Resolutions (Displaced Book 3)

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Book summary

Despite the arrival of 2,000 newcomers, Kevin Murdock remains the sole arbiter of justice. As these newcomers prove to be more clueless and potentially hazardous than leaders, Murdock's reluctance to mentor them prevails. With unexpected twists and challenges ahead, will the plateau dwellers become the foundation for a new civilization, or will they evolve into something perilous to the remnants of humanity?

Excerpt from Resolutions (Displaced Book 3)

Chapter One

Murdock was tending his fire atop the Stairs of Mount Oomah, as he referred to the series of plateaus, when something silver went streaking past, far overhead. Long after it had disappeared, he heard the deafening roar split the night. Beron had just given notice to him, and he was to pass on the notice to everyone who could perceive his thoughts. The newest arrivals were on their way.

Oh… joy, Murdock thought. Has it been five years already? We haven’t recovered from the last bunch of invaders.

“If anyone is interested, we’re about to have more invaders,” he flashed to his tribe.

“I was wondering what that was,” Declan replied. “How long before it lands?”

“I have no idea how many orbits it’ll take before velocity is reduced enough to allow planetfall. If it follows the same procedures as the last one, it’ll be at least two days after landing before anyone disembarks.”

“How many are on this one?”

Murdock did a quick mental calculation. “Another two thousand people, supposedly.”

Murdock guessed it was two hours before sunup when the approaching ship circled the area several times before it hung motionless in the sky. The maneuver had awakened him, putting him in a foul mood. A mood that was worse than the one he was in when he was notified.

“It’ll be landing soon”, he flashed to the others. “Probably at sunup.”

Irene Harris, MD, Annie Cooper, LPN, and Roy White, EMT, were sitting out on the roof of the medical facility when Irene and Annie received the message. They both stood with excited expectation and looked up at the quickly lightening pre-dawn sky at what appeared to be a dark hole … and it was getting larger.

Declan Griffen was saddling his new mount in preparation to continuing toward home, when Murdock’s latest message reached him. He stopped handling the tack to calm the skittish beast, and looked up to see the huge hole in the sky, and whistled.

“Dancer, either that is one huge ship or a meteor is coming,” he said to the mount, as he watched it descend.

Murdock levitated off the step and across the open plain, to the top of the next step, where he saw the colossal ship descend. When it was a few thousand feet up, the ship separated into several and formed a circle before continuing its descent. Then Murdock heard the booming separation explosion. He counted eleven ships. Why eleven? Two thousand should fit in ten pods. What’s in the extra pod?

Just at full sunup, all eleven ships touched down on the bluish-green, grass-covered plain with rolling hills surrounding it. They weren’t far from the empty landing pods he had placed below the second step. From his vantage point, he could see the enormous circle they formed. Each lander looked to be the same size as the previous pod that had landed five years ago and was set aside not far from the stream that ran down each of the steps. They were several miles from the river and the medical facility.

“Did you want to meet the newcomers?” Murdock flashed to his wife, Mei Lee.

“Yes, and so does Emily. We’re hitching up Donder to the cart,” she replied.

He wondered, Why did the deer that Heather and Alvin tamed end up with those particular names? It had to be Heather or Emily.

“Be careful,” he flashed. “The landing was noisier than usual since there are eleven pods this time. It’ll draw attention from Elizabeth Reyes’ group, and others.”

“We’re planning on crossing the plain off the top step, a few miles from the river.”

“The new pods are off the second step, close to the stream, so make a direct course toward there. I’m close to the landing site now. Bring plenty of hides. I’m thinking of making camp close to the step and the stream, for safety.”

“Head to the stream under the second step,” Murdock flashed to Declan. “Our wives are on their way.”

“I know,” Declan replied. “Em let me know. I should be there in four or five hours. I’ll let Irene and Annie know where we are. I’m sure they’re gonna want to meet the newbies.”

“Well, be careful. I’m sure our enemies know another ship is down, and they will come around to see what they can do to further complicate an already complex situation.”

“Are you always so… negative?”

“I’m not being negative. Just realistic. With all we’ve been through, there are some that would like us to… go away. If any of them show up, I’m planning to defend me and mine. Is that okay with you?”

“Hey, I’m on your side, brother. I don’t like to admit it, but you’re right more often than not. I’ll see you when I get there.”

I’ve only known Declan for three or four years, but I like having him around. He makes me laugh. Murdock smiled.

By the time Declan arrived at the campsite, it was late afternoon and Murdock had several poles stacked and was lashing them together at the top.

“Greetings, brother. I come bearing gifts.” Declan held up four large fish, already cleaned and ready to cook.

Murdock smiled. “You know what to do with them, don’t you? If you start them now, they may be cooked by the time the wives and kids get here. I’m expecting them any time now.”

Declan nodded and started cooking the fish.

“I’ve been thinking—”

“Uh-oh, we’re all in trouble now!”

