Secrets of Liberty Mountain (Final)

"Careful, I get airsick." I gulped as Belinda pivoted to the east and followed the contours of the high granite ridge leading to the village far below.

Flying along the Anderson Gulch at an altitude of just under five-hundred feet, our aircraft crossed over the edge of town. The landscape under me looked like a page out of Shel Silverstein's book, Where the Sidewalk Ends. The town's boundary line sliced across the earth like the edge of a surreal knife. On one side, city blocks, lofty shade trees, homes, stores, and roads. On the other, the barren mountains.

From my airborne observation platform, for the first time, I could view the full scope of SkyFire's devastation. Three out of five structures within the community had been reduced to ash. Most of the business establishments between Market and Main Street were firebombed wastelands and impromptu parking lots filled with the rusting shells of burned out vehicles.

Despite the devastation, the place was alive with activity. Almost everywhere I looked, virtually every parcel of open ground was being converted and had either been transformed or was in the process of changing. Swarms of citizens with rototillers and hoes were plowing lawns into backyard Victory gardens and multi-family farms. Survival, not scenery, was the new order of the day.

Hanging in the air like a lazy hawk, Frosty did the flight plan and put the vehicle into a leisurely skyward spiral and climbed to a point about two thousand feet above the town and loitered motionless with fourteen minutes of battery remaining.

Before I got lost in the cornflakes, I wanted to understand the big picture. Something was going on down there and what it was, I wasn't exactly sure, but it was unlikely folks woke up one day and, in unison, decided to start gardening. Somebody or an assortment of somebodies was in charge. The response to the disaster was too organized and too purposeful to be the result of chance events.

It appeared as if most of the population of Meeker were out and about. Young kids with little red carts hauled jugs of water for thirsty garden crews. Throughout the town, laundry hung from clotheslines, fluttering in the breeze like Tibetan prayer flags.

"Okay, your turn," I said as I lifted the device from my eyes and passed the headset to my partner. "Take a gander, it's not quite the zombie apocalypse. They got their act together." I hunched down and shielded my lighter with my hands and puffed my cigarette to life.

"Damn! They took a heavy hit." Belinda let out a long whistle as she moved her head from side to side. "Wow! It looks like old home days down there. Horses are all over the place; there are at least a dozen horse-drawn wagons and too many mounted riders to guesstimate."

"Are there any working automobiles?" I asked as I raised my binoculars and surveyed the town.

"Not many. So far, I've spotted three motorized moving, all antiques. One of them is an old fashioned fire truck, a pumper I think," Frosty said as the control box issued a musical "Ping!" It was the signal for weak battery and the start of the drone's auto-return sequence as the algorithm governing the drone's "instinct" for self-preservation kicked into gear.

Timing is everything. Voyeur One made it back with three minutes left in the tank. We were wrapping up the third and final flyover and had ordered the quadcopter to initiate its back-to-base program. As Belinda removed the goggles from her eyes I heard the crunch of gravel behind me. I started to turn when a voice commanded, "Freeze!"

I froze.

"Hands in the air, mister. You too, lady," the youthful male voice quivered a little as if pleading for cooperation.

"No sudden moves, we got you covered," a second, more fearful, voice directed. A trickle of sweat dripped into my eye as adrenaline surged through my body.

"Easy there, we mean you no harm." Belinda's gentle and soothing words were delivered with equal measures of comfort and compliance. I gave my companion the flash of a sideways glance; I didn't think Frosty could sound so motherly.

"Please, both of you, turn around, real slow," the young man ordered with an extra emphasis on the last word.

"I'm standing now," I said with all the grace I could muster as I spread my fingers wide to show I had no weapon and hoisted one hand aloft as far as I could reach. I used the other for leverage as I wobbled into a standing position with my arms separated far apart as I tried to touch the sky. We wolves wobble, but we don't fall down.

Belinda's agile body had no difficulty, she got to her feet with effortless ease. Ahhh! To be young again with working kneecaps.

"I'm turning to face you now, son." I kept my voice as calm and as firm as I could as I feigned what I prayed was a wise and grandfatherly expression. People see what they want to see. Obi-Wan Kenobi meets Indiana Jones, I hoped the eagle feather helped.

