Where Have All the Dragons Gone?

Chapters

Chapter 1: Where did they go, George?
Chapter 2: Evansville, Indiana
Chapter 3: Louisville, Kentucky
Chapter 4: Louisville, Kentucky, part two.
Chapter 5: Interlude, Parkersburg, WV
Chapter 6: Wheeling, WV
Chapter 7: Pittsburgh, PA.
Chapter 8: Louisville, take two.
Chapter 9: Return to New Orleans

Chapter 1: Where did they go, George?

Monday, 11 September 2017, Nashville Street Pier, New Orleans, Louisianne

The crew of the Mississippi Voyager gathered under a shed at the Nashville Street Pier, a crew that had seen some alterations since arrival back in New Orleans six weeks before. A new gasifier had been installed, one improved over the older model. The ship itself had been overhauled, the forward two cargo cans having been widened by three feet to help accommodate vehicles, along with a drop-down ‘second floor’ to add capacity. It would still be a very tight fit for vehicles. Sonar and Radio both got comprehensive overhauls, as had the electrics and weapons. The four ‘surprise packages’ had been inspected and found fit.

The crew had some changes as well. First Officer Julia Crowne had been transferred to the Mississippi Star, as its Captain. She was replaced by a female Abyssinian, one who had spent time Before as a harbor tug pilot. Her name was Esther Lindley, a fastidious white-furred Abyssinian who had passed all of Howard’s qualification tests and had been signed on as Third Officer, with Carroll Milsap moving up to First and Harry Bell to Second.

Engineering had two additions as well, an Ornithian female who was an auto mechanic Before, and a young earth pony apprentice who could handle machinery and wanted to learn how to run the riverboats. The two, Liz Ruiz and Dexter Potter, were aboard to train on the engineering gear because the Chief Engineer and the Welder, Frack and Bernie Larson, would be leaving the crew after the current run, the reason being that on the way back down from Kansas, Bernie had tested pregnant, and they were willing to make one more run before returning to Maasvlakte for the birth of their foal.

The last new addition is a young unicorn mare from Amsterdam, Jessica van Alten, who was a doctor Before, but a newly-graduated one, and thought studying under a more experienced doctor abroad could only be of benefit. The WSU approved of the plan, because they needed reps on each of the riverboats, and the numbers willing were quite low. A journeyman doctor could be spared for a time.

Another person who would be aboard, though not as a crewman, was a friend of the crew, Ambassador Ivan Pestov, the gargoyle who was assigned to Saint Louis to watch over the dragon/unicorn pair, Casimir and Coronavirus. After said pair flew to Lecompton to visit the Starbush and her tenders, they readily changed their ways and willingly went along with the ‘new regime’, losing all sullenness and co-operating with the Saint Louis group with enthusiasm, to the point where little Rosa happily climbed up Casimir’s back for ‘flying lessons’.

Queen Marie looked over the assembled ponies and others, the only one not present being the cook, Jason McTerry. “Good afternoon, all. This mission briefing will be kept short, because I know your chef is cooking dinner, and one thing I enjoy is an informal dinner with ponies. I don’t have enough of them…” she concluded to a collective smile and occasional giggle from the crew.

“Your job this time is to go up the Ohio River, to make contact with the dragon-controlled cities of Evansville, Louisville and Cincinnati. Ambassador Pestov will be in charge of negotiations, and he knows my wishes in this matter. My main concern is, will the dragons, despite their recent setbacks, want to invade Louisianne? Can they round up sufficient numbers to do so? I hope not.

“Another thing to discover is, are there more settlements we don’t know about? Maybe up a side river? That is why your bays three through five have been loaded with ‘trade goods’, items that a struggling group of ponies could use to get up on their hooves.

“Captain Crane – you are in charge of the expedition. You are expected to heed advice from Ambassador Pestov, but you keep in mind the ship and crew come first. Same with you, Ambassador. Work together, but the Captain has the final word. I want information and you will get it.

“To the rookies – heed the crew, because they have been out there. If the Captain and First Officer or Chief Engineer decide you’re not good enough, they do have the authority to put you off anywhere. Who knows, you may wind up on another ship. I’m not going to apologize for taking your First for the Star, Captain Crane, but our trustworthy executive talent is a very shallow pool.

“Any questions I’ll handle over dinner. When we dine, damn protocol! Just be yourselves, okay?” Marie concluded. “Let’s eat!” The Captain went to the Queen’s side and escorted her aboard the Voyager, where the Lounge was laid out for a buffet dinner that would cater to all the different species. After said dinner, the Queen left relaxed and happy, and the crew knew what was wanted, and expected, from them. How Jason made the mint juleps that the Queen enjoyed so much, nobody knew. That was between him and Her Majesty.

Tuesday at ten, after a last-minute supply top-off, including fuel and water, the Voyager headed out, going northbound through the stagnant bayou the lower Mississippi had become after its course was diverted two years before. Thanks to the yard time and drydocking for hull inspection, the converted barge was able to move two knots faster than before. The new matching screws, taken off a pair of salvaged tugboats, helped in that. They were able to reach North Point by sunset, enabling them to drop supplies and overnight there while doing a full systems check. As hoped for, there was very little that needed tweaking. The shipwrights in New Orleans were learning more with every boat they built. Privately, Howard was jealous of Julia, who was commanding the Mississippi Star, the newest of the riverboats, but he was proud of his ship and crew.

Their next stop was just up the river, in Natchez, just long enough to drop some supplies to the group that was left there six months before, a colony that had grown from five to ten, thanks to a load dropped off by the Ranger. After dropping the load, the ship proceeded to Memphis, docking on Saturday for a long weekend there, both to allow the doctors time to confer, and to link up with the Ranger, coming back from Kansas City with a load of potions, meteor metal, and a few other choice goods from upstream. Not that the Voyager needed anything, but it’s always a good idea to top up supplies on hoof when the opportunity comes about. You never knew when you would need them. Plus, the Ranger was crewed by friends of the crew of the Voyager, and meeting up was rare. It was decided that if two ships happened to meet up, a ‘gossip stop’ of up to three days was allowed to do some cross-pollination of ideas and observations.

Next stop after Memphis was New Madrid, Missouri. Not because there was any real need to stop, but Frack knew of a granary there where they could load some barrels of grain into hold number two. Plus, it was a good way to check if the stored grains were still good. The sealed barrels were just fine. The silos, however… has anyone ever witnessed synchronized puking before? Doctor van Alten spray-painted several large ‘do not open’ symbols on the silo doors. Everyone else had moved off to recover, and were too shaky to work the spray paint cans. One of the benefits and drawbacks of being a unicorn, right?

28 September 2017, 1100 hours, Cairo, Illinois

The ship, instead of veering left to follow the Mississippi to Saint Louis, turned right, to follow the Ohio River north and east. Captain Crane lowered the ship’s speed to half-power, before calling an all-hooves-and-hands meeting in the Lounge. “Now, we are heading into unknown territory. We are going to limit forward speed to half-ahead, as well as docking every night. The person in Control has to be extra-vigilant, watching for any river obstructions, be they trees, rocks, cargo containers, wrecked hulls, and such.

“Another thing we have to do is watch for dams and locks. We’re going to have to figure out ways to open and close the locks, otherwise we’re not going any farther upriver. I would think our mages will bear the brunt of opening and closing the doors, but I can hope the task is going to be easier than I’m thinking about. I know we’ll be hitting one before we reach Evansville, and another just outside Louisville.

“Our sailing time will be daylight-only, unless I change it personally. I know days are getting shorter as winter closes in, but that’s something we’re just going to have to deal with.

“Ambassador Pestov, can you tell us what you have learned about the dragons living upriver?” Howard asked.

“Yes, I can, slim as it is,” the hulking gargoyle said as he stood up, all seven-feet plus of him. “What we do know is that since Casimir and Impedimenta called in to Vladimir after Zvezda became the Starbush, there has been no answer to any calls made by either of them to the other three links in the comm chain. What that means, nobody can truthfully answer. That’s one reason why we going on this trip. I learn much from Casimir and Coronavirus about how the dragons maintained their pecking order, and maybe the knowledge will be useful. Why they not answer? We find out, da?”

“That we will, Ivan,” Chief Officer Milsap said from where she stood, next to Howard. “We will be cruising from one hour past sun-up to one hour before sundown. If we find a place to dock, we will. Otherwise, we anchor mid-stream. That’s purely elementary safety. One other thing the deck officers will be doing is as good of a sonar scan of the bottom as we can manage. Once maps are made of hazards, we can pick up some more speed.”

“We should be arriving at the first set of locks either late tomorrow or early the day after. How we’re going to operate them, I just don’t know right now. We’re just going to have to go up and look. Every time I have been this way, others worked the locks. Now, it’s our turn,” Howard explained. “Here’s hoping we’re up to the challenge.”

Arnie van Dyke, the soon-to-be Chief Engineer, asked a question. “How did the dragons make it down from Cincinnati? There were what, six flatboats they had built and sailed down the Ohio with.”

Ivan handled that question. “They had powerful dragon with them. Telekinesis or teleporting can answer that. Not far, one boat at a time, passes obstacle. Take time, can do.”

“We’ll find out when we get to the first lock, which should be in about two days, taking our time. This first pass, caution is called for. We’re in no hurry,” Howard told the crew.

“Ah can accept that. Once we get to the first lock, maybe we can fahnd out somethin’,” Arnie drawled.

“That’s right. So, let’s get started. Upstream at half power!” Howard declared.

30 September 2017, 1000 hours, Smithland Locks & Dam, Ohio River

The Voyager was stopped at the lock and dam, most of its crew out trying to puzzle out how to operate the locks manually. They were down in the lock works, tracing out systems. One thing that had been found was that the hydraulic lines operating the doors had been messily severed, hydraulic oil pooled over the floors. “Well, ah can figure out how they all operated the doors,” Arnie Van Dyke drawled as he looked at the wreckage.

“How do you figure that, Arnie?” Howard asked, being in the works with his crew.

“They used unicorn magic to open and close the doors aftuh severin’ the hydraulic lines. Open doors, pull in, close doors, use manual bypass valves to raise or lowah the water level, then operate the doors. If the pressure is roughly equal, it won’t be too hard to move the doors,” Arnie told the Captain. “Plus, they had a dragon with them. If unicorn magic wasn’t enough, dragon strength will.”

“Good point,” Esther said, looking around the lock works. “We’re going to have to find the manual bypasses for up and down. It’s opening the doors from the downstream side that’s going to be hard.”

“Ah can gimcrack somethin’. If not, we’re goin’ to have to find a town to raid foah parts,” Arnie said quietly, looking all around the works.

“What do you have in mind, Arnie?” Frack asked.

“Cables, a pulley, and using the forward winch. Mount the pulley up on the sahd, stick an eye on the upstream sahd of a door, run cable from door to pulley to winch, then pull the door open. This is after the watuh has been raised or lowered. Once we get the door moved some, and the levels settle, finishing the job will be easy-peasy,” Arnie reported in his usual slow drawl.

Howard looked at Frack, who looked back at his captain and gave a slight nod. “Make it so, Mister van Dyke. See if we have the materials aboard, and form a working party. Let’s see what you can organize,” he commanded.

“Sho’ nuff, Cap!” Arnie said with a smile, his horn sparkling a little as he thought.

It wasn’t until the next day that they managed to get through the lock, a quick trip to Paducah was called for to get parts needed, one of which is a dinghy for Arnie to stand in to weld eyes on the upstream side of the lock doors. The procedure did work, but was slow. As Chief Officer Milsap observed, “Practice makes perfect. By the time we get back to New Orleans, we’ll have this worked out.”

Three days later, after traversing the IL-IN-KY lock and dam, the Mississippi Voyager arrived at their first city of interest, Evansville, Indiana, the home of the dragon known as Nikolai, his unicorn aide Getafix, and a colony of about thirty beings of mixed types. What startled the lookouts was the complete lack of smoke from fires over the city.

Ivan took flight with Chief Milsap to scout things over. “I was informed that dragon colony was in town, close to the LST boat. Good central place, because ship was easily made working with little work. I see no traces of any ponies here. Fields to north look untended for some time. Investigate ship, Captain?” he asked Howard over the radio.

“Go ahead, Mister Pestov. We need to find out where everypony went to. Investigate and report back, you and Chief Milsap. We’ll pull alongside and try to tie up outboard of the LST,” Howard told the Ambassador.

“Away party yes says, Captain,” Ivan acknowledged before slinging his radio. Looking at Carroll, Ivan pointed to the deck of the ship. The mismatched pair glided to a landing on the deck close to the superstructure, Ivan landing with a loud thump. While gargoyles could fly, they are not the best at it.
“Where the hell did everypony go?” Carroll asked after landing.

“Bog knows, we don’t. Not yet. Let us head inside, da?” Ivan puffed, pointing to a door that was dogged shut.

“Sounds like a plan,” Carroll agreed as she approached the door. She reached for the locking handle, and it moved before she could. “What the?”

Ivan’s arms lit up as he focused mana for a spell as the door slowly swung open. “Chief, careful!” he called out as Carroll quickly backpedaled.

Author's Note

Yes, this was Chapter 17 of Voyager. Good place to start the next phase. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I'll have the next chapter done and posted. It's started, so I have something to guide me. Hey, at least I'm able to get THIS far, so give me a break! Long Covid is hard on a person. At least I survived it.

I would like to know WHY. Life is hell...

Chapter 2: Evansville, Indiana

The dogs on the door swung to the right before the door did, the handle moving in the same way. When the door opened, a diamond dog awaited on the other side, dressed in cut-down dungarees, a blue shirt, and a hat pinned to his rather curly hair that proclaimed ‘LST-325’ in gold lettering across the front. “Well, well… visitors! If you’re looking for the tour, you’re in time, I sure got lots of it. Just who are you anyhow? For that matter, WHAT are you, especially you, big gray fellow!” the dog said, as bombastically at ease as Doctor Lucien is much of the time.

The two from the Voyager exchanged a quick glance. “I’m Chief Officer Carroll Milsap of the Mississippi Voyager, and this is Ivan Pestov, Ambassador plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Louisianne,” Carroll said as politely as she could. “And you are, sir?”

“I’m Jackson Reynaud. My grandfather sailed on this ship back during the war, and once it came to Evansville, I jumped right aboard keeping it shipshape, just like he told me about it. Now, I’m captain, chief cook and bottle washer aboard ever since Yuri took his aide and as many who wanted to run with him out of town. Only other one here is the Engineer, Elaine Meyer. She’s down checking the auxiliary generators. Come on in and I’ll make you some coffee, okay? Been a while since anyone came knockin!” Jackson said, words eagerly falling from his muzzle as he led the rather perplexed pair towards the living area of the ship, namely the galley.

Lights were on inside the ship, but not all, every other light being out. Most doors were shut in the passageway. “Pardon the gloom, partners, but since everyone left except Elaine and me, we don’t keep everything open. We done got enough provisions to last us pretty much through winter. You the river sailors that got the dragons in a bother?” Jackson asked.

“Da, Captain, that be us. You listen to radio from WSU?” Ivan asked in his somewhat stilted English.

“If we ain’t tinkering with the ship, not much else TO do, is there?” Jackson said with a bit of a laugh as he prepared a coffee pot. “Nice to know there are others out there to chat about, it just that none of us know how to access those frequencies to call out. Far as I know, we ain’t got the radio to DO it with.”

“That, we can help with, Captain Reynaud. Part of our mission is to find other ponies or what else are around the rivers and offer assistance and tools if desired. You here are welcome to ask for anything we can provide. If I may ask, just what is the condition of the LST?” Carroll asked as the aroma of fresh coffee made its presence known.

Jackson was bustling around the galley, getting Navy glass cups and wood stir sticks out of a cabinet, plus almost-fresh bread and peanut butter. “Ah’m sure we COULD set sail in the next day or so, but to be honest, ah would want a full detailed inspection first. We’re just about full up on fuel, water, stores and parts, but our last inspection was two days before everyone took a powder, and that was back in early July. Better safe than sorry with a seventy-year-old ship, yes?”

