***** Vol.5 Chap.24 Up the mountain *****
In exactly fifteen minutes and thirty-three seconds, the TEVE gently slowed to a stop at a rocky shore. A mechanical voice informed Frank and May-Ling that this was their destination.
A hairline crack developed from the top of the sphere growing slowly to the bottom. Then the crack widened to form a door. At the same time, a bulge appeared on one side of the TEVE. The bulge eventually became a storage chest and the top popped open.
“Well, this is it for you and I.” Frank said to May-Ling as they gathered their gear together from the chest.
“I guess so.” May-Ling replied as they stepped out of the TEVE.
“Be careful, you two.” Kristin yelled after them.
“You too. See you back at HQ, the cavern, or whatever the place is called.” Frank shouted back.
The door of the TEVE slowly narrowed and disappeared without a sound. Then as sleek as it could be, it sank and disappeared without even causing a disturbance. Frank tried to look at the sea and could not even tell where the TEVE had been.
What an engineering marvel. Frank thought to himself.
“Kristin? Do you read?” Frank said softly.
“Loud and clear.” A voice came cracking over the earpiece.
“Great, the communication system works. May-Ling, try your end.”
“This is May-Ling. Is anyone out there?”
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“Loud and clear.” The voice replied again.
“Okay, let’s try to keep in touch every 15 minutes.”
“Roger that.”
There was no time to waste. Frank and May-Ling stood at the rocky shore and paused to survey the landscape. For a moment, a rush of feelings overwhelmed May-Ling as she remembered her ascent from the gangsters up the mountain to find the village. Subsequently faltering on her first step, she quickly steadied herself on a nearby boulder. She had certainly seen enough mountains recently.
“Are you alright?” Frank asked.
“I am fine.”
Frank looked around. It was already late morning.
“It looks like we only have a few hours of sunlight. We better get moving.”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Frank checked the compass.
“If the TEVE is correct, the utility shed should be straight up this mountain at a distance of about five miles from here.”
“I will follow you.”
There were no paths and no trails. Frank would select a distant tree or bolder as an intermediate target, then they would walk up the mountain towards the target. Then he would check the compass, select another target, and they moved towards that. The climb was arduous especially when carrying all the gear with them.
At one point, the mountain was particularly steep and they had to crawl on their hands and knees. By late afternoon, he thought he saw the utility shed in a distance. The sight of the shed gave them both renewed energy and they began to climb in earnest again. But their progress was somewhat impeded by the setting sun. Towards the end, they had to grope around with what little sunlight was left.
After another half an hour, they finally arrived at the shed. Other than an occasional rodent along the way, they have met no one at all. Nor did they expect to see anyone.
The place was mountainous and deserted. There were no nearby towns. In reality, no one knew the existence of this place. He at least expected a chain-link fence around the shed, but there was nothing, just a run-down shed. Evidently the façade worked well because there were no signs of anyone or anything approaching the shed at all and probably not for a long time.
Still, he was careful. He motioned for May-Ling to hide in the shrubs while he surveyed the shed to check for any surveillance cameras. He found none. He went to the door and listened. There was no sound coming from inside.
The door was secured only by a simple padlock. He took a pair of metal cutting shears and snipped through the lock in one try. Gently opening the door, a quick glance showed that there was no one inside and no surveillance cameras either. He then motioned for May-Ling to come and join him.