Cha'Nara's Gift

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Gold Rush

It had become obvious that that card had the password on it, Emily and Cha'Nara started checking the navigation computer, while I finished installing the now re-charged power tube. All the lights were on some were blinking, Pip spoke up, "The control, I can now move it, I can go home now, Oh thank you, Thank You both." Cha'Nara then saw the expressions on our faces, and became alarmed, "What is wrong? I can go home now!" I spoke up, "That's fine Pip we're happy for you, but we're broke, we have no more money," Cha'Nara suddenly realized what we were upset about, quickly loosing her smile and slumping down in her seat. "I am so sorry, I am always thing of myself, I said I would help you and I will, I am just a selfish girl, you two could have turned me in stolen my craft, but you helped me at great personal risk and cost, please forgive me, I will stay until you no longer need my help." Emily reached over and hugged her.

Emily and Cha'Nara finished up their computer check. As they were finishing, I said, "Before we do anything, we're gonna have to take a little road trip." Emily looked at me and said, "Road trip? To where." "I want to re-locate our little operation closer to the action; I'd like to take a drive over to places like Cripple Creek, Georgetown, Nederland, and Central City. I just hope we not too late, snow comes early up there, we need to locate someplace where we can set up operations, and hide this thing. I think tomorrow would not be too soon, you're dad told me I could borrow his pick-up so we'll go in that, Pip you're going too, and no, it isn't because we don't trust you, but I'll want you're input on places we might be able to hide your "unit" plus we truly enjoy your company." Cha'Nara was actually tickled to join us, "Won't I be noticed?" Emily said, "You and I will pay a visit to a clothing store, that skin-toned make-up I got you will disguise your face and hands, I'm not worried."

We carefully concealed the converter, and generator, covered our tracks and closed up the Crate for the night. Now that a lot had been taken off our minds, Emily and I made love renewing all the passion that had taken a backseat to our pre-occupation with Cha'Nara, and her spacecraft. Emily was a Hellcat of passion and love, but on the other hand, maybe it was because we were doing it on her old bed, and her parents might be listening. At breakfast, I decided I couldn't put off any more, what my basic accounting had painfully screamed at me. "Emily, I think we're going to have to sell the bike, and soon, before the snow comes," "No! why?" "Because we're broke, we barely have anything left in our account; we've got to use the money to buy a truck, and a used one at that." Emily glared at me, "You promised to teach me to ride," "And I will, just not on that bike," "It's part mine, I won't let you sell it, I love that bike." "I know you do, but facts are facts, we need a truck, I can't keep asking you're dad if I can borrow his truck, he needs it, he's got a ranch to run." Emily began to look very sad, Cha'Nara excused herself and left the kitchen.

"We'll get another bike, we're out of money baby, I don't like it any better than you, but we have to face facts. Oh, one more thing, I've reconsidered you're idea about winning the lotteries, we're gonna need seed money to buy stuff we're going to need when we go back in time, let's find out who's got the biggest jackpot right now." Emily looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Just hold off for a little while on selling the Harley, let's see what we can pull in from these lotteries first, OK?" "All right, but not for long."

Emily got on the internet, and discovered the Mega millions game was up to 50 million dollars, and with the mealier option you could win up to four times the original amount, and if we won, we would have to go to Denver to claim our prize, plus there was a possibility that others might have the same numbers. "It's a chance we'll just have to take," I said. The next drawing was Friday, and this was Wednesday, so we had a little elbow room. "I'll stay here, you and Cha'Nara go, all you should need to do is "bump" up a couple of days, they announce at 9:00pm so take you're cell phone with you to call the lottery. As soon as you get the numbers beat feet it back here, we'll run down to the Flying J, and buy the ticket, OK?" "Right on it lover, Cha'Nara! Let's ride."

Emily picks up the story

This was to be the first test of whether Cha'Nara's "unit" would work, both of us were nervous as Hell; we took our places in the two front seats and slowly went through every bit of data concerning our location. Earlier, we had successfully translated GPS data into the Vagan computer system, now we were putting it to the test. After all systems checked out, Cha'Nara initiated the power up procedure. Everything was "go" as we checked the navigation again. Since we would be remaining in the same place it was only a matter of changing the time/space continuum, or "folding space" as Cha'Nara called it. She set the destination to "same" and the travel time to 35 "Arm's" as they referred to hours, the fact that Vagan hours are slightly shorter than ours was taken into consideration. Once everything was ready, Cha'Nara merely tapped the control, the data on the screen indicated we had traveled 35.5 hours into the future. If all went well, it should be a little after 9:00pm on Friday, I exited the craft and noted that it was indeed dark out; I called the lottery center and asked for the winning Mega million numbers. 10-18-21-42-12 with the mealier option of 4. I returned to the spacecraft, and we began the reverse navigation process that would get us back home.

The data said we had returned to our original destination and time, Cha'Nara and I shut everything down and headed for the house.