“Can’t say no to that, Captain. Your partner, what is she? A unicorn, Abyssinian, or what?” Carroll asked. “Ivan’s a gargoyle and I’m a griffin.”

“Elaine’s a part-time parrot, a full-time yenta, and an all-around technical wizardess. She and her husband ran a repair shop here started by their grandparents back before the War. Sheer determination and customer happiness kept the place going. Too bad Reuben died of a heart attack the month before all this hoop-de-doo happened. She had yet to reopen, and everything was still locked up and intact when we started Returning. I was one of the first, she came around a week later,” Jackson told the pair as he got coffee poured and served, and bread sliced. “We done finished the coffee cake this morning,” he said apologetically.

“Not to worry, Captain Reynaud. May I call my ship and ask them to bring some goodies over, so we can have a good chat?” Carroll asked, holding up her radio.

The diamond dog grinned happily. “Why, sure! It would be an honor to host some talks! And, when not being officious, call me Jake. Been called that since I was a kid.” he told the two.

“Okay, then! I’m Carroll, and this is Ivan. Now, let me call my captain,” Carroll said genially as she walked to a porthole and opened it. “Chief to captain. How about bringing some goodies over for a talking with?”

“Sure! Give me twenty minutes to organize matters, and ask permission for us to tie up alongside. We may have to go in and out via the tank deck, if we can’t get the gangways up that high,” Captain Crane replied.

“Tell him that’s just fine, and I’ll have the lower deck door opened for them!” Jake called across the mess decks.

“Tell him I heard, and we’ll move to the bay doors. Head up to handle lines, okay?” Howard said.

“Will do, Captain. Chief out.” Carroll said before backing away from the porthole, closing it and rehooking the radio to her harness.

As Carroll was doing that, Jake went to an intercom set placed in the bulkhead, flipped a switch and spoke. “Elaine, head to the boat deck and open the bay doors! We done got company!”

After a moment, a reply came. “Is it those Voyager folk we hear about on the radio?” she asked, her Hebrew accent prominent.

“Sure are! I got two here on the mess decks and the boat’s outside. They want to come over and visit!” Jake said cheerfully.

“Be good to see new faces. We’ve hardly seen anyone since the dragon took off with most of the colony! Let me pack up and head to the doors!” Elaine squawked merrily.

“Meet you there!”

All told, it took about an hour to get the Voyager securely moored to the 325, and after introductions, the 325 crew were talked into having the first meeting on the Voyager, which was agreed to when Jason altered the ventilation lineup to blow the scents of the kitchen out the door.

After a fine lunch and several hours of chatting, Captain Crane summed up what they had learned. “So, Yuri and Getafix took two thirds of the colony and hared off somewhere, which you never did find out. The rest of the colony scattered out into the country, coming to you for technical assistance and providing food in trade. Is that about right?”

Jake and Elaine looked at each other before nodding. “That’s the story in a nutshell, Howard,” Elaine squawked. “Getafix teleported the ponies and others, while Yuri flew off.”

“Which way did the dragon go, Miz Elaine?” Lucien asked.

Jake answered that question. “Northeast, mostly. Maybe a little more east than north,” he said, after scratching under his hat some.

“Not towards Louisville, then. More towards Cincinnati,” Harry said from where he sat. He had been studying the river charts intensely since they turned up the Ohio.

“You can say that, yes,” Jake agreed.

“What about Louisville? Did that dragon flee like this one?” Frack asked.

Jake and Elaine both shrugged. “That, we don’t know. Nobody’s come down and told us. That’s not far upriver, so think you can let us know what you find there?” Jake asked.

“That we can, via the WSU. We can search the city for some satphones for you and teach you how to use them,” Howard told their ‘hosts’. “Now, what about the remaining villagers?”

“I fly out to the farms two to three times a week,” the Ornithian said. “More to see if they need anything and to make sure we get our food shipments.”

“How about we spend a few days here, and see if we have anything they can use before we head upriver?” Howard asked. “Can you guide us to them?”

Elaine laughed at the questions. “You bet! I know mostly what is needed, but leading your fliers to them for a chat will go over well!”

“Then, you get with Harry to find out if what we have will fit their needs, and tomorrow, we’ll fly out to visit and scout the roads to see if they are still passable before loading the truck and heading out. Acceptable?” Howard asked the group.

Jake stood and held out a paw to Howard. “Sounds like a plan, Captain! Let’s get started!” Captain Crane ‘shook hands’ with Captain Reynaud, and the lunch party broke up to get started on picking out what may be needed for the ‘grocery runs’. All but Howard, who retired to his office to do ‘paperwork’, but actually went into a conference with Colonel Forrest in New Orleans, via crystal.

“So, they-all don’t know wheah the dragons done went to?” the Colonel drawled after Howard’s detailed report on the proceedings.

“So far, that’s it, Nate. We’re hoping some of the others who stayed behind have a better idea.”

“Okay, then. Your orders are to help out Evansville for a few days, find out what they need and give it to them. Designate Captain Reynaud as our contact point, make sure he has a radio that can reach us, and give him one of the smaller blue crystals. Either mahself or Her Majesty will train him. Do the same in Louisville and Cincinnati, and go all the way to Pittsburgh before turning back around.”

“Voyager copies orders, Colonel. Now let me get back to work.”

“Get to it, Howard. N’Awlins base out.”

For the next three days, the crew of the Voyager did just that, meeting with the six remaining members of Evansville, who lived on two new-start farms about a mile north of the LST, on Pigeon Creek. Each group of three consisted of an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus. One group had fields of various grains and vegetables, while the other was mostly fruit trees with some patches of grain. They both willingly accepted some tools and training to improve their lives.

The day before leaving, Captain Crane and Doctor Macombe were in downtown Evansville, intending to raid the police station for some powerful portable radios for the locals to keep in touch with each other. As they passed the jail, Lucien stopped in his tracks. “Trouble, Howie,” he muttered, a glow forming around his horn.

“What’s wrong, Lucien?” Howard asked quietly, the doctor’s attention clearly elsewhere.

“Somebody’s hurtin’, an’ it’s not far away. Lemme get a fix on him or her…” Lucien said quietly as he looked around, his red glow expanding like a cloud before it narrowed into a ray pointing down the street at a building. “That way.”

“Let’s go looking,” Howard said firmly as he followed the red glow, which got more vivid as they walked. The ray led to one building in particular.

“Sheriff’s Residence and Jail,” Howard said, reading the sign.

“Well, let’s bust our way in. What ah feel reminds me of Jenny McLaine from Leavenworth,” Lucien answered as the ray got more intense. “Yep, she’s in a bad way. Starvation, dehydration. It’s jailbreak tahm!”

“Let’s do this,” Howard said as he went to the door, not expecting to find it open. Having been proved correct, he gestured for Lucien to perform the honors. The red ray changed to a cloud again, surrounding the door lock and releasing it. The door swung open, and the pair resumed their search. Three doors later, they entered the jail proper.

It didn’t take long for them to find the source of the problem. They found a pegasus dangling from an upper bunk, her wing tangled in a support strut. Lucien, with Howard’s help, quickly got the stricken pegasus down. “Broken upper right wing, several strained ligaments, some vascular damage from hanging head down foah however long, dehydration and starvation. Call Aaron and have him bring the truck and Doctor van Alten here. This young lady needs tahm in mah sickbay,” he said in tones that meant he is not to be denied.

Howard did not take offense at the tones used. He knew that Lucien knew his business. “How about I fly back and bring them? I’ll call ahead.” he asked.

“Better than my plan. Go do it,” Lucien said distractedly as he carefully brought the mare to the floor.

“See you soon.”

Brenda Jourdain woke up in a strange room, definitely not the county jail. It took her a few minutes to notice her ‘altered form’, but in her drowsy state, she took it calmly. She laid in bed on her left side, idly looking at her wing in a cast, her hooves, her fur, her feathers, her mane, wondering what brought this on. Her fur is a sky-blue color, her mane ashy blonde like her hair was, her hooves glossy black, her wing feathers scarlet and pink mixed.

Her dreamy contemplation was interrupted by a pink and yellow unicorn and a blue-black bat-winged pony. “Helloo, Brenda! I am Doctor Jessica van Alten of Amsterdam, and this is Bernie Larsen, last of Saint Petersburg, Florida. How are you feeling now?”

Brenda took a few seconds to answer. “Drowsy, but waking. What happened to me and you?” she managed to say.

“We’ll tell you the full story, as we know it. Be glad of the potion fog, it will take the place of the booze you’ll be craving afterwards,” Bernie told the pegasus before starting the tale of the Event. Even with Jessica’s help answering the questions Brenda posed, it took a good two hours to finish the tale up to ‘now’.

“What will be my place in this new world?” Brenda asked.

Jessica countered with “What did you Before?”

“I was a courier. I delivered small cargoes of valuable substances around the country. Paid well, but I got a little careless here in Evansville and wound up in jail. Hopefully that won’t be a problem now.”

“No, not any more. Once your wing heals, we can see just how good a flier you are. Who knows, you may be able to get a job with Louisianne as a secure courier,” Jessica said with a smile. “With phones and radios, you have to worry about being overheard.”

“Couriers get around that. It’s what kept me in business for the past few years. How long am I stuck in bed?” Brenda asked.

We should be removing the cast in two days, then doing exercises to get wing strength back before we submit you to the tender mercies of our flight instructor,” Jessica said with a giggle.

“My husband Frack, who channels the spirit of R. Lee Ermey to get newbies off the ground. Don’t laugh, it works…” Bernie added in sarcastic tones, which set all three mares to laughing.

Author's Note

Hmmph... take two. Internet stuttered.

Somehow, I got 600+ words done today. Must have been that new mattress pad I installed last night. That, or something else.

Going to Vegas at the end of the month to celebrate my ..coughcoughahem.. birthday, and to do some apartment hunting. This part of Texas is dull, boring, and I hate being housebound. No buses here, plenty in Vegas. Hope it works.

When will I post chapter three? We will see when it will be. Depends on what idea hits me for the re-running of the Kentucky Derby. Until then.

Chapter 3: Louisville, Kentucky

Captain’s diary, October eighth, two thousand seventeen, ten hundred hours. After winning a two-day battle with the McAlpine Lock and Dam, the Voyager is closing in on Louisville, Kentucky. I have my air contingent out looking for signs of habitation in and around the city. Plans are to tie up near the Belle of Louisville paddleboats, to see if we can siphon some fuel out of the tanks. We topped off in Evansville, thanks to Captain Reynaud, but I want to be assured of adequate fuel in other places. Yes, we can use the gasifier, but I want to save that for going downstream, not up!”

Captain Howard Crane sat back in his office chair, put down the pen and rubbed his right wrist some. Yes, being a hippogriff gives him a perfectly usable set of hands, but the way a hippogriff’s claws are, compared to a human’s, makes using a pen difficult. “Ah should wrap this in duct tape, but then it gets a bit too clumsy to use…” he muttered as he got the stiffness out.

“Recon Viper One to Commander Adama,” Howard heard in his head, thanks to the communication gems given to the crew by Queen Marie back in New Orleans.

“This is Adama. Go ahead, Recon Viper One,” he ‘replied’ via crystal.

“Captain, I’m seeing signs of fields being tended to here in and near the intersections of I-64 and I-65. They are lush and varied. Permission to close in to see if ponies are near?” Frack asked the Captain.

“Go on ahead and do so, Viper One. Viper Two, you seeing anything interesting?” Howard asked his Second Officer, Harry Bell, who was flying along the north side of the river.

“Not much of anything here on the north side, Captain, just overgrowth and buildings going to ruin. Permission to join One on the south shore?”

“Harry, stay north. Got a pegasus coming up to me. Stay hid and watch,” Frack reported as Howard saw through Frack’s eyes a pink pegasus with white wings flying up from the fields to intercept Frack.

“Hurry! Follow me before Bart sees you!” the pink pegasus said with urgency, the tones marking the pegasus as a female.

“You lead, I’ll follow. Who is Bart?” Frack asked as he fell in behind the pegasus.

“He’s the boss here! He gets nasty about strangers taking what he thinks is his!” the pegasus explained as she winged under I-64 to a crudely-built shelter there, opening the door and urging Frack inside.

Once they were in, she shut the door with a hoof and relaxed by taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Much better! Are you off the Voyager?” she asked. “We’ve been expecting you for a while now. Sorry about not opening the locks for you, but the only one who knew how to do it left with the dragons. Bart may be awake now, but maybe not. He has a bit of a temper, he does,” the mare said in a rush.

“Easy there, slow down!” Frack said, patting the pink mare with a wing. “Slow down and try again. First, who are you, who is this Bart, and why should we worry about him?”

The pink pegasus shook herself some, visibly calming as she did. “Okay. I’m Julie Lowry, aerial superintendent and only pegasus who figured out how to fly before Nikolai took off for parts unknown, taking most of the population with him. Bart is a griffin who showed up two days after Nikolai left. He was some sort of gang boss Before, and now he thinks he runs the town. Well he does, after he slashed Jesus some. You have a doctor, right? Since July, he’s healed some, but he’s in a lot of pain still, and his wing’s not healing properly.”

“Yes, we do have a doctor. In fact, we have two. Now, how can we deal with Bart, so we can make deals here?” Frack asked.

“He’s taken over Galt House for his own. He generally comes out about nine, then flies south to hunt. He comes back around noon, then makes a pest of himself until nightfall, when he goes back to Galt House, and the rest of us head to our home at the ballpark. Nikolai and Cacofonix lived in the bullpen while we ponies took some of the luxury boxes,” Julie explained in a bit less of a breathless rush than before.

“Okay, then. Who’s left here, and what is the best way to approach Bart?” Frack asked, still keeping a wing over Julie.

Julie took a deep breath, then another. “Okay, there are eight of us left. Jesus is our leader, he’s a bat pony, but his left wing is shredded and a couple bones have not healed right, so he can’t fly. We have four earth ponies, they being Charlie, Patty, Sally and Linus. They do most of the crop tending. That is, Charlie and Patty do. Sally is six and Linus is four. The two unicorns, Igor and Rena, know some basic spells Cacofonix taught them before he left. They kept Jesus from getting worse, but don’t know how to make him better.”

“Okay, then, what about Bart? How should we handle him?” Frack asked, while making sure Howard was listening.

“He’ll come on like he owns the place, which in his mind, he does. We don’t want him around, but we can’t convince him to leave us be. If you can’t convince him to leave us be, how about talking him into backing off on demands of us? We’re not his slaves!” Julie snapped, letting her exasperation show about the situation of life in Louisville.

Frack patted the pegasus some, getting her calmed again. “The Captain is aware of what you said. We plan on tying up by the riverboats. Think he would come to the boat first or swing here to check on you?”

“Oh, he’ll go to the boat, if he sees it, which I’m sure he will. He will be loud and blustery, and he does know how to fight.” Julie said. “He does, none of the rest of us do.”

“The earth ponies should be able to stomp the snot out of him. Why don’t they?”

“Charlie and Patty are a married couple with two young kids, Sally and Linus. Bart can use a gun. They can’t.” Julie explained.

“That’s a good point,” Frack admitted, looking at the watch strapped around his left foreleg. “It’s coming up on half-past ten now. Why don’t you spread the word around town, and see if anyone wants to come meet us? Captain says he’ll put out a spread for lunch at noon. See you at the riverboat dock?”

Julie nodded. “I’ll do that. Pull up ahead of the riverboats. That is, upstream of them.” she shook her head vigorously, sending her mane flying. “Er, pass the riverboat THEN tie up! Safest that way!”

Frack chuckled as he gave Julie a hug. “Easy. I know what you mean. How old were you before the Event happened?”

“Not quite nineteen, working at a concession stand at the ballpark. I taught myself how to fly!” Julie said with an excited squeal.

“So did I, Julie. Now, let me report back to the Voyager, so we can get a welcome ready for Bart. See you in an hour or so?” Frack told the young mare.

