> Where Have All the Dragons Gone? > by Alden MacManx > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: Where did they go, George? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, 11 September 2017, Nashville Street Pier, New Orleans, Louisianne The crew of the Mississippi Voyager gathered under a shed at the Nashville Street Pier, a crew that had seen some alterations since arrival back in New Orleans six weeks before. A new gasifier had been installed, one improved over the older model. The ship itself had been overhauled, the forward two cargo cans having been widened by three feet to help accommodate vehicles, along with a drop-down ‘second floor’ to add capacity. It would still be a very tight fit for vehicles. Sonar and Radio both got comprehensive overhauls, as had the electrics and weapons. The four ‘surprise packages’ had been inspected and found fit. The crew had some changes as well. First Officer Julia Crowne had been transferred to the Mississippi Star, as its Captain. She was replaced by a female Abyssinian, one who had spent time Before as a harbor tug pilot. Her name was Esther Lindley, a fastidious white-furred Abyssinian who had passed all of Howard’s qualification tests and had been signed on as Third Officer, with Carroll Milsap moving up to First and Harry Bell to Second. Engineering had two additions as well, an Ornithian female who was an auto mechanic Before, and a young earth pony apprentice who could handle machinery and wanted to learn how to run the riverboats. The two, Liz Ruiz and Dexter Potter, were aboard to train on the engineering gear because the Chief Engineer and the Welder, Frack and Bernie Larson, would be leaving the crew after the current run, the reason being that on the way back down from Kansas, Bernie had tested pregnant, and they were willing to make one more run before returning to Maasvlakte for the birth of their foal. The last new addition is a young unicorn mare from Amsterdam, Jessica van Alten, who was a doctor Before, but a newly-graduated one, and thought studying under a more experienced doctor abroad could only be of benefit. The WSU approved of the plan, because they needed reps on each of the riverboats, and the numbers willing were quite low. A journeyman doctor could be spared for a time. Another person who would be aboard, though not as a crewman, was a friend of the crew, Ambassador Ivan Pestov, the gargoyle who was assigned to Saint Louis to watch over the dragon/unicorn pair, Casimir and Coronavirus. After said pair flew to Lecompton to visit the Starbush and her tenders, they readily changed their ways and willingly went along with the ‘new regime’, losing all sullenness and co-operating with the Saint Louis group with enthusiasm, to the point where little Rosa happily climbed up Casimir’s back for ‘flying lessons’. Queen Marie looked over the assembled ponies and others, the only one not present being the cook, Jason McTerry. “Good afternoon, all. This mission briefing will be kept short, because I know your chef is cooking dinner, and one thing I enjoy is an informal dinner with ponies. I don’t have enough of them…” she concluded to a collective smile and occasional giggle from the crew. “Your job this time is to go up the Ohio River, to make contact with the dragon-controlled cities of Evansville, Louisville and Cincinnati. Ambassador Pestov will be in charge of negotiations, and he knows my wishes in this matter. My main concern is, will the dragons, despite their recent setbacks, want to invade Louisianne? Can they round up sufficient numbers to do so? I hope not. “Another thing to discover is, are there more settlements we don’t know about? Maybe up a side river? That is why your bays three through five have been loaded with ‘trade goods’, items that  a struggling group of ponies could use to get up on their hooves. “Captain Crane – you are in charge of the expedition. You are expected to heed advice from Ambassador Pestov, but you keep in mind the ship and crew come first. Same with you, Ambassador. Work together, but the Captain has the final word. I want information and you will get it. “To the rookies – heed the crew, because they have been out there. If the Captain and First Officer or Chief Engineer decide you’re not good enough, they do have the authority to put you off anywhere. Who knows, you may wind up on another ship. I’m not going to apologize for taking your First for the Star, Captain Crane, but our trustworthy executive talent is a very shallow pool. “Any questions I’ll handle over dinner. When we dine, damn protocol! Just be yourselves, okay?” Marie concluded. “Let’s eat!” The Captain went to the Queen’s side and escorted her aboard the Voyager, where the Lounge was laid out for a buffet dinner that would cater to all the different species. After