All of us slowly rise the next morning from a short night at our makeshift camp on the shore, Sonya is whipping up some food for us and it smells good. The woods are cool this morning with a dampness hanging in the air and the leaves covered with dew. There are a few noises coming from around us, birds chirping to one another and little forest creatures rustling back and forth in the shadows of the undergrowth and brown leaves.
All of these animals are acting oblivious to me as I sit up and stretch, bumping awkwardly into Fredrik as he crouches beside me.
"Wow I thought you were never going to wake up" he says to me and continues, "I tried to wake you about three hours ago to grab the last watch and you wouldn't move an inch. Alexei woke up and heard me so he took it. By the way, you talk a lot in your sleep."
I tried not to let it show, but now I was super worried about what he could have heard me say as I dreamt. "Thanks Alexei for covering my shift" I said as I walked swiftly over to the others to eat and discuss our options.
We didn't look like a crew fit to complete any mission right now, a burned out crash site and torn uniforms, our biggest crew member shot and our smartest one in a cryogenic coma, we are going to need a real does of luck on our side today.
Not one for small talk, Vlad started right in "Team, Sonya and I have been discussing our few options, I am unable to walk out of here and will no doubt need to take it easy and slow when I do. Izabella will need the gentlest of care in her current state. In order to increase the odds of our survival and success at this point, we think it is best if we split into two groups
before heading out. Sonya and Veronika will look after Izabella, Tannin and me. Josef, Fredrik and Alexi will accompany Mika as you four move north toward Kiev, I know we have landed in the Black Sea and should be in the State of Ukraine based on our location on the northern shoreline. As you travel, try to stay hidden or blended into the crowds. We will provision your packs with supplies, and there is a small supply of rubles you can take to purchase clothing which is more appropriate than our mission gear."
I looked at my brothers and answered Vlad, "Tannin is strong enough to walk with us, we are going together if it is ok with you, and it seems you have your hands quite full here as it is." Vladimir looked at Sonya who shrugged her shoulders up and down showing she did not want to disagree with me. Vlad replied, "Ok, it is the five of you then, we have no time to waste, eat, pack and get going. Leave the Petorium with us. It will make your travel easier." This may be an understatement but I am a little nervous to leave the camp today. I know we need to get help, and I keep focus on Izabella‟s condition to get me moving. Keeping going with the plan was helping me keep my mind off my parents. Vlad got us started in the right direction. If we headed northward along the shore we should run into Odessa and then from there follow the roads further north to Kiev, hopefully to send aid to the others and get us all back to Moscow. After all, how difficult could 2027 really be?
*****
Our group headed out about an hour later, all packed and ready to go, of course I switched the Petorium crystals into my gray bag without sharing that bit of information, I just wanted to get them as far away from Ivan as I could. The sun was high on the horizon and we mostly walked through the cool shadows of the trees. Our mission suits kept us warm during the cool morning, but were heating up now. Most of us unzipped our jackets as we moved, I felt a bit shy around the boys in my undershirt, but I was on the verge of heat exhaustion. I know wherever we are the season is turning to fall.
I didn't really miss not having the seasons on Mars. We were so busy working in and around our colony no one really had time to think about the cycle of the seasons. Now though, I would really like to stop and relish this fresh air and nature, but again we are pressed for time. We walked through woods for a long time.
It was hours before we heard the noise of vehicles coming from along the highway just beyond the trees in front of us.
Josef halted us, "We are close to a road, let's stay back where we cannot be seen and follow it until we reach a town."
We followed Josef‟s lead for a few more miles along the path of the roadway. What little we could see of the cars and trucks speeding along on the highway were amazingly different from any we were used to seeing in 1968. We finally came upon the outskirts of a town, it was best to hang back in the tree line and observe the people to find our way in. Josef wanted to go in with Fredrik and check things out, so the rest of us waited until they got back.