“We’ll all be there!” Julie said eagerly as she opened the door to the shed, took several steps then took wing. Frack did the same.

“Ideas, Captain?” Frack sent to Howard.

“Two on Bridge watch, starting now. Jason’s getting a lunch ready for all, and a copy on mooring ahead of the boats. The Belle has a bit of a list to landward. Meet us there to handle lines, Eng.”

“Will do, Skipper!”

1125 am

“Lookout to Captain,” Brenda Jourdain sent from her post atop the Bridge. She could fly a little, mainly making it easy to get on the roof of the Bridge, but that was about it. “Griffon coming from the south.”

“Thank you, Brenda. I’m on it. Chief, with me.”

“Aye, Captain,” Carroll Milsap, his Chief Officer, replied, going to meet the captain on deck. Together, they flew up over the boat, easily spotting the noble visage of the oncoming classic eagle/lion griffin. However, the pair were unimpressed. They waited, hovering above the ship watching the griffin approach.

“Hey!” the griffin hollered as he came within range of the pair, coming to a stop out of easy claw range. “What do you think you’re doing here? You’re not taking my city from me!”

Howard was the first to speak. “I’m Howard Crane, captain of the Mississippi Voyager. You should know of us, if you have been listening to the shortwave or the AM at night, coming from New Orleans, WWL 870. We have no intention of taking any pony or any thing from you, but I do warn you, if you want to get nasty, well, so can we. Do look down, Mister Bart,” he said calmly, pointing with a claw at the Voyager.

Bart looked in the indicated direction, where he saw a machine gun pointing right at him, the barrel looking like he could fly through it without touching the sides. The grenade launcher alongside it moved in his direction as well. He shivered, making his hover shake some. “That is a rather convincing argument you have there. You would open fire on me?” he asked in a much less bombastic tone as before.

“In a heartbeat, if we think it’s needed,” Howard replied in flat tones. “Recall what happened to Zvezda, and what the dragons did.”

“Yeah, I heard the story. Now I believe it. Okay, no rough stuff. Are you going to do what you did in Evansville?” Bart asked.

“If you would like. We’re having a luncheon here in a little while. Why don’t you join us, tell us about your group, and see if we have some items you can use?” Howard offered.

Bart shivered some. Being in the line of fire of big guns was something he did NOT like, thank you very much. Immediately changing his plans, he said, “Sounds like a good idea, Captain Crane. Mind if I head to my den for a little bit? I have some ideas written out, and being in the line of fire has jolted them out of my mind!” he said with a little laugh, which had no visible impression on the hovering pair from the ship.

“Go ahead and do that, Mister Bart. Lunch is at noon, aboard the ship.” Howard glanced at his watch. “Twenty minutes.”

“I’ll be there!” Bart said before diving and turning, heading for Galt House.

“Think we made an impression on him?” Carroll asked her commanding officer.

“I’m positive of it. You, me, and anyone else who wants to, show up to luncheon visibly armed. That should put the skeer into him,” Howard said as the two flew back to the deck of the Voyager.

1210 pm

All the adults gathered in the Lounge, having helped themselves from the serving line, taking seats at the long table set up for everyone. The two foals, Sally and Linus, were with Doctor Macombe, sitting outside at a table, listening to him tell stories. Say what you want about him, he does have a way with littles.

At the long table, the ship’s crew sat on one side, while the Louisville residents sat on the other, Howard and Bart in the middle. “Now, can I hear about what life was like while the dragon was here, and why they took off for parts unknown?” Howard asked.

Jesus answered that question. He sat on Bart’s left, with Julie on Bart’s right. The earth ponies were to Julie’s right, while the unicorns were on Jesus’ left. “It really was not that bad under Nikolai. He set out goals for us to accomplish, mainly gathering loot. Cacofonix worked on helping us improve living conditions. They were sensible about matters. We could have had worse leadership.”

“We do…” Patty muttered from the far end of the table.

“That’s for later, Patty,” Jesus said with an edge to his voice. “When Nikolai and Cacofonix left back in July, half of the colony decided to go with him. It was an offer, not a command.”

“Just where did they go?” Esther Lindley, the white Abyssinian third officer, asked.

“All we know is that Nikolai said he had been recalled, and anypony who wanted to go with him was welcome to,” Jesus answered.

Rena cleared her throat. “Pardon, Jesus, but there is more. Cacofonix asked us not to tell, but now, I think we should,” she said slowly, in hoarse English.

Igor said something that nobody understood. “You sure?” he asked in Estonian.

Rena nodded. “I sure, brat.” she said before addressing the group. “When decide we do not to go, Cacofonix hurry-taught us some medical spells to help colony. He say all dragons left go to Pittsburgh, take Zvezda’s territory, and build up power. What plans are after that, he did not know.”

“Why did you not say so before, Rena?” Jesus hissed, clearly upset. Bart looked at the unicorn as well.

“Simple, Jesus. He ask us not to. Plus, spells he teach to me and brat help you, da?” Rena told the thestral.

Jesus nodded, his ire subsiding. He, too, did like Cacofonix, just not enough to follow him, because he hated being under Nikolai. “Okay, that I can understand. Cacofonix is a decent unicorn.”

Bart took that moment to stand up. “I got something to say, too. I know I ride rough on you all, but I have a reason. Not too far away are a bunch of monsters living in Churchill Downs. I go there every morning to keep them from coming north. I don’t know what they are all called, but there’s a bunch of them there. Me and the lightning buzzards keep them in check,” he explained to all those present.

“Lightning buzzards. I know them as storm birds. If they’re at Churchill Downs, they’re fairly quiet,” Frack said. “When they’re active, I can feel them up to six miles away.”

“The buzzards were pecking away at a corpse this morning. I took down a deer a couple days ago, and there’s still enough left for me to get a good feed from still. I tend to eat down there, because I know those up here don’t like meat," Bart told the group.

Howard glanced at his crew. “How about, after lunch, you and I go down there and we take a look at the situation? One thing we don’t lack is firepower,” he said to Bart.

“Captain Crane, that would be a good idea. Say, an hour after we finish lunch? I’ve never asked the group here because I know all the hunters left with Nikolai. There are several down there that put the scare into ME!” Bart said with a laugh. “They look like lions with a scorpion’s tail and bat wings.”

Howard nodded. “Manticores. Very dangerous critters. We can leave a potion kit here that contains manticore antivenom, but it has to be used properly. Doctor van Alten will instruct those of the city who want to learn how to use the kit. As for you, Jesus, after lunch, Doctor Macombe will check out your wing and see about fixing it proper. Until then, shall we enjoy lunch?”

Bart nodded vigorously. “I can’t believe how good fresh hot cornbread is with butter! My compliments to the chef!” he said eagerly before taking a big chomp. The sentiment was one of the few times the Louisville crew agreed with Bart.

1400 hours

Bart and Howard stood on the wharf alongside the Voyager. Together they looked at the lowering clouds coming in from the west. “We can get one quick look in today before rain sets in,” Howard said, patting the revolver that was ostentatiously strapped under his left arm.

“Yeah,” Bart agreed. “How long before the rain gets here?”

“Both Frack and Harry say before sunset. Frack, I believe,” Howard said as they took wing. “His cutie mark is enough for me.”

“That’s one thing I don’t quite get. Why do some have butt pics and others don’t?” Bart asked as he took the lead, heading to Churchill Downs.

“The way I hear it, it has something to do with where your talents or passions lie,” Howard explained. “Mine, for instance, shows my love of sailing up and down the rivers. Been doing it since I was a teenager, and when the Event happened, I was almost seventy,” said cutie mark being that of a dark brown ship’s wheel boldly emblazoned on his white flanks.

“Frack’s is a weathervane, right?” Bart asked.

“That it is. He’s pretty good at calling the weather. Not perfect, though. He says we should have rain before sunset, so, let’s get going. You lead. Never been to Churchill Downs,” Howard said as he prepared to fly.

Bart did the same, using his powerful leg muscles to leap high enough to get his wings started. “It’s not that far. Just a few miles south. Let’s do this!” he said, leading the way. Howard flew alongside the griffon.

“Sooner we figure out where and what they are, sooner we can figure out how to get rid of them. Knowledge is king here,” Howard observed as he flew.

“And Lady Luck is queen,” Bart added.

“Don’t forget, the joker’s wild,” Howard riposted.

It was only a few short minutes before they were overflying Churchill Downs, the twin spires of the grandstand showing signs of wear, but still stood proudly on the roof, indicating that this was indeed the home of the Kentucky Derby. Admittedly, the turf track was overgrown and the main track could use a grooming. Several animals grazed in the infield. “Where did those sheep come from?” Howard asked.

“Can’t tell you. They were here when I first showed up,” Bart replied, sliding up to Howard’s left side.

“Good prey animals, but where are the predators?”

Bart slammed into Howard, knocking them both to the ground. Bart grabbed Howard’s pistol and held it in his left forepaw, pointing it at the hippogriff’s head as he lay sprawled on the grass. “There’s one right here, Captain Crane. Me.”

Bart pulled the hammer back. “Once you’re out of the way, I’ll have more under my sway!” he declared, finger tightening on the trigger.

Author's Note

Finally, I got this done. Now settled in Las Vegas, and getting comfortable here. Just me and Blip, who I have to chase off the computer when I'm trying to get something writtt;llllllllllllllllllllll.... BLIP!

Silly cat. Can't say when chapter 4 will be up. Hopefully soon. Keep those cards and letters coming!

Chapter 4: Louisville, Kentucky, part two.

Howard Crane looked up at Bart, somewhat dazed after being slammed into the ground by the larger griffon, who had Howard’s pearl-handled revolver in his paw, hammer back and pointed at Howard’s head. “Once you’re out of the way, I’ll have more under my sway!” Bart laughed as he pulled the trigger.

A soft ‘pop’ came from the gun, and nothing else. Startled, the griffon pulled the trigger again and again, only getting soft pops in return. When the pops turned to clicks, Bart shifted his grip on the gun, aiming to use it as a hammer on Howard’s skull. “No one beats me!” he growled as he raised the pistol.

Bart then let out a roar as what felt like sandpaper grated against his nerves, a high-pitched whine cutting through him like a buzzsaw. He raised his paws to cover his ears, dropping the gun in the process, but it didn’t help. The whine battered Bart to the verge of unconsciousness, rolling on the turf.

Frack and Bernie flew into view, landing next to the stunned griffon, both very angry. Frack reared up and brought his right foreleg down on the wing bone of Bart’s left wing, making it snap audibly. Bart flinched a little at the pain, but was too dazed to feel much more.

“You do NOT mess with my commanding officer, nor will you mess with my friends or ship!” Frack roared in his patented Gunny voice. “You had best start running, recruit, cause if you show your face in Louisville again, you will be lucky if you JUST get thrown in the river!”

Howard had by now recovered from his daze. He picked up his gun, emptied the dud rounds from it and swiftly reloaded. Casually, he pointed it at the griffon. “Or, I could just shoot you now and let the storm birds dispose of your corpse. You’ve proven you can’t be trusted, and the doctor you just met in passing did a thorough scan of your thoughts.

“I’ll give you a choice, Bart. You can let Bernie treat your break, and you can head south to another place to stay, never to return to Louisville, or I put a slug through your running lights, like you wanted to do with me. Decide now,” he said in such a matter-of-fact voice that Bart was certain he WOULD put a round or two in his skull.

Bart panted some, the pain in his wing increasing. “I’ll leave.”

“Bernie, do your stuff. Treat him and send him off. Be sure to do it right, or else Lucien will make you take his class again!” Howard said, backing up a few steps, but keeping the gun aimed at the big griffon.

“Twice was bad enough, Howard!” Bernie laughed as Frack got clear of Bart. “Now, Bart, roll over and I’ll set your wing. But first, take this,” she said, giving Bart a white potion.

Bart did as ordered, rolling over before passing out. Bernie, with Howard’s help, quickly set the broken wing bone and immobilized it, getting it taped and splinted. They left a note, saying that the bandages could be removed in three days time, any sooner and his ability to fly would be greatly impaired.

As the three flew back, Howard told the married couple, “Good thing you came up with the idea to lurk in the grandstands, out of sight as we flew in. We were sure he was going to pull something on me.”

“It was his line about the storm birds. Pegasi with good weather senses are bothered by them up to ten miles off. We’ve been closer than that for over a day, and I didn’t feel any hunting,” Frack said. “Plus, you were just as suspicious as I was. Good thing you had made some dummy rounds. Just primer, no powder.”

“Yes. I like making my own loads, in case we can’t find any scavenging. Keeps me in practice,” Howard replied. “Just what sort of screech did you use, Bernie? I didn’t feel a thing.”

“I waited until I could get close enough to make sure you were out of the line of fire, Howard,” Bernie answered. “I wanted him to HURT, and I did!”

“He sure looked like it did. Let’s hope you won’t have to use that very often.”

That evening, as a chilly drizzle fell outside, the eight ponies from Louisville gathered aboard the Voyager for a warm dinner. Other than Charlie and Patty, who went out to tend the fields before dinner, the rest stayed aboard that day. Lucien and Jessica worked on Julio’s wing, restoring it to rights, but with a caution not to try flying for a week, working it steadily because it had been broken in mid-July. “Yuh got sensation and flight magic back, but yuh need tuh regrow wing skin an’ build up your muscles again, suh. Move too fast tuh get back in the air, an’ you’ll go from a thestral to a penguin!” Lucien cautioned.

Julio saluted smartly with his right wing. “Si, coronel!”

Lucien smiled at the bandaged thestral. “Flying is a pure joy. Lord knows ah did enough of it in the Air National Guard. I want you to enjoy it for a long tahm to come.”

“So do I, coronel. So do I,” Julio agreed.

Dinner that night was spaghetti and meatballs, but the meatballs were Jason’s own style. Cornmeal-coated fish balls for the fliers, and panko-coated veggie balls for the rest, with a rich tomato sauce and garlic bread, something the Louisville ponies truly appreciated. Even the children liked it.

After dinner, the two groups sat in the Lounge, exchanging gossip and information. Having new faces to talk to is a real treat for the Louisville crew, and the two children, Sally and Linus, had a chance to watch some of their favorite cartoons again, via DVD, something that made the two very happy.

The chat worked around to what tools and goods that could be traded for. Jessica fetched one of the large first aid kits and explained what the potions could do, along with the rest of the pieces of the kit. The two unicorns, Rena and Igor, were told that the next day, they would get more detailed training.

Howard pulled Julio aside and had a chat with him about keeping in touch with the greater world. He offered the thestral a communications gem, so he could call out to either himself, Colonel Forest, or a lower officer in Northern command. Howard made it abundantly clear that this in NO way committed them to the Kingdom of Louisianne. Such a decision would not be due until springtime, said decision being if they wanted to join the WSU, the kingdom, or none at all. “How you make that decision is up to you. You’ll have six months to make it, and all parties will abide by your choice.”

Julio looked at the offered gem on its chain. “If I needed help, help would show up?” he asked.

“In time. It’s not like we have jet service. But, it will mean that your troubles would be known, and some sort of help would be offered. After all, we didn’t know about you until we showed up, right?” Howard said with a small smile in his voice.

“You do have a point, Captain. I will accept the offer. Now, how do I use it?” Julio asked, taking the offered pendant and slipping it around his neck.

“It’s not that difficult, really,” Howard sent telepathically. “Teaching and introductions will take ten minutes. Afterwards, you name the booze. You’ll want it.”

“Tequila if you have it, beer if you don’t,” Julio replied. Fortunately, Jason did have a bottle of tequila.

The next day, a skeleton crew stayed aboard the Voyager as the crew went around the city, helping the citizens find goods to help them, and teach them about methods that would help their lives improve. While they knew where to find gasoline and generators, they did not know how to purify fuel for them. The teaching, led by Frack and Bernie, did not take long. Splicing in the generators to the power lines leading to the luxury boxes at the stadium took a little longer, but by nightfall, the boxes had light and heat, the generators chugging away in a place where the ponies did not have to worry about carbon monoxide buildup.

