Graham Heights
Rainier
Journal Entry - July 15th 2095
Julia Scott
Julia Scott
So we are here. In the middle of nowhere and with only one way out…
No one was sleeping and yet we were hours from take off. The plane was ready, but we weren’t. It was one thing to see this monstrosity taxi, but to climb in and trust it to fly so far… Well lets just say the confidence was not high and dropping.
Jordy spent the morning squeezing every drop he could out of the condenser units before he disassembled them. Lisa and Luke spent the morning trying to come up with a good reason that they did not have to go. However, Jordy said that they would most likely die trying to get back to Rainier and that their only chance was to stay with him. He did give them the option of staying on Earth and once his mission was done, he would do everything in his power to get them back home. But for now they would have to stay with the group. Julia still had her bracelet on, so there was no choice for her. Bart was already on the plane, we think he slept there. Freyja and Tommy were trying to stay open minded, but the fact that they had been awake since about 3 am, meant that they, too were apprehensive about the trip.
By 9 am it was all hands working to disassemble anything that would point to our presence. We were sure they would find a reason to look here and we had to erase any evidence that would point to a possible direction of flight or location to fly to. By 10:05 the place was scrubbed. All the gear was packed and Jordy was watching for SAT comm two.
Tension was high and anxiety turned into aggression with the young men. Luke just about took Tommy’s head off as he edged past Lisa and accidently bumped her. Bart quickly jumped in between and diffused the situation. A few seconds later Jordy returns and tells everyone to load up. Freyja didn’t move and it took Tommy and Bart to convince her that everything would be okay. Eventually they just carried her to the plane.
Once everyone was in and all the gear was secured, Jordy loaded Buster and connected him to the electrical system. Within seconds the first engine came to life followed by the second. Once they were warmed up Jordy force the throttles forward and started out of the dilapidated hangar that has kept us hidden for the past three weeks. Julia Joined Jordy in the cockpit as it was only one of two seats in the entire plane. Jordy turned the plane down the taxiway that they were going to use as their runway. Just before Jordy ramped up the engines he commanded, “Cover your ears and hang on to something, this is going to get real bumpy.” With that he forced the throttles all the way forward and the engines screamed in response. The plane accelerated rapidly and shook violently as the steel wheels did what they could to hold the load. The plane took off surprisingly quick and as soon as they were airborne the violent shaking stopped, but Freyja ’s screaming was just starting to register on everyone’s ears. Tommy was trying to comfort her, but it was no use. The idea of leaving the safety of Earth, to such a flimsy set of wings, was too much for her.
Julia brought Freyja to Jordy’s attention and he shouted, “She will eventually wear herself out.” then return his attention to the beast that he was flying. Once they had achieved a suitable altitude Jordy backed off the throttles and adjusted the fuel mixture. The engines settled into a quiet hum and then the cold set in. It was almost twenty seven degrees on the ground, but up here it was much cooler. Julia retreated from the cockpit to get her warm jacket, something she thought she would never need again, once they were in the desert. The rest of the party, minus Jordy, followed suit. And as Jordy had predicted, Freyja wore herself out and fell asleep.
About an hour into the flight Jordy turned to Julia and asked, “I’ve been wondering something.” He waited for Julia to ask what, be she hesitated too long. “You know that I read all of Alan Scott’s Journals and the few entries that others had made during the early days of the colony.”
Julia’s memory of the violation of privacy was quite strong even now, but she shock her head yes.
“It is obvious that he had no love for the political and or judicial system that existed at the times.” Jordy said as a matter of fact.
Julia was not sure what the question was so she stated, “They seemed to only treat the symptoms and failed to get to the root causes.”
“But to call it judicial kick the can. I don’t understand.” Jordy asked finally.
Julia got a little defensive, “I thought you said you just scanned them.”
Jordy responded, “I did, but since that time I’ve read them all.” He paused to adjust the fuel mixture again. Then turned the aircraft true South. “He seemed disinterested in fixing it.”
Julia wanted to hate Jordy, but she also loved to talk about her grandfather and since the damage was already done and they had eight hours to go, she entertained Jordy’s inquires.
“Most American (that’s what they called themselves back then) felt removed from the system that was governing them. Despite the election process, the same lying, self centered people kept getting elected. Once elected big business and special interests kept those in office that met their needs, so the common middle class Americans were left to pay for the majority of the nation’s debt while fighting to keep their jobs. All the while a very small percentage of American hoarded wealth to and astronomic level and were hungry for more.