When they arrived back, Josef said, "It looks like there is a small shop we can all get some clothes about three blocks in, it is important for us not to look nervous, we do not really want to interact just yet with other people. These people here should be easy to blend in with once we change clothing. Fredrik and I overhead a few conversations and the dialects are a bit off for us but we can manage it. If you have to speak with someone, just follow their lead because some of the things they said did not make a lot of sense. I think we were far more straightforward in 1968 when we spoke."
So we got up and started walking into town, once we were on the sidewalks the first thing I noticed was the lack of nationalistic signs and statues we were accustomed to seeing, "I wonder what the government is like now" I said aloud to no one in particular.
About a block away from the store, we paused to cross the street. Other than a few sideways looks and glances, we were not bothered.
Just as we started to cross, we all heard a woman scream.
"Dmitri!"
The scream was followed by a loud screech of rubber tires skidding on the road. Without thinking, Fredrik dove and grabbed the little boy from in front of the out of control truck sliding directly at him and held him close as he forward rolled across the street and onto the curb out of harm's way.
The large freight truck continued to slide and wobble as it swerved down the road honking at the driver of the small sedan who cut him off. I don‟t think the driver even saw the boy in the street or saw Fredrik save his life.
A rather portly woman bolted out of the shop door from exactly where we were heading. She was frantically running toward Fredrik and the child.
"Dmitri, Dmitri, oh thank heavens you are ok, she lifted the boy from Fredrik's arms and held him tight, looking him over for any injuries. Then she grabbed Fredrik as we all watched "Thank you, for saving my son, thank you for preventing a tragedy." She was getting teary now. She continued, "Please, I can never repay you, what can I do? I owe you something for saving my sons life."
Of course, the polite person Fredrik is starts to say, "I can take nothing from you..." I cut him off as quickly as a lizard would cut off its tail to escape capture.
"Fredrik, perhaps we could ask this nice, helpful, indebted woman who owes you her son's life if maybe, perhaps she could assist us with acquiring some better clothing from the store she just ran out of?"
Fredrik looked at me smugly and said to the woman, "My friend here is right ma'am, we could use some helping updating our wardrobe and we have some rubles, could you help us select some clothing please from the store over there?"
The woman chuckled as she replied, "Rubles will not work in that store, but since I own it you may all come with me and pick any thing you would like off of my shelves." I could not believe our luck. I looked at Fredrik and gave him a wink as he glanced sideways at me. I hope he could tell I was thanking him for his act of bravery and not blinking because I had a bug in my eye.
Josef spoke up "That is awfully generous of you ma'am, I would like to introduce all of us, this is Fredrik who saved Dmitri, I am Josef, the witty one here is my sister Mika, the last are Alexei and my little brother Tannin. He has a pet lizard in our bag I bet Dmitri would love to see."
The woman replied as we all walked toward her store "Josef, it seems to me you and your friends are not from town, I think you may be in need of a little more help than just some new clothing. My name is Katerina Hordiyenko. You kids can call me Kate." She continued as we all entered through her doorway, she turned her sign around from "open to "closed", "The time is late enough to close shop early today, come in and let‟s get you all clothed, then I think if you share your story with me I may be able to help you some more. I have a small room where Tannin can play with Dmitri while we talk and eat, besides, I would at least like to see your rubles. We have not seen that type of money in this state for quite a long time."
*****
As we all look through the selection of clothing Kate has available, I can't help but notice how much tighter fitting the shirts and pants are than what I am used to wearing. They don‟t leave much to the imagination, skirts, jeans I grab a few of everything and head to the changing room to see what works.
After I try a few items on, I am looking at myself in the mirror, I think I am good, pretty snug black Jeans with a blue tank top. I put on the jacket I grabbed. Gray leather, I think that is the material, it feels a little different. Nevertheless, it should keep me warm. I take the jacket off and hang it up, and then I put on the boots, dark grey, almost knee high, comfortable enough to walk for a while in. I try to fold up all the things I dropped on the floor before I open the door to join the others.
I step out as Alexei and Fredrik stop their conversation to look at me.