Deak continues

Emily and Cha'Nara walked into the kitchen, big smiles on their faces, "Worked like a charm lover, here's the numbers, let's get down to the flying J right away." we piled in the truck and drove to Limon, and the Flying J truck stop, I gave the clerk the numbers and added the multiplier option for each number and held that ticket like it was pure gold, we were all nervous as Hell on the ride home, we actually taped the ticket to the inside wall of Pip's craft, now it was just a matter of sweating it out until Friday. The next day, Emily went into Limon to the Goodwill store, and put together a real nice wardrobe for Cha'Nara, she found a lot of cute things for Pip to wear. After showing Cha'Nara what went best with what, Cha'Nara looked like any other teenager with the exception of her hair and skin.

Emily picks up the story

I found some terrific clothes for Cha'Nara at the goodwill, I was really becoming attached to her, she was becoming like a sister to me, I dreaded the day when she would have to return home. When I got back to the ranch, I went out to the barn to get Cha'nara, I heard the radio playing, that new song by Owl City with Carly Rae Jepson, I came around the corner of the large crate we built to conceal the spacecraft and saw Cha'Nara jumping and dancing to the song, I secretly watched her for a moment, poor girl, she was trying so desperately to fit into our world, or as Heinlein wrote, "Stranger in a Strange Land" Cha'Nara appeared happy enough, I let her finish her dance and then approached her. "Cha'Nara, I got some stuff for you to wear, let's go try them on, and see how they look on you OK?"

Deak Continues

I had been helping Emily's dad around the ranch lately to try and pay back some of the hospitality he and Mrs. Carter had shown us, I spent most of the day tilling up a couple fields for him, and tomorrow, I offered to fix some fences that cattle were getting out of. Tomorrow was crunch time, the suspense was taking its toll on all of us, Emily and I were snapping at each other, something we rarely did, even Pip seemed unusually short tempered.

Friday night at nine we were glued to the TV, this was it, this was the play at the plate, it seemed like an eternity until the numbers of Mega Millions was announced, 10-18-21-42-12, Emily forgot where she was and uttered her favorite phrase, "Out, f*****g, Standing!" her parents were also in the room watching, but I'm pretty sure her little Faux pas went unnoticed, the room erupted in shouts of joy, remembering the words to a Billy Crystal movie, all I could think of was "Rich, rich we're gonna be rich!'

We all started hugging each other, then Emily had to spoil it by asking, "I wonder if anyone else got the same numbers?" well, first things first, is you're name written on the back of the ticket?" Emily waved the ticket at me, "Yes!" "Good, we might as well go to the claims office in Denver, on our way out to the mountains, I wanted to check out some likely areas to establish a base of operations." Mr. Carter was nice enough to let us borrow his truck again, now that we had won, I'd buy him a new one, and buy this off of him for us, thus allowing me to keep the Harley.

Well, it looked like it was road trip time; the girls and I piled into Mr. Carters Dodge and headed for Denver, and points west with pretty much what was left of our savings. While rolling along, we tried to figure out how much we would really end up with. Pip was being pretty stoic about the whole thing; she still wasn't sure what was really going on, other than we needed it. "Let's see," said Emily, "If we win the whole thing, and they skim 29% off the top for taxes we should get around 35 million, if we have to split with someone else, that get's us 25 million, 295 off that gets us, a little over 17 million, still not bad for "seed money." About that time that infectious little song by Owl City with Carly rae Jepson chiming in came on the radio, Cha'Nara started bouncing, and attempting to sing along, soon we were all singing;

Woah-oh-oh-oh

It's always a good time

Good morning and good night

I'll wake up at twilight

It's gonna be allright

We don't even have to try

It's always a good time

Woah-oh-oh-oh woah-oh-oh-oh

Cha'Nara admitted that this was her favorite song, she had no idea what the lyrics meant, she just loved the beat. We located the Lottery claims office on Colorado Street in Denver, but it was closed, another eight to five cushy state government job only open Monday to Friday. "Well kids, guess we'll have to catch them on the rebound, we'll spend the weekend checking out some sites, then hit this place Monday morning." We made sure that ticket was well secured, then headed down I-25 towards Colorado Springs, and Cripple Creek. "According to all my research, the area around Cripple Creek is our best chance for picking up gold and locating a base of operations there," said Emily, "plus there's still a large gold mining operation located there, on top of that, gold discovery was rather late, in the 1890's, wouldn't have to worry so much about Indians attacking us, the Pikes peak rush was from 1858 until 1861, the Indians were still a force to contend with, I think this is our best choice Deak." "I think you're right, the closer to the twentieth century we are, the better, plus they're still mining around here."

We drove around the Cripple Creek/Victor area but not really seeing anything worth the trouble, at the end of the day, we checked into the Westward Ho motel, each room was like a different building in a western town, I think this is where my inspiration for "Deakstown " originated. We got a room with two double beds, Cha'Nara would have one all to herself, Emily and I would share the other. I went over to a convenience store across the street, to pick up some snacks and beer, on my return, I heard music coming from the room, I found Emily and Pip dancing, Emily was singing Lady GaGa's song "Paparazzi"