The one earth pony aboard, Dexter Potter, spent the day with Charlie and Patty, learning about how to raise crops from the pair. He was offered a part of the harvest, which was accepted. In return, he offered dinner aboard again, which was also accepted. He also learned a lot of the gossip and history of Louisville.

Doctors Macombe and van Alten took half a day drilling the unicorns on healing spells, how to use the first aid kit and potions, and a couple of other useful spells that would make life better. They had some training from Cacofonix, but not much, only having Returned two weeks before the dragons left. They were the only two unicorns to remain behind, the other three following Cacofonix and Nikolai.

All told, the crew of the Voyager spent a week in Louisville before heading upriver to Cincinnati. The last night, Jason went all-out to prepare a farewell feast for the city-dwellers, asking each one what they would like to have that night, and doing his best to provide. In fact, he was able to make ice cream for everyone, a herd of cows having been found during the week. He knew how to milk them and treat it so as to get milk and cream. All told, he got over two gallons of the milk, and with help from the fliers, got it back to the ship for processing. The foals, Sally and Linus, gave the tall quiet Abyssinian hugs and slurps after. Gifting the two’s parents several bottles of chocolate syrup didn’t hurt, either.

Earlier that last day before departure, the engineering department (Frack, Bernie, Arnie, Dexter and Liz) spent time transferring diesel fuel from the Mary M. Miller to the Voyager, filling the smaller vessel’s tanks, while leaving more than enough for a return stop on the way back. With full tanks and good cheer, the Mississippi Voyager continued up the Ohio River, destination Cincinnati.

The ship and crew made their cautious way upriver, constantly checking the bottom for snags, drags, rocks, socks and what have you. The chosen destination that first night is the Trimble County power station, a place Howard knew had a pier to tie up at. As they were tying up, everypony outside saw a flash of light coming from the hills of the east bank. Said flash was followed by a fusillade of fireworks originating from the same spot.

“Frack, you, Bernie and Liz check out that light while we moor!” Howard ordered, using the ship speaker system.

“We heard you, Captain. Two minutes and we’re on it!” Frack reported. It took less time than that before Howard, from the bridge, saw the three winging east and a bit south in the darkening sky.

The three quickly made their way to where some road flares burned, set in the ground in front of two buildings that had seen better days. A unicorn was spotted running between the flares. They could tell it was a unicorn because its horn was lit with a yellow aura. Frack turned on a flashlight he had on his hoof to get the unicorn’s attention. It worked.

“Hey! You from that boat down there?” the unicorn shouted up at the winged trio.

“Sure am! Permission to land?” Frack shouted back.

“Please! I’ve been alone for quite some time! Good to talk to someone!”

The three landed away from the flares and the remains of the fireworks. “I’m Frack Larsen, this dark mare is my wife Bernie, and the parrot is one of my apprentices, Liz Ruiz. Who are you and why are you up here?” Frack asked.

“I’m Chad Randall,” the skinny yellow-brown unicorn with a black and orange striped mane introduced himself as. “I was at a Buddhist temple down the road here, trying to get my head together when I woke up one morning looking like this! It’s been several months already! Whatinhell is going on?”

Frack chuckled while the ladies averted their heads. “That’s a long story, Chad. Think you can make it down to the Voyager?” he asked, waving a wing to the lights of the boat below.

Chad looked thoughtful as the flares started guttering out. “There’s a ravine about a hundred yards that way,” he said, pointing with his horn. “Think you can light my way down? By road, it’s several miles.”

“Chief Officer Milsap will be up in a few minutes, once she gets the big lantern out of storage. She’ll come up and light your way down,” Frack said with confidence.

“How do you know that?” Chad asked. “I didn’t hear a radio.”

“Magic is free and loose on the Earth now, Chad. Some ponies know how to use it, and one in particular made us some magic devices that allow us to communicate telepathically. More details later on over a cup of coffee, okay?” Frack told the unicorn.

“Can I have tea instead? After a couple of months with the monks, I’ve come to like tea,” Chad responded.

“Easily done. Now, to see about getting you down the hill,” Frack said as a light came on downslope, quickly approaching.

Several hours later, after dinner, drinks and a whole lot of talking, Chad leaned back in his chair, looking at Howard, Lucien and Frack. After dinner, those three had taken Chad aside and filled him in on history since the Event. “Tell me if I got this right. I can ride with you back to New Orleans, then catch a ride to the Netherlands where I can find a job with the WSU, or, if the Queen would have me, work for her. No obligation to any one at any time?”

Howard handled the reply. “None at all. You could stay at one of the other cities we will encounter on our way back, if you feel you could fit in. As somepony has said before, there’s just not enough of us left to go on hating each other. Only together will we be able to thrive. If one set of neighbors don’t agree with you, find another.”

“We’s goin’ up the Ohio to track down what happened to some dragons that tried to take over matters,” Lucien interjected with his usual slow drawl. “Ouah next stop is Cincinnati, then probably Pittsburgh. We has some leads, but we’s lookin’ foah PROOF!”

“Yeah, what he said,” Frack added, pointing with a wing at Lucien.

“So, would you like to join the crew on a temporary basis?” Howard asked.

“Only if I can go back to the temple tomorrow before leaving, to pack a bag. I don’t know much about sailing, or life aboard a boat, but I should be able to learn something. I’m not one for sitting around, not any more. The temple did straighten me out, cleaned me up, and set me on a better road than I was on before. This way, I can thank them for their work on me by passing their kindness forward,” Chad stated. “Please, teach me how to fit in this new world!”

“Don’t yuh sweat that, young fella!” Lucien said with a laugh. “We’ll teach yuh proper!”

At ten in the morning, October ninth, twenty seventeen, the Mississippi Voyager set sail from the Trimble County Generating Station, destination Cincinnati. Chad watched from the bridge at the sailors doing the work. “Think you can pitch in next time?” Third Officer Lindley asked the unicorn.

“I can sure try, Esther. Try and try again until I do it right!” Chad told the white Abyssinian.

“We got time for you to learn,” Captain Crane said from where he was watching the line handlers work. “Willing students are a joy to find.”

Author's Note

Two cities down, two more to go. Just what will they find on their journey up the river?

Until next chapter!

Chapter 5: Interlude, Parkersburg, WV

“Captain’s diary, October twelfth, twenty seventeen, seventeen hundred hours. Cincinnati has turned out to be a bust. The only ones still in the city are an Abyssinian couple and an earth pony, who live outside Paul Brown Field, having converted the practice field there to cropland. They didn’t like us asking questions of them, so, after leaving a first-aid kit and some tools, we left them be.

“Checking Vladimir’s lair, we found a bunch of melted metal and fire-scarred jewelry. He must have really lost his temper! We did find a message from Nebulous Nimbus, saying that the colony here is being transported to Pittsburgh, and whatever anyone found here, they can have IF Vladimir didn’t come back to take it first. We spent several hours peeling up melted metal and scorched jewels, figuring even such metal as is there could find a use somewhere. It’s in Cargo Five now. Push comes to shove, it can be melted down, separated, cleaned up, and offered to Zvezda in exchange for meteor metal.

“Tomorrow, we will start making our way upriver. The weather is definitely taking a turn for the nasty, getting colder, windier and rainier. I won’t be surprised to see ice by the end of the month. One thing that’s going to slow us down is the amount of locks and dams between here and Pittsburgh. Twelve of them. We can handle it, it just takes time. I can hope we beat snow and ice back to the Mississippi. Not counting on it, but I can hope.”

Captain Howard Crane sighed as he put his pen down, rubbing his aching fingers. “I’m going to have to ask Jessica if she can find a voice-writing system and download it into my laptop. With the Internet the way it isn’t, I’m lucky to remember where I’m supposed to send my reports to!” he grumbled, getting the pain out of his hand.

October 26, 2017, 1000 hrs, approaching Parkersburg, WV.

“That’s the plan, big bro. In Parkersburg, the Captain knows of a Wal-Mart near the river, so we’re going to stop there and do some scavenging. It’s not that we’re low on anything, it’s more to get off the boat and look about. It’s been two weeks since Cincinnati, and we want to do something other than fight locks!” Frack told his big brother Frick over the phone, Frick being on duty in the radio room of the WSU.

“How’s that new guy doing? Learning his way around?” Frick asked.

“Yes, he is. He’s learning both ship handling and engineering. He was in the Army after high school, he knows computers almost as well as Fran, but had issues after getting out. When he found himself turning to drugs to cope with Afghanistan PTSD, he managed to find a Buddhist temple that would take him in to dry out. The only lingering effect is enjoying a pipe or two of tobacco every couple of days. At least he has them outside. Nobody’s complained yet,” Frack reported.

“Yeah, we could use another good IT specialist. How’s his language skills, and how is that pegasus lady doing, the one from Evansville?” Frick asked.

“He knows French, but not as good as you. He also knows some Sanskrit, but even he uses a dictionary to translate some of the texts he brought from the Temple. Barbara’s much improved. In fact, she flies high guard, inspecting the river from above when the weather’s fair. Gives her practice flying. She’s passed my tests,” Frack said with a chuckle.

Frick laughed as well. He knew what Frack’s flying lessons were like. “Oh, some other news for you. Seems like a few of the sailors off the Georgia down in King’s Bay want to go to Evansville to crew the LST. I know they’ve talked to Captain Reynaud, but no details yet.”

“We’ll find out when we pass through on our way back to New Orleans. At least the trip will be faster. We’re leaving all the locks set to go from up to down. Easier than the other way!” Frack said.

“I can see that, little bro! Give my best to Bernie and Harry. Everyone here sends their love, and may we meet in the springtime! Now for me to put together the news podcast for tonight, then I can head home! Call when you get to Wheeling, okay?” Frick told his brother.

“You forgot about me, Screwball!” Capo squawked, loud enough to make Frick wince.

“Yeah, the albatross sends his regards, too. Later!” Frick grumbled before hanging up.

“Some things never change…” Frack said as he hung up and put the phone on the charger.

1230 hours, Parkersburg, WV, near the Wal-Mart

The Mississippi Voyager pulled up alongside a rather dilapidated dock on the east bank of the Ohio River. A line of trees obscured the Wal-Mart which several crew members knew was further inland, plus the back of a rather expansive house was there, with a path leading to the dock.

Once anchors were dropped, the starboard gangplank was extended to allow the scavenging party to head out. The scavenging party consisted of Carroll, Harry, Jessica, Brenda, Liz and Chad. Harry had the list of supplies the ship needed, while Liz had the tools needed to break in. As they walked around the house, Brenda noticed something about the front of the house. “Is it just me, or is there a path MOWED across the yard to the front door?” she asked.

Carroll took wing to look over the yard. “There is, and there’s a push mower by the front door. Looks like someone lives here,” she called out to the working party, and also to the Captain, via crystal link.

“Just go on with your raiding, Chief. We’ll be watching the back door. Watch the front door as you cross the street,” Howard told his exec.

“Will do, Captain,” Carroll said as she flew back to the working party. “Brenda, Chad, keep an eye on the front door. The place may be inhabited.”

“Okay, Chief,” Brenda said as she spread her wings and took off. Not high, but enough to allow her flight room. Chad just nodded and walked backwards until they got to the railroad tracks.

“Chief, there’s a garden patch up that way!” Brenda sent, pointing north. “Not much of one, but it’s there!”

Carroll, still in the air, flew to look at it. “Looks harvested already. It is getting rather late in the season for crops,” she sent to her crewmate. “Maybe an earth pony? We’ll find out soon enough.”

“Okay, Chief!” Brenda sent back, circling above the main group, watching the house.

At the Wal-Mart, they found a back door that had been kicked open. “Definitely an earth pony,” Harry said after inspecting the hoof marks. “Had help, too,” he added, noting how the lock had been punched out.

“There’s also a latch here, to keep it shut,” Liz observed. Said latch was open, hanging down along the door, a holder bolted to the wall. The door was open, leading into the back area of the store.

Passing into the store proper, the only light came from the skylights. Dim, but useful. They could hear music coming from the front of the store. “Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons, Opus 17,” Chad said.

“You a musician? Harry asked the unicorn.

“Not hardly. I just like listening to music. Never learned to play an instrument,” Chad replied as the one song ended and another began. “Beach Boys. Kokomo.”

The group wandered through the store, approaching the music. They noted where some places on the shelves were disturbed, other places left alone. A light was visible ahead, where the music was coming from. The song changed to the Romantics, ‘What I Like About You’. A voice was heard joining in with that song. “A New Yorker!” Harry said with delight. “North side, with some Jersey.”

“How do you know that, Harry?” Brenda asked.

“I’m from Brooklyn. Got an ear for accents,” Harry replied as they went to the light.

The singing abruptly stopped, along with the music. "You might as well come closer. Be warned, I have a weapon!” a voice called out from the light, which came from the money center.

“No need to worry. We’re here to do some scavenging. Care to talk?” Carroll called out.

A dark-furred Abyssinian came out of the money center, tallish and a bit chunky for a male of the species, wearing sweatpants and a New York Yankees jacket and hat, as well as the butt of a pistol protruding from a pocket. “Care to talk? You damn well better believe it! Luke and I have been here for over a year like this, and we ain’t seen nobody! Coupla times someone drifted by down the river, but by the time we noticed, they was well past! Who is yas?” he said, almost in a babble.

“We’re off the riverboat Mississippi Voyager. I’m the Chief Officer, Carroll Milsap. With me are second officer Harry Bell, engineer Liz Ruiz, Doctor Jessica van Alten, and crewponies Brenda Jourdain and Chad Randall,” Carroll introduced the group. “Just how long have you been here, and who are you?”

The Abyssinian blinked, his mind slowing down some. “Oh, I’m Carlo DiBiasi, but just call me ‘Chopper’. Been called that since I was a kid back in New York. As near as we can figure, Luke and I came to as we are now in July of twenty-fifteen. What day is it now? My watch battery died a while back,” he finished lamely.

“October twenty-sixth, twenty-seventeen. You and Luke have been on your own now for two years?” Jessica asked in her Dutch-flavored English.

“Sure looks like that, lady. Luke’s napping right now. We figure we got enough veggies and grain socked away to last us till thaw. For me, well, I got used to canned and dried meat and fish. Don’t have to like it, but it keeps me going,” Chopper said. He then waved around the store. “Help yourself, both here and at the surrounding shops. I’m just indulging in my hobby right now, sorting and counting the money I find. Winter work is pretty much done, so now I can relax.”

“I know that feeling,” Harry said. “I was a Navy aviation stores keeper before the Event happened, and when I wasn’t working to survive, I would haunt the various supply offices in Key West, just trying to stay sane.”

“I did something similar but in the Air Force way back when. Did my time, got out, then went back home to New York with my folks. Together we ran a convenience store in Blauvelt until they got too old to run it, so I did with some cousins. Luke and I struck up a friendship online that lasted a long time. He lived here, caring for his folks. When they died, and my folks passed a bit before his did, I sold my shares of the store and moved here to be with him. That was six months before we became what we are now.” Chopper said in a rush, just glad to have someone else to talk to.

Harry, realizing Chopper’s need, held up a wing to stop the rush of words. “Let me give the list to my boss, and let everyone shop while we chat, okay?” he said to the now-silenced Abyssinian. The cat nodded, and Harry dug the list out of a saddlebag and gave it to Carroll. “You go shop, we’ll sit here and chat. Let Howard know about the sleeping pony.”

Carroll took the list. “He’s aware. He also extends a dinner invitation for tonight at sunset for both of them,” she said before looking at Chopper. “How about a hot meal that doesn’t come out of a can?”

“That, lady, sounds heavenly! Let me see if I can wake him up.” Chopper said, picking up a walkie-talkie that was on the desk. “Wake up, cool hoof! We gots company!”

A sleepy voice was heard from the speaker a few seconds later. “What do you mean by company, whiskers?”