What? Now they are staring, totally gazing at me with goofy smiles on their faces. This is super uncomfortable and I feel my cheeks warming up as I shuffle my feet. Fredrik looks at Alexei and see's what they both were doing so he smacks him on the shoulder to get his attention "Come on man, let's go sit with Kate and talk about our rubles, Mika come on over and sit with us once you put those other clothes back on the shelves." Thankful yet again for Fredrik's quick thinking, I put everything in a pile and hurry to join the others.
As I walk in to join them, Josef looks at me.
"Mikhailya, I distinctly remember Vlad said we should try to blend in, don‟t you think you might stand out a little dressed like that" he intoned disapprovingly as he looked me over.
Katerina spoke up and saved me, "Josef, she looks just like all the other teenagers in town, minus a few tattoos. Mika you did a great job with your outfit. Here just add this scarf around your neck to soften your look up a little, you are a little tougher looking than most of the girls around town, these local boys might be scared of you" she winked at me and then handed me a beautiful green and blue patterned silk scarf. "Now let's see those rubles." She finished with.
Fredrik set our bag down on the table and looked around at us before he addressed Kate, "You have more than settled with me for helping Dmitri, I must tell you however, our story is complex and we are cautious of the information we share. We can talk about these rubles and then if you could answer a few questions for us we would be grateful." Fredrik pulled the rubles out of the bag and handed a few to Katerina.
Kate eyed all of us cautiously, I think her hospitality may be dwindling "These are in excellent condition, from the old days of the U.S.S.R, may I ask how you kids acquired them?" Josef answered, "We got them from our parents."
He lies so easily.
Kate went on "I believe these have a large value for those people who deal in and collect currencies. I can't tell you how much, but I know a trustworthy person who may be able to help. In the morning if you take these across town to old man Popov, he can tell you their value, maybe even buy them from you for quite a few Euros, I will tell you directions for how to get to his store."
Josef thanked her for the information and then Alexei spoke up as he grabbed one of the rubles "Kate, take this and keep it for Dmitri, if they are valuable now, this may be worth something more for him when he is older."
Kate accepted it and smiled at him.
Alexei continued "I hope you can answer a few things without asking too much of us" she nodded for him to proceed, "Euros, what are those, and why is the U.S.S.R being referred to as the old days?"
Katerina appeared to be aged in her late thirties, so we would have launched to Mars about twenty years before she was born.
She looked quizzically at us, holding her questions, she replied "Euros are the currency for all of Europe, we are now one, no Western and Eastern Europe. After Russia failed to take us over during their attack and occupation of the Ukraine 13 years ago, we became part of the European Unified States. With military aid and support all the countries of Europe united behind the financially strong and powerful Germany and pushed the Russian‟s back and have held a dividing line ever since."
We were just eating this information up.
I think Kate could tell so she continued, "The other question you had is answered simply. Beginning with the election of Gorbachev as the president of Russia, the Berlin Wall was torn down and the country steadily declined from their position as a financial and military super power to almost third world status. The Russian currency went through a period of hyperinflation and rubles like yours haven‟t been in circulation for at least forty to fifty years. I can see from your inquisitive little faces that you still have more questions, it is getting late and I am going to put Dmitri to bed, Tannin can stay with him in his room. I will show you to my iMac and you can use it to look up anything you want on the internet with the search engine. Our bandwidth here is a little slow and the computer is a few years old, but you can research all night if you want to, I will be asleep." She walked out of the room.
We looked at each other for support, our country, our homeland, financially devastated. It is tough to swallow, but more importantly, what are bandwidth and a search engine and how does one use an iMac?
Kate showed us to her tiny office and set us up on the computer, we were all pretty high on technological aptitude so just watching her briefly allowed us to figure out the iMac operation.
We just typed in whatever we wanted to find answers for into the Google box on the monitor and then the pages on the screen appeared and gave us all the answers we needed to catch up on the events we missed during the time we burned