The Project

Chapter 43

The Project Chapter 43

So much was swirling through Alex's mind he didn't know what to think, when Bria asked him what was going on, all he could say was,

"Bria, you're in the dark as much as I am." They stopped at a small stone structure which was apparently a surface access to an underground room. Descending a flight of wooden stairs, they entered an anteroom that opened out into a large passage, then entering a large room he quickly spotted Kelly who seemed to be talking to an older Elvin woman. When she saw Alex and Bria she squealed and jumped up, rushing towards Alex. Wrapping her arms around him and planting a big kiss on his lips she said.

"Oh Bria I'm so glad to see you as well!"

"Are you all right?" He asked her, "I thought you'd been kidnapped?" She just laughed,

"No silly, I was out walking one day and Ellna over there came up to me and asked that I go with her, I mean it's not like I was going with some creepy guy back on earth. You know we just walked and walked, ending up here. Oh did you know Roy is from Texas?"

"He was just about to tell us," replied Alex.

"Do you know what is going on here?" Asked Stapkas, Alex grimaced, and replied,

"Not the foggiest clue, but I guess we're about to find out."

Both Kiggham and Roy held their hands up for silence,

"All right everyone settle down all your questions are about to be answered," announced Kiggham.

"To begin with my name is Kiggham Stenuck, I can only guess what you've heard about me, some of it may be true, but most isn't. They call me a warlord, bandit, Reiver, just about anything you can name, but all that really know me and my brother know better. I and my people live here in the Witchfire because it suits us, we do pretty much as we please, however I'm not a murderer as some would like to claim. Now most of us are Elvin, however we do have a few dwarves who are part of our family as well." Then turning to Roy, he added,

"I'm going to let Roy here answer your questions which I'm sure you have many."

VonDran then took a sip of water from a mug and began.

"My name is Roy VonDran, I'm originally from Amarillo Texas and how I wound up here is quite the tale." He then looked at Alex and said,

"Alex Russom you have no idea how long it's been since I've spoken to people from earth, and the US to boot. The young lady here has been filling me in on everything that's been going on since I …Left. It seems like a hundred years ago now, but it was August of 1970 and I was driving back to Pendleton after being home on leave. I was in the Marine Corps and had already done one tour over in Nam and was heading back for another. Well sir, it must have been around two in the morning and I was east of Globe Arizona when my damn car broke down.

There were only a few trucks out on the road and nobody wanted to stop."

"I knew I wasn't that far from town so I started walking when I heard a loud humming from overhead, then the next thing I knew was an incredibly bright light engulfing me. Well when I woke up I seen this strange looking fellow standing there looking at me. Well he put this device in my ear a lot like that thing you have in your's young fellow, then I was able to talk to him."

"Did he say what his race was?" Asked Stapkas, "Or what did he look like?"

"He said they was called the Uwan or something like that. Fellow had funny copper colored eyes, stood about five foot, black hair, and little ridges on his long nose. He and his crew all wore these one piece metallic grey jumpsuits.

"I've heard of these people," exclaimed Stapkas, "They live out in the Thovan system, nothing really special about them other than they are well respected engineers, and technicians."

"Well I've been running into a lot of people who have been visiting earth here lately," said Alex, "Why should they be any different?"

"Did they harm you?" Asked Stapkas. Roy shook his head,

"No not really, just poked and prodded me, stuck me under some machine but that was about all."

"Did they ever tell you why they picked you up?" Asked Stapkas.

"Best I can figure is they was just roaming around saw me out by my lonesome so figured "What the Hell!" Anyway after awhile they let me wander around the ship so I started helping them, you know, fix stuff, and keep things clean. We landed on this one planet that seemed to have nothing but strange animals on it and all of them wanted to kill you. Well I helped them beat off the animals with this sword they let me make." Pulling out a short sword from a hidden scabbard he showed it to Stapkas and Alex.

"That's pretty good," remarked Alex "Looks sharper than hell."

"Believe me it is," replied Roy, "It's made from something called Mekkarion Steel with a Konia alloy blended in. Well we traveled around a bit, generally getting into trouble until their leader who called himself J'alKatt told me they were going home but that I couldn't come. They dropped me off right up here in the Witchfire Mountains and here I've been ever since."