The Judicial system was also affected by this uneven distribution as the wealthy could hire lawyers that eloquently swayed a jury to their favor and in many case contrary to actual justice. For the lawyers, the system was more about who won the case than if justice was done. It became a matter of pride that some were able to get their clients acquitted of a crime when all the evidence indicated that he or she did it.”
“That seems counter productive.” Jordy said.
“It gets worse.” Julia responded.
Jordy tilted his head as a human would when silently asking for more information.
Julia continued, “My Father told me of some towns in the Midwest were being bribed or bought off by big businesses.” Julia paused for effect.”Apparently, some lawyers found that they could use small towns to sue big business and despite the evidence the jurors would side with the plaintiffs. This resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars being lost for no reason. The fix was to bribe these towns with gifts.”
Jordy asked, “Like what?”
“The only example that my father could remember was that one town in the deep south, got an outdoor ice skating rink.”
“For the winter months?” Jordy asked.
“No, year round.” Julia responded with a smirk.
“That make no sense, why?” Jordy asked.
“Well according to the story, some lawyer filed a suit against a communication conglomerate in this county with the potential for a two hundred millions of dollar settlement, so this company wasted a few hundred thousand on a skating rink to butter up the community prior to the judgement.” Julia recalled.
“Did it work?” Jordy asked.
“I don’t know.” Julia said, “but that’s not the point.” Julia pause, “Justice was for sale or by some legal wrangling it was put off.”
“So how does that relate to Kick The Can.” Jordy had no reference to this statement.
“Justice was not served, it was.” Julia thought for a moment. “You don’t know what kick the can means.”
Jordy shook his head no.
“There was a game we played as kids, It was like hide and seek. Kids would pick someone to be the seeker and the rest would hide.” She looked at Jordy to see if he was following, which was odd, because he was a machine, of course he was. “So, the seeker would go out and try to find all the kids that were hiding. Now, with kick the can, a two liter bottle or can was placed by the base. The seeker had to protect the can as well as find those hiding.” She looked at Jordy again, “Well, if you were sly enough, you could try to sneak back to base and kick the can, some times it was a foot race to see who got there first. If the seeker got there first the other person was placed in jail with the others that were found, however, if the other person kicked the can, then everyone that had been caught would be free to hide again. The seeker would be required to go get the can and set it back at the base and start the hunt for those hiding, all over again.”
“How does that relate to the judicial system?” Jordy still could not draw a line between the game and Justice.
“People were being imprisoned or charged with crimes and if they had a lawyer that was smart enough or quick enough, then they could get to the can faster than the prosecutors, thus kicking the can and letting everyone out of jail or at least their client.” Julia said with a cynical voice.
“And everyone could do this?” Jordy asked.
“No, typically it was just the wealthy that could afford these lawyers.” Julia said. ‘But on occasion it would happen in other cases because a Judge had a particular preference or a jury was swayed by outside sources, such as the ice skating town.” Julia wanted to be clear. “Justice was the one trying to keep bad guys from abusing or hurting others. This was done by putting them in jail or by levying fines to prevent them from continuing but, the can kept getting kicked and justice was not served.”
“What happened to those that could not get a lawyer or judge to kick the can for them?” Jordy asked.
“They went to jail by the thousand and many for such minor things that if you added them all up they would not even come close to the atrocities being committed by the rich.” Julia said with an edge of bitterness.
“Why is that bitter to you, you did not know these people?” Jordy asked.
“If you were jailed for something minor, it followed you like a tourniquet cutting off blood to your limbs.” Julia hated this about the system. “A mistake was something you need to feel the consequences for, but only to learn what not to do, not for it to stay with you for the rest of your life.” Julia was thinking of a way to say it better, “In ancient days you got your hand cut off for stealing.” she paused, “Justice was served, but now you had two problems, One most work required two hands and two everyone labeled you a thief before you could show them that you learned from your mistake. You basicly qualify to be a beggar and not much more.”
“I can see how that would be a problem.” Jordy said. “You’re actually making him a drain on society.”
“Exactly.” Julia said, “but the punishment had to be severe enough that you did not want to work outside of the law again.”
“Is that why your grandfather chose the indenture servant program.” Jordy asked.
“Yes, but that was mostly so we would not have to create jails.” Julia responded.
“But your grandfather hated the Eastonville decision.” Jordy said then asked, “Why.”
“The Eastonville decision was as much a political decision more than a matter of justice. Moreover, that young man had to be made an example of so that others would not take the law into their own hands.” Julia recalled.