said dinner, the Queen left relaxed and happy, and the crew knew what was wanted, and expected, from them. How Jason made the mint juleps that the Queen enjoyed so much, nobody knew. That was between him and Her Majesty. Tuesday at ten, after a last-minute supply top-off, including fuel and water, the Voyager headed out, going northbound through the stagnant bayou the lower Mississippi had become after its course was diverted two years before. Thanks to the yard time and drydocking for hull inspection, the converted barge was able to move two knots faster than before. The new matching screws, taken off a pair of salvaged tugboats, helped in that. They were able to reach North Point by sunset, enabling them to drop supplies and overnight there while doing a full systems check. As hoped for, there was very little that needed tweaking. The shipwrights in New Orleans were learning more with every boat they built. Privately, Howard was jealous of Julia, who was commanding the Mississippi Star, the newest of the riverboats, but he was proud of his ship and crew. Their next stop was just up the river, in Natchez, just long enough to drop some supplies to the group that was left there six months before, a colony that had grown from five to ten, thanks to a load dropped off by the Ranger. After dropping the load, the ship proceeded to Memphis, docking on Saturday for a long weekend there, both to allow the doctors time to confer, and to link up with the Ranger, coming back from Kansas City with a load of potions, meteor metal, and a few other choice goods from upstream. Not that the Voyager needed anything, but it’s always a good idea to top up supplies on hoof when the opportunity comes about. You never knew when you would need them. Plus, the Ranger was crewed by friends of the crew of the Voyager, and meeting up was rare. It was decided that if two ships happened to meet up, a ‘gossip stop’ of up to three days was allowed to do some cross-pollination of ideas and observations. Next stop after Memphis was New Madrid, Missouri. Not because there was any real need to stop, but Frack knew of a granary there where they could load some barrels of grain into hold number two. Plus, it was a good way to check if the stored grains were still good. The sealed barrels were just fine. The silos, however… has anyone ever witnessed synchronized puking before? Doctor van Alten spray-painted several large ‘do not open’ symbols on the silo doors. Everyone else had moved off to recover, and were too shaky to work the spray paint cans. One of the benefits and drawbacks of being a unicorn, right? 28 September 2017, 1100 hours, Cairo, Illinois The ship, instead of veering left to follow the Mississippi to Saint Louis, turned right, to follow the Ohio River north and east. Captain Crane lowered the ship’s speed to half-power, before calling an all-hooves-and-hands meeting in the Lounge. “Now, we are heading into unknown territory. We are going to limit forward speed to half-ahead, as well as docking every night. The person in Control has to be extra-vigilant, watching for any river obstructions, be they trees, rocks, cargo containers, wrecked hulls, and such. “Another thing we have to do is watch for dams and locks. We’re going to have to figure out ways to open and close the locks, otherwise we’re not going any farther upriver. I would think our mages will bear the brunt of opening and closing the doors, but I can hope the task is going to be easier than I’m thinking about. I know we’ll be hitting one before we reach Evansville, and another just outside Louisville. “Our sailing time will be daylight-only, unless I change it personally. I know days are getting shorter as winter closes in, but that’s something we’re just going to have to deal with. “Ambassador Pestov, can you tell us what you have learned about the dragons living upriver?” Howard asked. “Yes, I can, slim as it is,” the hulking gargoyle said as he stood up, all seven-feet plus of him. “What we do know is that since Casimir and Impedimenta called in to Vladimir after Zvezda became the Starbush, there has been no answer to any calls made by either of them to the other three links in the comm chain. What that means, nobody can truthfully answer. That’s one reason why we going on this trip. I learn much from Casimir and Coronavirus about how the dragons maintained their pecking order, and maybe the knowledge will be useful. Why they not answer? We find out, da?” “That we will, Ivan,” Chief Officer Milsap said from where she stood, next to Howard. “We will be cruising from one hour past sun-up to one hour before sundown. If we find a place to dock, we will. Otherwise, we anchor mid-stream. That’s purely elementary safety. One other thing the deck officers will be doing is as good of a sonar scan of the