A Comet Visits Earth

The Comet's Tail Chapter Five

Life Settles In

Bill has stripped the base of anything left of value. They had one hundred cans of fuel that should last for several trips. They took the entire maintenance shop's tools and the entire armory. Once they were finished going to the base, they took two blades off the chopper so it would fit into the garage, and they pushed it inside. It fits nicely, with some room for space. Meanwhile, Rick took Jesus and a few others to tow the gas tanker to the ranch. They stopped at the gas station and manually pumped fuel into the tanker until it was almost full. They were not sure how much was left in the station's tank, but they would leave it until they needed it. They took as many of the mechanic's tools as they could load up. They took a large air compressor. They might need air at some point, who knew? With this trip they were through with the town. As they were leaving, they noticed a couple of dogs were hiding in the shop. Rick took some food and threw it over at them. They devoured it. Rick had no idea how they had survived the wolves. Probably hiding in the shop. It had been closed and it did not look like the wolves had broken in.

Jesus went over and the dogs let him pet them. He put a rope on each and put them in one of the truck's cabs. They could always use more guard dogs. Besides, these were female dogs, and they would need to breed them with the guard dogs if they wanted the dogs to continue. That was the end of the town.

They now had what they were going to have going forward. If they didn't have it now, they would have to figure it out.

The scientists had done everything they could do with the information they obtained from the comet. Now they were looking for something constructive to do with their time. To that end, Mary met Benny and Latisha. Ray was busy with his animals, so he was good.

Mary asked two of them for ideas." What do you think you could do?"

Latisha spoke up first. She is a fifty-year-old black scientist that has studied earth's resources most of her life. She is familiar with soil composition, mineral properties, and chemical reactions. "I believe I can help to increase the output of our fields. We will need to feed a lot of people with only what we can grow."

Mary smiled. "Excellent idea. Rick is putting a farming team together. Speak to him about your idea." Latisha nodded.

Benny was slightly older than Latisha. They had known each other for several years and had worked together on several research studies. In fact, it was Benny that had recommended Latisha for this project. "I think I would like to help Latisha with her project. We might be able to harness the rainwater for irrigation."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Have at it."

Benny and Latisha headed off. Benny had been considering Rick's comments about pairing off since he had mentioned it. Latisha was the perfect fit for him. They were both smart and academic. He had no idea what her opinion on the subject was, but their options were limited in this small, close-knit community. He just didn't know how to broach the subject.

Latisha was coming at the same problem from an opposite perspective. To her, it was obvious that they would pair up. But she knew Benny was shy and she would have to arrange it. She was okay with that. Every relationship has a natural order, in their case, it would be her to initiate the tricky conversations. They were walking toward the house to find Rick. No time like the present. "Benny, we both know where we stand with each other. We are best suited to be together. If you agree with me, kiss me. Otherwise, we will forget it."

Benny stopped and looked her in the eye. He shouldn't have been surprised that she was ahead of him. She usually was. He liked that. She was giving him permission, and he was going to take advantage of it. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, gently. She smiled and kissed him back.

"Let's tell Rick and get on with our business."

After filling Rick in on what they had discussed with Mary, they headed to Latisha's room. She had been sharing with Lawanda Perkins, but she wasn't around much any longer. Latisha thought she had already planned other arrangements but hadn't announced them yet. Either way the room was empty. Benny surprised Latisha when he stopped and gently put her face in his hands. "May I call you Tish? It just seems to fit you."

She was struck by the tenderness in his voice and could only nod.

He continued, "We may not know what the future is, but I promise you, we will face it together. I will do everything I can to make you happy."

Ok, enough sentimentality. She leaned up and kissed him hard while grabbing him by the crotch. Benny's surprise was replaced by a determination to please her. Each began undressing. When Benny dropped his pants, she stopped. He may be an older white guy, but he had enough of a package for her. It made her strip the rest of her clothes off quicker until they were both naked.

