(eng) Jonathan G. Meyer by Vincent

Author:Vincent [Vincent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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The shed was dark inside, with an earthy smell and a faint odor of gasoline. Jim found a light switch beside the door that turned on a single dim bulb. Gardening tools were arranged along the walls, with battered shelves holding hand tools, potting soil, and all things gardening waiting to be needed. Everything was old and well used. The dirt floor was hard packed and relatively smooth, and the walls and ceiling all the same dusty brown. For a minute they sat on the ground, leaned against the wall, and breathed.

Jim tapped his badge and whispered, “Vincent, are you okay?”

The ship replied, “Yes. I will be. The damage will take time to repair. It is good we found this place of refuge.”

“Yeah—I agree.”

“Are you talking to him? What did he say?” asked Claire.

Jim realized she could not hear Vincent without a pin and pointed to the one on his collar. “I have this thing. We’ll have to get you one. For now, we need to be as quiet as possible.”

The bullet fired by the rifle was small in our world. To the tiny spaceship, it was the equivalent to an artillery shell. The bullet grazed two of the four engine nacelles. He asked Vincent, “Can you fix that? Looks pretty bad to me.”

“Yes. The nanites can manage the repairs if given sufficient time.”

“How long, Vincent? They will be looking for us.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the ship reported his repair estimates, “Propulsion systems will take forty-seven hours and fifty-three minutes to repair. The cloaking system was also damaged, and some components will require replacement. In addition, the resizer system has been affected and will need to be repaired. I cannot bring you aboard until then.”

Jim told Claire of Vincent’s damages and said, “We need to hide him. They are sure to come looking around.”

She tipped her head in agreement. “There is a big tarp on the shelf above you. Will that work?”

They were in the process of getting the tarp down when a widening burst of light washed over them. The door to the house opened, and a tall bearded man wearing a long white garment said something in a language Jim did not understand. Vincent translated, “What are you doing here? I must warn you I have a weapon!”

There was no place to hide. All they could do was freeze in place, and slowly raise their hands. In his hand, he carried a machete, a very serious knife originally intended for hacking your way through a jungle. He was older and had the seasoned look of a man who could handle himself. He appeared quite dangerous.

Jim rushed to answer, “We’re sorry—we didn’t know anybody was here. The place didn’t look occupied.”

The man was as startled as they were, and stood for a second taking in the unexpected intruders in his shed. Then he saw the ship and became curious. “What do you have there?”

Jim did not think they had time to explain, and decided a direct approach would be best.

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