Project New Era

Chapter 16: Pinocchio Part 2

Chapter 16: Pinocchio Part 2

It was shortly after the man passed that Bandit spoke. "Did anyone else catch what his cart said?"

"It said Gepetto, just like the guy who makes Pinocchio in the story..." Thomas mumbled.
"I thought Wilbur said that the book wasn't an alternate dimension." Chilli commented, glancing at the man's back as he continued pulling his wagon.

Thomas turned to Wilbur, "Wilbur, I need you to analyze as much about this dimension as you can. Find out how it's connected to ours and if there's any sort of connections between it and 'Pinocchio'." Thomas held up the book. "When you're done meet me again, use my phone signal to find us."

"Will do!" The drone buzzed as it whizzed off into the air, eventually disappearing from view.
"What are we gonna do?" Bluey asked, looking up at the adults.

Bandit, Chilli, and Thomas exchanged a few glances. None of them were exactly sure what to do. It was after a moment that Bingo spoke.
"We could help the story happen."

"What do you mean?" Bandit asked.

"Well, if we are in a world that's like a storybook, then when the story ends we'll be done here and we should go home." Bingo shrugged.

"That's not a bad idea Bingo." Thomas said, thinking a moment. "Maybe if we help resolve the story we can get sent back." He paused, "But before we can do any of that I say we wait and see what Wilbur says. Maybe he'll find something useful. If not, it's not a waste. If Gepetto's still on his own it means he hasn't made Pinocchio yet, so we should have some time before we need to try and hurry the story along."

"Should we get involved?" Chilli asked, "Or would changing the story make it less likely for us to get home?"

Thomas frowned, he hadn't considered that. "That is a possibility."

"Well, regardless we can't do anything until Wilbur returns, right?" Bandit asked. Thomas nodded in reply. "So, why don't we get camp set up and get something to eat. I imagine you girls are a bit hungry, right?"
"I'm starving! I haven't eaten since tea!" Bluey declared.

"Me too!" Bingo added.

"Alright, let's get camp set and we can make some food..."

It was about an hour later that the Heelers had everything set up. Thankfully Bandit and Chilli had a modest supply of camping gear already due to their annual trips to the campsite with their family. Between that and Thomas' powers-which were still in effect-it made it easy to get everything unloaded and ready.

"Well, it looks like the stream is clean." Thomas commented as he returned with a jug of water, having checked the water quality with the test strips Bandit had packed. "Which makes sense, there doesn't seem to be anything that could be polluting it in the area."
"Good, that means we'll have a source of fresh water for as long as we need it." Bandit commented, turning the food in the pan he had sitting on the fire. He stood up and stretched slightly, frowning a moment as he adjusted his shirt, it having untucked itself in the back.

Thomas chuckled, "Not used to wearing clothes, dad?"

Bandit rolled his eyes, "No, I'm used to having a nice thick coat of fur and only wearing clothes when I had to. It's annoying. How do you humans deal with it?"

"I mean, I had to do it since I was a kid, so it wasn't ever anything I thought much about."
"And what, when these get dirty I can't just cast them off? I need to stay dressed because otherwise there's nothing keeping everything hidden." Bandit griped, having discovered on a bathroom break what exactly Thomas had meant when he'd requested clothes that first night.