BEARTH

-Departure-

Chapter 7 

Quiet black darkness fills an entire room... a door swings open a few feet ahead as the darkness is suddenly destroyed with blinding light. The disturbance is followed by an eerie hovering sound approaching from the door. Slowly getting visible through the blinding light hovers in a sphere shaped orb. The orb, with colored smaller orbs floating inside it hovers through the door frame and stops directly at eye level. A pleasant voice begins to be heard as the orb pulses light with each spoken word.

[We bring you no harm. We mustn’t interfere but we cannot watch your kind be destroyed any longer. Your men are safe, their testosterone levels indicated hostel reaction to our arrival; they have gone ahead with no explanation. Be with them now, for this one time, we shall repair your planet as new.]

The image begins to shake and gets even brighter as Susie opens her eyes in a frightening panic from her sleep. Susie wakes up quickly and out of breath. Waking in Adam’s hammock she takes a second but remembers where she is as the hammock sways back to control. She looks around for Harvey or Alicia only to find Jenifer kneeling over the open fire. Jenifer pours a cup of coffee from the boiling pot of water as she turns to look up at Susie's pale face.

“You had the dream of the voice, didn’t you; before us women were taken?” She questions Susie.

“How did you know?” Susie replies as Jenifer hands her a cup of coffee.

“First few mornings will be like that; here, have some.”

“Oh I’m not much of a coffee drinker.” Susie sits up with a waiting hangover. “Aow, my head.” Jenifer again hands her the cup.

“Trust me, you’ll want some coffee.” Susie takes a sip.

“Strong stuff… so where is everybody?” Susie questions while looking around the empty room.

“They’re outside talking to a traveler. I just came inside to poor him some coffee.” Susie curiously follows Jenifer outside to join the others.

________

Outside, everyone gathers around a hefty sized man wearing a large green poncho with a rope as a belt around his waist. Next to him sits a small wagon attached to a mule. Standing nearby, Adam investigates what he holds in his hands and stares at the traveler insulted.

“This says Ranger Squad on it… Com’on man, this is a toy!” Adam argues.

“It’s the only compass I have at the moment but a rear item indeed, only a few artifacts survived of this caliber.” The traveler says in a sales pitch of a voice. Adam continues to test it by turning in all directions while cupping the compass with both his palms. Adam again walks towards the travelor.

“See, it doesn’t even work! Why is North pointing South?!” Jenifer takes the compass from Adam to investigate it herself.

“Clearly this compass was made after the Poll Shift of 2012. Hmm, I wonder if this means we’re back to our old polarities.” Jenifer questions as she turns the sticker on the compass around to fix the confusion. Adam looks at her.

“I knew that.” He takes it back and walks around while continuing to test the compass’s accuracy. Jenifer hands the traveler his traveling mug now filled of coffee.

“Aw, thank you dearest. And yes, birds have been reported flying old south for the winter again; things are quite different now. Like these for instance-” The traveler pulls out a large bag made of leather. “-might I interest you in these beautiful handbags made of yak hide?” Adam turns around to again face the traveler. “How many of those bags do you have?” Adam questions as the traveler rummages through his cart.