Murdock became stone-faced and tried not to chuckle. “Like I was saying, I’m thinking we need to keep some sort of record of who arrives, who dies, who’s born…”

“That would work out pretty good… if we had miles of paper and gallons of ink.”

“Ever thought of clay as a medium?”

Declan’s mouth opened, shut, then opened again and nothing came out.

“Wow, I left you speechless. Who would’ve thought that was possible?”

“I was thinking about that before I learned to fire clay. Since then, I haven’t given it much thought. I guess I could do it. It would take skill to write legibly and to keep it that way through the firing. But yeah, I think it would work.”

“See what you can do. Our wives are here. Time to get the tipis assembled.”

It was shortly after sunset, both lodges were assembled, and the two families were sitting around the campfire eating the fish.

“When do you think the newbies will be up and about?” Declan asked while finishing his fish.

“The procedure I observed, when you and Em arrived, was during the third day, after landing, there should be signs of life. Can you hit anything with that yet?” Murdock indicated Declan’s bow.

Declan chuckled. “The safest place seems to be in front of me.”

“He does fair,” Emily corrected, “if he has time to practice. He’s been practicing some, but not like he should.”

She was untying the front of her buckskin dress and pulled out an arm. It briefly exposed her milk-filled breast before she held little Gordon to her nipple.

Declan smiled. “Greedy little guy, ain’tcha?” He grinned at his son, caressing the infant’s cheek.

“No different than his father,” Emily quipped which caused everyone to laugh.

“So, what’s the plan?” Mei Lee asked once the laughter quieted.

“Tomorrow, I’m planning on marking out a barrier line to keep these idiots—I mean invaders, corralled,” Murdock said.

“Why do they need to be corralled?” Emily asked.

“There are two thousand people, who don’t understand what this place is like or how to defend themselves against the dangers here.

“Remember how weak you all were, when you disembarked. I’m sure they will be weak also. Do you think they should just be allowed to wander off on their own? Besides, a barrier works both ways. Keeping them corralled and safe, and keeping anything, or anyone, out that might endanger them.”

“At some point, though, they’ll be released?” Emily said.

“Yes, they will be loosed upon our world, for good or ill. I want my family out of their reach when they are.”

“Are we going to have a guard tonight?” Declan said.

“Why wouldn’t we? We have Liz Reyes’ group, who are belligerent toward us. We have Raymond Tutt, Ted Wagner, and their bunch of pirates and thieves. And we have Keith Rogers and his group of Lotus Eaters. About the only group we haven’t managed to honk-off are Markus Lantz and the farmers in his group. We’re away from home and the protections that go with it. You go and rest. I’ll take the first watch. I need to plan things with Beron so we have some backup.”

Vernon Parker, Sebastian Heartly, Elizabeth Reyes, and three others, from their group, were laying on their bellies, looking over the cliff-edge at the landed pods.

“Where did those women we were following go?” Reyes whispered to Heartly.

“We lost them shortly after we saw them in the distance,” Heartly whispered back. “One of them looked familiar.”

Reyes frowned, trying to think. “That was Mei… something. She’s Murdock’s woman, or so I believed a couple of years ago. She came around once when the doc was attacked.”

“Ah,” Heartly nodded, “that’s where I saw her before.”

Reyes motioned Heartly to move back as she moved back from the cliff. Heartly passed on the signal to the man next to him. He motioned to Parker and all the way down the line. Reyes stopped fifty yards away from the cliff edge, as did the rest of their party.

“Make camp here,” she said. “I want two of you to mount a guard while the rest of us sleep. I doubt anything will happen with the pods for a while yet. The winters haven’t been kind to us over the past five years. We’ve lost the majority of our people, and we’re in dire need of an infusion of new blood. It’s imperative we make a case for our group to the newcomers.”

“We all understand that, Liz,” Heartly whispered, while another man got a small fire started.

Reyes smiled at Heartly. “You know, Bass,” Reyes said as she moved closer to him and slipped her hands around his waist, “just because I let you grope and snuggle with me doesn’t give you permission to use familiar terms in front of others.” She grabbed his genitals. “I could have these removed, you know? I don’t think you’d like that,” she said, with sugar in her voice.

Heartly cleared his throat. “Sorry, Elizabeth.”

“Ma’am is better.” She gave his genitals a squeeze.

“Um… yes… ma’am, I understand.”

Markus Lantz, Kathy Watkins, and Heather Stevens crept into the medical facility compound just before sundown.

“Hello?” Heather yelled when she entered. “Is anyone here?”

“What do you need—Heather!” Annie Cooper ran over and hugged her. “Is there an emergency?” She looked over Heather and the two guests.

Heather took a deep breath. “No, no emergency. This is Mark Lantz and Kathy Watkins. They’re the leaders of our group, the one down from this plateau. We’ve come because of the new arrivals. Are you gonna go meet them?” She looked at Annie with begging eyes.

