//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Baldy Mountain // Story: Starlight // by ThePrinceOfTheNorth //------------------------------// It took me and Teacup two days to reach Baldy Mountain, making that, what, eight days since I woke up like this....wow, time does sure fly. Well, despite the obvious problems, I set to work emptying the old Park Ranger office beside the old viewing tower. Ah, log cabin living. If only my dad were still around to see me now. Yep, I'm living the good life. I put the solar panels away for later, as well as the generator. Took the better part of the day to move everything else into my new home, which thankfully has a fireplace and central air in the basement, though I'll need to get the solar panels and generator up and running before that happens. I think all the thinking is killing me, but it's what I always used to do, so, really, nothing's changed at all. Sad, when I come to think of it. It wasn't until well after dark I managed to get the last of the stuff off the wagon and into the cabin. The telecom tower was still there. Surely this was a good spot to broadcast and receive from. Just have to figure out how to jerry rig it all....I'm sure I can figure it out....probably....maybe....I'm not going to overthink it right now. Besides, the generators need to be brought up to snuff before anything can be done. I sighed at the thought. "Why is nothing ever simple....I seriously have to stop talking to myself." Teacup just looked at me, weary-eyes. Was it just me, or was he getting smarter? Must be my imagination. That is, unless I'm going insane....oh god, I hope that's not what's happening. Alright, first thing tomorrow, work on the radio begins! Amazing I haven't encountered a park ranger yet. Well, it's the thirtieth today, meaning it's been fifteen days since I woke up. Food supplies are not in the red flag area as of yet, but they're getting there. I managed to get the solar panels and cells are up and running. As such, the cabin has power, and the tower has power. Turns out those cells are something like 100 kilowatt cells, and those panels generate 10 kilowatts each. So, that means I have a good power supply. Central air is damn nice and cool on these hot summer days. Wish I had some lemonade. Meh, maybe if I manage to contact someone, they can bring some, right? It's all going pretty good so far. Too bad I'll have to take it all down, eventually. I was never born nor built for mountaineering, and these wings won't help with either. I do think I should try to learn to fly. Don't know when, but I should. Now if only I could get this damn radio to work. July fifth already. Twenty days since I woke up. I sighed as I went over my wiring once again. The last week or so had been spent in front of this damn box, and I'd had to put up a lean-to so that everything wouldn't get wet. I also managed to get some chain link fencing from down the road to make this into something close to a settlement, though I wouldn't call it that. "Hmm....let's see," I said as I stuck my head into the junction box, only to have an immense shock go through me, sending me comically skidding along the ground on my back. After coming to a halt, I sighed. Then I heard it. Static. My head was up in an instant. Sure enough, the radios were live and running. "I did it," I said in disbelief, "I did it! I DID IT! YES!" No sooner was I up and about dancing giddily than I was at the speaker, pressing down the broadcast button. "This is Baldy Mountain Tower to CKDM, how copy," I said into the speaker, letting go of the button. Static was all that came though. "This is Baldy Mountain Tower," I said again, "Come on, Double Wub, please be there." "All right," came a familiar voice from the other end, "But only because you said please, Starlight." I sighed, relief washing over me. "Thank god you're still alive, Double. Any news on your end?" "Sorry," Double said, "Been real quiet down here this past few weeks, other than you showing up when ya did, and now. I think you'd ought to start transmitting, Starlight." "I think so to," I said, "Talk to you later, Double. Over and out." "Until then, Starlight," Double responded, "Over and out." That weight lifted off of my shoulders, I turned to the recorder, and pressed the button. "This is Baldy Mountain Tower broadcasting on all frequencies and wavelengths on the shortwave. If you're out there, please respond on AM frequency 25.0 MHz if possible. That is AM 25.0 MHz. Coordinates are 51.4686° N, 100.7283° W. This message is on a loop. Repeat." I let my hoof off the button, and listened as the message began to play. Hopefully, someone, or somepony, was out there, and they would hear my call. "Hope....that's something I need more of, right boy?" Teacup looked at me and nodded. I sighed as I reached the top of the old observation tower. If I hadn't come here when I was much younger, I'd probably never have thought of it. A cold wind blew, making me at least try to pull my worn quilt closer to me. I'd noticed that, at least in the first week, I'd been less than coordinated. Quite a few shelves got knocked down in Dauphin. Wal-Mart probably is comparable to a disaster zone. At least now I could get a to a full gallop without falling flat on my face. Is that the proper term? No, it's muzzle. Falling flat on my muzzle. Yeah, that sounds about right. I smiled, resting my forelegs on the railing, letting my bare hooves just hang there. It felt nice to really have nothing to do. "I used to be afraid of heights," I said to Teacup, who had followed me up, "Now, though, I'm not so afraid anymore. I'd be even less afraid in I actually knew how to use these damn wings." For the first time in weeks, I actually opened my wings. Bones cracking from not being used was heard, and it was pretty much just as painful as it sounded, too, which was a lot. I still didn't exactly know how to control my wings yet, at least, not beyond opening and closing them. They felt more like an extra appendage, but I was sure I'd figure it out....eventually. "I don't think we can stay here forever," I said, "As much as I want to. The gas won't last forever, I've seen enough TV shows to know that. Steam power? Now that will last a long longer than gas will keep. I think there's a train in Winnipeg....I've seen it in commercials....the Prairie Dog Central. Old steam locomotive. What do you think, boy? Think we should go after it." Teacup tilted his head, but nodded. "Maybe when I get a response. Might pick up Double on the way," I said, "He can't stay at the CKDM building forever. Maybe he could figure out how rig Baldy Mountain into a network? That way, even if we're not here, I'll still be able to respond. Sound good?" Teacup again nodded. I sighed. "You always were a smart dog, Teacup. Still, I can help feeling that you're getting smarter." Teacup just looked at me and shrugged. Wait, shrugged?