was used for barley, and had to be cooled to a constant eighteen degrees Celsius. At the far end was the newest and biggest tunnel, a hundred meter squared structure.

This new tunnel was used for the growing of soybeans. Doc Percy was concerned that the town’s residents didn’t get enough protein in their diet, and it was erected as an experiment. The first harvest was a few days away, and if successful, a second and third tunnel were already planned.

Near the tunnels was a cattle pen. The cow, Daisy, and her four month old calf chewed on the fresh heap of barley straw. Adjacent to the cows was the chicken pen. Sam received four chickens from the settlement at Hot Springs as a gift. George Kingsley built an incubator and started a breeding program. In eight months, their chicken population had swelled to over fifty.

Sam sighed. It was three months since the crazy general from Alexandria attacked the town. In those three months, the people of White River had peace like they never experienced before since the drought started. There were no raiders to worry about, and nobody that strayed near their town.

The only visitor they had was General Ty Sheppard from Chicago, who came to check up on his godchild, Gina Alvarez. Because of her relationship with the scout, Ray Lightfoot, she now made White River her home. Sam was glad about the alliance. Not only did they receive extra much needed provisions, including fuel, but also important information of what happened in the rest of the world.

An ongoing solar storm disrupted Earth’s magnetic field, which caused havoc with the weather patterns. The entire world was caught in a drought, and as temperatures went up, the icecaps melted and the oceans rose.

For many, desalination plants along the shoreline provided the only fresh water. There was still water in the Great Lakes, which made the area around the lakes popular, and General Sheppard had his hands full keeping the order. With no government structure left, it was up to him and his military to keep the order.

The town of White River in Arkansas was one of the few places in the central regions that still had water. The town was powered by solar energy, as they lost power from the grid a long time ago. With no phone or television signal, they were cut off from the rest of the world, and relied on information gathered by their scouts, or from what General Sheppard shared with them.

Frank Hurley, who was responsible for the security, still kept up the daily patrols around town and on the farm. With no action for three months, he had his hands full with keeping the squads from getting complacent.

Sam sighed. Since the first moment he woke up under the tree outside of town and realized he had no memory of who he was, or where he came from, he always had something happening around him.

The first attack on the farm. Linda’s kidnapping by raiders and her subsequent rescue, in which he almost lost his life. Then they had to deal with the plasma wave and the murderous General from Alexandria.

These last three months, although there was still the drought and the natural elements to deal with, he had something resembling a normal life on the farm. With Linda and Pedro, he had a family.

When they first rescued Pedro from the jail cell in Alexandria, the ten year old boy was withdrawn, suffering from the aftereffects of seeing his parents killed in front of him. Then there was the abuse he had to endure at the hands of General Jacobs. Over the last three months, in the safety of the farm, the boy crept out of his shell and became a child again. He could now play with other children like a normal boy.

The door opened behind him, and a woman in her late twenties stepped out onto the porch. Her jeans hugged her womanly curves, and the light purple T-shirt emphasized her shapely breasts.

Her hair appeared dark brown in the shade, but when she stepped into the sunlight, it exploded in a burst of dark red, glistening in the rays of the sun. Her bright emerald-green eyes sparkled, and she had a slight smile on her full lips.

She walked behind Sam and slipped her arms around his waist. You are up early. Is everything okay?

Sam placed his empty mug on the porch rail. Everything’s fine. I just have a lot on my mind.

Linda shook her head. Don’t lie to me. For the past few days you were restless.

Sam smiled. You know me too well. Sorry, I didn’t mean to lie to you, but this is one of those weird feelings I get every now and again.

Linda let go of Sam and took a seat on the wooden bench in the corner. Do you think it is another plasma wave?

Sam shrugged. I have no idea. It is one of those things I know I should remember, but I don’t. I have a feeling something is about to happen, but have no idea what.

Sam walked over to the bench and took a seat next to Linda.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. Whatever it is, you’ll deal with it. You always do.

Sam sighed. Yeah, I know, but this is one instance where I wish I had more information.

Linda stared off into the distance. Have you spoken to Doc Percy lately?

Sam watched as a dust devil rushed across the plain, and then nodded. I spoke to him yesterday when I was in town. It’s been more than a year since I woke up next to that tree. Other than the plasma wave, I have no memories whatsoever. Doc says it can take years, if I regain them at all. We have no idea what kind of trauma caused my memory loss. It might have been so severe that I’ll never remember anything.

They discussed the possibility before, and were in agreement that it wouldn’t affect how they feel about each other. Sam would do anything to keep Linda safe, and that was one time where he feared that her safety might be at risk, but he kept it to himself.

She noticed the concern in his eyes. Do you think it’s something we should worry about?

Sam shrugged. I don’t know, but like you always tell me, I shouldn’t worry if I can’t do anything about it.

Linda laughed. You are correct. One thing I can control is how to make coffee. Do you want another cup?

Sam stood up and pulled Linda into his arms. That will be wonderful, but first, I need a kiss.

