Far Pangaea 74 Frontier Justice

"WWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Bursting from the darkness of the cavern Greta Winston and her co-pilot the Roman Centurion named Antonaeus Gaicazar flew faster than they had going in. After winning an underground battle against alien forces they were enjoying a taste of victory. Now that Greta had a good handle on the Hordakian Technoride air bike the fun was only beginning. Heart pumping as the Roman's hands wrapped around her waist to hang on to his seat she squealed as never before. Maybe it was because his hands kept pawing her up without even realizing it. One hand on a breast the other her upper thigh mere inches from making her totally crazy. Fingers rubbing accidently as they grip her leg force her to bite her lip and live for the moment. Her sole worry more about crashing than his mighty hands tormenting her.

Soaring at over 120 miles per hour and zipping about threw Gaicazar from side to side. His grip on her forced to increase pressure to avoid falling off. This technology gave him a sense of wonder. Still as an immortal he worried more about Greta's life against her driving skills. He would hold her tightly and brace any fall by using his own body to save her. That meant one very abused breast. Not that she objected. It had been a long time since any man touched her. Which in itself brought on a bit of old home recollections. Luckily, in her driving she didn't have much time to ponder the past.

The evening sun was going down as it was. She knew that in her absence her cows were left to roam God knows where in the surrounding desert. It was unlikely that they had stayed close to home after the battle waged around the Ganthorian Hilton. To make things worse the Life Fiber suits she draped around the cattle had taken on her invisibility traits to mask them from danger. The trouble with that meant it would be nearly impossible to track and herd them home. Though it would be a tedious task she would not let them roam free and get hurt. The decision led to a stern reality.

"Anton? Much as I love ya'll holding me tight I need ya to loosen up and help me find my cattle."

The Roman removed his palm from her breast, "As you say Friend Greta. My apologies."

"No sulkin' Big Guy. We can maybe go on a date or somethin' after we corral my Herford's. 'Til then I need to stay focused. I'm certainly not sayin' the girls don't like you hangin' on 'em for support."

"I do not understand your words."

"Nothin' Charmer. The Hilton's up ahead. Once I set us down I'm going to grab my horse and track the cows. That is if I can find ole Quiver. I'd like it if you would give me a hand. One that's not on my girlish figure."

"I shall indeed assist thee. I shall mount Adam and Eve and use the beasts senses to sniff out the cows."

"Mountin' Adam just don't sound right. Eve I might understand." She giggles, "Long as they don't chow down my babies." Hesitating to take a breath she realizes something, "Hold up Anton. I recall James sayin' that these here life fibers mimic my...what did he call it? Stealth mode. Not only did I turn them critters invisible they can't be heard or nothin'. They might as well be long gone. How am I gonna get 'em back safe and sound?"

"A way we shall discover Greta. Can you not tell yourself to be seen when you could not be? Mayhap you have only to tell the beasts to be seen."

"That's a thought. We can work on that. Yer a smart fella Anton."

"As I have been told." He appears smug.

"A might confident ain'tcha?" She smirks playfully. In her newfound driving talents Greta peers to her left out into the dry desert landscape. Something catches her eye that deserved checking out. Fidgeting she knows her time was limited. If Ruby and the others manage to get the X'Orr up to the surface there was precious time to prepare. She didn't want the X'Orr to set down on her herd without knowing. That would be bad. Once that was taken care of she and Anton could investigate her sighting further. For now she would keep the observation to herself.

With the Ganthorian Hilton in sight her throttled Technoride jets in for a pass over the ship. Making certain it was safe. Who knew what could have entered their home while it was abandoned. Even for a day. Bad enough the ramp was still down. Neglect in their hurry to rescue friends.

"Everything looks the same as when we left Anton. Looks like we still got rabbits chompin' the crops. No cows feedin' though."

"Aye. There is Adam and Eve. Standing guard just as I asked them too."

"Them. That there seems a mite strange considerin' there are two sexes in one body. A male body at that."

"Indeed. At least they have a home. They and their offspring." He points out.

"Going in. Hold on Anton."

She smiled as he yet again squeezes her breasts without warning. His habit certainly having effects on her hormones. This time she allowed it. As the bike lowered to the cargo container wall she set down in the dirt. Idling down to cool Antonaeus releases her chest. A tender moment to wince Greta huffed and fanned her face with her fingers. The weight of Antonaeus' departure made the Technoride jostle.

