He needed more than just to take a break. It wasn’t that their destination was all that far ahead. They were actually close. Sam needed to take minute to absorb when he saw his Planet of the Apes moment. It was worn some, perhaps overgrown, but from the distance Sam couldn’t see any damage. It was the defining moment that reiterated what had happened to the world and that they truly were in the future. It was hard to believe it was still there, still standing and he couldn’t take his eyes off of the Washington Monument that poked high above the wilderness and trees ahead of them.
PART THREE: MERGER
THIRTEEN
Nate Gale traced his finger over the rounded edge of the shoe imprint in the dirt. “They don’t care that they’re leaving a trail.” He brushed his hands off as he stood. “They’re still together. Two of them. They’re walking.”
Curt shook his head. “Tell me again why we’re following them?”
“Well, Clutch,” Nate sarcastically called him by his nickname. “We need to know if they are from the ARC…or somewhere else.”
“Why?”
Finch grumbled. “Does it matter? We should look for them. But…” He faced his crew. “I think Ben should stay back. He’s barely walking as it is from his injuries.”
“Yes,” Ben said. “Everyone keeps forgetting since landing in this godforsaken version of Earth, I have been the Kenny from South Park. If you don’t get that reference”—he looked at Rey—“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Me?” Rey laughed. “I get the reference.”
“I don’t,” Nate said.
“Me either,” said Westerman. Of course he wouldn’t know, he was born in the future far after even an inkling of the laugh out loud television show remained.
“South Park was a cartoon,” Rey explained. “The Kenny character died or was hurt in every episode.”
Westerman laughed. “Really?”
Rey nodded. “Yep.”
“What’s a cartoon?” Westerman asked.
“I’ll stay with him.” Sandra lifted her hand. “He and I will walk back to the ship. Make sure your tracking is on. We’ll be in close enough range to pick you up, and if there are any problems we can come and get you.”
“I’ll stay with them, too,” Westerman stated. “In case anything strange happens.”
“Like what?” Finch asked.
Westerman shrugged. “I don’t know. Strange. Like an animal I know but you don’t.”
“Great.” Ben tossed out his hand. “You know if one of us gets attacked by a mutant future animal, it’s going to be me.”
“Probably,” Finch said. “But you have Westerman. You’re good. Let’s put a time limit down. If we don’t find these people, we head back.”
“Three hours?” Sandra suggested.
It was a plan, but before they continued on following the footsteps, Finch had Curt and Nate stay with the footprints while he and Rey went back to the ship with the others.
Finch wanted to get flag markers. A lot of landmarks and areas were overgrown and he didn’t want them to lose their way back.
<><><><>
“What?” Nate asked Curt. “You’re just staring at me.”
“I’m not staring at you, I’m thinking. I mean, who could they be? Could they be natives?”
“We have their solar charger.”
“But think about it,” Curt said. “Who’s to say they didn’t take it from Quinn’s people or the group that fractioned off from Quinn.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“So, should we really go find them?”
“Yes,” Nate replied. “Anyone we talk to is a source of information for us. We’re stuck here for the rest of our lives and I for one would like to know what we’re in for.”
“What kind of future animals do you think they have?”
“I don’t know. I’m a geologist not zoologist.”
“I’m just making idle conversation. Which way did you vote to go?” Curt asked.
“Excuse me?”
“Stay or hit the Androski? Three of us voted to go, three voted to stay. Which way did you vote?”
“They call it a secret vote for a reason,” Nate said.
“Oh, stop, which way did you vote? I voted to stay.” Curt shrugged. “Why bother trying to go back or to a future that could be worse?”
“Because no matter where we go, there’s nothing there for us,” Nate replied.
“So you decided to take a spin on the wheel of future.”
“I did.”
“Crazy.” Curt shook his head. “I wonder who the other two were.”
“Us.” Finch’s voice carried to them from behind as he and Rey returned. “We did.”
“Why?” Curt asked.
Rey answered, “Me, I was kind of hoping we’d hit the time-travel jackpot and end up with the dinosaurs.”
“Great…” Curt growled out the word. “And you know, Ben being there means we’d arrive when the extinction meteor hit.”
Finch shook his head. “Let’s just follow the footprints.”
Nate led the way. “They definitely are walking together. It looks like they keep stopping though. One set stops. Like here.” He pointed. “The other kind of moves around in small circles.”
“Like he’s antsy?” Rey asked.
“Yes. Maybe the one is hurt,” Nate suggested.
“Or old,” Curt said. “They can’t keep up.”
“Then why are they walking here?” Finch asked. “They set up a campsite, so obviously they don’t belong.”
“Maybe it’s a local tourist attraction,” Rey said. “I know that sounds silly, but maybe they’re both young and it’s like a thing for young people to sneak off to the forbidden or verboten zone.”
“That’s a good point,” Finch said.
“I did that as a kid,” Curt said. “We all did. By chance did Quinn mention if any of the ancestor cities were this way, I mean the original cities built after the event?”
Finch shook his head. “I think he said they’re out west, but maybe he doesn’t know about one this way.”
“I know we found the solar charger,” Curt said. “But like I was telling Nate, we don’t know if whoever had it stole it or found it. They have to be natives or part of the other Genesis group. The ARC hasn’t shown up according to Quinn so who else would have flown through?”
“That…” Finch pointed. “Is a good point. Maybe the ARC did show up.”
“I find it hard to believe,” Rey stated. “Quinn didn’t