“There was more too it, but Alan did not elaborate in his journals.” Jordy more asked than stated.
“That kid spent five years in Eatonville serving the Cantifer family that abused him every chance they got. Despite the safeguards that were put in place. In the end he was brought home, reunited with his family and by the time the two cities united the Cantifers were exiled from both colonies.” Julia said with some satisfaction. “The whole lot of them. Mother, Father and three kids.”
Jordy turned his attention back to the plane. They were flying at about sixty five hundred feet according to the instruments. Julia was trying to do the math in her head, as it took more than three feet to make a meter. About two thousand meter above the earth. She looked out the forward window and saw nothing but the tan color of sand all the way to the horizon. No dark spot with the exception of valleys or some small rivers that trailed off into the grey horizon. Nothing appeared to be growing and with nothing to see and no one to talk to, as Jordy was done with his inquires for the moment, Julia drifted off to sleep.
“Julia!” Jordy said with some urgency.
“What..” Julia managed, not realising that she had drifted off.
“Please wake up. I need you to take the controls while I transfer the spare fuel to the tanks.” Jordy said.
“Wait, you want what?” Julia was sure she heard him wrong. “I don’t know how to fly this.. This thing.”
“Technically you won’t be flying, just holding the controls.” Jordy admitted. “Listen the right fuel gauge is off and the engine is starting to cough and miss so I think the tank is all but empty.”
“Can’t someone else do that?” Julia almost pleaded.
“It will take too long.” Jordy looked at Julia, “All you have to do is hold the handles and keep these two line together.” Jordy pointed at a circular dial with one big line and one small line. “Push forward to go down and pull back to go up.”
“What about the pedals.” Julia asked
“Just keep them even” Jordy said, then indicated that she was to take the handles in front of her.
Julia took the handles and felt the resistance turn it a little right and then left. She put her feet on the pedals and again felt the resistance. Then the hair went up on her neck again as the plane started to fight he.
“Don’t try to overcompensate, just keep her steady.” Jordy instructed. “I really need to get back there.” Jordy got up from the chair and turned to leave.
“Are you sure you have to be the one.” Julia asked as she white knuckled the steering wheel.
“You’ll be find and see that dial with the horizontal numbers. Try keeping the indicated pointed at that 185. It’s not as important as the level indicator, but it would be nice.”
Just then the number two engine coughed again and started to slow down. “I got go now.” Jordy left quickly.
Julia held her gaze on the level indicator and made some small adjustments to get a better feel for what she needed to do if the gauge changed. The indicator showed her up and down motion of the stick and then she leveled off again. Maybe this would not be so bad afterall. Then the number two engine sputtered and lost power. The plane started to drift downward. Dials were moving and she was beginning to panic. “Jordy!”
“It’s okay, just try to keep this thing level. We have plenty of altitude to work with.” Jordy said in the patronizing calm voice of his.
“The dial thing is moving and the numbers are getting smaller.” Julia reported
“Don’t worry about the dial!. Just the level indicator!” Jordy yelled.
“Something is really wrong with that engine out there.” Julia said as she looked at the engine and noticed it was not spinning like the other side.
There was no answer and she just sat with the controls in her hand and tried to keep two lines together. Suddenly Jordy was back in the cockpit and pulled down a lever, then was gone again. Julia jerked the steering wheel and the level indicator jumped. She fought it and then got control again. A dial just to the left of her level indicator was moving downward at a faster rate now. Julia only glanced at it as Jordy said it was unimportant. But it was going down and that was probably bad. Julia wanted to keep her attention of the level indicator, but she also wanted to know what the other dial ment. She then looked at the center console and looked at the horizontal number dial. It was still moving to lower numbers. Julia turned the wheel slightly to the right and the horizontal dial slowed its movement. So she turned a little more and the plane began to shutter.
“What are you doing?” Jordy yelled.
“I was trying to keep the horizontal dial from moving.” Julia yelled behind her.
“Don’t worry about the damn compass! If you put too much pressure on the vertical stabilizer were going to lose it..” Jordy yelled.
That sounded bad so Julia straightened the steering wheel and the shuddering stopped.
After another ten minutes Jordy came back to the cockpit and started turning dials and flipping switches. Julia looked at him and pleaded for him to take the steering wheel in front of him.
“I need to restart number two.” He then returned to his task. He then rotated the red lever backward, turned a dial and pushed a button. Number two engine coughed to life and then Jordy made a few more adjustments on the control panel between them.