"Oh my God! Jayson, he's an old man!" The girl's eyes widened in astonishment as she took a step back and lowered the muzzle of her bolt action rifle to a slightly less threatening posture of readiness.

"Get them in handcuffs, Amanda," Jayson instructed his companion as he scrutinized my face. "Grandfather, is that your daughter?" he nodded in Frosty's direction.

"Oh? That's Belinda, she's my..."

"Dad! Don't say too much. We don't know if these kids can be trusted," my partner warned as she cut me off mid-answer.

"Daughter, er., stop mothering me." I gave Belinda a sharp and puzzled look as I tried to guess the next move in her gambit.

"I'm sorry, Father, I'm only thinking of you." She kept her hands high as she bowed her head, as if in shame. Her pouting lips barely stirred as she whispered, "Wait for it."

"Are we good?" I asked with a friendly smile. I looked into the eyes of the boy and girl for their answer and started to lower my arms.

"No! No! Keep 'em up, why are you spying on us?" Jayson tightened the grip on his weapon.

"Son, we aren't spying. We're from a small prepper group living off-grid for fifteen years. This is our first time out since the event happened, and we're trying to be neighborly," I explained.

"Please kids, put down your weapons and kindly let us go. We'll be on our way," Belinda pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I have my orders and I can't do that," the young man said.

"What do you want of me? We are not your enemy," Belinda murmured.

"True, maybe; but I'm not a kid. I'm a deputy sheriff," he said as he thrust his chest out and assumed a manly voice. "I have ordered, er, I've been ordered, um, we're supposed to, apprehend and detain for questioning all trespassers or intruders encountered while on patrol."

The boy's female friend nodded seriously as she slung her firearm over her shoulder and unclipped a pair of cuffs from her belt.

"Give me your hands," she said as she opened the steel manacles.

I gave Frosty a nervous sidelong glance.

"Wait for it," her lips moved soundlessly.

Jayson relaxed his weapon's aim and arched his back while he craned his neck and blinked into the sky, searching for the source of the new and strange noise from above. Our drone had returned. This was the now Belinda had been waiting for.

As I threw myself headlong into the body of the distracted girl, I saw the blur of Belinda from the corner of my eye leaping through the air like a jungle cat as she tackled the startled boy.

Inertia, mass, and surprise were on my side. The poor girl's legs buckled under the weight of my body. I was on top of her as we crashed into the ground with a bone-jarring thud that left her gasping for air and fighting to breathe. I had knocked the wind out of her. She was down for the count.

Frosty knelt over Jayson, the fingers of her left hand around his windpipe as she held her raised right hand held in check, reared back and quivering with restraint, ready to deliver a smashing flat-of-the-palm blow to his unprotected face.

"Yield!" she screamed and then added softly, "I will not hurt you. Truce?"

Chapter 45

"I'm getting too old for this shit," I moaned and plopped into one of the Situation Room's ergonomically designed conference chairs. I massaged the sore spot on my shoulder and shifted and squirmed and as I searched for a less uncomfortable position. Nothing worked. I hurt in places I didn't even know I had.

The steaming mug of fresh brewed Colombian laced with the Sisterhood's brandy warmed my hands and took the edge away from the pain in my ass. Java and joy-juice will cure anything.

"Praise be for Martha," I sighed in revenant appreciation. The platter of venison steak and cheese sandwiches smelled delicious. The ever-thoughtful Queen of the Kitchen knew the magical power of food and beverage to lift the spirit and restore the soul.

I would rather have had an opportunity to take supper in the dining room, except Sheila's schedule didn't allow for it. She demanded that we present Recon One's findings without delay. The urgency was such my companion and I didn't even get a chance to shower and clean up.

As I took a leisurely and grateful sip, Sheila tapped her gavel to stifle the buzz of excited conversation rising in the amphitheater in anticipation as they waited for the show to begin: the first images of the new world. One small step for man, one giant leap into chaos for mankind. Neil Armstrong had it easy.

"Belinda and Sky, we await your report. The floor belongs to you," Sheila said as she nodded and rubbed her lips.

"Thank you, Chief," Belinda responded with a smile as she climbed to her feet and motioned me to stand at her side.

"Our successful mission did not go unnoticed. We had an encounter with a couple of youthful sheriff's deputies," Frosty said as I handed the drone's memory card to the Society's leader.