“Look out the back window to the dock. We got company!” Chopper shot back.

After a short pause, all heard “Where did THAT come from?” The astonishment was audible to every hoof.

“Down river, obviously! They’re offering dinner! So shake the sleep out of your eyes, run a comb through your mane, and go out and give them a proper welcome! I’m with a working party at the Wal-Mart, so go out and do your share, landowner!” Chopper said sharply to his friend and housemate.

“All right, all right… I’m on it. Wonder if they have some coffee…” Luke mused.

“You won’t touch mine, yet you’ll have theirs? Thanks a lot, pal! Rem One out!” Chopper snapped before putting the radio down a bit firmly. “So I like my coffee strong, whenevah I feel like makin’ it! Stickin' to tea is easier!” he grumbled, his New York accent coming out, whiskers twitching in annoyance.

“Hey, Chopper, chill down, okay? You got me to talk to now, so how about we catch each other up on the state of matters now? Chief, try to find a shortwave in electronics and batteries for it, bringing it up here. We can at least listen to WSU podcasts, if Captain Frick isn’t doing nights,” Harry said, getting Chopper calmed and suggesting to his boss. Carroll just nodded, realizing Harry had a good idea.

“Okay, crew, we have the lists. Take a piece and start searching. Meet back here in an hour or so,” Carroll told the group, who headed off to their designated search locations.

Harry sat there in the money center. “To start things off, on May the 23rd, twenty-fifteen, at about six-fifteen in the morning…” he started off, telling the tale of the Event as he knew it, Chopper listening intently, his money-counting forgotten.

Mississippi Voyager, 1800 hours

The two residents of Parkersburg sat back from the table, after their first satisfying hot meal in quite some time. “Captain Crane and others, thank you for a wonderful dinner,” Luke said with a smile. “Makes me unwilling to go back to the way we were.”

“You don’t have to, Luke,” Howard told the earth pony. “We have a mission to accomplish in Pittsburgh, but we’ll have to come back this way after. If you want to come with us and resettle elsewhere, you can. From what you said before dinner, this was your childhood home. I know how hard it is to leave.”

“Hard it is. Will there be room for my possessions?” Luke asked.

Harry Bell answered that, being the Cargo Officer. “Not everything, of course. Pick what means the most to you and bring that. I’ll find space. You should have what, a week or two to decide?” he asked, looking at Howard and Carroll.

“About that, yes. We’ll stick around tomorrow, helping out getting some comfort items set up for you,” Howard said, addressing Luke and Chopper.

“Not tuh mention gettin’ the two of yuh into mah office fo’ a thurrow examination. Yuh been alone fo’ some tahm. Let me make shuah you both is healthy!” Lucien declared. Yes, he had three drinks during dinner, but that was his limit. He was still lucid, just slurred some.

“Something we’ll both appreciate, Colonel Macombe!” Chopper said firmly. If there was one thing he hated, it’s public intoxication, or the appearance of it. His father had crawled into a bottle after his mother passed, and never really came out.

Howard got to his feet, signaling the end of dinner, officially. “Meet at shortly after dawn, for a hot breakfast?” he asked his guests.

“Not knowing when that is, how about seven-thirty? We have a couple of wind-up alarm clocks, so we can wake at seven and meet you here?” Chopper suggested.

“Even better, why not invite them to stay aboard and sleep warm for once? We got some passenger rooms available,” Carroll suggested.

Luke and Chopper looked at each other. After a few seconds of silent communication of ear twitches and whisker wiggles, Luke said, “Sounds like a plan to me! Wake us at seven, okay?”

“Consider it done. Crew, nighttime in-port chores, then your time is yours. Let’s help with the dishes, then go relax,” Howard ordered. The crew scrambled to get the table cleared and the Lounge set up for night ops, meaning a card game. The visitors were invited to join, and they did. The crew later found out the offer was a bit of a mistake, because the two were long-time poker players, and they ‘cleaned the crew’s clocks’! All legally, because they were just that good at it! They later confessed they regularly played cards to pass the time.

Author's Note

Just something that I came up with, a pleasant interlude before heading to Pittsburgh and facing off against a potentially angry crop of dragons. The Voyager crew don't want trouble, but are ready for it.

Until next chapter, friends. I'll fill you in later, Kyle.

Chapter 6: Wheeling, WV

“Captain’s diary, October 28th, 2017, ten hundred hours, Captain Howard Crane recording.

“We’ve pulled out of Parkersburg, next stop Wheeling. We’ll refuel there, look about, then make the final push to Pittsburgh. Weather’s getting chilly and nasty, no ice yet but I won’t be surprised to see some on the river soon. As usual, we’ll keep our eyes open for survivors. In my opinion, the expeditions up the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers should wait until spring, and this I will recommend to Her Majesty. After all, this boat is a converted barge, not an icebreaker!

“I can't help but wonder, will we even reach Pittsburgh? With the exception of Casimir, the dragons are NOT stupid. I’m sure their unicorn partners left something behind to watch over where they were. Vladimir has no reason to like us, us being this ship in particular. Needless to say, we’re going to be VERY cautious while we’re in Pennsylvania. It’s a long walk back to N’Awlins, and Bernie’s supposed to have her foal in Maasvlakte, not here!

“Oh, yes, we left Luke and Chopper with a fuel purifier, some tools, a radio, and two satphones. Luke reluctantly agreed to head across the ocean to join the WSU. Chopper did not need that much convincing. As he told me, he wants to get back to a place that has electric lights at night, heating and cooling, and customers. He’s interested in opening a convenience store of sorts there. If anyone can pull it off, I think he could.

“Howard Crane, Captain, Mississippi Voyager, out.” He tapped the proper key on his laptop to end the voice input and read over his diary. “Not bad. I’m glad Jessica warned me to speak slowly and clearly, otherwise it would not be so easy to read. Plus, my fingers don’t hurt!” he chuckled as he saved the diary entry. "I didn't know the laptop had its own voicetyper program!"

November 1st, 2017 1200 hours.

The Mississippi Voyager approached Wheeling from the south in a chill rain. Visibility was down to not a whole lot, so Howard took the wheel himself, Carroll on the charts and Esther on the sonar, looking for a safe place to moor and fuel. The first two places they looked at, half-sunken wrecks blocked the mooring points. It wasn’t until they were north of the I-470 bridge that they found a fueling place, on the west side of the river. Cautiously, they eased the Voyager to the fuel station before dropping anchor and shutting down the motors. ”Okay, we wait here until the weather clears, fuel up, then go to where we can explore the city. If there’s anyone here, I want a good shot at finding them,” Howard told his crew. “Esther, you have the deck until 1630.”

Esther, having secured the sonar, was looking out the window, to the starboard side gangplank. “Howard, we got company…” she said, pointing. Hanging off the guide rail is a hippogriff, its colors muted by the gloom of noon. The hippogriff waved a claw, Howard and Esther waved back.

“Esther, you have the bridge. I’ll go down and greet our visitor,” Howard said as he went to the starboard side door, going through and down the ladder. He hurried to the other hippogriff. “Welcome aboard the Mississippi Voyager! I’m Howard Crane, the captain. Care for something hot?”

The strange hippogriff got herself aboard. “Coffee or tea, if you got it,” she said. She looked familiar to Howard, but he could not place it right away. As he led her to the Lounge, into the brighter light, it hit him.

“Do you have a twin sister?” he asked as he led the strange hippogriff to the coffee bar. “One that was disabled in Afghanistan?”

The stranger stopped still, reaching for a coffee cup. “How could you have known that? She decided to leave a month after we changed into this, going downriver. Is she all right? I’ve been worried about her! What do you know?” she asked, sounding a bit desperate.

“Easy there, lady!” Howard said in soothing tones. “She’s alive and well, living now in Kansas with a colony of other ponies. She fell in with a dragon in Cincinnati, and she was sent to recover some meteor metal. We’ll tell you the full story over some coffee and pastry. What’s your name? We never got hers. All we know her as is ‘Gar’.”

“I’m Alice Smith, she’s my twin sister Candace. She joined the Army while I stayed home. She did good for herself in Special Forces until she got blown apart by an IED in Afghanistan. She came home missing some body parts, but I stepped in and made sure she got the help she needed. I was helping her into the van when the flash happened. We were surprised when her hand and leg came back. Surprised, but happy,” she explained to Howard as she poured a cup of coffee, adulterated it to her taste, and sipped. “Wonderful…”

Howard, while listening, was not idle. Over crystal, he contacted Impedimenta out at Lecompton and let her know what was going on. As she sipped, Howard’s phone rang. He removed it from its belt pouch and answered. He listened to the babble for a second or two. “She’s right here.”

He passed the phone to Alice. “It’s for you,” he said.

Confused, Alice took the phone. “Yes?”

“Allie?” she heard.

“Candy?” Alice said, tentatively, before they both started screaming joyfully.

Howard took Alice by the arm and led her to a stateroom. “How about I let the two of you catch up. We can talk later,” he said gently before leaving the room and shutting the door. He met Carroll in the Lounge.

“What was that screaming I felt?” she asked the captain.

“We found Gar’s twin sister. I thought it would be a good idea to let them reconnect. Looks like I was right. Until this rain lets up, we’ll just wait right here,” Howard told his exec.

“Sounds like a plan to me. We can use a refueling, but we don’t need it yet,” Carroll said as she made steps to the coffee bar. “Your usual mix?”

“Please,” Howard confirmed.

The Lounge, 1600 hours

Much of the crew of the Voyager had gathered in the Lounge, chatting with Alice. Outside, the rain still came down hard. The pegasi had a betting pool up for when the rain would stop, Harry saying an hour after sunset, Frack after midnight, and Brenda saying they’re both wrong, but not saying exactly when the rain would stop.

Alice was describing the other inhabitants of Wheeling, both of them. “There’s Doctor Peterson, the vet. He changed into a big walking dog. Not a nice guy, though. He really creeps me out. The other guy, Frank de la Rosa, he’s a bird like Liz is. He’s not bad, he just likes being alone. We meet sometimes, and I trade him fish for canned goods,” she told the assembled crew.

“Think they would like to be picked up when we come back down?” Carroll asked.

“Frank, maybe. I will wait for the next trip if you ask Peterson and he accepts. He treats Frank and I like experimental subjects, not people!” Alice said with a shiver.

“Sounds lakh a doctor ah wouldn’t want tuh have neah me,” Lucien drawled before sipping from his tea mug.

“I knew someone like that in medical school,” Jessica said in her slow English. “She was tossed out in the final semester for ‘unprofessional attitude’. May she not come back for some time to come.” Her distaste was obvious.

“The Doctor hangs out at Redwood Vet Hospital up north of here. May he not be looking when you pass by, in both directions,” Alice said before chugging some coffee.

“So you definitely want to hitch a ride when we come back through, Alice?” Howard asked.

“You bet!” she said brightly. “Candace and Impedimenta invited me to join them in Lecompton. I don’t blame Candace for wanting to go out on her own once she was restored to full health, but I want to get together with her again. When we were kids, we were inseparable. When she joined the Army, I supported her. When she came home without her left side limbs, I supported her without question. Now we can be together again.”

“You’re going to have to lay over in Memphis until there’s a northbound boat going to Saint Louis and Kansas City, or Memphis runs a train west. They’re looking for a second small locomotive in good enough shape to fix. Know anything about mechanics?” Frack asked.

“I can maintain a car, but not rip into it. If I had guidance, I could assist,” Alice said honestly.

“I’m sure that would be accepted. Each town or colony in the WSU tries to contribute something unique to the whole of the WSU. Havana provides canned food, cigars, rum, and other products, Mexico provides oil, I know the colony in Brazil contributes something, but I forget what…” Frack said.

Bernie picked up the narration. “Kansas City provides potions, Memphis is working on rebuilding a train link, Saint Louis farm goods and systemic looting of the city for trade goods. Natchez is still getting organized, and Louisianne has its own goals. One thing we try to instill is that there are too few of us to continue old hatreds. Only together can we pick up the pieces and restart civilization.”

“What about the dragons?” Alice asked.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Harry Bell answered. “They were strung out along the Ohio River until the end of June, when the three remaining dragons abandoned their cities and fled to Pittsburgh.”

“Candace told me about that. The one dragon who tried to take Saint Louis who decided to work with the colony instead of against it, and the one who tried to take the meteor and got changed into a flowering bush. How could such a thing happen?” Alice asked, confused that she was even having to ask.

“Directed and focused magic, young lady, is a very potent force. The Kettles are a very determined family, and they had already figured out how to use the meteor metal. They gave Zvezda what she wanted, power over the meteor metal, but in just such a way as to keep her from learning how to use it,” Lucien lectured. “She had plenty of magic as a dragon, but as the Starbush, her power is limited. If you want to harvest meteor metal, yuh have to give her an offering of something she would want, like precious metals, gems, and jewelry. If she accepts, you can take as much as you give her, or less.”

“Candy told me about that. She and the other hippogriffs are working in the lake, feeling out and dredging up raw pieces of the meteor, when not doing other work along the river. The impact must have broken an aquifer, because there’s more water than she thinks there should be. She says by this time next year, you should be able to sail into the crater lake,” Alice told the group.

“Makes me wonder if the Starbush is making the area better watered and more fertile, just so she can thrive better on her hilltop,” Howard said, thinking out loud.

“That would not surprise me,” Chad said, after a puff on his pipe. The crew allowed it, because he used good tobacco and it was raining outside. They just insisted he sit with his back to an open vent and a fan in his face. Whatever smoke strayed from the breeze, they could tolerate it. “From what I have been learning about dragons, they always look after themselves first. Even Casimir looks after himself first, but will always help the colony.”

“Da.” Ivan said from his custom chair. “Casimir, he wants his own comfort, but he is realizing that by having ponies working with him, his life is much better. He just loves little Rosa.”

“That’s something I would like to see,” Alice said as she watched Jason bringing trays out from the galley for dinner. Her nose was dancing in anticipation for a cooked meal done by someone who knows how!

“If you go through Saint Louis, you will,” Howard said as Chad and Brenda got up to help Jason set up dinner, Chad leaving his pipe in its holder.

Alice left after dinner, promising to find Frank ‘when the weather cleared up’ and send him by. During the dinner, she pointed out several good salvage places, the only problem being they were on the EAST bank of the Ohio, and there weren't many good mooring places there.

The rain had cleared by morning, but low clouds and cold air remained. The crew were glad they had managed to find warm clothing earlier down the river, so all dressed warm while refueling ops were performed, the exceptions being the pegasi, who had better cold tolerance than most, and Howard, who, being a hippogriff, can take the cold of the deeps, or any cold at all, much better than the others.

Frank de la Rosa arrived a little after noon, as fueling was nearing completion. He was well-bundled up in sweats and jackets, declaring ‘It’s too damn cold to fly!’ In talks with Howard, Carroll and Ivan, he requested passage ‘to a warmer climate’. “Dios mio, I can’t take the cold like I used to!” he told the trio.

“Do you speak Spanish, Frank?” Carroll asked.

“Second language, but quite good at it. Why do you ask?” Frank asked in return.

“Havana is a colony of the WSU,” Howard told the Ornithian. “Lots of parrots there, they mainly speak Spanish, and it doesn’t get cold down there. Interested?”

Frank hesitated for maybe three seconds before replying. “How do I get there?”

“Ride with us to New Orleans, wait there for the Havana Trader or a WSU ship heading that direction, and go there. Report to the colony governor, tell him what you can do, and he will assign you a position there. Or, you can settle at any other colony along the rivers, or go to New Orleans. The choice is yours, Mister de la Rosa,” Howard explained to the parrot.

“Pick me up on your way south. I’m a retired construction contractor, so I’m sure I can earn my way around just about anywhere,” Frank said quickly. “How much can I bring along?”

“Not your whole house. A steamer trunk should be enough, maybe two. Much of our space is contracted. Will that cause trouble?” Carroll asked.

“Two should do it. The problem would be getting them here. Any ideas as to how?”