Benny pushed Tish toward the bed, and she lay down. He had been married before, but had let his work destroy that. He wouldn't do that now. He wanted to ravage this chocolate beauty laying naked before him. Her eyes glistened with a fire he had never seen before, and when he pushed his finger into her, he knew she was ready. He couldn't help himself and climbed up on her. She helped him until he was inside her, and he began to work on her. She closed her eyes and let this man satisfy her. She had not been with a man since her last boyfriend, and that was a couple of years ago. She just hadn't the time before. Now, that was all she wanted. She wanted this man to take what he wanted and give her what she needed. Fortunately, it was the same for each of them. He didn't last too long. She came first but enjoyed him finishing as she watched him. They fit well together. The sex should be satisfactory for both. Of course, a scientist had to think like that at this moment. They just lay together until dinner, enjoying the new connection.

The reason Lawanda wasn't around much was she had made a connection already. The man just didn't know it yet. She was helping Ray with the animals. His tenderness with the animals, especially the human ones, had melted her heart. She just didn't know how to say it. She was a black girl from the south, and she was sensitive to the dynamics of some southern white men. Ray was from Texas, and you must feel southern men out to determine their leanings. She would have to wait for a few more clues.

Raymond Staples was from San Antonio Texas. He had been studying animal husbandry for ten years and had been all over the world. He graduated from the U of Texas with undergrad and graduate degrees. He had dated women from all over the world. He enjoyed Asian women, English women and American women. He enjoyed southern women the most, and the ones that stirred him the most was southern black girls. He just always had a thing for them. He dated a couple at UT, but everyone had an edge because it was Texas, after all. Lawanda has been helping him with the animals, and quickly became the highlight of his day when she came around. She was thirty, with tight, black curls and eyes that shined brightly. He knew how to be careful around the other races until you discover their opinions on the matter. He decided the best option was to just talk to her and see what comes out.

"Lawanda, thank you for helping. I must tell you; it is always good to see you and have your help."

Lawanda looked at his face carefully. There is a possibility there. She must proceed carefully. "Thank you. I feel the same way."

They were cleaning up the pen and it was filthy. Lawanda wasn't paying attention to where she stepped and tripped over a board and fell. Ray moved quickly to pick her up. He held on to her for just a second too long. That was all Lawanda needed. She smiled and touched Ray on the arm.

"Thank you, Ray for helping me."

"It would be my pleasure anytime." He looked at her clothes. "You fell into dung. You should go and take a shower."

"She moved a little closer to him, and whispered softly, "Yes, I must. Would you like to help me?"

He nearly fainted, but he recovered enough to say, "More than you know."

She removed her gloves and took his hand. The connection had been made.

They went to her room. Latisha wasn't there. She took a towel, grabbed him by the hand, and headed for the shower. Once in the bathroom, she asked him for help in removing her clothes. She stood still as he slowly unbuttoned and removed her top. Before he bent down to remove her pants, he tweaked a nipple through her bra. It popped out, almost through the bra and she shuttered. He removed her pants, and she was standing in her underwear. She then began removing his clothes. Within a few minutes he was naked. He then unfastened her bra, and she stepped out of her panties. The two of them stood looking at each other for a moment before getting into the shower.

It was a slow, luxurious shower. He scrubbed her and she scrubbed him. When they were finished, they headed to the bedroom. She had him sit on the edge of the bed. She then kissed him and knelt in front of him. He lay back and watched her as she took him in her mouth. Their eyes locked as she began working on his member. He wasn't going to last long like this, so he sat up and pulled her up to him. He lay back with her on top of him. She straddled him and inserted him into her. She began riding him. She could squeeze his dick with her vaginal walls, and began a routine of insertion, squeeze, release and pull off. She continued slowly at first but picked up the pace as she went. Within a few minutes they were heating up. She could see in his eyes when he was close. When he moaned, she clamped down hard and held on. He released with all the fury of a man with a lot of pent-up energy to release. When he stopped, she collapsed on his chest. They lay still for a moment. But then, he surprised her. He rolled her off him and got up. He moved over her, spread her legs and crawled between them. Apparently, he could tell she had not come and begin working on her.

