Callings: Projection, #5

By I M Gardner

It is said that when one finds their passion and purpose in life, that they have found their "calling". I now bring you the callings of a select few. Some uplifting and binding, others dark and destructive. Join our small band of characters as they cling to life and love in the raw and savage wilderness of the distant furture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: I M Gardner
• Release date: Mar 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386526742

Book preview

CALLINGS

I. M. Gardner

Copyright

Copyright © 2016 by I. M. Gardner

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For permission requests, please contact the publisher.

Formatting by Rik – Wild Seas Formatting

Dedicated to the Memory Of

Jerry B. Milhoan,

a great and kind man

Quick Reference Section

Alpha Camp - The main camp of Scott, Andra, Emma and Jonathan. The clan sleeps there now as well, under fashioned tarps. It is located by a nice stream with falls and overlooks the home valley.

Andra Amanakov - Female main character, Andra is ex-cosmonaut, pilot and Russian military. Sincerely dedicated in her duties, Andra has a naïve nature, a striking face and a tempting figure. Her English is as rough as her horse play. She has given her long-guarded heart to Scott. Lucky, a hammer tail horse, is her other confidant in this new life. Andra is forever stuck in the new world as a result of her own doing.

Armored Wolf – The new world version of the dominant wild wolf. They are very large and boast ivory plates, serrated into horrendously shaped teeth. The wolves are extremely fast and exhibit un-matched endurance. Somewhere in the long past, they evolved a matted armor on the most vulnerable parts of their fore-body. Due to intelligence, speed, endurance and lethality, a large pack of armored wolves is the nightmare of every plains animal in the new world.

Augie Crenshaw - A long-past wing mate of Scott’s, Augie is a wide-eyed genuine person thrilled to be around such lofty personnel. He belongs as a member of Bravo team.

Babe – The biggest, scariest looking of the mammoths, Babe is the quiet and dependable mate of Dotty and father to Petrina and little River. He has withstood the full attacks of even the most feared new world beasts and has the scars to prove it.

Beta Camp - The new camp, installed for the recent Bravo team members. It is seven statute miles from Alpha camp located near a small river.

Bearverine - Scott’s name for a large dangerous creature resembling an elongated bear. Obviously evolved from a species of the weasel family, it’s mega size body, teeth and claws, coupled with a short-fused disposition, make it a creature to avoid at all costs.

Bravo Team – Four new explorers added by the Projection office. They are to expand the study and exploration at a close but, slightly diverse, location to Alpha camp. Team member specialists include Mark, Karla, Leslie and Augie.

Catherine – A mature and gentle Matriarch of a family of mammoths. She has a son of eighteen years in Sage and a tiny daughter in Shyla. Catherine is immense and wise in her advanced age.

Dave Benton – Original medical doctor to Alpha team. Dave was killed in an assault by private mercenaries. He is missed for his dedicated teamwork and enthusiasm.

Dotty – The true Matriarch of the clan mammoths. She is mated to Babe and the nurturing mother of Petrina and River. She has suspected empath skills and nurtures the entire clan with naive optimism and care. Her I.Q. excels in many new ways. Scott and Dotty trust and deeply care for each other. Fit and strong, Dotty has proven to be a decisive force on the battle field when the chips are down.

Dragon – (aka. Flying Lion) These huge cats are the suspected top of the food chain in the new world. Over millions of years these feline carnivores developed exaggerated size and the ability to sail in the reduced-gravity skies of the new world. These are fearsome apex predators to be taken seriously by all.

Emerald River – The closest river to Alpha camp. It lies across the home valley, a half hour’s ride. It is pristine and untouched in ageless beauty, and the sands are randomly sprinkled by accumulated gold silt. It is the favored swimming hole and considered to be home turf to Dotty’s clan.

Emma Nguyen – Original and important member of the Alpha team, Emma holds four Earth Science degrees and is responsible for anything not actually alive in the new world. She is small in stature, but can be quite the intellectual bully with her candid and relentlessly direct comments.

Flying Cat – Small tomcat-sized predators that prowl the forests. They use sails to swoop down on smaller rodents from trees. They can’t quite prey on team members, but they do manage to be a bother as they are fiercely territorial.

Flying Lion – See Dragon.

Frank Marsh - Acting director of Projection Field Operations, Frank has a busy time keeping things running smoothly. He is the direct supervisor of Scott, Andra and the rest of Alpha and Bravo team members. He is good natured and brilliant, but still finds himself between a rock and a hard place most of the time. He tries to visit the team occasionally only to address serious concerns, but receives endless good-natured grief instead. He is a big softy for the mammoths.