Julia could feel the power return to the left side of the aircraft and the horizontal dial stopped creeping downward. With all the adjustments done Jordy took the wheel and shouted over to Julia, “I got it.” He paused, “Julia, I got it.”
Julia nodded and then let go of the wheel. Her hands hurt because she was holding on so tight.
Jordy scanned all the controls and tapped one dial. It adjusted, but not very far.
“What’s that?” Julia asked.
“Fuel level indicator in the left wing.” Jordy responded.
“It’s not very high?” Julia half asked half stated.
“I know, maybe an hours worth of fuel.” Jordy said.
“Is that enough?” Julia asked
“I don’t think so, but it will have to do.” Jordy said with no emotion.
“Do you know how much further?” Julia asked.
“Well based on the sun’s position, our altitude and some landmarks that still exist, we will just make it.” Jordy stated.
“So why don’t you sound excited?” Julia asked.
“Well I would like to find a decent place to land, but we’ll be lucky to get within a day’s walk the way this beast is sucking down the fuel.” Jordy made another adjustment and then settled in for the last hour or so of fuel. The sun was just starting to shine through Jordy’s side window which meant that they had been in the air a long time. Suddenly engine number one started coughing and acting unusual. Jordy adjusted a dial and then pulled back on a white lever in the center console. The plane dipped to the right and Jordy compensated with the steering wheel. Suddenly the engine screeched to a halt.
Jordy looked at it and then back to the instruments.
Julia asked, “What happened?”
“It must have had an oil leak and is now out of oil.” Jordy shook his head.
“So, how do we fix it?” Julia asked hopefully.
“We..Don’t, it’s dead and now all we have it is number two and it’s about a piston shy of a full load.” Jordy said.
“And what does that mean?” Julia asked
“It means we’re going down, slowly, but we are going down.” Jordy said as he pulled the lever for number one back and adjusted the fuel mixture on two.
“How far are we from where you wanted to get us.” Julia asked.
“Two, maybe three days, but we only have one mule and we can’t take half of what we brought with us.” Jordy was trying to calculate just how far they can get with just one engine that was trying to pull them off course. Next the plane tipped slightly to the left as Jordy tried to make the plane fly straighter. “That will keep us straight for a while, but we’re going to be losing altitude and we need to keep an eye out for a place to land.”
“How soon?” Julia asked.
“Every step of the way.” Jordy was working harder to keep control. “I’m going to have to push engine two to its limit, just to keep us aloft.” Jordy was working the throttle again. “If it goes we will need a place real fast.”
“What are we looking for?” Julia asked,
“Some place straight and void of sand drifts.” Jordy said. “An old road or dried lake bed.” Something long and straight.
Julia looked out at the terrane, “It all looks the same from up here.”
“Don’t worry we will be at a lower altitude soon.” Jordy said.
The plane started to shutter, like when Julia was turning the wheel. Julia turned to Jordy, “You said that was bad.”
“That was when we had two engine, now we only have one and we need to keep this thing in the air a long as possible.”
Julia returned to scanning the horizon. “What does a dried lake bed look like?”
“It will be shiny as compared to the sand.” Jordy responded. “You need to tell the others that this might not be an ideal landing and to tie everything down or dump it out the door.”
Julia got up to go back and inform the other of their situation and Jordy grabbed her arm, “Yell it back to them. You’re staying here.”
Julia didn’t like this, but what choice did she have. After yelling back to Bart that things were going to get bumpy and to lash everything down she sat back in her chair. Was Jordy trying to protect her or control her. Or was there a something he was not telling her.
The plane limped along for almost forty five minute and Jordy announced, find a place fast, were done with this machine. Julia looked out the window and saw nothing but sand. She did notice they were closer to the ground now, but still nothing but sand and sagebrush. She looked past the number two engine and she saw what looked like a dark line, maybe a ridge or something. She made Jordy aware of it and he turned the ailing aircraft in that direction. There were broken husks of buildings on each side of the line, so it was a road. However it had sand drift across it and was quite broke up. In the end Jordy had no choice as the number two engine ran out of fuel and quit. Now Jordy righted the plane and adjusted the flaps, they were going down, now.
As you know this blog contains two books of the Remnant Series. Graham Heights is book 3 of the series. Below is more.
Book 4: Obsidian Arrows
Book 1 is now available in paperback or kindle The Grey Abyss
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Thank-you
R. A. Legg
R. A. Legg
R.A. Legg © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
