//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Return to New Orleans // Story: Where Have All the Dragons Gone? // by Alden MacManx //------------------------------// 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.”