She was eager to oblige and her soft lips melted into his. For a few moments the world and all its problems did not exist.

Linda stepped back with flushed cheeks. I better get to that coffee.

Sam smiled and watched her disappear through the door. She had a way to alleviate his fears with a simple smile. He bent forward and leaned with his arms on the porch rails.

Maybe because things went so well of late, he was looking for something that wasn’t there. When the aroma of the freshly-brewed coffee reached his nose, he followed her into the kitchen.

Sam took a seat at the head of the solid oak table in the middle of the kitchen, while Linda poured coffee from the pot that simmered on the gas stove in the corner. When they were both seated at the table, Pedro walked in.

The ten year old boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Good morning, buddy, Sam greeted the boy.

Pedro walked to the table and gave Sam and Linda a hug.

She pulled out a chair next to her. Do you want breakfast?

He nodded and his little round face lit up. A few months ago, the brothers Edward and Nathan Sharp, while on a scout mission, found a couple boxes filled with Frosted Flakes. It wasn’t enough for the whole town, so they sneaked it out to the farm for Pedro.

A bowl of Frosted Flakes every morning was one of the highlights of Pedro’s day. Linda shook some of the cereal into a bowl, and covered it with milk. They collected five liters a day from Daisy, kept one liter for the farm, and sent the rest to town for Andy to use as he saw fit.

In the afternoon, when Pedro got home from school, he got a glass of milk and a sandwich made with barley bread, tomatoes and lettuce. The boy received better treatment than anybody else in town, but everyone knew his past, and because it was Sam and Linda that did most of the spoiling, nobody said a word.

Linda looked over at Sam. Have you heard from Nick and Jake yet?

Sam shook his head. They should be back any day now. This is their first scout mission since the babies were born. I think they’re stretching it a bit.

Nick Hartley and Jake Green had been lifelong friends, and were together in the Special Forces. It was no surprise when their wives got pregnant together, and gave birth on the same day. The day the plasma wave struck Earth, and White River was attacked by the general from Alexandria.

Nick and Jake were known as the miracle workers. Whenever someone needed something, they would go out and find it. Sometimes they had to travel half the country to do it, but they always found what they were looking for.

When Linda mentioned that it would take a while to harvest the soybeans by hand, Sam suggested that they find some kind of harvester. After doing some research in the school library, they set off on their quest. That was two days ago.

Do you have any special plans for today? Linda asked.

Sam shook his head. No, why?

I would like to visit Fay. We need to make the final arrangements for Friday night’s dance, she said.

Sam groaned. Despite his many talents, he found dancing was not one of them. Linda, Janine, and Fay taught him the moves, but he still couldn’t keep the rhythm, and often stepped on their toes. The only dance that worked for him was a slow dance with Linda.

For many in White River, the weekly dance was the highlight of the week. It was one of the few forms of entertainment that kept the townspeople from boredom. A four-man band played well enough to provide decent music.

Sam rinsed his empty mug and placed it upside down on the dish rack. It will give me a chance to catch up with Frank. Maybe he heard some news of what’s going on out there.

After Pedro finished his breakfast, he went to get dressed and fetched his school bag. Much to the dismay of the younger kids, Mayor Timothy Ryan insisted they attend school. Although there were only two teachers left in town, they divided the kids into two classes according to age groups.

There was no prescribed syllabus, and apart from history and math, the kids were also taught survival skills. With a population of just over a thousand people, the small town of White River was an oasis in an otherwise deserted southern Arkansas.

As far as the scouts could tell, there were no people around for hundreds of kilometers. The closest settlement to them was at Hot Springs. Moira Addams was the leader and she ran her settlement like an army camp. With three times as many people, Hot Springs was a helpful ally and trading partner to White River.

While Sam waited for Pedro and Linda, he stepped out onto the porch and stared off into the distance. There was nothing but sand and the remains of dead trees to see, but he couldn’t shake his uneasy feeling. Something bothered him, but he couldn’t put a finger to the source.

When Linda and Pedro emerged from the house, he turned and smiled. The day started out like any other day for the past three months.

Chapter 2

The morning after the dance, Sam and Linda sat on the bench on their porch, each with a cup of coffee, discussing the events of the previous evening.

I think everything went well last night, Linda said.

Sam grinned. How’s your toes?

Linda laughed. Mine are fine. I think you only stepped on them twice. By the time we left, Janine limped home.

Sam shook his head. I warned her, but she’s stubborn. She keeps insisting that I’ll become a better dancer the more I practice, but I think the opposite is happening. I’m getting worse. I told her to go slow, but she just wants to dance faster.

Linda sighed. Yeah, she’s always been stubborn, but I think sooner or later she will have to concede that you can’t dance.

I hope it happens before she sustains permanent damage to her feet, Sam added.

Their lighthearted conversation got interrupted by the sound of vehicles turning from the main onto the dirt road leading to the farm.

That sounds like a big-rig truck, Linda said.

Sam nodded. It must be Nick and Jake.