“Give us your address, and we’ll come up with a way,” Carroll replied.
Frank gave it, adding “It’s on the island. Any trouble with that?”

“Not at all. Good reason to give the truck a workout. Haven’t used it since Cincinnati,” Carroll said with a smile. “We’ll also give you a satphone and a portable shortwave radio. Up to you to find batteries.”

“Consider it a done deal. Anyone I should call?”

“I’ll make up a copy of our latest ‘phone book’”, Carroll said with a smile. “Just have to print one up, after I add you in. I’ll include both White and Yellow Pages for what we have as of now, okay?

“Good enough for me!” Frank said with a grin. Carroll led Frank to the ship’s office (meaning, the Captain’s office), issued him a satphone and a solar charger for it, before printing up the ‘phone book’, which ran to sixteen pages, broken up into sub-categories depending on organization, city, profession, and several others. Pulling out a highlighter, Carroll marked a few.

“These are colony leaders, and these,” marking some with a different color, “are different offices, like the River Patrol division for Louisianne, or the duty offices for the WSU. When you get aboard, there are some books for you to read about the different species and the state of the world,” she told the interested Ornithian.

“Something to look forward to. Thank you,” he said, bowing gallantly. “Now, for the radio?” One was swiftly issued, and after a little instruction, the WSU worldcast was heard.

“Just remember, one in the afternoon here is eight at night in Maasvlakte,” Carroll cautioned.

“Maasvlakte? Did you say that or gargle it?” Frank said with a laugh.

Carroll laughed along with the parrot. “I have trouble with it too, Frank!”

Author's Note

Looks like this move has improved my urge to write. Four chapters this month, and I'll start on 7 later today. Warm, sunny skies, front door open (and screen door locked) and less pain makes for smoother writing. Now, off to Pittsburgh!

Chapter 7: Pittsburgh, PA.

“Captain’s diary, November 3rd, 2017, 1000 hours, Captain Horatio Crane recording.

“For the first time, ice. Not much, just enough to let us know it’s there. It all melted shortly after dawn. Today, we start our final push to Pittsburgh. Five more locks to go through, but we’ve pretty much got going through them down to a science now. Ninety miles and five locks. By the seventh, we should be there. What we’ll find there, who knows? We will, when we get there. Now, any ideas will be WAG’s.

“Coming back, we’ll have a full load of passengers, maybe more. Depends on what we find, and if anypony downstream wants to go elsewhere. We’re equipped for it.

“Time to cast off and head upstream. Captain out.”

Howard tapped a key and the recording stopped, allowing him to review his diary entry. “So much better…” he said with a sigh, cracking his knuckles.

November 7th, 2017 1500 hrs, Dashields Lock and Dam, Crescent Township, PA.

The Voyager had settled into the secondary slipway of the lock, the primary one being blocked by a solid wall of barges that would take a proper tugboat to handle, not the Voyager herself. By this time, the crew had figured out how to bypass the pump mechanism and get the doors freed, using unicorn power to pry the doors open. Once that was done, Howard quickly powered the boat through the gates, the unicorns let the gates go, the current shut the gates and held them closed. Seeing as it was getting late, Howard decided to moor at the end of the lock wall. Once moored in the calm waters, he headed downstairs for something hot, leaving Harry on the bridge until the next watch change.

“Dayumn, that gate was hard to open!” Lucien said as Howard sat down with a mug of hot coffee. “Water was eager tuh get through!”

“You have a point there, Lucien. The current was up. Must have been a lot of rain or snow further up the watershed,” Howard noted.

“If so, it must be farther up the Allegheny,” Frack said, pouring himself a Vanilla Coke. “I have not felt anything strong near us in a while.”

“For all ah know, a dam failed somewhere upriver, an’ it was just our bad luck to catch it heah,” Lucien observed as he made himself a mug of hot chocolate. He liked it thick and rich. He then grabbed a couple of beignets from the buffet and sat at the long table.

“Could very well be. We’ll find out soon enough. Tomorrow, it's time to meet the dragons and see what they're up to. I just hope they’re willing to talk instead of fight,” Howard observed.

“‘Jaw, jaw is better than war, war’,” Lucien quoted. “If he decides to fight, what chances would we have?” he then asked.

“The proverbial three chances of any lopsided battle,” Howard sighed.

“Fat, slim and no fuckin’,” Frack countered with.

“You got that SO right, Frack.”

November 8, 2017, 1000 hours

The Voyager slowly approached the last lock and dam before Pittsburgh, that being the Emsworth. They had to cross the river, because while Dashields was on the south bank, Emsworth was on the north. Howard, from the bridge, noticed something unusual as they passed the I-79 bridge. Curious, he grabbed the bridge binoculars and looked ahead. A short time later, he was proven right. The foamy water one would expect to see by the Emsworth dam wasn’t there. Instead, there was a large hole in the dam, midstream in the river. “Now, how the hell did that happen?” he muttered, loud enough for Carroll to hear.

“How did what happen?” Carroll asked.

“The dam’s broken. How, I don’t know, but I’m willing to bet we can’t cross that. There will be rubble on the riverbed which I’m sure will scrape the bottom. As for the lock, I won’t be surprised to find some damage there,” Howard said, looking through the binoculars.

“Captain, look at the right bank…” Carroll said from her position at the wheel. He did, still with the binoculars to his eyes. He saw two unicorns standing at the Army Corps of Engineers quay, with their horns lit up. One had a purple glow, almost ultraviolet in hue, with a frizzy purple mane crowning its gray-furred body. The other had a neon-green glow, with body fur of the same color and an international orange mane. The purple one formed an arrow with his glow and pointed it at the quay.

“Looks like we’re being handed an invitation to chat,” Howard said, lowering the binoculars. “Shall we drop over and visit?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, Captain,” Carroll said as she slowed the converted barge down, cutting across the river. It wasn’t ten minutes before they were alongside the two unicorns.

“Line handlers on deck, starboard side,” Howard ordered as he swung the starboard gangplank out and down to the quay. Chad and Aaron quickly came on deck, getting the lines secured and tightened. The whole time, the two strange unicorns waited patiently.

Once all was safe, Howard came down to welcome the visitors. “Come on aboard! I’m Captain Howard Crane, of the Mississippi Voyager. Who be you?” he asked affably.

The two unicorns said in unison, deadpan, “Yes, we know who you are, Captain.” before they both broke into warm smiles.

“I’m Nebulous Nimbus,” said the purple maned unicorn.

“I’m Cacophonix,” said the orange maned unicorn.

“Yes, we are related,” they said together.

Howard blinked some at the unusual patterns the two used. Impedimenta and Coronavirus never mentioned the oddities. Then again, he was a fine one to talk about eccentricities. “Would you like to come aboard and have a chat over coffee or whatever?” he asked.

“We would be honored,” said Nebulous.

“We have faith in your chef to serve us properly,” added Cacophonix.

“How would you know about him?” Howard asked as he led the pair to a table near the buffet.

“Our sister told us. She likes him,” the two said together.

“Impedimenta? Your sister? Intriguing,” Howard said as Jason came out with hot drinks and pastry, coffee for Howard, tea for Nebulous, and thick hot cocoa for Cacophonix.

“She’s loyal to Zvezda. We’re loyal to our dragons. Even Coronavirus to Casimir,” Neb said.

“Dumb and Dumberer having a tonsil-waving contest and nobody’s winning, as your doctor put it,” Cacophonix added.

“That he did,” Howard said after a sip of coffee. “No offense meant.”

“Don’t worry about it. When he heard about that on WSU Radio, Vladimir laughed so hard, he was gasping for breath after. First good laugh he’s had in a while,” Neb said before a slug of tea.

The two unicorns then got serious looks on their faces. A lemon yellow glow surrounded the three at the table. “Okay, what we are about to say now goes no further until you pass the Dashields lock. After that, Vladimir won’t mind,” Cacophonix said grimly.

“We broke the dam here to prevent shipping past this point. Vladimir and the others are trying to decide what to do next,” Neb said. “Most likely the idea will be to head north to Erie and work around two of the lakes, taking the cities that way.”

“He respects you and this crew, but you scare him down to his soul. What happened to Zvezda, well, he’s afraid that would happen to him, if he pissed you off enough. He doesn’t want that,” Cacophonix added, taking a gulp of hot mud. He then looked at the mug. “How did he get this done right?” he asked, surprised.

“I don’t know how he does it, he just does it,” Howard said.

“Count your blessings he’s on your side. You’re very fortunate,” Cacophonix said as he reached for a beignet.

“On to other things, Captain. First, no shipping along the Ohio River is to pass the Pennsylvania state line until the summer solstice of twenty-nineteen,” Neb said seriously, pronouncing the strange (to him) state and river names carefully. “By then, we would be out of here, and would have no objection to your looking about.”

“Out of curiosity, just what would happen if someone did set sail up the river?” Howard asked.

“If it is just one or two ponies in a small boat, nothing. A ship like the Voyager, which obviously would come from Louisianne or some other major body, would be faced with at minimum a two-dragon aerial attack, with unicorn support. If all goes to plan, there would be nothing left to drift downstream,” Neb said seriously. Cacophonix nodded in agreement.

“Rest assured that I will convey such news to Her Majesty,” Howard said before pausing. After a moment, he continued. “In fact, Her Majesty agrees to the terms outlined, and will leave orders to all ship captains that would cruise along the Ohio that the farthest upstream any will go is Steubenville. She asks if you desire absolutely no contact, or leave a means where contact can be established from your end to hers at your desire?”

The two unicorns looked at each other, surprised at the offer. It took a few seconds for Neb to answer. “We would like that. How can it be arranged?”

Howard smiled as much as his beak would allow. “After lunch, which I hope you would stay for, I will provide a means for you to do so. You’re wanting to keep this conversation under wraps, so I will not break the aura until you drop it.”

Cacophonix grinned. “You’re perceptive, Captain. No wonder you managed to get past Casimir and Zvezda,” he said.

Neb added, “Then again, a foal could run rings around Casimir and Coronavirus without trying hard.”

Howard said drily, “If you’re expecting an argument, forget about it. I agree with you. Little Rosa Voltefiore has the two wrapped around her paw. They’re not complaining any.”

After a sip of coffee, Howard went on. “Anything else you want to discuss under seal?”

“Just one,” Cacophonix said. “We have someone who is not a good fit for us. A pegasus who styles himself as Heartfire. He arrived last week, following the Allegheny River. He’s big, strong, powerful, but needed rest. Take him with you, and we’ll call it square. It was all I could do to save his skin after he flipped off Nikolai.”

“Done. We will remain here until sunrise tomorrow. Have him report to us before then,” Howard agreed. “Interested in lunch?”

“Oh, yes!” the two unicorns chorused eagerly. The aura surrounding the three faded.

After Howard cautioned the crew that some subjects are not to be discussed until the okay has been given, they shared a convivial lunch with the two visiting unicorns. Cacophonix is the more outgoing, while Neb was a bit more reserved. Jason, with help from Chad, did his usual exemplary job in the galley, drawing praise from the visiting unicorns.

When Cacophonix was told about Louisville, he became very proud of Igor and Rena’s accomplishments. “I did what I could with them, given the time I had. Did you teach them any more?”

“We did, all of us unicorns. Rena took moah to the medical, while Igor took to the mechanical. In the week we was theah, they learned well, and ah left them a beginner’s spell book to practice from,” Lucien drawled, just as proud of the pair as Cacophonix.

“They ain’t dumb, none of them. They just don’t speak good English, they don’t. Ah don’t hold that against ‘em, just did what ah done could,” drawled Arnie Van Dyke, the soon-to-be Chief Engineer.

“They speak Estonian and Russian fluently, while I have some knowledge of Russian. I look forward to having them as my students again, even if for only a short time,” Jessica added in her cautious English.

“I did not have time to make them communication charms before we left," Cacophonix told the group. “But I did later. Would you be so kind as to deliver them for me?” he asked.

“It would be an honor to do so, Cacophonix,” Howard said. “They are good folk, and those who remained behind in Louisville had nothing bad to say about you or Nikolai. If I may ask, why the ballpark?”

“We found the original Returnees gathered there, and the field was amenable to grow crops in. Later, we moved out to where the wide roads met, to use the green space there. Living quarters were easy to make out of the rooms, and Nikolai liked the area where he made his lair. Why was it called a ‘bullpen’?” Cacophonix asked.

“That’s a bit of a story,” Frack said, before telling a brief tale of what he knew about it. “After that, the name just stuck.”

“You former humans are so odd, compared to Equestrian species,” Neb observed. “Similar, yet so different, the similarities fool us until the differences smack us upside the head!” He chuckled a bit, thinking about how many times he had been caught unawares. “Your brother is truly bizarre, but sense can be found in his words.”

“Big Bro is different, for sure. But, get past his bluster and listen to his meanings, and you’ll come out much the better. I know I did,” Frack said with a sigh, leaning against Bernie, who put a wing around him.

“Why did he say ‘in Cincinnati, it’s six forty-two’, when it was obviously nine in the morning?” Neb asked, more than a bit confused.

“If you don’t know the background, you won’t get the joke. I suggest you find and listen to all the recordings of a comedian named George Carlin. Somewhere in his mass of wisdom, you’ll find the sketch that will explain it,” Frack advised.

“I’ll remember to do that,” Neb said.

While Neb talked, Cacophonix focused on a teleport, one that brought two small sapphire gems to him, mounted on thick rubber straps designed to go around a foreleg. “Please get these to Igor and Rina. I can help them learn more magic, and maybe I can learn something in return.”

Howard stood, taking the gems in a paw. “I’ll put these safely away, and get you a gem to put you in touch with Louisianne. You two decide which one will get it,” he said before heading upstairs to his office. Opening his safe, he put the two sapphires in while removing the box Queen Marie had given him months before. Inside is a diamond on a necklace, a teardrop set in gold with several smaller diamonds surrounding the big one. Taking out the piece of jewelry, he then closed his safe and went back downstairs.

“Okay, who gets the hot ice?” Howard called out as he got back to the lunch, which was down to coffee and cakes, including coffee cake, something Jason is good at.

Neb spoke up. “I do. I’m Vladimir’s assistant, so I get the load.”

Howard passed the box over. “Put it on when you’re ready to learn. Devote some free time to it. Her Majesty has a lot to talk about,” he cautioned.

Neb put the box in a small pouch he wore around his neck. “I’ll remember that. Vladimir knows Queen Marie had something to do with what happened to Zvezda, and does not want to share her fate.”

“He has little to worry about in that respect, as of now. May that state of affairs remain that way.”

The lunch concluded on remarkably good terms, with little in the way of veiled threats issued by the home team, who admitted they did not want to fight, having learned that this crew is tougher than their bosses expected.

An hour after their departure, a very large blue-black pegasus stallion, with a cutie mark of a heart trailing flames on the rump side, wearing a set of saddlebags meant for a smaller pony appeared on the A.C.E. dock where the unicorns had been. Harry Bell went out to meet him. “You must be Heartfire. Follow me, your cabin’s ready. How far do you plan to go?” he asked.

“Can’t say yet. I’m just going to have to see what’s there to see,” the pegasus said in a deep, rich voice.

“Sounds good. What’s this I hear about you flipping off a dragon?”

“I did. I had just arrived, and I was exhausted. Long flight from Susquehanna. I can do great feats of flight, but after, I need lots of rest.”

Harry led Heartfire aboard. “What made you decide to fly to Pittsburgh?” he asked.

“I have family there, or, I HAD. Made the trip in under a day, but once I stopped, I was spent. Could not get the strength to lift off. That white bearded unicorn, Getafix, found me and brought me to where I could have a warm bed and a hot meal. That blue-green dragon tried to ‘assign’ me to a work party, but I wasn’t ready to. I don’t take kindly to being pushed around. I’m glad the neon unicorn got in the middle,” Heartfire explained as he was led to his cabin.