"Gotta admire the vibrations." Greta flares her eyes in thought.

Stretching her legs after her own escape of the bike seat she watches Gaicazar reunite with the lumbering T-Rex. How a man of his size could tame such a beast made her respect him even more. His patting palm atop the lizards head excited the beast into a guttural growl. Not one of menace but of glee. It made Greta smile. The distraction was all that it took to take her guard down. Time to strike.

An invisible force nudges Greta Winston forward. Eyes bulging she reacts with a deafening, "WHAT THE SAM HELL?" Turning swiftly to keep her balance she realizes she had experienced such a thing before, "That you Quiver?" She raises her right hand out awaiting another recognition. Sure enough a snout collides with her palm. Smiling Greta responds by willing the life fiber on her horse to reveal his true nature. In seconds the horse became visible.

"If only the cattle would react as such." Gaicazar expels.

"I somehow don't think they got the same affection for me as ole Quiver does. We best get to lookin' for them. Ruby and the others should be right on our tail."

"Indeed." The Roman glares at the T-Rex, "All appears as we left it. Thank you for guarding our home." The beast nods its head recognizing his appreciation, "Can you sense yon cows Adam?" The T-Rex shakes its head no after a few inhalations in the air.

"Course it wouldn't be that simple." Greta takes the bridle of Quiver and hops up into the saddle, "I noticed what looked like wagon tracks and hoof traffic a couple miles back. I'm gonna ride out that direction. You comin' Romeo?"

"Wagon tracks? Do you not think a beast such as Adam and Eve inhabits might not frighten those that ride along?"

"Probably. Hoof traffic might be my cows too. Although they shouldn't be leavin' tracks according to James. Got any other ideas where we start?" She quickly observes the crops for movement. In case she could see something of size eating from them. Nothing. Only rabbits. Her ride along the crop line led to nothing. Strangely she did notice all of the rabbits were looking out toward the south. As if giving her a starting point. The bad thing was that her sighting of the wagon wheel tracks were in an opposing direction.

"The bunnies got me lookin' one direction. Those tracks another. How about we split up. You take Adam there South and try not to step on my cows if you run into them. Nudge 'em back this way. I'll ride out and check on that wagon."

"Be safe Friend Greta." He sighs looking away from her eye contact, "I would be amiss to not see you again."

"Aww! Sweet of ya, Anton. If things look bad I'll just turn Quiver and I all see through. Should be enough to avoid anything tryin' to hurt us. Enough shots in my Winchester to back me up. Good luck Handsome." She beguiles him with a smile before her boots encourage the horse to ride on. He nods watching her butt bounce up and down on the saddle.

Adam exhales a disgusting breath of hot air across Gaicazar's neck. The scent alone making the Roman lose interest in her departure. Wincing he redirects his attention by pointing South and taking his leave in stride.

"Come my Friends. Let us search for the cows." The distance didn't last. Nor did the fresh air.

Greta sent Quiver into a healthy run. It had been awhile since they had bonded together in the freedom of the open range. Away from all of those around them. Having willed the life fiber around them both to reveal their normal attributes it was just like the old days. A Filly on her horse. The evening heat subsiding made things even better. Looking up at the sky briefly Greta knows that she only had two hours of daylight left. Nightfall would bring on potential danger. Even though their pacts with the Vampires in the area gave them a bit of content. Blood lust might still create a bad situation. Hunger was a bitch. Concern for herself as much as for her babies.

Reaching the trail took her under thirty minutes. Just enough time to witness the remarkable. High above in the distance she spots the X'Orr in flight. It was remarkable. She had never seen anything in the sky like that. Outside of the Technorides. The X'Orr was far larger. Impossible to miss in its size. Halting Quiver she rested there watching it for fifteen minutes. Mesmerized by its slow drift across the horizon. It must be low on power she thought. At least she knew Ruby and James were safe. All of her friends. After a few minutes more of intimidation and awe she whipped Quiver into a turn and trotted along the trail. Stranger tracks than she first noticed added an odd bit of curiosity. Something that reminded her of tilling. Almost as if the wagon was following behind something larger. The tracks were no more than a day ahead of her. Her cattle top priority but after spotting hoof tracks running alongside the trail she had to consider they might be following whoever was in the train. If the prints were even theirs. This might be a wild goose chase.

