Far Pangaea 20 : No Picnic

Toward mid afternoon Jack, Ruby, and Cameron Scott had cleaned enough fish for a decent fish fry. The days work would soon pay off. While concerned over the catches health, a few simple tests by young James Ian satisfied that they were edible. No signs of mercury, radiation, or era level bacteria.

While they had prepared fish and gathered enough drift wood to build a large fire outdoors, Elle and Greta had completed their mission. They had tilled a large patch of land near the cows and the static fence holding them within. The final touches led Malcolm and young James to bring out jars of seeds that he had also examined carefully through Ganthorian records of stockpile. It was simple enough to sew them into the soil and let nature take its course. Let the sun and the moon do their magic.

A good day's work as a unit. Team work was a necessity.

Jack Ramse had set up an outdoor table using sheet metal from their downed airplane and large rocks as legs. He had also busted loose a number of usable airplane seats to finish his dinette set. Dinner was all coming together.

As everyone gathered their plates made of trays in the Ganthorian ship, each of them took a seat.

Greta Winston admired the resourcefulness of everyone. However it still boggled her as to where the fish came from. The only water hole she knew of was the tiny oasis where Jack had found her. It bothered her that she wasn't being kept in the loop of things.

"What am I missing here?" She lifts a fish up by it's tail.

Ruby looked toward Jack with a smirk. She was going to leave it up to Jack to give her answers.

"A friend of ours brought us dinner. I didn't know about the lower floors of the spaceship being flooded. The water is back flow from an underground lake. As you know this is how we're quenching the thirst of your cows."

Her eyes look confused yet she nods, "So we have water to take a bath in now?"

Ruby enters with a resounding, "YES WE DO!"

Chuckles all around leads Jack to continue, "As soon as we fashion a few tubs to bathe in I don't see why not. While we're at it we need to design a fish pen for when Animahni brings us more fish. We can't eat all that she brought us as is. Good food shouldn't be wasted."

Cam volunteers raising a shot glass of his stash of vodka, "I'll build that pen. Can we ask her for some Lobster next time?"

Greta holds her hands up, "Hold on here. Overwhelmin' me. Who is this "Anniemay?"

Ruby leans her elbows on the metal table, "Animahni! She's a bit hard to explain. Ever hear of Mermaids?"

"Course I have. I read books. Short story in a book called "The Little Mermaid". My Auntie mailed it to me a few years back."

Cam belches loudly then whispers, "They had Disney back then?"

Everyone rolls their eyes at his comment. Greta merely looks dumbfounded, "Dizzy?"

Elle chuckles, "Why yes Cameron is."

Ruby holds her hand up, "Reel it in People. Greta? We have a mermaid. Kind of. She lives in the depths below our ship there. She brings us food. Well, at least this batch. So far."

"A real live Mermaid?" Greta's eyes erupt.

"Except she doesn't have a tail. She walks just like us. But, she breathes underwater." Ruby continues.

"Well ain't that somethin'. Next thing you're going to tell me Ya'll have faeries." Greta grins shaking her head and tilting her cowboy hat over her brow.

Jack suddenly recalled his encounter with Tinkerbell. He merely smirked.

As if on cue down the ramp skips Sophia Ridge in all of her glory.

"I'm here! Life of the party." Sophia starts toward the gathering when she hears the cows a little further away from them. She turns in step and drops her jaw, "We have a calf?"

The group look toward her reaction with fear. Sophia heads straight for the fence of static electricity and literally walks right through it without being shocked.

"SOPHIA!!!!!!!!!!!!" They all yell at once. Each of them getting up to give chase.

Greta merely stares in awe, "Ummm! Ya'll never mentioned you had a brothel."

Cam sits idle still drinking, "Don't ask."

Elle remains close by and observes Greta's reaction, "That's just Sophia. She had an accident that prevents her from wearing clothes. We'll explain later."

Jack, Ruby, James, and Malcolm border the energy fence as James uses his keypad to open a slender entry point. Jack and Ruby enter alone.

"Sophia? Don't do anything you might regret." Ruby huffs.

The girl crouches down and pets the calf. Her interior parasites told to behave. They obeyed.

"He's so cute!" Sophia rubs the calf's cheeks.

Jack moves in closer, "Don't eat the calf."

In response Sophia frowns toward him, "I'm not going to. Stop thinking I'm going to eat everything in sight. If I were I'd start with Cameron."

"We trust you Sophia, but we're not so certain about your little friends." Ruby narrows her eyes.

"They're harmless. Stop worrying about them. We have an understanding. When did we get cows? And a horse."

"I met a new friend yesterday out on the desert. She's all alone except for her herd here. She's from the year 1873."

"Really? That's so cool. I hated History in school."

"Why don't you come outside the pen and meet Greta." Ruby prompts.

"Fine! I'll leave Ferdinand alone."

Sophia stands up and marches back through the fence creating miniature sparks. Outside, Jack and Ruby joined her while James sealed the fencing.

"Greta? This is Sophia Ridge. One of our other crash survivors." Ruby introduces the two.

Sophia shuffles toward Greta with an extended hand. Jack immediately stands between them.

"Seriously? If I'm not going to eat the cows, you think I'm going to eat the cowgirl?"

Jack grits his teeth and points at Sophia, "Please be careful."

"Hi! I'm Sophia. Nice to meet you."

Greta hesitantly shakes her hand feeling a tingle that makes her hair frazzle.

"Sorry! Probably absorbed some of that static in the barricade over there."