A few moments later the procession swung into view. Nick led the convoy in his pickup truck, followed by a big-rig pulling a flatbed trailer. A red and white combine harvester was loaded on the back of the flatbed. Jake and his squad brought up the rear.

They parked in the open area between the house and the dam.

When Nick exited the truck, Sam stepped off the porch. Glad to see you two found your way back.

Jake pointed at Nick. It’s his fault. He got us lost.

Nick shook his head. Don’t blame me. I followed your instructions.

Sam held up his hands before the blame got out of hand. What’s important is that you found your way before your wives had to send out a search party.

Nick and Jake looked at each other and grinned.

We’ve found what we’re looking for in a small town north-east of here called Colt. From what we’ve seen, they were big into soybeans in that region before the drought, Nick said.

The town itself is plundered, but on a farm just outside the town, we found this beauty in a hidden warehouse, Jake said and pointed to the combine harvester.

This will work to harvest the soybeans? Sam asked.

Nick nodded. I believe so.

They didn’t notice the tall lean man in his middle forties that walked over from the direction of the tunnels.

George Kingsley didn’t take his eyes off the harvester. It’s not a top of its range combine, but it will work just fine.

Sam smiled satisfied. Before the drought, George had a large cattle ranch on the other side of town. Although he worked mostly with cattle, he grew his own crops to feed the more than a thousand head that he kept on the farm. When the raiders burnt down his farm, he lost all the equipment he had.

Before George started farming, he was an engineer, and it was those skills that helped them on the farm to develop effective growing tunnels, and setup the chicken brooders.

You know how it works? Sam asked.

George nodded. First, the cutter here cuts the soybeans. As the machine drives through the field, the soybeans are pulled into the harvester in the front section or head. Then the soybeans are collected by the rotating reel and cut by the cutter, after which they are fed into the threshing cylinder where the soybeans are separated from the plants. Finally, the cleaning process is completed by using an air blower to blow the muck away from the beans.

Nick flicked Sam with the points of his fingers against his upper arm. Don’t worry. It sounds like he knows how it works.

Sam shrugged. That’s good enough for me.

While George unloaded the harvester, Nick and Jake reported on their trip.

We didn’t encounter a single living soul out that way. If there were people in hiding, they made sure to stay out of sight, Nick said.

Jake nodded. Apart from the harvester and a few bags of soybeans we found in that small warehouse, there is nothing left out there.

Sam scratched the side of his cheek. The fact that Hot Springs and we are the only people left in the area is somewhat of a comfort. That means we don’t have to worry about anybody else coming to bother us.

That sounds good to me, Nick said. I really don’t feel like dealing with another General Jacobs.

The ordeal with the general from Alexandria still touched every man, woman, and child in White River. If the plasma wave and Sam’s brilliant strategy didn’t save them, the entire town would’ve been wiped out.

A lonely grave a kilometer south of town was evidence that the evil general would never bother them again.

Nick looked at Jake. We better get back to town before Rachel and Juliet send out that search party. I’m sure Nicky grew at least ten centimeters while we were away.

His chest swelled with pride when he talked about his son. He’s got my looks, so I’m sure he’ll be popular with the ladies when he grows up.

Jake snorted. You better keep your brat away from my princess.

Sam and Linda watched the two friends as they walked to their trucks while arguing about the children. Everyone learned a long time ago not to take the friends too serious. They could be dangerous when the situation demanded it, but there was frequent banter between them.

Sam pointed at the two. Knowing them, their kids will grow up being the best of friends.

Linda nodded. They spend so much time together, it’s bound to happen.

Two days later, George informed them that the soybeans were ready for harvest. With the newly acquired harvester, the job went smoothly, and a few hours later, the beans were harvested and bagged.

We didn’t do badly for a first harvest, George informed them. This tunnel produced five tons. I think if I can get more nitrogen into the soil, we can increase the yield to at least seven tons.

Sam whistled. That’s a lot. I’ll have a word with Henry Carver. They can start construction on the additional tunnels. Andy will be happy with the extra food source.

I’m sure the people will appreciate the extra variety too, Linda said.

Andy Dunham was the owner of the local diner. When the town had to start rationing their food supplies, he was put in charge of feeding the entire town. He took over the kitchen and mess hall at the school, and served meals to the townspeople twice a day. He performed miracles with the limited supplies he had to work with.

Sam and Linda sat on the porch as the worker bus left to return the people to town for the day. Pedro sat on the steps of the porch eating the last bit of his sandwich. Their dinner would only be delivered when the evening guard reported for their shift.

Linda glanced at Pedro, and then looked at Sam and smiled.

What? Sam asked.

Linda shook her head. Nothing, I’m just happy. I never thought I would have a family like this.

Sam slipped his arm around Linda. We do make a good family.

Before he could say anything else, they heard the sound of a fast approaching pickup truck turning off onto the dirt road.

Sam frowned. Someone’s in a heck of a hurry.

He came to his feet and reached for the Henry rifle next to the