Guide rifle – An updated, stainless steel version of the model 1895 Marlin lever action, this guide model has an enlarged hand loop and greatly improved, modern sights. In addition, it is chambered for a very powerful .450 Marlin cartridge. It holds 5 rounds in the tubular magazines plus one in the chamber. Scott picked these rifles for the new world exploration after the Projection Board ruled against scoped hunting rifles or any military caliber weapons. The board was attempting to limit Scott into shotguns only, but he out-maneuvered them with his savvy firearm selection.

Hammer Tail – One species of evolved equine of the new world. They are large for horses, (over 20 hands), fast, strong and carry a unique weapon. Their tails have evolved a club or hammer adaptation that can effect a tremendous wallop to pursuing predators. They are giftedly intelligent.

James Mills – Late contractor and once-acting director of the Projection equipment. Mills made a bold attempt at treachery to forcibly pry the project away from NASA. Alpha team doctor Dave Benton was murdered in the attempt. Mills soon after met his death at the wrong end of Andra’s Guide rifle.

Jonathan Ferrell – (aka. Doc) Replaced the late Dr. Benton as the Alpha team medical doctor. Jonathan was raised in England as the son of a renowned veterinary doctor, but went on to excel at Oxford School of Medicine. He was recruited by NASA for the space program and was later offered the chance as the Alpha team medical replacement. He and Emma are a diverse and respected pair.

Kahn – The grizzled Alpha leader of the resident armored wolf pack, Kahn is shrewd and perhaps the most startling evidence of the new world intelligence. After several probing attacks on the Alpha clan, Kahn constructed a successful ambush. However, he used the opportunity not to slay the clan, but to hint at an ultimatum; an un-easy truce. Scott learns to appreciate the power and hard ways of Kahn, but ultimately hopes the truce holds.

Karla Harlocher – Handpicked for her exploration experience, Karla joined the new world as a member of the Bravo team. She is quick to humor, shows true grit and is highly trusted by the other team members. She was severely wounded by an armored wolf, but survived under the timely care of Dr. Ferrell and the amazing healing powers of the medical berries. Mark and her are much more than just co-workers.

Leslie Land – Member of the Bravo team, Leslie grew up on the plains of the Serengeti. The charming and adventurous daughter of a Dutch game warden, she became interested in African Bush Elephants very early in her life. She supplemented her hands-on experiences with formal education to become a proven authority and advocate of her favorite species.

Lucky – A huge hammer tail stallion, Lucky was the leader of a massive roaming herd in his early days. Then, while defending his herd from a flying lion, he was gravely injured. His herd moved on without him, but he survived the years as a fourth member of Dotty’s family. Somehow meeting Andra renewed his spirit and courage. Andra saw the potential in Lucky and fixed him with a prosthetic hammer weapon. He is now as capable as any hammer tail to be found in the new world, if not more. He would do anything for Andra.

Mark Johnson – Captain of Bravo team, Mark has astronaut and Projection experience. He hand-picked Augie, Karla and Leslie to his team. He and Karla have grown to love each other. He is quiet, intelligent, dedicated and physically capable. Even so, he looks to Scott for tactical guidance.

Medical Berries – The true wealth of the new world, medical berry bushes are found in the sand dunes overlooking the rivers. They grow only where other plants will not steal their sun. Their benefits are many and startling. The berry juice itself is part steroid, part anti-biotic and part anesthetic. Native species utilize them during dire circumstances, but Alpha team has had to rely on them quite heavily to survive constant trauma.

Old Camp – A tiny camp of two tents set up next to the original Projection point. It is complete with a smaller Waverly unit and it did a great job of protecting the Alpha team for their first week in the new world. After Alpha camp moved to the running stream and beautiful little falls, old camp remained operational as a stop-over and shelter for guests arriving into the new world. Old camp and Alpha camp are approximately three miles apart.

Petina – The irrepressible daughter of the advantageous mating of Dotty and Babe. She is extremely intelligent and lives for humor and sweets. She is particularly fond of Emma and Frank. She wants to be a big mammoth tomorrow already.

Pigalope – A tall, lithe and swift evolutionary species of wild pigs. They closely resemble the great antelope species of Africa, but are taller and sport long back-swept tusks instead of horns. In addition, they have evolved blocky blades of ivory on their back ankles. These hatchet shaped growths were meant to increase their chances of escaping the dreaded armored wolf packs. Pigalopes appear to be in the mists of a million year race of evolution to stay one step ahead of the swift and deadly armored wolf packs.

River – (aka Little River ) Sweet River is the new born son of Dotty and Babe. Most of the Alpha and Bravo teams got to witness his birth. He displays a most unique intelligence as he seems to relish the human language. He lives for playing in water, hence his name.