“Okay, then. This will be your berth while aboard. Dinner is at eighteen hundred, and we’ll set out at about nine tomorrow, heading downriver. With luck, we’ll be in New Orleans by December, and definitely by Christmas. Once you get settled, if you want to pitch in and help, we’ll show you what to do, okay?” Harry told the larger pegasus, who by then had slipped out of his saddlebag and stretched some.

“Sounds like a plan to me. For now, some rest. That teleportation is freaky!” Heartfire said as he got into the bed, which was big enough for him to be comfortable in.

“I can imagine, pallie. We’ll sound the dinner bell at six. Get some rest,” Harry said before closing the door. Heartfire was zonked moments later.

Author's Note

A little anticlimactic, but the dragons are running scared, especially of the Voyager crew. They think what happened to Zvezda could happen to them. They don't know the full story. Ignorance is bliss, it is said, but in this case, ignorance breeds incorrect thoughts.

Now to head back to base before snow and ice arrives, picking up passengers along the way. Just what will they find?

Edit: Got the picture to load. Just not used to doing this! Thanks, HF!

I have a pic of Heartfire, provided by Harts Fire, but I can't get it to load. In time, I'll figure it out, and put the picture in the proper places.

Now, down the river they come!

Chapter 8: Louisville, take two.

“Captain’s diary, November 9th, 2017, 1200 hours.

“We’re now heading downstream, passing the Dashields Lock and proceeding towards Wheeling, hoping to arrive there within a couple of days. This past month or so, we’ve been heading UPstream. Now, we’re going DOWNstream, and the locks are becoming a little more problematic, especially using the narrower passes, with one gate. The two-gate locks should be easier. We’ll find that out once we get to Montgomery Lock.

“Our passenger is settled in, but asked not to be involved with much for a few days. Lucien and Jessica have him in sickbay, examining him closely to figure out what’s up with him. I’ll get a report after lunch.

“Howard Crane, Captain, Mississippi Voyager, out.”

Howard shut off the voice recording and looked over his entry. “I’m getting better at this,” he said to himself before heading down to lunch.

November 11th, the Voyager stopped at Wheeling to pick up the two passengers waiting for them, Alice Smith and Frank De La Rosa. They spent the day scavenging as well as setting up a supply dump of food, tools, fuel, a generator, seeds, and other stuff to help a Returnee. They set up two in different parts of Wheeling, one on the island and one on the southeast side, in storage sheds found at a Home Depot, both garishly colored and labeled, with solar-powered blinking lights. Not powerful, but noticeable, especially at night.

Three days and four locks later, they stopped in Parkersburg, picking up Luke and Chopper, and setting up two more supply dumps, one by the house and another downtown, by the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers.

This went on for another ten days or so, heading downstream in no particular hurry, stopping every day or two to set up a ‘rescue shelter’, taking cover whenever a particularly intense storm line passed through. The passengers pitched in whenever they could, Chopper and Luke showing they knew their way around a kitchen, as did Frank de la Rosa.

Heartfire got the rest he needed, exams done by the doctors showing that when he ‘poured on the coals’, it would take about two weeks for him to recover naturally. Turns out a potion they had could reduce the ‘down time’ to a day, but said potion they only had two of. Phoning ahead to Kansas City had them learning that a case can be special ordered, but delivery, especially in the winter, would be a bit iffy.

Heartfire also started a friendship with another passenger, Brenda Jourdain. After recovering from her Evansville jail injuries, she proved to be a good distance flier, able to cover hundreds of miles a day, with a very accurate navigation sense. If she had been there, and in her prior profession of ‘courier’, she had been to a lot of places, it was no trouble finding it again. If not, a look at a map would be enough for her to ‘get her bearings’ and go there. It became their job to ‘scout ahead’ and check on matters before the ship got there. Of course, this was done only on fair weather days.

November 24, 2017 Ashland, KY

Heartfire and Brenda were flying scout after three days of sitting idle during a snowstorm. The day was clear and cold, the Voyager leaving Kanawha, WV. He took the north bank, she the south, both with radios to keep in touch.

The pair had not gone too far before something caught Brenda’s eye, that being a thin plume of smoke from the south bank. Looking closer, she saw the smoke coming from a boxcar on the tracks south of the river. Closing in, she saw said boxcar was separated from a line of other boxcars, and two others were farther ahead, both burned out. Calling in the sighting, she was given permission to investigate. When her partner closed in, the two flew to the boxcar.

The smoke came from a crude chimney that came out from a hole punched through the wall of the boxcar, then held in place with some kind of mortar. The pair went to the door, Heartfire, being the larger, reached up to knock.

“Come around to the other side! That door is locked and is staying that way!” a voice shouted. The voice had a definite Kentucky accent to it.

“We’ll be right there!” Brenda shouted before trotting around, carefully stepping over the rails, Heartfire following. Brenda was in charge of the mission, because she was senior in time aboard.

On the other side, they found the door partially opened and an earth pony waiting, a brown and white pinto pattern with a light brown mane. “So there are others!” he said with joy. “Thought I was the only one around!”

“No, there are others around and about. I’m Brenda Jourdain, and this is my partner Heartfire. We’re off the riverboat Mississippi Voyager, which is a little ways upstream of us, heading this way. Who are you and how long have you been back?” Brenda asked.

“I’m Malcolm Dwight, from Creelsboro, Kentucky. Been working on railroads for over forty years. Was looking forward to retiring in a month or so, but somehow I think that’s not gonna happen!” he said, chuckling some before going on. “Figure it’s been a couple of weeks. Took a couple of tries to get a stove set up without burning the place down!”

“So that’s what happened to the other boxcars we saw,” Heartfire rumbled.

“Yep!” Malcolm laughed. “Once I learn something, it stays learned, it’s just figuring something new that takes a few tries. Like your butt print, big fellow. Different from mine.” He turned to show his, an old steam locomotive on a set of rails, pointing forward.

“Just what did you do on the railroad, Mister Dwight?” Brenda asked.

Malcolm sat down to think a little. “Damn near everything that didn’t involve being in an office. Track walker, brakeman, conductor, engineer, switchyard worker, I did it. Why do you ask?”

“We know of someone who is trying to get the railroads running again. Would you be interested in joining them?” Brenda asked.

Malcolm didn’t hesitate. “Beats sitting on my ass here waiting for spring. What do I have to do?”

“We can offer you a ride there on the riverboat. Just let me check with the Captain, okay?” Brenda said, pointing to the radio at her side.

“How about I start packing and put the fire out?” Malcolm said with a laugh.

“You do that!” Brenda said as she took off and flew out of earshot before calling the Voyager. Swiftly getting an answer, she flew back to her partner. “Think you can carry him to Voyager? It’s a few miles upstream.”

Heartfire nodded. “Without needing overdrive, I’m sure.”

“Okay, then. Once he comes out, that’s what we’ll do. Make him the offer, and if he’s willing, take him to the Voyager. From what he says, Memphis will be glad to have him,” Brenda told her partner.

“I’m ready, if he’s willing,” Heartfire said firmly.

“Okay, then.” The two flew back to the door, where Malcolm was waiting. “Mister Dwight, are you willing to be flown to the Voyager, or do you want to wait? It’s a few miles upstream,” Brenda told the earth pony.

“Fly? How?” Malcolm asked, visibly confused.

“Simple. I can pick you up in my hooves and carry you,” Heartfire told the smaller pony. “Have no worry, I will not drop you. I will put you down on the deck of the Voyager gently. The flight will only be a few minutes. Are you willing?”

Malcolm didn’t hesitate. “I’m willing. You won’t be offended if I keep my eyes shut on the flight, will you?” he asked. “I’m not used to flying ON the plane. IN the plane, not ON it.”

Both Brenda and Heartfire whinnied with laughter. “Not at all, Mister Dwight! Sooner started, sooner you’re having hot coffee!” Heartfire chuckled.

“Let’s do it!” Malcolm said.

Heartfire lifted off the ground with a few strong flaps of his wings. He moved over the earth pony and settled on top of him. Touching his hooves to each other, he then lifted off, the smaller pony firmly held to the larger pony’s belly. Together, they headed upstream, Brenda trailing at first before moving ahead, following the river to Kanawha, where the Voyager was making its way downstream on the gasifier. It was only a fifteen minute flight before they touched down on the Voyager’s foredeck.

Malcolm’s eyes snapped open. “That was a quick flight! Thank you, Mister Heartfire!” he exclaimed as Heartfire let go, moved up and over before landing himself. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Sounds like this whole damn country runs on coffee!” Brenda laughed as she opened the door to the Lounge. Malcolm was the first in, to be met by Jason McTerry, the ship’s cook, who had a mug of steaming black coffee with three sugars stirred in.

Malcolm took the mug, sniffed at it, then sipped. A happy smile crossed his face. “I needed this. Thank you!” he said, but Jason had already gone back into the kitchen, where lunch preps were going on, Chopper being his ‘helper for the day’.

Malcolm was placed in the farthest back available cabin (because they were loading the cabins back to front), and given a book on earth ponies to read before lunch. After lunch, he was invited to sit up in the Lounge and meet with the rest of the crew and passengers, being brought up to speed on the state of the world.

December 7, 2017 1400 hours Approaching Louisville, KY

Captain Crane was down in the Lounge with about half the crew, watching a movie on the big screen. Outside, a moderate snow was falling, reducing visibility to about a mile or so. As a precaution, he had two people on the bridge, maintaining a constant watch ahead, ship speed just a bit more than the current, watching for ice. It was below freezing, but the current keeps the main channel clear.

As the action on the screen reached a climax, Howard felt a ‘knocking’ in the back of his skull. “Capitan Crane, do you hear me? Is Jesus Valdez, from Louisville.”

Howard focused his thoughts. Thanks to his practice, he could send without moving his beak. “I hear you, Senor Valdez. Something wrong?”

“Si! Bart, he has returned. He has Linus, and he demands we surrender to him and put him back in charge. We have until tomorrow to decide.” Jesus sent, his worry apparent in his ‘voice’.

“We are about twenty miles upstream of Louisville. It will take the boat a couple of hours to get to you. However, I have two pegasi who could reach you in under an hour. Would you like that?” Howard asked.

“Si! Send help! Charlie and Patty are worrying themselves sick! He’s holed up in Galt House with Linus. Get him and get rid of him!” Julio practically begged.

“I will so direct my crew. Keep in touch with me, and I can relay to my crew. Where are you now?”

“At the ballpark, in my suite. We are all in our suites. We will wait for you to contact me. Here, we are safe. Linus is not.” Julio sent.

“We’re on it. Let me get to work. Help is on the way!” Howard sent before breaking contact. He then stood up and paused the movie.

“I’ve just heard from Julio in Louisville. Bart has returned, and he’s taken Linus hostage. He’s in Galt House, waiting for the residents to capitulate.

“Brenda, Heartfire, I want you two to fly to Louisville. Take radios and whatever weapon you think you can use. Get Bart and stop him. He’s had his warning. This one is now personal.” he said to the crew, every inch the captain of the expedition.

“I know where to go. Heart, can you handle a police baton or tonfa?” Brenda asked.

“A baton will work just fine. No holds barred, Captain?” Heartfire asked.

“No holds barred. I want him removed to where he cannot cause any problems. He’s a griffon, and can fly,” Howard told the big pegasus.

“Let’s get geared up and get moving. How far out are we?” Brenda asked.

“I’ll send you the data once I find out. Get gear and go!” Howard said as he made for the stairs up to the Bridge.

“Right!” Brenda said as she led Heartfire to the armory, where she selected two stout batons, one larger than the other. She gave him the larger one. Getting two radios, she gave him one and led the way outside, into the falling snow. They quickly took off, heading downriver.

“Brenda, I put us about nineteen miles from where we moored in Louisville. Best safe speed will take us about two, maybe three hours. Settle his hash!” Howard sent, clearly upset.

“Understood, Captain! Will do!” she sent back before getting close to Heartfire and telling him.

“I’m not worried about him. Messing with a child is a sure way to Hell!” Heartfire declared.

“I agree!” Together they flew, the clouds low and blowing snow. They made good time, despite the weather and flying into the wind, but they were both very strong fliers. It took half an hour for them to fly down the Ohio to Louisville Slugger field, two minutes more to get to the suites where the colony lived.

Brenda was about to knock on the door when she heard Bart’s voice over a radio. “I’m going to need some food for me and Linus, Julio! Make a package up and have it delivered to the lobby of Galt House in one hour! Make enough to last the night!” they heard the griffon demand.

“Si, senor Bart. I will have Charlie and Patty make a package for Linus, and Julie will make a package of fried fish for you, delivered in an hour or less to the lobby of Galt House. Acceptable?”

“Yeah, that will work. If this snow lets up by tomorrow, I’ll go hunt. I do know none of you like red meat. One hour, in the lobby!” Bart said firmly before ending the transmission. Audible in the background was Linus’ whining that he was hungry. What can one expect from a four-year-old?

“One hour, in lobby. Someone will be there. Valdez out.” the two heard. Ten seconds later, Brenda knocked. Julio quickly opened the door. “Brenda! You moved fast! Who’s your friend?” the thestral said, surprised.

“This is Heartfire. We found him outside of Pittsburgh. We heard what Bart said. Let’s get the packages made up and Heart and I will deliver them. OUR way!” Brenda said, outraged over what she had heard.

“Everyone else is waiting in the kitchens. Let’s go there. Food packs have to be made,” Julio said before leading the pegasi to the kitchens, where they found the six others of Louisville: the unicorns Igor and Rena, the earth ponies Charlie, Patty and little Sally, and Julie Lowry, the pegasus. After introductions, he relayed Bart’s instructions. Quickly, the ponies got to work, filling a saddlebag with mixed grains and grass for Linus, and a large pack of fried river fish for Bart.

The packing was done swiftly, and the pack was fitted to Brenda, Heartfire being a bit too big for it to fit him. “Captain Crane told us to settle his hash. A broken wing failed to teach him a lesson. We’re just going to have to come up with a more permanent solution,” Brenda told the group.

“You plan on killing him?” Charlie asked.

“If push comes to shove, we will. I hope to come up with a different solution. Just remember, inspiration comes when you least expect it,” Brenda told the big brown earth pony. “Julio, trade radios with me. I hope to call you with good news before the Voyager gets here.”

The switch was made, and the two pegasi headed out into the storm. “You know where to go?” Heartfire asked his partner.

“I stayed a night at Galt House several years ago. I know just where it is. We’re going to walk there, because we’re trying to make it look like the residents are delivering, and Julie will have trouble with the wind. You stay out of sight and listen while I deal with Bart,” Brenda told her friend.

“What if he gets aggressive?” Heartfire asked.

“Why, that’s when you swoop in and knock his brains into left field over the bleachers. You be my avenging angel,” Brenda said, walking alongside the larger pegasus, rubbing against him.

“I can do that,” he agreed, giving her a nuzzle.

It was a fifteen-minute walk to Galt House, mainly because the wind and blowing snow was in their faces. As they neared the hotel, Brenda told Heartfire to trail her, she would go first. It was fortuitous that Brenda and Julie were roughly similar in size and coloring, and they were hoping the gloom inside the lobby would help the disguise.

Wary, Brenda opened the door to the lobby. Going in, she shook the snow off of her and waited. She could see some paw prints and hoof tracks on the floor, leading to a stairway up. Shrugging the pack off, she went to the desk to wait, looking where she thought Bart would appear. She wasn’t disappointed.

About ten minutes went by before she heard someone descending the stairs, grumbling all the way. Bart made his way to the floor and looked around. Seeing Brenda, he shouted, “Bring me the pack, Lowry! The brat’s whining and he won’t shut up!”

Quickly, Brenda took the pack straps in her teeth and made her way to the stairs. As she neared, Bart recognized her. “Hey! You’re not Lowry! What are you doing here?” the griffon shouted.

Brenda let the pack drop. “Taking out the trash. Tag, you’re it!” she shouted, drawing her billy club.

Bart tried to run up the stairs, but missed the first step. Brenda swung, but missed. Bart then reached for Brenda, catching her mane in one of his claws and yanking. Brenda yelped, falling under the force of the pull.

