Decline and Fall of Alternative Civilization

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  "June!" His voice in a canyon. "JUNE!"

  "Huh?"

  "It's time. If we don't stop now we may have problems."

  "Uh, OK. What do you mean?" The growling V-8 was winding down, their speed rapidly dropping.

  "This is it. Scramble time."

  "Pit stop?"

  He didn't answer. When the car came to rest he leaned over the seat and insisted, "C'mon. Dismount. This is your drop-off point."

  She groggily freed herself from the harnesses. His hands fished her up from the depths and pulled her out of the car. In a flash, her hood was lowered and the black shroud lifted from her head. Cool night air washed over her face.

  "Where's your pack?"

  "It's still in the?"

  "Well, get it, dammit!"

  "OK! Don't yell!"

  "We've got no time to waste. Have you got everything?"

  Digging behind the seat, she hefted it out. "Uh, yeah. What are we?"

  "You've got to go now. Radar shows I might have a problem soon. No one'll see you getting out here. And they're not looking for you." He pushed a bottle of water into her pocket.

  "Wh?where are we?"

  "Eastern Colorado. About 150 miles east of Denver, near the Nebraska border."

  "Colorado?"

  "Yep. I have to miraculously surface at the Air Force Academy this morning to prove a point to a general." JHH turned toward the idling Ford. "We did it. We baffled the hell out of 'em. Congratulations. You can go home now."

  "But?wait."

  He climbed into the dark interior, shut the door and slipped a helmet onto his head. "See those lights up ahead? A two, three mile walk. There's a motel. Be careful, OK?"

  "No! Please, wait!" She dropped her pack and leaned toward the open window.

  "You can power down your suit now." He connected a cable from the headgear to the dash console and lowered a screen-like apparatus over his eyes. "So long, June. I'm going to miss you." The clutch hit the flywheel, a second later he was gone, the sound of the big engine and sliding tires carved the dark sky with ever more distant sound. He never switched his lights on.

  A rug yanked from beneath her and she fell limply to the asphalt. In the middle of the road all became still as she sat holding her head. "God????.dammit! Just like a guy!"