Rock Lion – A very strong apex predator, the rock lion gets it’s descriptive name from its intricate camouflage. Over millions of years the species developed lumped and textured skin, with the drab and dusty fur to mimic a simple rock pile. Curled up with a paw covering its nose, some prey simply fail to notice one until it’s too late. They possibly possess the strongest front arms and claws of any new world predator. Scott later admits to mis-naming the monstrous cat, as the beast is clearly a huge new world tiger in build, hunting method and solitary preference.

Sage – The son of matronly Catherine, Sage is on the verge of becoming an adult male mammoth. He is exceeded only by Babe in size, strength and intimidation factor. He is still in-experienced in the ways of the world, having contributed his adolescence to helping Catherine raise his tiny, young sister.

Sand Rats – Fearsome, ugly creatures about the size of Bulldogs. They can be found in the soft, over-crusted sands of the valleys beyond the pristine beach. They can sense large grazers that unluckily break though and mire in the soft sands. It is a gruesome ending as the rats eat their way up and devour the unfortunate prey from the inside out.

Scott Wesson – As the main character, Scott is a natural leader. He thinks of himself as clumsy and risky at times, but others see him as proficient, resourceful and decisive. Scott has a good sense of humor and is more likely to have a good laugh at himself instead of picking at others. He does like a crisp red wine now and then. He is hopelessly, forever in love with Andra, but Dotty runs a close second in his heart. Scott is stuck in the new world forever, due to an injury.

Shyla – Tiny daughter of Catherine, Shyla lost her mammoth father while still a tiny infant. She is quite withdrawn compared to Petrina or even infant River. Catherine, Sage and the teams are very supportive of her.

Stun Flyers – Small flying mammals about the size of humming birds. They are alluring to watch, but revealed themselves to be horrific in their attacks. One hit from their rear-mounted stinger produces two hours of complete immobilization to its victim. Scott is convinced they provide stunned and helpless herbivores to carnivores, who, are themselves, immune to the venom. Scott has a very short list of fauna he does not appreciate. Stun Flyers are at the top.

Sugar Fruit – A banana length fruit growing in the tall fronds of the Sugar Palm tree. The peels are pale red in color with long grey striping. When opened, the fruit is segmented like a great elongated orange. The sections are pulpy and devisable. Scott summed up their delicious taste as a citrusy strawberry with a hint of cotton candy.

Summer – The female alpha leader of a neighboring wolf pack, Summer is closely aligned with Kahn. She was present when Kahn proposed the truce with Scott’s clan. However, having not lost any wolves to the costly battles before, Summer developed a slow, but gradual, fondness of Scott’s clan. Scott risked his own death to save her, and she now seems to show up when he most needs her. She is glorious to look at, with blond fur and compact muscular build. She has one golden eye that is hard to escape attention.

Titan Horse – Another species of evolved equine in the new world. This behemoth horse diverged away from running the grass lands. Instead the Titan horse evolved to feed only at the highest, most mature sugar palms. They are built to withstand the daily predator, rising twenty five feet tall with broad muscular chest and long neck. The front legs are robust and long, while the rear of the animal is somewhat more horse-like. They have twin ivory sabers of tusk extending from the back of their mouths. The tall legs are armored in woven keratin, appearing as multiple coats of matted epoxy. So far, despite the intimidating build, they have been very gentle.

Valley of the Lions – A huge valley, far across the Emerald River. It is separated from Dotty’s home turf by an a large glade and a treacherous, expansive ridge. Scott and the clan made a trip there in the past and barely escaped the massive flying lions. Scott and Babe were wounded in the fight, and the team survived only by clever defense and gutsy valiantly. Scott is not looking forward to returning to the Valley of the Lions.

Waverly Unit – (aka. Waverly ) The invention of Dr. Peter Waverly, this machine is the first portable, force-field protection device. It uses condensed dc electric current to form a closed-loop energy field with enough artificial intelligence to allow pre-stored chromosome patterns free entry into camp. It’s ability to keep aggressive creatures out, while letting team members in, has saved the Alpha team.

Whistler – A demure and elegant female hammer tail horse, Whistler was saved from sure death by Jonathan and the shear will power of Alpha clan. She had been brutally gored resulting in a punctured and collapsed lung. Through desperate skill and intervention, Whistler pulled through. She decided to stay on with the clan after healing. She is particularly fond of Dr. Jonathan Ferrell now.

"I huddled against Andra in the wetness and listened to the steady breathing of the tiny miracle mammoth recovering beside us. I knew in my heart that, with or without the hungry beasts, he had been but minutes from death.

I held Andra tighter and drew her head into my chest and closed my eyes. The rhythm of our breathing seemed to merge into one as I drifted off to sleep, feeling loved and blessed in this crazy new world."

I. Roll Call

I looked out into the clearing ahead and knew we had a serious problem. I froze in half-step. Andra didn’t even flinch a muscle as she studied my posture and realized something was wrong. She hadn’t seen them yet.

