Chapter 7

  The train of riders and wagons pushed hard that first day, determined to put significant distance between them and the immediate jurisdiction of San Antonio. That evening, just as the sun was setting, the riders made camp. The cooler, relentless fall Texas wind whipped across the plains as the wranglers worked to secure the area.

  Grandpa Rudy found the only reliable break from the wind to be had by parking the chuck wagon between Titan the Brachiosaurus and his younger brother, Little Foot. Being sheltered on two sides by fifty tons of placid dinosaur makes for a pretty decent windbreak.

  Within an hour, the crew had the ring of wagons and tents set up, with the mess tent and Lin’s med trailer centrally located. The dinos were tied off, fed, watered, treated for any ailments, and resting for the night. Not long after, Rudy had a hot meal ready.

  The menu tonight was classic: dino burgers, a mix of ground meats, with all the fixings, and as always, beans. Rudy was well known throughout the western zone as a great cook. He always told his daughter, Calli, that cooking was how a "beat-up former dino puncher like him" was able to attract her mother, that and his talent for dancing, of course. His reputation was well deserved, as long as you watched out for his culinary experiments. But tonight was straightforward, concluding with a delicious lava melon pie for dessert.

  Everyone made sure to eat their fill, because they knew anything left behind would inevitably end up in Rudy’s famous ‘Horn Eater Stew’ in a few days. The stew earned its name because Rudy would periodically clear his shelves of any leftovers, rumor was that included ANYTHING, including horns, and throw it into a pot. It was hearty, and surprisingly tasty, but you had to be careful where you chewed so as not to break a tooth.

  Later, in the quiet of the med trailer, Lin and Calli sat with Sarah.

  “Sarah,” Calli said in a comforting tone, gently holding the child's hand. “We’d like to run a few quick tests, if that’s okay. We’re going to put this little crown on your head.” Calli demonstrated by placing the sensor ring on her own head. It automatically adjusted to fit. “Then you’re going to lay down on the cot here, and we’ll take some pictures of your brain.”

  Sarah looked slightly anxious. She clutched the small rider's hat John had given her and squeezed her stuffed Brontosaurus tighter.

  “I promise it won’t hurt,” Lin assured her with her kindest smile, hanging her own hat on a hook on the wall. “You can hang on to your hat, if you like.”

  The two ladies just sat patiently and let the little girl consider for a long moment. After a moment, Sarah finally nodded in consent and climbed onto the bed, choosing to hold her hat tightly to her chest with her dino stuffy.

  Lin carefully placed the sensor ring onto the girl's head as Calli wirelessly connected the device to the lab’s computer via her arm bracer. Lin hummed one of her soothing tunes as she worked, knowing it would usually elicit a slight smile from the girl.

  After just a few minutes, a detailed 3D image of Sarah's brain was displayed on the screen. Calli manipulated the image, zooming in to specific areas and taking screenshots. They focused primarily on the hippocampus (involved in memory) and the amygdala (involved in emotion and fear).

  When Calli was sure she had all the information she needed, Lin disconnected Sarah and escorted her to the sleeping cabin at the rear of the trailer. Lin sat with the girl, singing a quiet lullaby until she fell asleep, she slid the door shut and returned to the med lab where Calli was already reviewing the scans.

  A knock came at the door, and Lin found Ciara Tinhorn standing outside.

  “Oh hey, come on in. I’m so glad to see you,” Lin embraced Ciara in a tight hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t come find you sooner, I’ve been tied up here.”

  “Oh, that’s alright. My father said you had all had some troubles you were dealing with, I understand.” Ciara hugged Lin back, but winced noticeably in some discomfort.

  Lin saw her expression. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”

  Calli came over from behind her desk to greet Ciara with a hug, also giving a concerned look.

  Ciara hesitated, looking sheepish. “I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew.”

  Calli put an arm around her shoulders, smiled, and gave her a knowing look. “Feeling a bit of the saddle-back, sweetie? Is it bad?”

  Ciara took a deep, ragged breath and answered, “Oh my God, I’m in so much pain.” She looked pleadingly at both women. “Please help me.”

  The three women laughed. Calli escorted Ciara to an exam chair where Lin was laying down a segmented, body-length pad. Ciara gingerly eased herself on to it. Lin activated the pad by pressing a few buttons on the connected controller. The pad began vibrating, heating, and massaging her from her ankles to the top of her neck, instantly providing relief. Ciara released a long sigh and visibly relaxed.

  “Oh my goodness, thank you. That’s so much better,” Ciara said gratefully. She suddenly looked concerned and ashamed. “Could we possibly keep this just between us?”

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  Lin and Calli both smiled. “Don’t worry, dear,” Calli said reassuringly. “Jase won’t hear of it from us.”

  Ciara’s face tightened, and she opened her mouth, ready to defend her own pride, but she seemed to change her mind, instead smiling and relaxing back in the chair. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  As the three women chatted, and got caught up on each other's lives Marsh and John walked in.

  “Good evening, ladies,” Marsh said as he and John both removed their hats. “How’s the patient this evening, or should I say patients? Miss Ciara, are you okay"

  Ciara lounged comfortably in the chair, letting the message pad do its work,” Oh, I’m fine, Mr. McClintock, thank you. I just wanted to catch up with Calli and Lin.” embarrassed look returning to her face.