bottom as we can manage. Once maps are made of hazards, we can pick up some more speed.” “We should be arriving at the first set of locks either late tomorrow or early the day after. How we’re going to operate them, I just don’t know right now. We’re just going to have to go up and look. Every time I have been this way, others worked the locks. Now, it’s our turn,” Howard explained. “Here’s hoping we’re up to the challenge.” Arnie van Dyke, the soon-to-be Chief Engineer, asked a question. “How did the dragons make it down from Cincinnati? There were what, six flatboats they had built and sailed down the Ohio with.” Ivan handled that question. “They had powerful dragon with them. Telekinesis or teleporting can answer that. Not far, one boat at a time, passes obstacle. Take time, can do.” “We’ll find out when we get to the first lock, which should be in about two days, taking our time. This first pass, caution is called for. We’re in no hurry,” Howard told the crew. “Ah can accept that. Once we get to the first lock, maybe we can fahnd out somethin’,” Arnie drawled.  “That’s right. So, let’s get started. Upstream at half power!” Howard declared. 30 September 2017, 1000 hours, Smithland Locks & Dam, Ohio River The Voyager was stopped at the lock and dam, most of its crew out trying to puzzle out how to operate the locks manually. They were down in the lock works, tracing out systems. One thing that had been found was that the hydraulic lines operating the doors had been messily severed, hydraulic oil pooled over the floors. “Well, ah can figure out how they all operated the doors,” Arnie Van Dyke drawled as he looked at the wreckage. “How do you figure that, Arnie?” Howard asked, being in the works with his crew. “They used unicorn magic to open and close the doors aftuh severin’ the hydraulic lines. Open doors, pull in, close doors, use manual bypass valves to raise or lowah the water level, then operate the doors. If the pressure is roughly equal, it won’t be too hard to move the doors,” Arnie told the Captain. “Plus, they had a dragon with them. If unicorn magic wasn’t enough, dragon strength will.” “Good point,” Esther said, looking around the lock works. “We’re going to have to find the manual bypasses for up and down. It’s opening the doors from the downstream side that’s going to be hard.” “Ah can gimcrack somethin’. If not, we’re goin’ to have to find a town to raid foah parts,” Arnie said quietly, looking all around the works. “What do you have in mind, Arnie?” Frack asked. “Cables, a pulley, and using the forward winch. Mount the pulley up on the sahd, stick an eye on the upstream sahd of a door, run cable from door to pulley to winch, then pull the door open. This is after the watuh has been raised or lowered. Once we get the door moved some, and the levels settle, finishing the job will be easy-peasy,” Arnie reported in his usual slow drawl. Howard looked at Frack, who looked back at his captain and gave a slight nod. “Make it so, Mister van Dyke. See if we have the materials aboard, and form a working party. Let’s see what you can organize,” he commanded. “Sho’ nuff, Cap!” Arnie said with a smile, his horn sparkling a little as he thought. It wasn’t until the next day that they managed to get through the lock, a quick trip to Paducah was called for to get parts needed, one of which is a dinghy for Arnie to stand in to weld eyes on the upstream side of the lock doors. The procedure did work, but was slow. As Chief Officer Milsap observed, “Practice makes perfect. By the time we get back to New Orleans, we’ll have this worked out.” Three days later, after traversing the IL-IN-KY lock and dam, the Mississippi Voyager arrived at their first city of interest, Evansville, Indiana, the home of the dragon known as Nikolai, his unicorn aide Getafix, and a colony of about thirty beings of mixed types. What startled the lookouts was the complete lack of smoke from fires over the city. Ivan took flight with Chief Milsap to scout things over. “I was informed that dragon colony was in town, close to the LST boat. Good central place, because ship was easily made working with little work. I see no traces of any ponies here. Fields to north look untended for some time. Investigate ship, Captain?” he asked Howard over the radio. “Go ahead, Mister Pestov. We need to find out where everypony went to. Investigate and report back, you and Chief Milsap. We’ll pull alongside and try to tie up outboard of the LST,” Howard told the Ambassador. “Away party yes says, Captain,” Ivan acknowledged before slinging his radio. Looking at Carroll, Ivan pointed to the deck of the ship. The mismatched pair glided to a landing on the deck close to the superstructure, Ivan landing with a loud thump. While gargoyles could fly, they are not the best at it. “Where the hell did everypony go?” Carroll asked after landing.  “Bog knows, we don’t. Not yet. Let us head inside, da?” Ivan puffed, pointing to a door that was dogged shut. “Sounds like a plan,” Carroll agreed as she approached the door. She reached for the locking handle, and it moved before she could. “What the?” Ivan’s arms lit up as he focused mana for a spell as the door slowly swung open. “Chief, careful!” he called out as Carroll quickly backpedaled. > Chapter 2: Evansville, Indiana > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dogs on the door swung to the right before the door did, the handle moving in the same way. When the door opened, a diamond dog awaited on the other side, dressed in cut-down dungarees, a blue shirt, and a hat pinned to his rather curly hair that proclaimed ‘LST-325’ in gold lettering across the front. “Well, well… visitors! If you’re looking for the tour, you’re in time, I sure got lots of it. Just who are you anyhow? For that matter, WHAT are you, especially you, big gray fellow!” the dog said, as bombastically at ease as Doctor Lucien is much of the time. The two from the Voyager exchanged a quick glance. “I’m Chief Officer Carroll Milsap of the Mississippi Voyager, and this is Ivan Pestov, Ambassador plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Louisianne,” Carroll said as politely as she could. “And you are, sir?” “I’m Jackson Reynaud. My grandfather sailed on this ship back during the war, and once it came to Evansville, I jumped right aboard keeping it shipshape, just like he told me about it. Now, I’m captain, chief cook and bottle washer aboard ever since Yuri took his aide and as many who wanted to run with him out of town. Only other one here is the Engineer,  Elaine Meyer. She’s down checking the auxiliary generators. Come on in and I’ll make you some coffee, okay? Been a while since anyone came knockin!” Jackson said, words eagerly falling from his muzzle as he led the rather perplexed pair towards the living area of the ship, namely the galley.  Lights were on inside the ship, but not all, every other light being out. Most doors were shut in the passageway. “Pardon the gloom, partners, but since everyone left except Elaine and me, we don’t keep everything open. We done got enough provisions to last us pretty much through winter. You the river sailors that got the dragons in a bother?” Jackson asked. “Da, Captain, that be us. You listen to radio from WSU?” Ivan asked in his somewhat stilted English. “If we ain’t tinkering with the ship, not much else TO do, is there?” Jackson said with a bit of a laugh as he prepared a coffee pot. “Nice to know there are others out there to chat about, it just that none of us know how to access those frequencies to call out. Far as I know, we ain’t got the radio to DO it with.” “That, we can help with, Captain Reynaud. Part of our mission is to find other ponies or what else are around the rivers and offer assistance and tools if desired. You here are welcome to ask for anything we can provide. If I may ask, just what is the condition of the LST?” Carroll asked as the aroma of fresh coffee made its presence known. Jackson was bustling around the galley, getting Navy glass cups and wood stir sticks out of a cabinet, plus almost-fresh bread and peanut butter. “Ah’m sure we COULD set sail in the next day or so, but to be honest, ah would want a full detailed inspection first. We’re just about full up on fuel, water, stores and parts, but our last inspection was two days before everyone took a powder, and that was back in early July. Better safe than sorry with a seventy-year-old ship, yes?” “Can’t say no to that, Captain. Your partner, what is she? A unicorn, Abyssinian, or what?” Carroll asked. “Ivan’s a gargoyle and I’m a griffin.” “Elaine’s a part-time parrot, a full-time yenta, and an all-around technical wizardess. She and her husband ran a repair shop here started by their grandparents back before the War. Sheer determination and customer happiness kept the place going. Too bad Reuben died of a heart attack the month before all this hoop-de-doo happened. She had yet to reopen, and everything was still locked up and intact when we started Returning. I was one of the first, she came around a week later,” Jackson told the pair as he got coffee poured and served, and bread sliced. “We done finished the coffee cake this morning,” he said apologetically. “Not to worry, Captain Reynaud. May I call my ship and ask them to bring some goodies over, so we can have a good chat?” Carroll asked, holding up her radio. The diamond dog grinned happily. “Why, sure! It would be an honor to host some talks! And, when not being officious, call me Jake. Been called that since I was a kid.” he told the two. “Okay, then! I’m Carroll, and this is Ivan. Now, let me call my captain,” Carroll said genially as she walked to a porthole and opened it. “Chief to captain. How about bringing some goodies over for a talking with?” “Sure! Give me twenty minutes to organize matters, and ask permission for us to tie up alongside. We may have to go in and out via the tank deck, if we can’t get the gangways up that high,” Captain Crane replied. “Tell him that’s just fine, and I’ll have the lower deck door opened for them!” Jake called across the mess decks. “Tell him I heard, and we’ll move to the bay doors. Head up to handle lines, okay?” Howard said. “Will do, Captain. Chief out.” Carroll said before backing away from the porthole, closing it and rehooking the radio to her harness.  