In the clearing ahead, in the large flat meadow of former Beta camp, were three bearverine. There was a massive mother and two cubs. The mother was close to a ton of muscle and bad temperament. She boasted dreadfully long teeth and thick claws contrasting to her elegant silver fur. She was a beautiful animal. Unfortunately, these beasts had about the worst disposition in the new world.

I watched frozen while the enormous mother sniffed around the old Beta camp site, absorbed in the fading human scents.

What really concerned me was the pair of cubs. They were only a month or two old and about the size of plump golden retrievers. They were chasing and swatting at each other, then wrestling around in the grasses. They were carelessly moving this way. As soon as one of them noticed us and yelped, our end could come swift from the enraged adult.

Andra and I had just walked up from the recently moved Beta camp. It was only 400 yards below us, through a meandering trail. Right now, that 400 yards may as well be miles, for if the mother bearverine came after us, no one back there could save us in time. We were on our own in this grim predicament.

I slowly eased down on my haunches. They did not have our scent yet. The breeze was in our face as the cool morning air flowed down off the mountain. This had saved us so far.

The cubs continued even closer as they wrestled and chased each other. At any time now, they would spot us. I motioned for Andra to leave. There was no reason both us had to be in this dreadful situation. She gently shook her head. I pushed her back with a long arm. She slapped my hand down. …she wasn’t going anywhere….

Out of desperation, I unslung my guide rifle from my shoulder and took the safety off. I knew though, that even as powerful as the .450 Marlin was, it had a slim chance at stopping a ton of barreling rage. The last thing I wanted to do was shoot the mother, ...or maybe miss.

The encounter was becoming inevitable now. The cubs were almost on us. I could have hit one with pebble. I picked up a stocky limb and held my breath.

BRAAAAAAAAALLLLL

The cub on the bottom of the pile bellowed as he spotted us from upside down. The huge head of the mother flared up, looking this way. The cubs untangled and shot off for her like they were on fire. I lifted the heavy stick and hurled it up over the trees along the perimeter of the thick brush line. It landed with a loud crash and the rustle of a dozen bushes. The mother bearverine woofed once and then coiled forward with the momentum of a truck. She hit the brush line and became a demon of destruction. The uprooted bushes and saplings were flying in every direction. Just the sounds alone were terrifying. Finally, she came back out into the clearing. She was not done. She stood and sniffed the air, letting out a series of deep woofs. They were low, un-nerving sounds that vibrated the earth beneath our feet. These were meant to flush terrified prey. They almost worked. Then she dropped down to bounce in rage on her burly front legs. She sniffed towards us.

I rapidly cycled through our choices. Run? That would be a quick death from behind. Shoot her? Yeah that would kill her, at least by next week …long after she had shredded Andra and me into small gooey lumps. I did the only thing I had left. I cupped my hands around my mouth and gave my best armored wolf call. It was a long, loud howl, ending with a shrill whistle.

It stopped her in her tracks. She rose up again sniffing. She looked right through us. I could almost hear her thinking. We stayed motionless for minutes on end while she stared at us patiently, trying to discern what we were. It was uncomfortable and terrifying, but our lives were at stake and we held our posture. Finally, just when I thought we had fooled her, she dropped down again and came for us. Real wolves, fake wolves, whatever, she was coming.

That’s when I heard the others, a flurry of calls from our left. They were loud and they were close. She slid to a stop and stood again, looking off to our left. I couldn’t see around the thick brush, but her eyes told me they were coming.

The tall dark shape of Kahn passed before me. Then two more huge wolves moved across my view. Soon there were too many armored wolves to count.

The massive bearverine backed up on her hind legs. She roared and bared her teeth, but she was slowly retreating. Finally, she stumbled into her clinging cubs and dropped down. She turned and swatted them towards the mountain trail. She made a slow threatening withdraw up the mountain. The wolves did not give chase. Before long, the bearverine family disappeared into the high tree line.

I let out a slow breath, but I was still not feeling reprieved. Was it a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire? I gazed out into the eyes of Kahn. There was no warmth there. It was like looking into the dark sun glasses of a highway patrolman. I have no idea what my call may have conveyed. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his stare. That and the two dozen huge, armored carnivores pacing nervously behind him.

Then a dark flash burst from the pack and leaped through the brush and jumped on Andra. She giggled and hugged it. It was the cub we had saved. He had never forgotten Andra from that night long ago when she nurtured him.

They struggled and Andra laughed with heart felt happiness as the young wolf tried to smother her with affection. I watched and finally breathed again as the great warriors before me relaxed and sat on their haunches. I stood and walked out towards Kahn. He sat and let his tongue hang out in his at ease command. Immediately the large pack dispersed and relaxed in various groups. I reached my hand out slowly and Kahn sniffed it then turned his nose away. He still seemed putout. I did not push