Jack and the Beanstalk [SF YA]

CHAPTER FOUR - Magic Beans - Part 2

I fell asleep--probably from sheer exhaustion. 

My ear alarm went off, giving me Singapore time. The sun had set, leaving ribbons of reds, pinks and oranges. I stood and shook out to get my blood moving, and to see if I remained alone. No sign of anyone. I had half an hour before the stalk elevator began its climb. I donned the coverall and the tool kit of a beanstalk mechanic. If luck stayed with me all I'd need from it would be the torch. The other equipment only added weight. I pulled the torch out of the pack, and attached its holster. Crossing to the fence I checked the torch's settings. They seemed right, if the information I'd received on the hypno-disc remained accurate. I flipped it on and a pale blue flame shot out. Running the flame up the fencing left smoldering metal in its wake. Beautiful. I created a circular cutout and as soon as it fell, I ducked through.

Reaching the stalk unseen posed no problem. Inside the compound piles of garbage lay strewn about. Construction tools and supplies, mixed with other less identifiable garbage. Besides, there had been no mention of any significant security other than a sweep fifteen minutes before each elevator left. I strode purposefully toward the base of the stalk, only now beginning to see its majesty. This tower really reached the heavens.

"Damn!" I froze in my tracks--my reverie broken. In front of me sniffed three dogs.

I first thought of wolves. But that would be the wrong fairy tale. Normally I like dogs, but these... I backed away; they hadn't noticed me. Not yet. I glanced about for a way around them. When my gaze returned their attention had changed to me.

"I'm not going to be your next meal!" I muttered, running, adjusting the IR goggles with my free hand. More dogs barked about twenty meters off to my right and closing fast. I ran up the nearest mound of rubbish, slipping at the peak to fall flat, face to face with the skull of a previous interloper. The skeleton, picked clean, smelled rank enough that its freshness was not in question. Skyhook Security hadn't even bothered to remove it.

Wouldn't it have been simpler, I wondered, to stay in London and work myself to death?

With the InfraRed lenses on, I tracked the dogs. Wild or not they were definitely experienced at hunting. Through the IR enhancement I could see the dogs form a ring of fire, dancing in front of my eyes. The three I'd seen joined at least a half dozen more. They closed in slowly.

(What the Hell are you waiting for?)

--You got any brilliant ideas?

(Let's get out of here.)

The optimism of the morning gave way to fear. I glanced down at what remained of a human being, wondering about this person whose death had preceded mine, whose bones lay here awaiting the bleaching whiteness of the burning sun. Suddenly, fury overtook me. Not at the dogs, but at the cruelty of this universe that had offered a glimpse of hope only to snatch it back. I picked up the skull and threw it at the nearest dog; it growled and jumped aside. In a frenzy I picked up bones and threw them. As the last of the bones flew from my fingers, fear no longer overwhelmed me. Blood surged through my veins; a clarity gripped me and I realized that I possessed a weapon. The torch that cut the stalk compound fence would easily cut through flesh.

Loosing it from the holster, I adjusted it for maximum dispersion. Jumping down the side of the heap, sliding my way to the bottom, I headed for the dog blocking my way to the stalk.and fired the torch. I needed a secondary target for the pack. As he moved aside I pointed the torch at his body and thumbed the intensity switch turning the flame to a pinpoint. It arced out and hit the dog's leg as he jumped. I shut it off, flipped the setting back to wide dispersion and broke into a dead run. Maybe he would provide enough of a meal for the rest of the pack. I didn't slow down to check.

The snarling and gnashing of teeth stayed behind me, but one dog still chased me. Switching the IR display to topographical, I ran like a little pig from a big bad wolf, but the dog ran faster.

(Half way there.)

--Going to be close.

If I dropped the pack, I'd make it. As I tried to loose my arms from the pack, I slipped, sprawling onto my hands and knees. I tried to get up as the torch sputtered. I switched it off and waited, huddled on the ground. The dog pounced on me in a second, teeth as long as fingers grasping for my neck. His hot, wet breath hit my face as I rolled and switched the torch on. It shot out one weak flame and died. In despair I swung the torch and connected with the dog's jaw. The horrible crunch of bone sounded as the dog's neck snapped and he collapsed on me.

I heaved the death heavy body off and rolled to my feet, unable to take my eyes away. Inspecting the body made me want to retch. It had seemed much larger and I'd never killed anything bigger than a mosquito. At least he was luckier than his companion that I'd flamed, a quick death rather than being eaten alive by the rest of the pack. Picking up the torch I stumbled off toward the cargo elevator hanging on the curved track that would take it skyward.

Reaching the supports for the elevator I clambered up its gridwork and into the cramped pocket the hypno-disc had detailed--my home for the next twelve hours. A few of the dogs sniffed around the base, but none came closer. I pulled the light duty pressure suit out of the pack. The suit and its 15 hour supply of oxygen took up most of the space in the pack. Slipping into the suit, I used its internal computer to reprogram my alarm to wake me in two hours. By that time the air would be getting thin.

Trying to relax, I must have nodded off, but came awake when the low growl of the engines kicked in and the conveyance started its ascent. I quickly belted myself into the hiding place, and with a grim chuckle, thought again about the old fairy tale. It had been quite a day and had left me in no mood to deal with giants. Would I have taken this path had I known? I can't answer that. Ignorance of the future may be the greatest gift humanity has ever received. It makes life easier to live.