Heartfire came charging in, racing across the lobby as Brenda struggled with Bart, keeping him distracted as the big pegasus took wing after a few steps, charging at the griffon. Bart got a glimpse as Heartfire neared. “Oh, fu…” Bart managed to say before Heartfire brought his right forehoof down on Bart’s head, knocking him senseless.

“Well, that part of the plan worked. What to do next?” Brenda asked as she got up from under Bart.

“I have an idea. Open the door for me while I take out the trash, please,” Heartfire said as he picked up Bart in his hooves. Brenda flew to the doors, opening them wide. Heartfire had to drop Bart, drag the unconscious griffon through the doors and pick him up again because his wingspan was wider than the doors. “Get Linus and bring him back to the ballpark. I’ll meet you there.”

“Will do!” Brenda said as Heartfire lifted off, flying up into the clouds.

It took a few minutes to find Linus and calm him down, having him talk to Patty over the radio before he would follow Brenda downstairs. After some food, the two headed for the stadium.

Fifteen minutes after the joyful reunion, Heartfire returned to the suites, looking grim. “What did you do with him, Senor Heartfire?” Julio asked.

“I put him on top of the clouds, at about eighteen thousand feet. He showed signs of coming around, so I clubbed him again. Winds are heading east-southeast at about twenty miles an hour. Up there, its solid clouds to the horizon. I don’t know if he knows how to get through clouds, but they are quite thick and disorienting to those who don’t know what to do,” he reported, both Brenda and Julie nodding agreement. “By the time he spots land and comes down, he should be at least a hundred miles away from here, hopefully more.”

“I’m relaying this to Captain Crane. He says that they should be here within an hour, tying up ahead of the Mary M. Miller. He’s inviting everyone to the ship for a hot dinner, and he wants to know where you put the cows we found last visit,” Brenda said, rubbing up against Heartfire.

“They’re here at the ballpark, in the bullpen Nikolai did not use. We’re managing to keep part of the outfield clear to grow hay and grain for the cows, using propane heaters to warm the area,” Charlie said. “Why, want some milk?”

Brenda relayed the data to Howard. After a few seconds, she spoke. “He says yes, if you want some ice cream!”

“Ice cream!” Sally squealed.

“I’ll go get some and make it ready for use,” Patty said, heading out and down, Rena following her. When milking a cow, a warm glow is better than a cold hoof, especially in this weather!

1800 hours, the Mississippi Voyager

The Voyager’s Lounge was crowded, with thirty ponies and others there, the full complement of the crew and passengers, plus the Louisville residents, but with strategic seating, all were comfortable. Jason, with Chopper and Chad’s help, turned out an excellent dinner, as usual, with ice cream for dessert, along with a vanilla cake and cookies. Only the kids wanted ice cream.

As the dinner wound down to coffee and cakes, with the occasional drink, Brenda and Heartfire stood up. “We want to announce our intention to stay here in Louisville. Bart MAY show up again, as well as something else just as nasty. Will you have us, Mister Valdez?” Heartfire announced to the crowd.

Julio did not hesitate. “We of Louisville would be honored to have you and Brenda remain here. We have plenty of suites available, it’s just a matter of getting them ready for habitation,” he said, to the applause of the rest of the Louisville crowd. The crew applauded too, but for a different reason.

Howard spoke next. “We can remain here for a couple of days to help, plus set up a couple of emergency caches, like we have been doing on our way back downstream. Brenda, Heartfire, it has been a joy having you aboard, and I wish you both a happy life here.”

Heartfire hugged Brenda with a wing. “We hope so, too. We work well together, and want to remain together. We’re needed here.”

“We accept you, Mister Heartfire,” Julio said, speaking for the colony. “You will help us scavenge for more supplies, si? Growing in the cold is hard for the earth ponies.”

“We sure will!” Brenda said firmly. “If this is to be our home, we’ll work with you to make sure this will be the best home we can make!”

Author's Note

Looks like Bart is a slow learner. Let's see... a hundred or so miles ESE of Louisville leads to the heart of the Appalachians. It will be some time before he finds others to dominate, for sure!

Chapter 9 looks like the end of this tale, but seeds are being sown for the next. Want to pitch some ideas? Put them in the comments, and I'll see how much your vision matches my 'reality'! Enjoy, friends!

Chapter 9: Return to New Orleans

Mid-morning, December 10th, the Mississippi Voyager untied from Louisville, destination Evansville. It was a busy two days for the crew and passengers, setting up an emergency station on the what would be croplands along the river once spring came, leaving more supplies and tools for the Louisville contingent, and setting up a shortwave radio transceiver station at the stadium. Brenda, who had some training with the shipboard radio, got more training from Frack on how to use it. She was a quick study, and soon had most of the operating procedures down.

Brenda also had another job, that being Queen Marie’s ‘eyes and ears’ in Louisville. Said job was admittedly a thin excuse for allowing her to keep the communications gem, so she could call out at need. Her Majesty taught her a method to put out a ‘distress call’ at need that would be heard by Northern Command. Even if the city decided not to join Louisianne, she could keep the gem for use as needed. Mister Valdez had one as well, but he could only use his to call out to ponies he knew. Brenda had more ‘experience’ as well as better ‘attunement’ than Julio.

The Voyager took two days to reach Evansville, leaving seven emergency caches and battling two locks to get there. Their habit, on the return trip, is to leave a cache at a lock, at a largeish town, or at a bridge across the river. Late in the day on the 12th, the Voyager pulled up alongside the LST-325, where they were met by a happy Jake Reynaud and Elaine Meyer. Over dinner, the two told of their plans for the future.

“Six crewponies from the Georgia are due here on the first springtime boat. Once we get them settled in, Queen Marie has asked us to take a trip down the Cumberland River as far as we can go, to visit cities along that river,” Jake told the assembled crew and passengers. “Six from the Georgia and two willing volunteers from New Orleans who are interested. With a crew of ten, this old girl will be able to dance again!”

“With some trained hands and hooves, I’ll be able to do more than just keep her functioning!” Elaine added.

“What is Her Majesty offering you in exchange for service?” Howard asked.

“A complete loadout of supplies in addition to what we can scavenge from here,” Jake replied. “To be brought on the first boat upriver that brings the crew ponies.”

“Are you going to set up caches like we have been doing?” Carroll asked.

“That’s the plan. It’s a way to assist returning ponies who may be far from others,” Jake answered.

“Colonel Forrest’s idea. Took a while to put into operation, but it’s a good one, and may it bear fruit. Do the primary mission first, which in our case was to find out what the dragons are up to. On our way back, we set up the shelters. Easy enough to find sheds, fill them and set up beacons,” Howard said, before sipping from a beer. “How are the farm stations?”

“Hunkered down for the winter. They’re planning to move here in a couple of weeks with the rest of their harvest, to store here,” Elaine replied. “As for next year, one of our first jobs once everyone gets here is a good old-fashioned barn raising!”

“Once that’s done, we’ll scour the city for the stuff we’ll need to set up the supply caches. New Orleans will provide what goes into them, we have to find the sheds to put the stuff in!” Jake laughed. “Suitable division of labor, in my eyes.”

“What about when the Georgia folk arrive? Will you remain in command, Jake?” Harry asked.

Jake thought a moment before replying. “Essentially yes, but, they are sending a senior officer, a junior officer, a chief and three enlisted folk. The senior officer will become my exec. I’ll be in charge, but I’ll defer a lot to the exec. He has experience, I don’t.”

Jessica was the next to ask a question. “Will you have any doctors along, Captain Reynaud?” she asked in her slow, yet improving, English.

“Nope,” he replied quickly. “No doctors in our bunch. One of the fellas coming from the Georgia is an EMT, but that’s about it.” Jessica just sat back, looking thoughtful. Others tried to contact her mentally, but she raised a block to keep her thoughts private, for now.

The Voyager and her crew stayed for two days, checking up on the farmsteads and searching the city for useful items, like storage sheds, lights and whatnot. Gave them an excuse to unpack the truck and put a few miles on it. Last time they did was back in Wheeling.

On the 15th, they set sail, heading downriver. Two days, five supply sheds and one lock later, they neared Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, where they planned to drop a supply cache at the ferry terminal. Harry and Aaron had the bridge watch, a sleet storm limiting visibility. As the ship passed where the cabins were, a light caught Aaron’s eye. Zooming in with the binoculars, he could see a road flare burning on the riverbank. As he watched, another lit.

“Harry, there’s someone on the bank,” Aaron said.

Harry looked, seeing the two red flares. A third joined the first two. Quickly, he brought the ship to a stop before calling Howard to the bridge. The response was quick, his orders just as fast.

“Harry, maneuver the Voyager as close as you can to the flares. I’m going out to take a look. You’ll be in charge until I come back. Carroll’s coming with me,” he said firmly.

“Aye, Captain!” Harry answered quickly, swinging mid-river to turn around, ordering the diesels lit and gasifier secured. As Howard and Carroll flew into the sleet, Harry brought the boat as close as he could, swinging the port gangplank out, but found it was too short.

Howard and Carroll flew out in the sleet to look. There they found a very forlorn-looking Abyssinian, black with some white markings on its face. It was wearing a poncho that was far too big for it, as well as some dirty blue jeans, no shoes or socks. Said Abyssinian looked very young, no more than ten. “Would you like to come aboard and get warm?” Howard asked.

The Abyssinian just walked up to Carroll and let the griffon pick it up. She used her hind paws and wings to lift off, Howard following. “Whoever-this-is is thin as a rail, shivering, and from what I feel is scared spitless, Captain. Alert Lucien and Jason, please,” she sent to her captain as she covered the distance to the riverboat. Howard did so, quickly.

Jason was waiting back at the Voyager’s Lounge doors, with a large warm towel. Quickly, he undressed the sodden youth and wrapped her in the towel. “I have her. Tell Chop and Chad they finish dinner,” he said firmly as he picked up the shivering youth. Startled, Howard and Carroll ‘hopped to’, because they had not heard the quiet Abyssinian speak in such tones before.

Jason took the shivering child back to a vacant passenger cabin, tucking her in under some warm blankets. He petted her cheek, communicating wordlessly before leaving the cabin, destination galley. There, he communicated by gesture to Chopper and Chad to finish meal preps as he made a thermos full of hot chocolate and some hot fish bites, which he brought back to the cabin.

As Jason carefully fed the child fish and cocoa, a knock sounded on the door, followed quickly by Lucien. Shutting the door behind him, he used the language of glance and gesture to ask if he could examine the child. Equally quiet, Jason gave permission. A red glow came from Lucien’s horn and surrounded the young girl. “Now don’t you fret none, ah’m just checkin’ to see if you need some serious doctorin, is all. Not gonna hurt ya.” he said in his best grandfatherly tones. The girl relaxed and let the doctor work.

After a moment, the glow went out. “Ah can tell you, Jason, theah ain’t nothin several days of decent meals, rest and TLC can’t fix. Once she starts feeling better, she’ll start talkin. Ah’ll get Esther in to help. She’s very scared, cold, hungry, and needs someone to care for her. Can yuh handle that?” he told the ship’s chief cook and steward.

“I can,” was his response. “Get Esther.”

“Will do.”

The Voyager continued on its way west, then south, planting caches as opportunities permitted. It took the young Abyssinian four days before she gained the confidence to come out of the cabin and meet the crew. It turned out that her name was Stephanie Moore, and was camping with her family at the park when ‘a bright flash’ came and she changed into what she is now. All she would say about herself Before was that she was ‘fat, ugly and clumsy’, and liked herself better now. She stayed close to Jason or Esther, the ship’s Third Officer. One thing she did say is that she didn’t want to be alone, so many of the ship’s crew and passengers made the effort to be with her while she was awake, keeping her occupied.

December 24th found the Voyager tying up in Memphis for the holiday, both groups getting together on the 25th for a large party, Aaron Tereshkov remaining onboard the riverboat, not wanting to face his mother. Alice Smith and Malcolm Dwight disembarked there, Alice waiting for a ride to Kansas City and Malcolm to join Tucker Rampoe’s effort to bring back the train system.

Departing on the 27th, Howard made the decision to head downstream using the diesels, aiming to get to New Orleans by the 7th of January, because the Polar Princess is scheduled to arrive on the 8th, bringing the crew for the LST-325 from Kings Bay before proceeding to Havana. If that was missed, the Havana Trader was not set to sail until March, it going under refit during the winter, as are the three riverboats. They didn’t stop anywhere, because the Mississippi Star had already placed supply caches along the Mississippi from Memphis south to New Orleans, and the WSU had placed caches along the Atchafalaya before winter, using a small boat from the Rhine Forest during its most recent visit. The plan was successful, pulling in at the Nashville Street pier on the 5th of January.

The time between the 5th and 9th of January,when the Polar Princess did finally arrive, was somewhat melancholic aboard the Mississippi Voyager. Frack and Bernie made preparations to move out, because they were heading back to Maasvlakte, Bernie being about halfway through her pregnancy. Chad Randall also moved out, heading to Maasvlakte as well. Frank De La Rosa disembarked as well, destination Havana.

The night of the 9th of January, 2018, would forever be inscribed in the memories of all aboard the Voyager. The party was EPIC, bidding goodbye to friends old and new. Queen Marie and her aide, General Forrest, made an appearance to bid farewell to Frack and Bernie.

Her Majesty managed to get the two aside for a few moments. “Your appearance here almost two years ago led to a great change here, a change I am thankful for,” she told the couple. “Let me give you something that no one may take away. My blessing to the two of you, and my prayer that your foal will grow up happy, healthy and strong.” A faint white aura surrounded the three ponies for an instant.

“We thank you, Your Majesty, for your kind words. I’m glad that our time here worked for all of us,” Bernie told the big black unicorn.

“What she said,” Frack added, putting a wing around his wife.

“You have him well trained,” Marie observed, a small smile on her face.

“He knows the consequences…” Bernie growled while leaning into her love’s hug.

“Would you like the gems back?” Frack asked.

“No. Keep them as visible reminders of my gratitude. They will still work, just remember the distances. I would suggest not calling me unless you really, truly think I should know something. Deal?” Marie asked, looking her most imposing. How imposing? It intimidated Frack, his internal Gunny deciding NOT to piss off a five-star general and Head of State.

While Frack searched for words, Bernie had no trouble. “It’s a deal, Queenie!” she said, raising her leg for a hoof clop, which was returned with a smile.

January 11th, the Polar Princess pulled out, destination Havana. The Mississippi Voyager entered a refit phase, tweaking and peaking the equipment, tearing into the diesels and performing a comprehensive overhaul on them. A better sonar was installed, along with an up-to-date radar and radio system. Plenty of salvage, but few trained hooves that could maintain and move the gear without breaking it.

Stephanie remained aboard, not wanting to be separated from Jason or Esther. Lucien recommended she stay, and Howard agreed. Ivan and Jessica were transferred to the LST-325 expedition force, Ivan going as the Louisianne representative and Jessica for the WSU. When asked why she wanted that post, she said that it was just ‘a feeling she had’ that her presence would be good there, and Queen Marie said something similar.

“Well, our next trip will be that much duller without our friends,” Howard said after finding out.

“Well, hell, Captain, now that Frack’s not here, ah can pull my laht out from under its bushel an’ be mah true self!” Arnie Van Dyke, the new Chief Engineer, said.

Howard, Carroll, Lucien and Harry just shut their eyes and let out silent groans. Arnie was the only one aboard who liked zydeco music, and while he was a talented performer and musician, nobody else cared for it except the two junior engineers, Liz Ruiz and Dexter Potter.

“Two months leave before the next voyage. What to do, what to do…” Howard mused.

“Ah’ll think of somethin’, Howard,” Lucien told his captain.

“That’s what worries me, Lucien.”

Author's Note

End of one tale, start of the next. Just when I'll start the next, I'm not certain. Keep your eyes and ears sharp for when I do start, y'heah? Just give me some time to put the pieces in place!