Greta Winston decided to take the risk of running into nightfall. She knew that there would most likely be a campfire to measure the distance between them. Her saddlebags offered her options in case she needed to camp out herself. A bed roll she hadn't used in weeks. She was gutsy. Even alone she felt strong. Independent. Having invisibility powers only gave her a sharper edge. Any over night predators would bypass her and Quiver if they remained invisible. That and she could spy upon the wagons inhabitants without being seen or heard. Although the herd should be her first to do list the idea of a buckboard wagon from her era kept popping into her imagination. If she could help others like herself it would make all of their lives easier. It was the neighborly thing to do.

As the sun grew dim on the horizon Greta found herself moving into territory she hadn't been in before. Thirty plus miles out the desert took a less flat scenery and erupted into cliffs and higher ground. Not mountains but rough terrain none the less. Deciding to stop where she was before her camp choices became hard on the back she dropped to the ground and patted Quiver on the neck. Kissing his forehead before untethering her bed roll. Just as the sun set she had her camp ready minus any fire. Kindling and wood were at least gathered. There was an old motor boat rotting to her left that she busted up for fire a little later. For now she opted to keep herself from notice. After settling Quiver in she sat in the darkness looking up at the stars. So many of them. The moon was what stumped her. It was phasing into something she had never seen before. A large blue corona encircled the celestial orb. The image gave her the chills.

"Sure wish Anton was here right now." She shivered then smirked, "Prolly not a good idea."

A sudden howl makes her jump and sit wild-eyed. It was close.

"Coyote? Wolf? First time I've heard any of those since I've been cooped up here in Pangaea. Best be on watch. Ain't likely much food out and about besides me and Quiver. The cows should be safe long as they're still see through." She thought snuggling up to Quiver who lay at her side. Both went invisible. That just left her camping gear out in plain sight. Sure fire sign of life she considered with a scowl. Not much she could do about it. Without her stuff up on Quiver the life fiber wouldn't extend outward enough to conceal it all. Chance she had to take.

Suddenly, she heard something that made her freeze and almost smile, "Was that a harmonica? A violin now?" The cords beautiful. They weren't very far away at all. Maybe a half mile at best. The only way to locate them was to climb higher and peer out over the desert. If the survivors were playing instruments it must mean they too were settled in for the night. Surely they had a fire. Whispering to Quiver to stay put she grabbed her Winchester and cautiously climbed in the shadows. No easy feat. Reaching the top of a ridge she glared about. Crouching to listen for the direction of music.

In her tensed up state of mind she glimpses the glow of a flame. Hard to miss once you located it. The fire was really all that she could capture in such a distance. Groaning she didn't know whether to risk a night time approach or wait it out and encounter them in the morning. Deciding it best to wait she crawled back down and returned to Quiver. The night grew colder. The howls returned spooking her heavy eyelids. It was going to be a long night.

An hour later Greta drifted off in the comfort of her horse for warmth. A warmth that seemed to be getting a bit too warm. Tired eyes erupt to see her kindling pop under a nurtured flame. A long stick standing up from the kindling. Startled she grips her rifle and stirs looking around then upward from her earlier perch. A strange figure appeared in the moonlight then disappeared just as fast. Swallowing dryly she let whoever it was go. Obviously it was a friend. The stick standing up in her fire was an arrow.

"Indian?" She whimpered slightly, "Gotta be friendly. He's trying to keep me from freezing to death. Not that I would in this climate. Still." She waves at the air in all directions, "Thank you." She enjoyed another hour of stimulating flames. Then it dawned on her, "Holy crap. I'm see through. How did he see me and Quiver?" The notion made her decide to stand up and investigate further. No rest for the leery. In her quest she strolled about using the moons glow on the ridges to at least grasp what might be above.

Behind her on another cliff top she heard snarling. Reacting she primes her rifle toward the snarls out of defense. Red eyes caught her attention and she gathers her sights. Not wanting to fire at it but she might need to for their safety. Quiver was all she might have left if she couldn't find her cows.

"Go on you get." Greta decides to tempt a vocal repellant.

The smaller figure stirs hesitantly as if fighting off its urges to attack and feed on the first prey it might have seen in weeks. In response Greta raises her sights hire ready to fire when a hand out of nowhere grips the barrel of her rifle and lowers it with ease. Greta still holding tightly steps sideways when she hears a gruff voice.