“As a matter of fact, I do have to go to do medical assessments and give my personal okey-dokey. Why do you ask?”

“Our group needs wood and metal workers. We lost a couple of them last winter to exposure. Do you think we can go with you to meet them?”

“Well, you can go with me, but I don’t know how close you’ll be able to get for a day or two. If you remember… well, maybe you don’t. When we arrived and disembarked the pod, Murdock was only there for two full days, maybe a little more. That’s as long as I’m planning to stay there, unless things change that requires me to stay longer. But you’re free to travel with me, there and back.”

“I know it’s a big intrusion, but can we rest here until we leave? We didn’t come prepared for a long trip. We really don’t have what we need for a trip into the wild. If you say no, we’ll understand.”

Irene Harris came out of the house. “What’s going on, Annie? Your dinner is getting cold. How are ya, Heather?”

“Hey, Doc, all of us are fine,” Heather yelled.

“They need a place to sleep until tomorrow,” Annie said. “They’re going with me to see the new arrivals.”

“You make it sound like a trip to the zoo.” Harris chuckled.

“You mean, it isn’t?” Annie flashed to Irene. “I hope Kevin can corral the beasties.”

“Sure, bring them in,” Irene said. “I’ll get Roy-Boy to rustle up something for them to eat.” She turned and entered the house.

“You know he hates it when you call him that,” Annie flashed, and motioned for the rest to follow Irene as she brought up the rear.

Murdock was standing a few paces from the campfire, gazing out into the night.

“You know what I have in mind,” he flashed to Beron. “Will you help?”

Murdock knew the huge bear was lying atop the step above the camp, keeping a watch of a different type. He also knew Bridget was lying next to him, as usual, her focus directed to the human children, whom she adored.

“We will help all we able.” Beron replied. “You know all need is ask. Bridget guard families.” Beron paused. “Why use food for travel?”

A picture of the deer popped into Murdock’s mind. “They are what humans call draft animals. They are stronger than humans and can pull for a longer time. I appreciate that you remain invisible to them. Seeing you would frighten them and cause disruption.”

If there was such a thing as shrugging while communicating telepathically, that was what Murdock perceived.

“We remain hidden from you kind at these events,” Beron flashed.

When Murdock woke Declan for his watch, he had gathered more wood for the fire, enough to last through the night.

“I’m going to get things set at the landing,” Murdock whispered. “I’m counting on you to see to it that camp is struck and our families are transported. Bridget is watching and will help. Not that I’m expecting any trouble, but you never know.”

“What about you?” Declan said.

“Beron is going with me, so, I’ll be fine,” Murdock said as he slipped off into the darkness.

Murdock was above the landing site, atop the plateau that was across the stream from the landing area, gathering poles needed to mark the barrier, when he heard a strange noise coming from the trees. He checked the breeze and found it blowing into his face, so he froze amongst the saplings.

As he readied himself with his bow, he could hear snuffling and grunting sounds headed his way. He crouched as the creature broke into the open. A wild boar… sort of. It must weigh five hundred pounds, and what a tusker! That head almost looks like a warthog. It may be a cross between a warthog and a razorback.

The boar stared at him, stomped the ground and snorted before continuing to forage. As it turned, Murdock drew back and let an arrow fly. The beast dropped.

“Destroyer,” Beron flashed. “Stray. Difficult control and confine.”

“This is a destroyer?” Murdock replied. “I should have known. They eat anything they can find, leaving little, if any. It never occurred to me.”

“Why you take?” Beron flashed.

“Where humans come from, they are good to eat. Many have tamed them.”

“Strange, you kind.”

A few hours later, Murdock levitated the processed porcine and two dozen one- to two-inch diameter poles off of the ridge above the landing site. As he did, he saw Declan and their families heading his way.

“Where did you get the tusker?” Declan asked as he dismounted.

“Up there.” Murdock indicated the ridge he had just descended. “Get it cooking while I place the poles, and then I’ll help with resetting camp.”

After the poles were set, marking off a three-hundred-square-yard area with the pods inside, Murdock helped to get the tipis set up again. There wasn’t much left for him to do, as his family, and Declan’s, had worked together to get the tasks accomplished.

It’s amazing what can happen when everyone works together.

“Raise the pig,” Murdock told Declan. “Slow cook it and turn it so it’s not dry. What do you think of trying to trap some young ones and tame them?”

“We’d have to make an enclosure to keep them in and predators out,” Declan said, “but I don’t see why we couldn’t try to tame them. I’m sure the older kids could do quite a bit of the raising. It would secure another food source for us.”

“Hey, Murdock!” Annie Cooper yelled, from a distance.

Murdock turned and saw her. Heather, Kathy Watkins, and Mark Lantz were further away.

“What’s going on, Annie?” Murdock flashed.

“They need help. Not too bright to venture out unprepared.”

“What kind of help?”

“They need replacement craftsmen, metal and wood mostly.”

“If they’re not armed, bring them in.”