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Chapter 7 The two groups sat inside the storage building that night, the windows covered to hide the lights within, and listened as Alix strummed her guitar and sang a slow song about love. Rachel and Erica sat close together, holding hands as they kept their eyes closed and listened to the song. With the sailboat hidden away in one of the overgrown bays and with two men left on board to guard it, they felt fairly safe for the night. They had combined their supplies to make a meal for everyone and felt relaxed, knowing Cierra could very easily appear the next day. Even if she didn't, their numbers were high enough to discourage most troublemakers. If she didn't arrive by noon they planned on doing some salvaging of their own. There were still plenty of buildings nearby that hadn't been searched. The evening ended when people began yawning heavily. The women were given the sleeping bags to sleep in while the men spread out sheets of foam that had been pulled out from the crates. The next morning went slowly as they waited but Cierra didn't arrive. No longer able to sit still, four of them decided to explore the buildings. Erica, Rachel's father, and two of the crewmen from the yacht armed themselves and slung duffle bags over their shoulders to carry anything they might find. They examined the satellite map and decided to begin at the golf course which was furthest away. They would see if the club house had anything then work their way back, searching buildings along the way. One the people noticed was the increase of small wildlife in the now deserted area. Squirrels, rabbits, and birds hunted for food in the areas that were once small landscaped lots. Uncontrolled, weeds and dirt now began covering the parking lots and sidewalks. In a few years the concrete would be crumbled from neglect. Erica carried a stout stick that she had once used when she hiked in the hills. On the butt end was rabbit fur and bells in case of snakes. It also came in handy to pry things up and for protection. The others of the team followed behind her to the golf course. Once there, Erica was pleased to see that the chain and locks were intact on the club house doors. Perhaps no one had gotten into it yet. Of course, the location was on the far southern end of the island and its isolation might have kept it from being ransacked. The chain was cut off and the four people entered the building cautiously. Although a bit dustier, the interior looked as though looked as though the shop was just closed up for the night. "The club restaurant is over that way," Nick said after looking at the signs on the walls. They headed down the hallway, away from the pro shop. A small dining area with round tables came into view. Without a word, the group headed for the kitchen area. Nick tried the light switch but they didn't work. "Ugh, whatever you do, don't open the refrigerators," he warned. Settling on grabbing canned good, they filled their bags and used their flashlights to investigate plastic tubs. One tub contained flour and was tightly sealed with no sign of bugs. They took that as well as a bag of sugar and a cardboard canister of salt. "Here's some coffee," one of the crewmen announced happily. "But how do we brew it?" Erica asked. "Let me worry about that. I can rig almost anything." He began rummaging through drawers and a storage room, collecting metal items. Erica grabbed some utensils while Nick filled his bag with dish towels. He turned to Erica and asked her to see if there was any toilet paper in a storage room elsewhere. The little they had was almost gone. The young woman hit pay dirt. She not only found a supply of decent toilet paper, she also found hand soap and paper towels in the tiny room. She returned to the kitchen where the others were nearly finished collecting things. She opened her bag and shoved in a few more small cans of food then grabbed the stock pot that one of the men pointed to. With their bags and hands full, they headed back towards camp. The four of them were tired at the end of the trip after covering several miles with heavy loads but at least they didn't have to worry about food for a while. They walked into camp and to their surprise, could smell meat cooking over a fire. They dropped their booty in a pile near the fire and tried to figure out what was roasting on the spit. "Wayne snared a couple of rabbits," Martha told her daughter. "He's quite handy with fishing line." "Cool. Look what we collected," Erica told her mother, opening up the bags. The others gathered around, almost drooling at the sight of something other than fish and crackers. They had collected cans of vegetables, chili, soups, fruit cocktail, diced tomatoes, and baby onions. Nick pulled out a large jar of minced garlic and spice bottles along with his cans. The crewmen removed the supply of flour and dry ingredients along with the coffee, salad dressing, barbecue sauce, tuna fish, and mayonnaise. One