  “Well it's a pleasure to see you again Ms. Ciara, we’re all glad to have you back in the valley again. Your pa and your brother are especially excited to have you back home. Father Jefery tells me you’ll be taking over for Mrs. Hanagan.”

  Ciara nodded, “Yes Sir, It’ll be sad to see Mrs. Hanagan retire, but I am really looking forward to taking over for her.”

  “Mrs. Hanagan will be missed,” said Calli,” She’s been a fixture in the valley for a long time. Her knowledge of history is unparalleled.”

  Marsh snorted, “Of course she was an expert on history. She's been alive for most of it.” He said sarcastically. Earning him a jab in the ribs from Calli.

  “Pay no attention to Mr. McClintock Ciara,” Calli said while looking pointedly at Marsh, who was rubbing his side where he had been jabbed.” He’s just sore from all the whoopings he deservedly earned back in his school days.”

  The group gathered back in the lab section while Ciara stayed in her therapeutic chair. Calli brought up the 3D holographic display of Sarah's brain.

  “I’ve been reviewing the scan,” Calli began, pointing to a magnified flashing area on the display. “There appears to be microscopic scars in the hippocampus and the amygdala regions. I’m guessing that the probe Ian 17 used was able to deliver precise electrical shocks, literally cauterizing the tissue containing the targeted memories.”

  She flashed through multiple pictures of small burns on the brain tissue. “The precision is terrifying. I have no idea how he isolated the location of exact memories without damaging others. But I can say there appears to be no widespread brain damage, so at least Ian 17 was telling the truth that the mind probes aren't as destructive as they used to be.”

  Lin reviewed sensor data on the display. “However, I also found something strange: she doesn’t have any nanites. Strangely enough, it appears she's never had any. Not even temporary ones for medical treatment”

  Marsh looked perplexed. “That's highly unusual, isn't it? The Tech Cities rely exclusively on tech. It’s like a religion there. You’d think everyone there would be full of them, with their cultural bent toward cyber technology."

  “That’s true,” piped up Ciara from her seat, without opening her eyes. “But there is an enormous, ever-growing population of the poor and destitute in the Tech Cities that either avoid technical modification or simply can’t afford it. Many only get enough enhancement to operate in society, but the bare minimum to do that has steadily increased since the fall of the Barons and the takeover of the Council of Nine.”

  Silence washed over the group as they collectively stared at the young woman lounging in the chair. Ciara sensed the attention, opened her eyes, and sat up.

  “A few of the professors at my university were from the Tech Cities. They would tell stories about life there. When they have number designators like that Ian 17 you mentioned, that means they are considered high-ranking members in the collective. They were selected for any number of reasons to be ‘elevated,’ which essentially boils down to the original person having their brain removed and put into a vat for preservation."

  Ciara’s gaze was intense as she shared the academic horrors she had learned. “When they—The Collective or the Council—need another copy of that person, they collect a tiny amount of original brain matter, grow an entirely new brain and any other needed organics, and put them in a new body. They are able to copy and transfer memories from the original and download them to the new one. The number represents the number of clones before them. We had a professor named Janus 22—brilliant man, or whatever. He shared a recording of the elevation procedure. It was like a religious ceremony, priests like beings in robes, onlookers prostrating themselves, incense and candles burning. All as various machines and cyborgs went about extracting the required organs from the chosen person, who was still alive at the time by the way. It was very interesting, absolutely horrifying, but interesting.”

  Lin was the first to ask a question. “We found rings with data crystals that supposedly came from the others she was taken with. We just assumed that she was too young to have one. Is there an age limit before anyone gets augmentation or even nanites?”

  Ciara considered. “I’m not an expert on the subject, but it could be a financial disconnect. The amount of lower-class citizens in the Nine Cities is much bigger than outward appearances would let on. It could be as simple as they couldn’t even afford basic modern medical care.”

  “Not an expert?” Marsh said questioningly, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “You sound pretty well versed on the subject to me.”

  “History and culture have always been my favorite subjects,” Ciara said contemplatively. “I think it's why I ultimately decided to become a teacher instead of a bureaucrat.”

  “Well, maybe that's it then,” said John. “The simplest answer is usually the correct one. She's just from a poor family that met a tragic end.”

  “We're going to have to assume that's correct for now until she can tell us something different,” Calli asserted.

  Marsh turned to Ciara. “Sounds like you were the right choice for a new history teacher. If you don’t mind, I might call on you now and then to pick your brain and get some more of that info you gained at the university,” Marsh said with a respectful nod.

  Ciara just smiled and nodded.

  Just then, the sliding door to the rear cabin opened, and Sarah ran out straight to John, wrapping her arms around the legs of the tall trail boss. She had her hat on and awkwardly looked up at him with a slight smile.

  John gently patted the little girl's head. “Hello, little one. I’m glad to see you too.” His normally domineering voice took on a gentle tone. “It's late, off to bed with you now.” The girl complied and walked back to her bed, giving Lin and Calli a small wave as she went.

  “That sounds like good advice for all of us,” Marsh said to the group. “I got a message from the Roost. Calvin scheduled a call first thing in the morning after his rounds. Says he may have found something that would interest us. Said it could be important.”

  John nodded. “Must have seen something on one of his satellites. Last time he called out of the blue like that, he warned us of that massive wildfire we were headed toward.”

  Marsh clapped his hands together. “We’ll find out in the morning.”