"Wonderful!" the commander rolled her eyes and bent forward, "Pray tell, how did it turn out?"

"Not too badly, all things considered," I shrugged.

"Two junior members of the Meeker home guard detained us at gunpoint and wanted to bring us to Sherif Fitzwater's office for questioning," Belinda added as she brushed several strands of hair from her eyes.

"We declined their hospitality," I continued in a neutral voice. I had screwed-up by not keeping an adequate watch.

"Anyone injured?" Sheila's anxious eyes darted from mine to Frosty's.

"No harm, other than pride. We jumped 'em when the returning drone distracted them. They surrendered without a struggle," Belinda replied with a pleasant smile.

"What of the young ones?" the Chief asked.

"We returned their weapons, minus firing pins, and sent them on their way. The remainder of the mission was uneventful," I said.

"Very well, please tell us what you observed, and share your mind," the leader slid the little drone's memory card into the desktop computer. A moment later, the chatter of talk ceased as the enormous ultra-sharp flat-screen television filled with a drone's eye view of the lands beyond Liberty Mountain.

A few moments later a collective gasp rose from the gathering as the charred and twisted ruins came into sight. Seeing is believing. I scrutinized the fearful eyes of the onlooking sisters as the aftershock settled in. Everything and nothing had changed. Yesterday's world was gone and we're still here. Now what?

As our flight replayed in exquisite detail, I couldn't shake a weird sense of déjà vu as I relived the real-time re-run of my virtual reality recollections.

"Chief, can you go to freeze-frame?" I stood and walked over to the flat-screen. The amazingly clear and vivid still picture of the town was stunning in its clarity down to individual branches on the trees and children on the ground.

"This is a pretty representative overview and I think we're looking at something quite remarkable," I said and waited for my recon mate to join me.

"Yah, a local government that actually works," chuckles answered Belinda's laughter.

"In the month since the solar storms things have gone from bad to worse. From what the shortwave is telling us, governments are falling faster than autumn leaves," my companion said as she gestured toward the screen.

"But, not so in Meeker. While worldwide, communities are in turmoil, this place is not. In fact, it seems to be holding its own and then some." Belinda shook her head in disbelief.

"Rather than tell you our thoughts on what we're viewing, well let the video speak for itself. Thirty-seven sets of eyes are better than two," I swept my arms to encompass the chamber and pointed to my partner and myself.

"Recon One, your video quality is exceptional. Very well done," Sheila said as she rose from her chair and joined us next to the large display.

"Thank you Sky and Belinda, I'll take it from here," the commander said as she gently directed us back to our seats. The bum's rush with kid gloves. I exchanged puzzled glances with my partner who shrugged in response.

"You have done us proud as the eyes of the Sisterhood. For that we owe you a debt of gratitude," the leader said with a smile as she began to clap her hands together. After a brief moment of hesitation, members of the council picked up the refrain and the women in the hall responded enthusiastically with a roar of approval.

Recognition is the coin of the realm in the Sisterhood's cashless society. I grinned like a wealthy man as I took my seat.

"Sisters!" she paused, "and brother," Sheila nodded in my direction as she turned to address the assembly.

"What happened to the planet is an event as transformative as an asteroid strike, only without all the rocks," the Commander said in a calm and measured voice as she studied the faces of the woman in the hall.

"All that we once had is gone. SkyFire has marooned our high-tech Society in a low-tech world. Cities are in rubble. The grid is down. Forever. The Age of the Internet is over," she said with a sad shiver and paused for a moment before smiling.

"In other words, we're precisely where we need to be. These are the times we've been preparing for. Our moment has arrived," Sheila's voice resonated with intensity as she scanned the assembly, challenging anyone to doubt her proclamation of certainty.

"There is no choice, if we are to survive, rebuild, and prosper, we must adapt and become one with the New Order of the ages," the Chief glanced and tilted her head at Martha who repeated the nod as she left her seat and headed for the kitchen.

"We are about to see and analyze about ninety minutes of raw video," Sheila said as she looked over her shoulder at the frozen image of a destroyed Meeker.

"But, before we do, we've got to be in the proper frame of mind." she smiled as she turned to face the assembly and spread her arms apart in welcome.