of the teenagers grabbed the chili, trying to claim dibs on it. His mother smacked his hand and made him put it down. Lucy told her boys to find something useful to do while she and Martha fixed lunch. It didn't take long for the group to prepare a small feast after living on a meager diet for so long. With full bellies and warm temperatures in spite of the cooling season, they sat back and relaxed. Now all they had to do was wait. ******** Cierra kept her eyes peeled on their surroundings as they guided the canoe down river. Ever since their experience with the natives she had been nervous on these monthly trips. The narrower part of the river kept her on edge and she didn't relax until it widened as they neared the Napa-Sonoma village. She no longer brought along Kiona or Elu on the trips, preferring that they stay behind where it was safer. Besides, her daughter adored Pam and with a playmate near her own age and lots of willing babysitters, the little girl hardly missed her mother during her trips south. Perhaps it was time to think about having another child. Cierra loved her daughter but admitted that she wouldn't dare approach Kota for another donation. The shaman from the Whitefeather Clan made JP irritable to say the least. Her spouse would welcome another child but not from Kota. The less they had to deal with him the better as far as JP was concerned. Maybe they could approach Jason. The handsome artist would make a good donor and the baby would have a small chance of inheriting his artistic abilities. Yes, she would talk to JP about it later. After lunch, the women from Napa reached the area where the river widened and they relaxed. They would reach the Napa-Sonoma village in a few hours at most and have time to set up their tents before nightfall. Robbie and Tracy remained behind the last four trips but Cyd and Jenny rounded out their group instead. Jenny's attempt at getting pregnant had failed last month but they would try again in a few weeks. Cyd looked forward visiting with Carey. She missed her friend a lot and greedily spent every minute she could with the former survivalist. It helped that Jenny was so understanding about their friendship and didn't express any jealousy over what could be taken wrong by some. The blonde knew that Cyd and Carey felt like sisters, almost like twins in fact. There was nothing to be jealous of. Allowing Cyd to seek companionship outside their own bond wasn't a threat to their relationship at all. So when they arrived at the village, she didn't even blink when Cyd ran to her old friend and hugged her enthusiastically. Jenny shook her head indulgently and greeted her friends and cooed over the new baby boy that the married couple had given birth to. Sammy walked up to Cierra and JP, giving them each a hug and asked how the journey had gone as they walked up towards the barracks. "Hey, you want to see how we set up the new barracks? It's so cool," Sammy commented to the couple. "Sure, let's take a look. Did you design if differently inside?" JP asked. "Oh yeah, the boys gave us all an idea so we went with it. You'll see." The three women went into the recently finished building and noticed right away that the guest quarters were very different than anything they had done before. There was no privacy walls other than the water closet. "No privacy?" Cierra asked. "Nope. We figured people would be staying here very little other than sleeping or socializing. If the crew from the Wave Dancer wanted privacy for sex they could easily remain on board the ship." JP looked around the large room but saw no beds. "Where do they sleep?" Sammy grinned and reached up, pulling on a chain that was attached to the wall. She lowered something from the ceiling that JP had missed before since it was up in the shadows of the high roof. As it lowered she saw that it was a wooden platform attached to many hemp ropes. Then as it came to eye level she saw that it was padded. It finally came to a stop a few feet off the ground and Sammy hooked the chain into the metal clasp on the wall. "A hanging bed?" "Cool, huh? Go ahead, try it out," Carey's spouse invited. Cierra grinned and slipped between the large gap in the ropes and felt the bed sway. Then JP got in and settled down. The feather-stuffed mattress wasn't thick but it seemed comfortable enough. "Ah, no tent for us tonight," she winked. Cierra smiled but looked up, spotting six such beds. Once lowered they would take up most of the room. The wooden furniture of the room was made low so that they wouldn't be in the way of the beds when lowered. It was very practical as long as the roof was made solidly. "What's holding them up besides the chains and ropes?" "Large beams made of hardwood. We figured the walls were plenty strong enough to support them and we used saplings to form the roof and hold the thatch. That's why we have the woven cones over the beds so it won't shed on people." "Nice. But what if you have more than a dozen people?" Sammy