AL Clark - Jonathan G. Meyer (good books for high schoolers txt) 📗
- Author: Jonathan G. Meyer
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THEY HELD THE WAKE in the hangar bay, with Rudy’s closed casket laying off to one side behind a podium. Al and his friends sat at a long table and watched while different people took turns speaking at the rostrum.
Rudy had no family aboard like most colonists. However, he did have a lot of close friends. He had been twenty-six and was not only a good security officer, he also held a master’s degree in agriculture. Rudy was excited about Avalon and looked forward to transforming the planet into a garden world for the human race.
When it was Al’s turn to speak, he was not ready. He still didn’t know what he was going to say as he stepped up to the podium. The shocked crowd of almost three hundred people made Al more than a little nervous.
He started with, “Rudy Labronski will be missed.”
Chief Clark stood looking at the crowd for a few seconds, listening to the murmur of agreement and clink of their glasses in a silent salute. The crowd seemed to agree.
“He was funny, smart, and easily likable.”
As he spoke, the words came to him. “Rudy believed in this mission, and he couldn’t wait to help this colony carve out a place on this planet. He told me more than once he was looking forward to the type of life we would be building. He had no family except us. We were his family. There were eight hundred and thirty-two people that survived the trip here, and as a contributing member, he played an important part. He gave his life to protect us.”
Al wanted everyone to know the significance of Rudy’s loss.
“Rudy was the first to die on Avalon, and he will be the first to die for Avalon. We have lost a friend, but his sacrifice was for a cause he believed in. Rudy would be glad no one else was hurt.
“For all we know, we could be the last people to leave Earth. If we were able to return to Earth, it would not be the Earth we ran from, only one much worse. This planet is where we settle the human race; right here on Avalon. Rudy knew that, and it excited him.”
Al’s mind took him back to a conversation they had in the shuttle on the way down to Avalon. Rudy had big plans for the colony; thinking ten and twenty years into the future.
“He was proud to be a member of this family, and I think he will be proud to be one of the first marked down in the Avalon history books. He will not only be remembered—Rudy Labroski will be famous.
Hesitant clapping accompanied Al to his seat. Most of them were unsure what was appropriate, with it being a wake and all. Still, they were all nodding approval.
The gray haired captain took the podium, cleared his throat, and said, “There is a personal file for every person aboard the Excalibur. In that file is a form that tells us what you want done with your remains in the event of your death. Rudy Labronski wanted to be buried on Avalon. It was his first and only choice. He added to the form, and included details such as: under a beautiful large tree, close to the mountains, with a river nearby. He was talking about Shangri-La.”
Captain Effinger stopped, hesitated, and continued, “We have decided to honor his wish and bury him accordingly. His funeral will be the second thing done when we return to the planet. There will be two shuttles, with one for the funeral and room for twenty-five people and two pilots. The other shuttle we will load with equipment and personnel to secure the camp from predators. The funeral will not begin until the compound is declared safe.”
He looked down and considered how to continue. “This is not the planet we hoped to find. It appears the long-ago dinosaurs of our Earth, didn’t become extinct on Avalon. We will be sharing the land with these monsters and will have to make...adjustments.
“There will be security issues to deal with, and we will have to rely on each other to remain safe. Mister Clark is responsible for colony safety and needs to be informed of anything that appears remotely dangerous.”
He gestured towards Al and nodded. Al grimaced a little and nodded back.
The captain finished with, “We will post departure times and the passenger lists when ready. Please, people, let’s make Rudy proud.”
The wake broke up around eight, and everyone went their separate ways. Life went on. The ones that knew him would remember him and move on. Those people that did not; would find moving on a little easier.
Al left to be alone with his thoughts, and he and Robot Nine took a walk in the park. The little robot was an excellent listener and only spoke when necessary. Strolling the cobblestone paths, with the trees and grass all around, helped him relax and think more clearly. He realized that colonizing this planet would be far harder than they could have imagined. The discovery of Earth’s prehistoric equivalent of the dinosaurs would change how they settled Avalon considerably.
It became apparent that to live on this world; they would need the help of the people who have lived here for generations—The Avalonians.