"Pleasures all mine Miss Sophia. Forgive me I'm just not sure what to make of all this. I probably look like I've seen a ghost."

"THAT WOULD BE ME!" Echoes Madigan Ridge as her astral body phases through the hull and glides toward the group.

Greta swiftly ducks behind Jack, "I wanna go home."

Jack puts his arm around Greta's shoulder to calm her, "You're safe Greta. This is Sophia's Mother, "Madigan Ridge."

"Don't nobody wear clothes around these parts?" Greta whines.

Ruby jumps on the bandwagon, "Another tragic event Greta. This crazy place we landed in did things to a number of us. Madigan here, her living body died in the plane crash. As we buried her Sophia and Jack somehow brought her ghost to life."

"If you can call this living." Maddy shrugs.

"Better than the alternative. "Jack snaps back.

Madigan puts a hand up, "Whatever. I don't call this living. Sorry!"

"Calm down Mom. The pity party doesn't help." Sophia adds.

Greta shivers uncontrollably, "Ghosts! Naked girls! Diamond arms! Handsome Jack that never tires! and Mermaids. This clenches it. I'm in the loony bin."

"You're not insane. If you are then so are we." Ruby sighs.

"Foods getting cold." Elle attempts to change the subject.

"The potatoes and carrots should be done too. Keep in mind folks, these are an alien breed. No idea how they taste. I just know they're safe to eat. I think." James weighs in.

Malcolm coughs up, "Fruit too. Pretty tasty."

Greta shakes her head still confused, "Did ya'll ride on over to the Mercantile?"

"Indoor garden." Cam toasts, "To Eden. Thank God!"

Jack raises his hands to quiet everyone down.

"Enough! Let's just be grateful and eat. We can talk later."

Surrounding the dinner table they did just that.

Sophia merely waited for scraps. Namely fish bones.

As dinner became a memory everyone went back to assigned jobs. There was still daylight and the gardening needed a few final touches.

Indoors, Cam did his best to design a netted pen at waters edge. He utilized cages that were uninhabited from the museum area combined with mesh. Six small cages felt enough to keep their food source alive and fresh until needed. He was disappointed that he still hadn't met the resident mermaid.

While everyone stayed busy Malcolm Brand snuck away to his quarters where his private stash of fruit was hidden. He was greedy and kept some for himself rather than let James test it. Some things just felt right to the man. Golden apples that resembled a pear were still golden apples. Right?

It was difficult stowing them away but he knew what he wanted. The size of the apples alone made it enticing. Locking his door he kicked back with his hunting knife and sliced off bits and pieces of an apple. The taste was succulent and juicy. Nothing better.

"Might have to head back over to that garden and grab some more of these beauties. Even if I have to fight with the living vines. Machete time."

He amused himself using his knife to feign battling the beast. The apple being so large seemed to last forever. Reaching the core his belly was full. Tossing the remains into a bucket near his gravity bed he stretched out for a nap. It took no time at all to fall fast asleep.

Down by the ramp entrance Ruby Goddard pulled young James Ian and Jack aside.

"I went topside earlier. Took a walk on the outer hull of the ship. I noticed a few things that might be of interest. About dead center I found three large circles that resembled the obsidian you used for Elle's glasses. Not sure what to make of them. Solar panels maybe?"

James pulled his keypad out into the sun to let it charge as he used it. He pulled up schematics for the exterior. He then points out what he presumed she had found.

"Is this it?" He pondered.

Looking over his shoulder she nodded, "Looks like it. What are those?"

Touching the circles they enlarged and offered a designation that shocked him.

"Whoa! Magnetic locks. There used to be a shuttle escape pod up there."

Jack narrows his eyes, "So, someone escaped in it?"

Shrugging James toils with the idea, "I'll look up any possible camera feeds that show who might have taken it. Remember the power is low. I'm shocked we've managed certain things as it is. Getting the sunroof open will boost our power conservation at least 40%."

"My next observation was a tower antenna array. It gave off vibrations. The closer I got it began beeping softly. Touching it I swear it was almost as if I could hear voices. Just not English. Ganthorian maybe?"

Another scan of the schematic he points to the antenna for confirmation. Ruby motions to continue.

"It's a beacon. Transmitting a constant output to be rescued. I doubt anyone hears it seeing as this is either another planet or we're so far back in time the Ganthorian's have no idea it's going off. I say back in time though. We have the same sun and moon as in our time. Twenty four hour rotations too."

"Could the beacon be in contact with the escape pod?" Jack wonders.

Ruby lifts an index finger, "Better yet, did this Lucas Dorsey guy use it to try and escape this world?"

"I'll look into it." James closes his pad.

Before they could separate Ruby plants a palm on Jack's shoulder, "I saw a rainbow also. Good sign of either rain or a waterfall out there somewhere. Long way off for certain."

Jack raise his eyebrows, "Well, we did find a gal from Kansas."

"Haha! Start singing and I'll punch you." Ruby grins.

Joining her smirk Jack puckers, "Sooner or later we need to branch out and see what's out there. This ship will be a good home base but there's bound to be more life around than just us."

"True. I hate the idea of us all being separated though. Strength in numbers." Ruby huffs.

James yawns stretching, "You guys argue this out. I'm taking Xander inside and doing some detective work. See you in the morning."

"Sunroof opens by 10:00 AM." Jack sternly nags.

Walking away James casts a hand up to wave goodbye, "I'll be sure to turn over my hourglass."

Xander pranced along side his Master.

Faithful as ever.