shrugged. "There's plenty of benches on the outer walls. They can throw on some blankets and sleep there if they need to. Besides, Joseph and his crew are planning an making more silt blocks for more buildings. It's almost a full time job for them any more. The rest of us keep care of the farming and hunting." "The teenagers are helping a lot?" "Yep, they're a big help since they got here. Cameron did most of the rope making and Ben has gotten pretty good at masonry. The other two help Joseph collect materials and mix the mortars." Cierra was happy that the boys had worked out. They certainly were more willing to work hard than Will Silverfox. Carey had admitted during their last visit that she had told him to either stop being a laggard or pack up and leave. Joseph was tired of riding him to get much work from the man. She wondered how that worked out. "Well, let's show Cyd and Jenny the new guest rooms. The sun is going to set soon." "I'm sure you're hungry too. I'll fetch the others while you clean up, okay?" Sammy offered. Carey's spouse would also have some of the others bring in their duffle bags so they wouldn't have to lug them in. "Dinner should be ready soon," she warned them. The visitors already knew that a bell would be rung when the meal was ready. "Thanks, Sammy," both women said, appreciating her kindness. Cierra was two days late and they were beginning to worry. Was the shaman still making monthly visits or had something happened to delay her? Not knowing what was happening had them biting their fingernails and pacing a path into the dirt leading to the channel. "What if she doesn't come?" Cierra asked nervously. Elinor looked up from her breakfast plate and chewed slowly before answering. "Well, I suppose if all else fails, we could have you try and find Mother Earth." "Great, more pressure," Cierra moaned. "No, not pressure, hon. We could always try and settle somewhere and make do if we had to. We're all aware that you haven't had time to learn how to control your abilities. We can't expect you to do everything the other Cierra can." Cierra looked miserable, feeling like she somehow failed everyone. She wished the real Cierra would show up and save her from failing once again. Then it happened. She had no sooner thought that when four women appeared from thin air near the sign. "They're here!" one of the teenage boys shouted. Everyone rushed to the bank, even the boy on the roof keeping watch. He nearly flew down the ladder to get outside where all the excitement was going on. Elinor and Cierra hung back, both wondering how the shaman would react to seeing her living doppelganger. Jenny stood back as Cyd and JP hovered protectively around Cierra until the new people could be determined harmless. She watched the approaching people but noticed two up towards the building didn't seem eager to join the others in greeting Cierra. She squinted in the sunlight then realized the one standing looked familiar. Her mind raced until she recalled where she knew her from. Then it came to her, it was the reporter from the alternative world. But how in hell did she get there? Was it the one they knew or her alternative counterpart? Jenny turned to Cierra. "Cierra, sweetie, doesn't that woman look like Elinor?" she asked, pointing towards the reluctant pair. Both Cierra and JP focused on them, taking a look at the woman. "Yeah, she does-" JP began then gasped. "Oh my God!" Jenny nearly jumped out of skin from the surprised exclamation. "What?" "Look who's next to her," JP whispered, her voice squeaking. The others ignored the happy people gathering around them as their eyes looked towards the sitting person who was almost hidden in the shadows. "No! It can't be!" Jenny said, her hands covering her mouth as her eyes widened. She tore her eyes from the sight and turned to her shaman friend. "It's you!" she hissed. Chapter 8 Rachel saw the shocked faces of the four women from Mother Earth and knew what they were experiencing. She urged the others to hang back while the women made their way up the path towards the waiting pair. Jenny kept her eyes locked on Cierra's counterpart and noticed that she seemed to be shrinking into herself further, as though she was frightened. She seemed timid but then Jenny recalled that Cierra was rather shy in the beginning. She still was to some degree in fact. Cierra never had an aggressive personality nor was she outgoing. Her confidence had been a slow process. The blonde wondered what this other woman's life had been like to cause her to be even shier. The six women remained still and silent until Elinor spoke. "Hello, Cierra. I suppose you have a lot of questions." The shaman barely nodded while she kept her eyes on her twin who was still sitting on the ground. "It's a long story but maybe we should go to Mother Earth first? The others have been anxious to get there." Cierra didn't respond at first. JP tore her gaze from the woman sitting and placed her hand on her spouse's back to gain her