The very act of knowing and acting on it brought her to the edge of climax. It wasn't long before she released all her frustrations. When she finally settled down, she was a different woman. This man had been attentive of her needs and had made sure to satisfy her. She knew this was the man for her.

Ray lay there holding this ebony beauty in his arms knowing she had changed his life. He would never consider anything in a singular way again. It would always be what she needed, and he was very happy about that.

The evening meal was becoming an important part of the day. Wally and Mandy were taking what they had and making do. It was very good, and most of them tried to be there on time. Everyone would eat and laugh and plan for tomorrow. Other than his time with Susan, this was Rick's favorite time of the day. It was good to see everyone laughing and enjoying each other's company. It gave him hope for their future.

The next day, Ray and Lawanda, after tending the chickens, cows and horses, decided it was time to work on their mule project. They got several strands of a light, white rope, and headed to the outside pasture. All four dogs were in the pasture, watching. The two female dogs had fit right in with the two males. Everyone seemed to understand the situation.

They picked out two large males that looked to be about the same size. Their tags said they were in their late twenties. They did not resist as Ray put the rope around each neck. They then led them back to the barn. Once in the barn, the two "mules" stood still by the door. Ray pulled the small cart up behind them, positioned the tongue between them. He then lifted the tongue in front of them while Lawanda tied them in place. After that, Ray took the bridle and stood in front of them. He started with the one on the left and opened his mouth. He jammed the bit into his mouth. He resisted a little. Lawanda used the whip they have on his ass, lightly, and he settled down. When they both had their bits in place, Lawanda got in the cart. They were ready for their first lesson. They had to teach them to obey their instructions. Lawanda started with the verbal, "Ho. At the same time she snapped the reins on their shoulders and Ray snapped the whip on each. At first, they

didn't move. They repeated the procedure. It took three times for the mules to start forward at the command. They walked around the yard. Lawanda pulled left, then right. After a little practice, the mules learned the directions. She yelled "Whoa" and pulled on the reins. They stopped the first time. They practiced for a couple of hours. By the end of the time, the mules understood the basics of pulling a cart.

Lawanda rode the cart into the barn. When they stopped, she got out of the cart.

"I think this is going to work. Let's keep them in the barn and clean them up. We can train an entire team to be able to pull the larger wagon."

Lawanda agreed. Ray untied them and led them into a stall. Lawanda brought the water hose and strayed each one down. They then rubbed them down with a towel. They wanted the mules to understand working was rewarded. They were beginning to understand that the humans did perk up with contact. Ray and Lawanda were beginning to talk to as many as possible and stroking each one. Gradually their eyes began to clear, and they started acting more like Kittie than zombies. Ray felt these "people" could at least act more like horses than zombies. The crew just needed to provide stimulation and contact to bring out whatever was left of their personality.

At one of the dinners, Ray stood up and recounted this finding. It was determined that each of the crew members would attempt to touch and communicate with at least a couple of the herd each day. They could use them being a little more active. They were just wasting away in the pens and fields. They were going to have to get them more active. They decided to use more of the males as mules. They could at least teach them something. Make them walk and pull weight. It would strengthen their bodies. It was more difficult for the females. The females could not pull carts or lift weights. They needed to do something. Rick eventually asked everyone to think on it. They assigned each crew member three or four of the herd as their responsibility. Each one would touch each one and talk to each one and try to get them to walk with them. This was gradually showing promise.

Lilly Perkins was the youngest member of the crew. She had just finished basic training and was assigned to the silo as her first assignment. She is a petite little thing that was barely five feet tall and weighed no more than a little over one hundred pounds. She was a porcelain doll, small and fragile. She wasn't sure there was anyone in that group that she could be with. She was a virgin. No one knew this, and she didn't talk much.

Joe Schwartz was a thirty-year-old man who had been in the air force for nearly ten years. He liked it. He didn't really date much. He was shy and didn't think any of these women would understand him. He had worked with Lilly when they were hooking up the computers at the ranch. He liked her but noticed how quiet she was. As the others paired up, Joe knew this would probably be his only option. He decided to at least talk to her.