As Carroll was doing that, Jake went to an intercom set placed in the bulkhead, flipped a switch and spoke. “Elaine, head to the boat deck and open the bay doors! We done got company!” After a moment, a reply came. “Is it those Voyager folk we hear about on the radio?” she asked, her Hebrew accent prominent. “Sure are! I got two here on the mess decks and the boat’s outside. They want to come over and visit!” Jake said cheerfully. “Be good to see new faces. We’ve hardly seen anyone since the dragon took off with most of the colony! Let me pack up and head to the doors!” Elaine squawked merrily. “Meet you there!” All told, it took about an hour to get the Voyager securely moored to the 325, and after introductions, the 325 crew were talked into having the first meeting on the Voyager, which was agreed to when Jason altered the ventilation lineup to blow the scents of the kitchen out the door. After a fine lunch and several hours of chatting, Captain Crane summed up what they had learned. “So, Yuri and Getafix took two thirds of the colony and hared off somewhere, which you never did find out. The rest of the colony scattered out into the country, coming to you for technical assistance and providing food in trade. Is that about right?” Jake and Elaine looked at each other before nodding. “That’s the story in a nutshell, Howard,” Elaine squawked. “Getafix teleported the ponies and others, while Yuri flew off.” “Which way did the dragon go, Miz Elaine?” Lucien asked. Jake answered that question. “Northeast, mostly. Maybe a little more east than north,” he said, after scratching under his hat some. “Not towards Louisville, then. More towards Cincinnati,” Harry said from where he sat. He had been studying the river charts intensely since they turned up the Ohio. “You can say that, yes,” Jake agreed. “What about Louisville? Did that dragon flee like this one?” Frack asked. Jake and Elaine both shrugged. “That, we don’t know. Nobody’s come down and told us. That’s not far upriver, so think you can let us know what you find there?” Jake asked. “That we can, via the WSU. We can search the city for some satphones for you and teach you how to use them,” Howard told their ‘hosts’. “Now, what about the remaining villagers?” “I fly out to the farms two to three times a week,” the Ornithian said. “More to see if they need anything and to make sure we get our food shipments.” “How about we spend a few days here, and see if we have anything they can use before we head upriver?” Howard asked. “Can you guide us to them?” Elaine laughed at the questions. “You bet! I know mostly what is needed, but leading your fliers to them for a chat will go over well!” “Then, you get with Harry to find out if what we have will fit their needs, and tomorrow, we’ll fly out to visit and scout the roads to see if they are still passable before loading the truck and heading out. Acceptable?” Howard asked the group. Jake stood and held out a paw to Howard. “Sounds like a plan, Captain! Let’s get started!” Captain Crane ‘shook hands’ with Captain Reynaud, and the lunch party broke up to get started on picking out what may be needed for the ‘grocery runs’. All but Howard, who retired to his office to do ‘paperwork’, but actually went into a conference with Colonel Forrest in New Orleans, via crystal. “So, they-all don’t know wheah the dragons done went to?” the Colonel drawled after Howard’s detailed report on the proceedings. “So far, that’s it, Nate. We’re hoping some of the others who stayed behind have a better idea.” “Okay, then. Your orders are to help out Evansville for a few days, find out what they need and give it to them. Designate Captain Reynaud as our contact point, make sure he has a radio that can reach us, and give him one of the smaller blue crystals. Either mahself or Her Majesty will train him. Do the same in Louisville and Cincinnati, and go all the way to Pittsburgh before turning back around.” “Voyager copies orders, Colonel. Now let me get back to work.” “Get to it, Howard. N’Awlins base out.” For the next three days, the crew of the Voyager did just that, meeting with