The People's Alpha ✔

14: Road Trip

An Interpack Lines bus passed us, running up to for the first run of the day. The driver honked in recognition. I honked back.

The light fog soon cleared as the road wound higher into hills, out of the valley of the Stone River. The rains from last winter had washed away large parts of the road surface and the damage was still unrepaired, but the Moon Goddess was unperturbed, soaking up road imperfections like they weren't there.

Occasionally, through gaps in the thick forest to the left, we could see down the escarpment to the narrow track which had once been the only route to the packs, until all the packs had banded together to build the current road. In the wintertime, sleds were used to carry supplies down into the valley. Great slabs of exotic woods and marble, and countless fine pieces of furniture had been hauled down that narrow track to build the palaces of the Alphas, now in ruins. The first cars had been painstakingly hauled down here on sleds, for use on the closed-off racetracks which the Alphas had had constructed for their own pleasure.

Brian turned on the radio, now that we were out of the valley. It was on his side of the dash, after all. We were close enough to the border that we could get Zirconian radio stations, and so Brian tuned into NCBC One.

"...in some municipalities, water restrictions have been in force for a third month, as dam levels throughout the Arrowhead catchment continue to drop. In some outlying neighbourhoods of Wythaven, water mains are beginning to lose pressure. Mayor Borg has pleaded with all residents to try and achieve the target of 70 litres a day per person. The Lycan Front has criticised the provincial government's handling of the situation, calling it ill-prepared and accusing the Social Democrats of underspending on crucial water infrastructure..."

"That's odd." Brian watched as a refrigerated semitrailer passed us.

"It hasn't rained for some time."

"They've never run out of water like this."

Traffic was very light, and we were making good time. Most of the other vehicles we saw were trucks and private-security vehicles. At some of the access roads to packs we could see pack sentries behind the trees, just metres from the road. Everyone was on high alert.

The bumpy dirt road changed to fresh asphalt as the car passed over the Pine Hollow - Early Orchid Friendship Bridge over the Stone River. The view of the river valley below was spectacular. A large sign, with the complex logo of the OPLU displayed prominently, had the signatures of the Alphas of both packs. Part of the bridge deck had been left empty for the rail line which would eventually be built.

Hopefully. It had been on the cards since the third Congress in 1983.

"We're getting very close to the Early Orchid Pack," Brian braced as we re-transitioned back onto dirt road.

"Should we drop in?" I said on the spur of the moment. "Tell him to look out for Kaden?"

"If it gives you peace of mind," Brian didn't look too interested.

I had been meaning to check up on Kaden, but the only access road to the Salmon Creek pack was quite a detour from our route. The Early Orchid Pack shared a border the Salmon Creek Pack for roughly thirteen miles, and as far as I knew they got along well. Ryder could be a handful to deal with.

We soon reached the access road to the Early Orchid pack. The dashboard clock read a quarter past nine. The long dirt driveway from the main road was well maintained, as I had remembered it from my last visit.

There were a total of eight guards met us at the border checkpoint. Two came forward to meet us, while the others stayed back, observing us.

I rolled down the window. "What is your business here, Alpha?"