He got his chance when they were assigned the task of cleaning up and shutting down one of the computers that wasn't needed now.

"Hi, Lilly. So, we have been assigned getting rid of this computer."

"Looks like it. How do we go about it?"

"It's simple, really. We just copy everything into a backup, then delete the hard drive and shut it down. If you will give me that flash drive, we can get started."

She handed him the drive and he plugged it in. He then keyed up the computer to begin the backup. "Lilly, I notice you are as quiet as I am. I guess this situation is unsettling to you."

"Yes, I am rather shy. I am not as experienced as everyone else here."

"I am more like you than you might think. I don't really participate in their stories. It makes me uncomfortable." Joe smiled at her as he was working on the computer. She blushed and looked down.

Joe knew he had guessed it. She was too shy to talk to anyone about romance, or love, or anything personal. "It makes me sad to think about all our families that we will never see again. I know it upsets everyone here, but everyone must deal with it in their own way."

She started to tear up. He immediately knew he had hit a nerve and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry, Lilly. I didn't mean to upset you." He just held her as she cried.

She finally pulled away. "It's silly of me to cry in front of you. We all have our problems."

"No, Lilly. It's not silly to me. You are free to feel as you must around me. I will never betray your emotions to others. We are more alike than different. And us sensitive people must stick together." He smiled at her and she looked down at the floor.

At that moment, the download was complete. He took out the drive and powered the computer down. They proceeded to take the computer apart and box it up. When they were finished, they just stood around, not knowing what was next. Finally, Joe broke the tension. "I guess we are finished. I must go to the command center. If you ever wish to talk about anything, feel free to call me. I would be pleased to just see you and talk to you."

He turned to go. It was a good start. This was going to have to be slow, but he had all the time in the world.

Lilly watched Joe leave. Was this what flirting was like? He has always been decent around her. She would have to consider what this means for her future.

The time was early summer. Rick called a meeting about planting. It might be a little late, but they need to get something out of this year. They couldn't go a year without potatoes, or vegetables.

"We need to get into the field. Jesus, can you drive a tractor?"

"Si, Senior." Everyone laughed. Jesus didn't use Spanish at all around them.

"Ok. Ray let's get the disc greased and have Jesus dig up the field. You will need to map out what we are going to plan and where. This will be a bare bones crop. Just enough to try and get by through the winter." Ray nodded.

"Latisha, have you been working on a fertilizer? We will need to boast our yield as much as we can."

"Benny and I are working on a natural fertilizer. Our herd produces a lot of shit. It's not the best fertilizer. We will need to treat it to remove the acid and increase its productivity."

"Understood. Can we get the tractor in the field tomorrow?"

"Yes. The field should be ready to plant in a couple of days."

"Now, how are we going to plant quickly?"

"Lawanda and I have a few ideas. We will have something to show you by the time the field is ready to plant."

Everyone went their own way. Ray and Lawanda headed to the barn. "I have an idea. We can have four mules pull the cart and fill it up with the seeds. I can take the blades off the big planter that doesn't work and put four or five of them hanging down from the back into the ground. The mules can pull the cart through the field. The blades will cut rows in the ground. We can have some of our people taking seeds out and dropping them in the rows. The other cart can be loaded with fertilizer and have it follow the first cart. Our guys could spread a little fertilizer in the rows and cover them up. The only problem we would have then will be watering, if it doesn't rain."

"Sounds good. Let's run it by Rick." He agreed with the plan and set it for two days.

Latisha asked Rick to get them a bucket of cow patties to work with. They would have to use cow manure this time. She knows human waste needs six months for the parasites to die and heat to reduce the acidic content. That means the pile they are building in the back will sit through the hot summer. By next year, they will be able to use it as fertilizer. For now, they will need to use cow manure. It is better to use it for the ground. Neither manure should be placed on the plants, but in the ground first. She had to find a way to soften the older cow patties so they could pour it on the field.