the six remaining members of Evansville, who lived on two new-start farms about a mile north of the LST, on Pigeon Creek. Each group of three consisted of an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus. One group had fields of various grains and vegetables, while the other was mostly fruit trees with some patches of grain. They both willingly accepted some tools and training to improve their lives. The day before leaving, Captain Crane and Doctor Macombe were in downtown Evansville, intending to raid the police station for some powerful portable radios for the locals to keep in touch with each other. As they passed the jail, Lucien stopped in his tracks. “Trouble, Howie,” he muttered, a glow forming around his horn. “What’s wrong, Lucien?” Howard asked quietly, the doctor’s attention clearly elsewhere. “Somebody’s hurtin’, an’ it’s not far away. Lemme get a fix on him or her…” Lucien said quietly as he looked around, his red glow expanding like a cloud before it narrowed into a ray pointing down the street at a building. “That way.” “Let’s go looking,” Howard said firmly as he followed the red glow, which got more vivid as they walked. The ray led to one building in particular. “Sheriff’s Residence and Jail,” Howard said, reading the sign.  “Well, let’s bust our way in. What ah feel reminds me of Jenny McLaine from Leavenworth,” Lucien answered as the ray got more intense. “Yep, she’s in a bad way. Starvation, dehydration. It’s jailbreak tahm!” “Let’s do this,” Howard said as he went to the door, not expecting to find it open. Having been proved correct, he gestured for Lucien to perform the honors. The red ray changed to a cloud again, surrounding the door lock and releasing it. The door swung open, and the pair resumed their search. Three doors later, they entered the jail proper. It didn’t take long for them to find the source of the problem. They found a pegasus dangling from an upper bunk, her wing tangled in a support strut. Lucien, with Howard’s help, quickly got the stricken pegasus down. “Broken upper right wing, several strained ligaments, some vascular damage from hanging head down foah however long, dehydration and starvation. Call Aaron and have him bring the truck and Doctor van Alten here. This young lady needs tahm in mah sickbay,” he said in tones that meant he is not to be denied.  Howard did not take offense at the tones used. He knew that Lucien knew his business. “How about I fly back and bring them? I’ll call ahead.” he asked. “Better than my plan. Go do it,” Lucien said distractedly as he carefully brought the mare to the floor. “See you soon.” Brenda Jourdain woke up in a strange room, definitely not the county jail. It took her a few minutes to notice her ‘altered form’, but in her drowsy state, she took it calmly. She laid in bed on her left side, idly looking at her wing in a cast, her hooves, her fur, her feathers, her mane, wondering what brought this on. Her fur is a sky-blue color, her mane ashy blonde like her hair was, her hooves glossy black, her wing feathers scarlet and pink mixed. Her dreamy contemplation was interrupted by a pink and yellow unicorn and a blue-black bat-winged pony. “Helloo, Brenda! I am Doctor Jessica van Alten of Amsterdam, and this is Bernie Larsen, last of Saint Petersburg, Florida. How are you feeling now?” Brenda took a few seconds to answer. “Drowsy, but waking. What happened to me and you?” she managed to say. “We’ll tell you the full story, as we know it. Be glad of the potion fog, it will take the place of the booze you’ll be craving afterwards,” Bernie told the pegasus before starting the tale of the Event. Even with Jessica’s help answering the questions Brenda posed, it took a good two hours to finish the tale up to ‘now’. “What will be my place in this new world?” Brenda asked. Jessica countered with “What did you Before?” “I was a courier. I delivered small cargoes of valuable substances around the country. Paid well, but I got a little careless here in Evansville and wound up in jail. Hopefully that won’t be a problem now.” “No, not any more. Once your wing heals, we can see just how good a flier you are. Who knows, you may be able to get a job with Louisianne as a secure courier,” Jessica said with a smile. “With phones and radios, you have to worry about being overheard.” “Couriers get around that. It’s what kept me in business for the past few years. How long am I stuck in bed?” Brenda asked. We should be removing the cast in two days, then doing exercises to get wing strength back before we submit you to the tender mercies of our flight instructor,” Jessica said with a giggle. “My husband Frack, who channels the spirit of R. Lee Ermey to get newbies off the ground. Don’t laugh, it works…” Bernie added in sarcastic tones, which set all three mares to laughing.