attention. "Hon, let's get everyone to Carey's village. We'll talk there, okay?" JP asked everyone to gather together so Cierra could speak with them. Cierra stood in front of the group and explained the goals of Mother Earth and the society they were building. If any of them didn't feel that ME was the place they wanted to help build then there were alternative worlds to settle. The people listened intently to her words then held out hands to be shaken by the shaman. Cierra first held out her hand to Rachel, who smiled charmingly. She had always thought that the lovers would have made a good couple for Mother Earth. Their families accepted their lesbian relationship so she felt confident that they'd fit in well. The singer would also be a nice addition to their village but wondered about her crew. She knew without asking that Alix wouldn't abandon them. Where they were sent is where she would go also. She shook their hands but really couldn't make up her mind about them. They were fairly neutral. The men were also loyal to Alix and very protective of her well being. Cierra turned to Alix and asked to speak with her privately. They walked from the others and stopped to chat beneath a large tree. "Where do you want to go?" she asked frankly. You're crew don't care one way or another but I see no reason to take in another seven single men to Mother Earth--not when man power is so badly needed in the other colonies." "My crew is like family. We don't want to be separated." The shaman remained silent, allowing her mind to go over many possibilities before making a suggestion. "We formed a village north of us for the people from the farming communities of Napa Valley. There's quite a few single women there," she hinted. "My crew can settle there, perhaps find wives," Alix finished for her, "But they may not want to be land locked. They might want to live with the ones by the ocean or maybe ask for places on your ship. We can ask what they want. And where do you want me? I was hoping for your village. I have a better chance of finding someone there since I'm a lesbian." "It depends on you. Alix, your reputation for never being with anyone longer than a few months is well known. Our community isn't for players or anyone who just wants a good time. The women there are looking for life partners, not playmates. Being a celebrity won't make up for a lack of sincerity. You'll be just like all the others." Cierra didn't want the singer to have any doubts about that. "I understand. I won't play any games there, I promise. But I'm more worried about my guys. I want them happily settled before I make up my mind. Let me talk to them. I'll give you my answer in about half an hour. Will that be all right?" Cierra agreed and they walked back to the others. She would have Rachel and her group collect their belongings while Alix and her people chatted. She glanced at her counterpart and cringed. Even knowing nothing about her, she was afraid this would change everything. She wasn't unique in her ability to jump. This could be hell if the other one chose to cause trouble. Did she really want her on Mother Earth? Cierra felt lost. How could she control what went on with her world if someone else existed that could undermine her? This other person lacked confidence in her abilities and could be manipulated. The possibilities with her very existence terrified the young woman. So much could be destroyed. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice JP's presence until warm arms wrapped around her. "It'll be okay," she whispered into ear. "No, it won't," Cierra said, her voice almost a sob. "Yes I can. I can almost hear your thoughts, you know. I won't let her hurt anyone," JP growled. Cierra didn't raise her head from JP's shoulder. She didn't want to look up and see such fierceness in JP's beautiful blue eyes. She knew what JP was promising. She would stop the other Cierra from destroying their lives by any means, even if it meant staining her own soul to prevent it. * * * * * Jenny walked over to where her friend was sitting and sat next to her on the log. The blonde had noticed that Cierra had refused to speak with her alternative self yet and did her best to even avoid eye contact. "You have to talk to her sometime--especially since you brought her along to Mother Earth with everyone else on the yacht." "I can't. Not yet." Cierra looked so frightened that all Jenny could do was wrap a comforting arm around her friend and remain silent. Pushing her friend now would only make it worse. Cierra would deal with her counterpart when she was ready and no sooner. Jenny was convinced from what little she learned from Elinor that the other Cierra was just a victim and not someone who would deliberately cause trouble. The timid woman just needed understanding friends and a place to heal her wounded spirit. Or to love. Jenny watched the reporter and the other Cierra. Elinor seemed to hover over the skittish young woman and was very protective. A small grin