Alex studied him for a moment; he appeared to be the right age, but in very good shape for a man in his mid sixty's. He wore a short and well trimmed grey beard, along with graying hair. Kiggham then spoke,

"When we found Roy, he had himself a nice little camp set up, very well hidden, small fire, and a snow sheep hanging on a rack. We couldn't figure out who this fellow was, he certainly wasn't Elvin, not a dwarf. As we started to move he dropped out of a tree right in front of me. Needless to say we were impressed."

"That's right," added VonDran. "I've been hunting since I was a little kid. Jackrabbits, feral hogs, even a pronghorn or two, a country boy can survive.

Well sir, Kiggham made me a nice offer and I certainly didn't have anything else going on so I joined up with him, what's it been now Kigg, something like forty three yarns now we've been running these hills."

Alex then said,

"I noticed that when we landed here, those buildings and houses tucked into the mountainside remind me of Mesa Verde, interesting."

"Eh you noticed that did you?" replied Roy, "Believe it or not that was my idea, cliff dwellings down in Arizona comes to mind. Anyway folks was getting sick living in that cave, so I told Kiggham here we could do a whole lot better, you ought to see them places, them old Anasazi would be proud to see what we've built up there, hell! We've even got running water." Then Roy put his head down for a moment then quietly said,

"You know I've given my heart and soul for these people, they are my family certainly no earthman could come close to the pride and honor Kiggham and his people have. You know my marine training came in quite useful, my Nam training as well. We've got a great bunch of guys, a few ladies too, that would put them old Viet Cong to shame. So far queen Breca pretty much leaves us alone and we don't bother her, even rescue a few from time to time that get lost up here. Anyway, were they ever to come after us we'd give them such an ass-whooping they'd never bother us again." Even though Roy was well into his prime, Alex saw fire in the man's steely eyes.

"So I take it your not interested in returning to earth with us?" Asked Alex.

Roy sighed and shook his head.

"Kelly there already asked me that, and the answer is a solid no. I'm bound to this life, Kigg and I are like brothers, there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. However I did write out a couple letters, I'd like you to send. One for my family back in Amarillo, the other for the marine corps, I imagine they have me down as AWOL I'm sending along one of my dog tags as well as my old military ID. As for my family, I had a younger brother, as well as an older sister. Dad took off when I was twelve, and ma…Hard to say if she's still living in Amarillo, maybe my brother and sister are as well, who knows? Anyway, if you'd see that the letters get delivered it would ease my mind and let everyone know I ain't dead."

He then took out a battered leather pouch and pulled a couple cards out.

"I haven't carried these with me for yarns but I dug 'em out 'cause I knew you was coming. This one's my Texas driver's license, it expired back in 72. Here's my military ID." Alex looked at the picture on the military one; it was a faded picture of a young Roy VonDran just a couple years older than he was now.

"I'll bet when they took this you had no idea of the adventure you were about to go on," observed Alex. Roy chuckled,

"No sir, not by a long shot, but you know it's an adventure I wouldn't change for the world, no sir!"

"So what do you guys hunt with or use as weapons?" Asked Alex, Roy grinned, and went over to a corner of the room.

He returned with what Alex knew as a compound bow as well as a small crossbow.

"When I was in the Nam, I had a friend named Jeff Akins who was crazy for bow hunting. He came from Michigan and all he could talk about was hunting deer and even bear with a bow like this one. He also spoke about a man he considered a "god." Ever hear of Fred Bear?" Alex shook his head.

"Well old Fred was really into developing these bows. I built this one strictly from memory of the bow Jeff had. I've made a few improvements over the yarns and along with broad head arrows, there's nothing more deadly, it's all we hunt with."

"I've seen bows like these in stores,' said Alex, "Nowadays they're all camouflaged, and a lot more pulleys, and counterweights, they even have red dot sights for them now. I can't promise anything Mr. VonDran," he continued, "But I'll try and get you one when we go back to earth, I'll look for the razor inserts for the arrows as well." VonDran studied him for a moment then said to Kiggham.

"Alex here represents the kind of people I come from, I just wish Jeff was here, we'd have us a real team!"