"Easy now. Ole' Bogart can't help himself. Nice fella once the moon goes away."

Greta nearly pisses her nickers as she encounters the rest of the man. A very large man in a black trench coat and Stetson cowboy hat. He had to be at least 6'4 in height. 280 of weight. Length dark beard over a Caucasian face.

"How do you see me?" Greta whines.

His eyes look directly at her for the first time. That urge to pee was a struggle. His eyes looked dark but with a ring of shimmer around the corneas. She fought to obtain her rifle but he held his grip.

"Settle down. I mean you no harm. My name's U.S. Marshal Lionel Warjorj. Out of Texas."

"Texas?" She lowers her guard slightly, "Greta Winston. I'm from Kansas. 1873."

"Laredo. 1868. Best enjoy your fire. Me and my friends will keep Bogart from your camp until dawn."

"You never answered my question. How do you see me?"

"A might purdy Lady. Rest well."

"Ohhhhhh, No. You're not just walking away Tall, Dark, and Handy. You tell me how do you see me when I'm see through."

"My eyes see more than most. Darkness don't mean much to a fella like me. I reckon we all got our own talents."

"How many of you are there? I heard a harmonica. A fiddle even."

"A good number. Caravan of folks lost here. All trying our best to survive and avoid the Bats."

"Vampires. I might be able to help Ya'll concernin' them. I--know people."

"That a fact?" He stares emotionless at her when he hears the growling grow closer, "Hold that thought." Warjorj then stares up toward the ridge and notes the shadowy figure prowling closer toward camp. Shaking his head the Marshal removes his cowboy hat and stares directly at the figure, Lionel's eyes flaring slightly brighter around the corneas. In response it interacts with the moonlight and creates something truly remarkable.

Next to the skulking Bogart develops a living breathing male Lion. Not just any Lion though. This one was black with a similar white corona around its body. Just like Lionel's eyes. Similar to a Negative in appearance.

"Is that a Lion?" She observes the beast corralling Bogart on the Ridge. Their standoff almost entertaining. Bogart feared the Lion.

"Is. Just putting Bogart in his place."

"How in the world?" She marvels as the Lion roars and stalks around the ridge top circling Bogart, "What is this Bogart fella?"

"Gypsibah calls him a Werewolf. Ole' Bogart turns all canine in a full moon. Sometimes just a Moon. If you ain't noticed the Moon up there ain't normal. Makes Bogart unpredictable. Like I said, Nice Fella. Just can't always contain his appetite. Food scarce out here don't make none of us any happier about that."

"I can imagine. I might be able to help all of you with the food thing too. Long as we can form a trust." Greta offers.

"Best talk in the mornin'. You go rest up. Me and Chokote will keep watch."

"Chokote? That your Lion?"

"No Ma'am. The Lion is me. Chokote is my Comanche Compadre. Enemies before getting trapped here. Learned respect together. He lit your fire to help ward off Bogart."

"How can everyone else see me?"

"Bogart's senses are sharper than most. Sniffed you out I reckon. Chokote only knows you were here because I could see ya."

"If you can see me when I'm see through...what color are my bloomers?"

Lionel chuckles and almost blushes, "Only make 'em white."

"Just checkin'." Greta shyly grins. The man was a looker. Even in a fires glow, "So, the Lion up there is you. How's that possible?"

"Dunno. Ever since I got stuck here in the desert we all got Freak show. I see things differently and whatever I picture my eyes can create. Lion is my favorite. I can bring him to life at night. In the day he's only a mirage. Ain't quite figgered that one out."

"What about Chokote? What's his talent?"

"Does a mean Rain dance. Never rains though." He huffs as Greta giggles, "That arrow he shot your kindlin' with? Fire came from Chokote. He can toss fire around. Hands get all red and poof fire. Never burns him though."

"Alright. That accounts for you two and this Bogart. You mentioned a Gypsibah."

"Bogart's gal. Gypsy. She saw you comin' in her crystal ball. Same for that big ole' air ship before sundown. We seen lots of those things. Steer clear of those. Unknown is a mite to unfriendly to us."

"That air ship has my friends."

"Prisoners?"

"Oh, no. They live in there. Well, another one. We just got that other ship. Long story. Not your enemies trust me. Long as you ain't lookin' for trouble we're not. Ya'll are welcome to come live there. They found me lost out here and welcomed me like family. Good bunch."