"We, my friends, you and I, are going on a vision quest. We will travel together to the origin of our life force. From there, the Mothers of Creation will show us the way forward," she said as Martha and a few women on the kitchen crew moved through the auditorium with trays piled high with marijuana spiked fudge brownies. The THC in the tribe's refined cannabis concentrates were off the charts.

"Limit two to a customer unless you are especially daring or foolish," she said with a chuckle.

I noticed most of the ladies took two servings of fudge while about a dozen went all-in with three. Belinda took five.

"I'm hungry," my partner said with a shrug as she stuffed a chunk of brownie into her mouth.

I lit my pipe and took two to be sociable.

"What with this vision quest thing?' I leaned over and murmured to Belinda who was busy polishing off her third treat.

"We've only done it once before when we won the lottery. Got as high as shit and let the group mind find the path forward. This place is the end result of that process." Belinda licked a few crumbs of chocolate from her sticky fingers as she reached for my pot pipe.

"All right, listen up!" Sheila shouted over the hubbub of conversations, "I'm moving this session to the Lake, follow me!" she said as she set out like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Like the fabled children of yore, we marched after as she opened the door to the stairway and descended into the underworld below the mountain.

"Really? We need to get stoned before we can review the results of the reconnaissance mission?" I grumbled to Sheila as we descended the winding metal staircase into the cavern underneath the cabin.

"Yes!" she laughed, "SkyFire was a control-alt-delete moment. A new reality is loose upon the land and the rules of the game have been rewritten, we need to reprogram our minds. Plenty of Peyote should do the trick."

"Mother nature bequeathed us with a marvelous array of mind-altering substances with which to explore the spiritual side of the universe. Tribes have been vision questing since the first elder nibbled on a magic mushroom," the commander intoned with the revenant voice of a saint. For a long time, I had sensed she had a weird-ass version of religion hidden in her attic. I shivered as my musings were confirmed.

Even as a disciple of Athenia, Sheila was too sane to be crazy. Maybe she was onto something, not that I needed an excuse to get high. I had dropped a few tabs of acid in the sixties.

I preferred to fly in a low-Earth orbit with enough altitude to see inside my mind while staying close enough to touch the ground. Psychedelics at my age? What the hell, why not? Reality is already a stormy shit-show. What's another outhouse in the wind?

At any rate, a trip to Dreamland might be an interesting excursion, as long as it wasn't a one-way ride. I took a puff from my blunt and offered a toke to Belinda behind me. Sharing is caring.

I couldn't keep from giggling as we followed Sheila's flashlight beam through the shadowy labyrinth of stalactites and stalagmites. The annoying narrator in my head was sarcastically singing off-key, the little-man work song with new words as he played reruns of Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

"Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to dream we go."

Soon enough, we stood at the water's edge of the vast underground lagoon at the back of the cavern. The distant shores were lost in gloom, and the surface of the pool was as smooth as glass and as black as the space between stars. It had a timeless and otherworldly feel about it.

"Make yourselves comfortable, we have a long journey ahead of us," Sheila said as she kindled a flame in the ancient soapstone oil lamp atop a crude stone altar. As the glow intensified she began to disrobe. Legend was that, as a transfer student, she acquired the artifact from a curator of antiquities at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens in exchange for a summer of sexual favors.

"Sky, you gotta be naked to get into dreamland. Get undressed," Starshine giggled as her fingers fumbled with my belt buckle. I gave Belinda a pleading look and mouthed the word, 'help'.

"Sure, glad to lend a hand," Frosty grinned as she pulled my pants to my ankles. That's the problem with going commando. There is no such thing as half-dressed. Oh, well, when in Rome... I discarded my shirt and shoes and kept my socks on. My concession to modesty. I have ugly toes.

The flickering flame of alter's lamp created a mellow-gold ring of light, strong enough to illuminate the naked bodies of the women around me as they swayed and chanted. I entered the amber radiance and joined the wordless song of the sisters with a soaring howl of my own. It is fun to cry like a wolf and hear the answering echo of my kin ringing from the dark distant walls of the grotto.

Waves of awareness washed over me as Martha's Enchanted brownie said hello to my mind. Wow! Weed with wallop. In the distance, I could see an approaching tsunami as the second helping greeted the first.