When they returned to Shangri-La four days later, they found the site demolished. The canopy was in shreds, and the habitat cubes damaged beyond repair. The single standing habitat that saved their lives was now scattered and in ruins. Large reptilian footprints were everywhere, and it appeared the beasts destroyed the camp with great rage. It was decided this location was no place to create a home, and certainly no place to bury Rudy. It made no sense to cling to this spot that was beautiful, but impossible to defend. They didn’t bother unpacking and received permission to return to the Excalibur; to reconsider their choice of settlement sites.
After much discussion, it was decided to move the camp. A place was selected closer to the mountain, with their backs protected by stone cliffs and rough terrain. The natives were about a mile away, close enough to establish a relationship, and still far enough to keep the two settlements separated. The winding river was nearby for water, with a broad patch of open ground leading up to the camp.
This time, they went in force. Three shuttles were loaded with personnel and equipment and sent down to begin again at the new location. Their first priority was to construct a ten-foot sonic fence surrounding the construction site. They could enlarge the barrier later as they became more established and the settlement grew. The following day, the contact specialists would seek to arrange a meeting with the natives.
Additional security was recruited, and Al now had ten security officers under his command. He left four men on the ship and came down to the planet with six. Robot Nine was fitted with a laser and assigned to Al’s department full time. Al found it ironic that the robot that had initially tried to kill him was now going to have his back.
The two watchers they used for early warning, and stationed them a quarter mile outside the fence perimeter; always circling above at one-hundred feet. The surveillance drones gave his security officers enough warning to save lives, and now more than ever, he believed in them.
As soon as the fence was operational, they held the funeral for Rudy. It was not Shangri-La, but at least he would be close to his friends. They buried him under a tall tree overlooking the water, in the shadow of the magnificent mountain. Everyone agreed it was a beautiful spot.
His headstone read simply, Rudy Labronski - To save some, he sacrificed all.
The settlement was going to be permanent and would remain occupied at all times. The colonists held a contest for the name they would use, and after going through hundreds of entries, the winning name picked by the senior staff turned out to be—The Village of Camelot.
****IT WAS TWO ALIEN CONTACT specialists, two armed security officers, Robot Nine, and Al that went to meet the natives. With four security personnel stationed on the ship, that left four to guard the camp. Al was confident that with the fence, and the aid of the watchers, the colony would be safe in his absence. They kept the party small, so they wouldn’t frighten the Avalonians and carried gifts with them: blankets, cooking pans, canteens, and chocolate, all of which they divided among the travelers to carry.
The party had their breakfast and left a half-hour after dawn. The specialists believed the predators did their hunting at night, so it should be safe to make the trek to the caves, have their meeting, and get back before dark. They did not take a shuttle, thinking it would scare the primitives into believing they were descending from wherever it is gods hang out. They wanted friends—not worshipers.
Robot Nine took point, with Al directly behind, followed by the specialists and then his men. The two contact experts, Cindy and Rahul, talked non-stop behind Al. They were heading towards the fulfillment of a lifetime ambition, and all they could do was argue. Cindy wanted a more structured approach while Rahul wanted the conversation to lead their discussion.
“We have to hear them out and give them a chance to take the lead. The more they talk to us, the more we learn from them,” Rahul repeated for the third time.
“We should be asking the questions, and ask them what we need answers to,” Cindy shot back. She was very set in her thinking and determined to be heard.
“How are they going to know what our questions are? They can’t understand us.” Rahul asked her.
The argument went back and forth for a long hour before Al finally turned to them and said, “Listen up you two. We are walking through unexplored territory, with unknown dangers, and predatory creatures that are drawn to noise. I believe when we get there, your training and education will take over and you will do just fine. Until then, let’s concentrate on our surroundings and leave the disagreements until later.”
Thirty minutes later, Robot Nine warned, “Movement up ahead.”
Al saw it too, behind the occasional tree on each side shadows moved; never quite visible in the light. There were flashes of something almost seen.
Cindy noticed Al looking around and asked, “You see something, Mister Clark?”
“We are being watched...and followed,” Al replied in a subdued voice.
A short time later Cindy asked her colleague, Rahul, “Do you see anything?”
“All I see are trees and a lot of grass.”
The robot stopped for a second, turned to Al, and quietly reported, “They are staying well back sir, and appear to be just observing. It is possibly the indigenous humanoids. We are only a half-mile from their caves. Should we continue?”
One of his men from the back of the procession spoke up, “What’s the holdup?”
“We think the natives are here, and keeping an eye on us,” Al replied.
“So—they know we’re
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