curled Jenny's lips and the thought that Cierra, no matter where she came from, drew protective people to her. The two friends sat silently until Alix stepped up to them and gave Cierra her men's decision. If Janet accepted them as crew members, they'd like to join the new trader ship. The shaman nodded and asked Carey to join them. It would be up to the Napa-Sonoma clan to provide a home base for the men until the Wave Dancer arrived. Carey agreed and asked what would become of the small yacht once the men left. Alix informed her that the N-S clan could keep it; that it might come in handy one day. Her crew would even be happy to give sailing lessons to villagers. With that decided, the women from the Napa clan urged the others to climb onto the double canoe. It would be cramped but with so many young people who could help with rowing, they wouldn't have much trouble traveling upstream. JP and Cierra handed out oars to everyone. The shaman turned to hand another oar to the person behind her then nearly gasped aloud when she saw that it was her counterpart. She shook herself out of her stunned fugue and even managed a slight smile as she handed the wooden oar to the woman. Early in the journey upstream, the teenagers were boisterous but the warm sun and labor soon had them quieter as they rowed. After a while, they passed their ores to others to take over and they snoozed in the afternoon warmth. The Cierra from the alternative world wasn't accustomed to exercise and stopped rowing when her tired arms would no longer work. She stared at the strong back of her counterpart as she evenly and effortlessly paddled with the oar. The shaman had a nice tan and seemed so strong, her muscles well defined. This was an unusual sight for Cierra, who thought only farm girls had muscles. No city bred woman would do anything to even build up a sweat unless they belonged to a tennis club. The woman in front of her didn't look like either type. She wasn't a big, burly farm girl nor a wealthy woman who joined country clubs. "You're very strong," Cierra told her counterpart. She cringed, thinking that was a lame sounding conversation starter. The shaman stiffened. She had almost had pushed the existence of the woman behind her out of her mind and resented being dragged back into thinking about her. "Lots of hard work," she said bluntly, her voice cool. "What was your home like? When you were a kid," Cierra asked shyly. She could barely remember home and wondered how the other woman grew up. Cierra hadn't expected that question. Her stomach tightened in remembered anger. "Nothing special. Why do you ask?" The escapee from the institute could hear the anger in the shaman's voice. Was it possible her history was much like her own? That would explain her defensive attitude. "I didn't mean to make you angry. It's just that...well, my mother let them take me away when I was young and I never saw her again. I barely remember her." "If she's anything like my mother, that's no loss," Cierra growled. "What did she do to you?" Cierra asked while moving closer to her alternative twin. The shaman sighed heavily. "She didn't have me locked away but she was just as distant as if she had. They kept me drugged until I was nineteen and she had little to do with me if she could help it. She spoiled Rupert though." "Who's Rupert?" Cierra was surprised but once she thought about it she realized this Cierra may not have known of a brother's existence since she was nine years older than her sibling. "My brother. He was born just after dad died. He's twenty-two now. He and mother are living in one of the survivor camps, thank God. The last thing I wanted was to come into contact with her all the time." "I wonder if Rupert was born on my world?" Cierra sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter much since I didn't grow up with them. So, I was wondering, should I take on a nickname? I was thinking it wouldn't be easy having two of us named the same thing. I could go by my middle name if you want me to," she offered. "Is it Emily after Aunt Emily?" Cierra felt suddenly warmer inside. They did have something in common. "Yes, it is." The shaman remained quiet for a minute then spoke. "Okay, we'll call you Emily," she told her, Cierra's voice much kinder. They spoke more and Cierra felt her tension easing off now she was exchanging histories with Emily. The young woman was very much a victim in her own world and seemed too shy to even try anything to disrupt her new home. Although her very existence might be a shock to everyone. JP listened shamelessly from her seat at the rear of the canoe. She knew her spouse well and listened to her emotions in her voice. Cierra's words told her that things would be odd at first but everything would most likely work out in the end. She only hoped that Emily's place on Mother Earth didn't bring any division in people's loyalties. Cierra was their queen and no one else could replace her even if they looked the same. Next Page |