"What ever happened to him?" Asked Alex, Roy shrugged,

"I don't know, I came home on leave then got picked up before I got back, maybe he's dead, maybe not, all I know is that he said he lived up in the UP, some place named Newberry I think. Funny, I haven't thought about him for a dog's age hope he made it out of the Nam all right?"

"Well I'll try and find him," replied Alex.

Then Kelly managed to get a word in,

"Are you really going back to earth?" She asked.

"Kinda looks that way," replied Alex, Stapkas and his sister are from Ruddoria, their folks are giving them a couple years to run around the galaxy, and generally do whatever they want, right now they want to see earth. I know you haven't been very happy lately, so here's your chance to go home." Kelly then began to glare at him,

"Are you trying to get rid of me? Because if you are…"Alex stepped back at the anger forming on her face.

"Now wait a minute Kelly, You acted like you were homesick and just wanted to go home." Shaking her head, Kelly snapped back.

"Who are you to decide what I want or don't want? If we're going to earth well that's fine, maybe I'll give mom a call, but regardless of what you think Alex, I'm in this for the long haul!"

"Well excuse the hell out of me!" He snapped; I guess that settles that question.

"It sure does, by the way, is Bria coming as well?"

"As far as I know she is."

"Oh goody, hey Bria!"

"f*****g women!" He muttered. Then seeing his chance to speak with Kiggham, Alex approached the Elvin chief.

"Uh sir? I want to apologize for blasting all that rock down on your rear entrance; we really had no idea on how to get Kelly back other than to come in with superior firepower." Kiggham looked at him sternly,

"That's funny," he replied, "That's exactly what we would have done, and as for that "door" we use it from time to time especially when snow sheep wander up the mountainside, but believe me, we'll never be trapped up here." Trying to come up with something else to say, Alex asked.

"Before we head back to earth we're going to have to make a stop in Gwyn Wood, the queen is going to want to know what happened." Kiggham studied him for a moment then led Alex off to the side.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Oh god! Here we go again," he thought.

"Well sir, I'm just a walking vault of classified knowledge, one more secret won't make any difference, of course I can keep a secret." Kiggham gave him a puzzled look then said,

"Breca is my half sister; we've never really gotten along very well. Oh we don't hate each other or anything like that she just has a different view on life than I do. Don't ever tell anyone that you know this I'm trusting you." Alex then raised his right hand,

"I swear on my oath never to tell sir, and quite honestly, it really makes no difference to me.

"I believe you Alex, well as for the queen, just tell her your friend trusted the wrong person but everything's straightened out now." Then Alex asked,

"Uh sir, you know I can keep a secret, but what about all those pixies, fairies, and leprechaun's not to mention all those centaurs?" Kiggham sighed,

"They are a problem that's why I won't allow them up here, and it's one of the reasons my sister and I don't see eye to eye, but that's a story for another time. But right now it's closing in on dawn and breakfast time, stay and enjoy our hospitality."

Alex and the others wholeheartedly agreed, looking forward to something to eat.

While they ate, He got to meet Roy's children, Stapkas called Tiag in so before long she, Kelly, and Bria were thick as thieves,

"Plotting against me," thought Alex. He met Kiggham's brother Hinald, his wife Gayn, along with Roy's younger son Gerrith and daughter Naxa.

Friendly but serious at the same time he observed.

"You know, he told Roy, "you guys are like the western pioneers. People like Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, even the mountain men, all doing their own thing away from civilization."

"I've thought of that many a time," replied Roy, "However Kiggham and his people just like living their lives in the traditional way, I admire that. Don't get me wrong though, every now and then we'll slip down into Weyurn to trade meat and hides for hard goods."

"All the towns folk know us, and while they prefer town life once in awhile you'll see 'em wandering around up here wishing they had the guts to live up here like us." Later, mentioning the fact that human genes didn't seem to have much effect to Kelly,

"They all look pretty Elvin to me."

"Oh it doesn't start to show up until the second generation," replied Kelly, I think the queen told me that." He also spent more time with Roy, taking his picture, as well as some of him and his family. All too soon the time came to say goodbye.

"We will definitely stop back on our return," said Alex, Hopefully I'll have good news to tell you."