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ble death； to be among such brave warriors。
After a breakfast of fresh scrambled hawk eggs and coffee； served in his room by a pretty orderly named Janet； Danik eagerly set off down the corridors he was being familiar with to his morning meeting with the entire Rock Team。 Danik was elated。 He had remembered something。 Not much； but something。 Perhaps it would be enough。
CHAPTER 4
Rockson had gathered most of the Rock Team in the Security office。 They sat with notepads in front of them； around the shiny…surfaced conference table。 Rath was there of course too。 The door opened a moment after the bat veterans had all arrived。 Rock looked up； expecting to see Danik。 But instead it was Rona。 All dressed up in full bat gear。
〃Rona； what the hell are you doing down here？〃 he bellowed。
〃I want in on this one。 Rock。 You left me out of the Alaska mission … I'm going on this one。〃
〃Like hell you are。 I'm only taking members of my northern team。 The winter team。 You're out。〃
〃I'm in。〃
Rock sighed； 〃Look Rona； there probably isn't a mission at all。 I assume you're familiar by now with the events of the past few days； our visitor from Eden？〃
She nodded。
〃Well； Danik doesn't remember enough to lead us anywhere。 And even if he did； unless we figure out some way to get through a thousand miles of waist…high snow and subzero temperatures … even these men； all veterans of the Alaska mission … won't be able to do a thing。〃
Before the argument died down； Danik came in on schedule and seated himself。 After introductions； Danik told of his new recollections。 They were sketchy。 Danik couldn't trace his course on the map Rockson had spread on the table。 There was no need for such maps in Eden。 He did remember some landmarks along the route he had taken from Eden。 The team eagerly listened to these recollections。
〃I remember we crossed a river … a shallow thing that my friend Run Dutil said was the Rio Grande。 Then the next thing I recall； two days later； are some odd…shaped rocks … about fifty feet high。 Carved by the surface winds； I suppose。 One looked like a whale … I've seen your pictures of whales。〃
〃Does that formation ring any bells？〃 Rock asked。
No one was familiar with it。
〃Anything else？〃 the Doomsday Warrior asked。
Danik offered him some scattered bizarre landmarks； descriptions of the places he and his friends had taken shelter on their trek： a five…story…tall teepee…shaped souvenir store and restaurant； abandoned no doubt in the first few days after the 1989 war。 There； two of his friends； Sysin Print and File Format； had died； he didn't know of what。 Perhaps of a bination of the cold and lack of food。
Scheransky asked； 〃What is the derivation of your friends' names？ It sounds like puter talk。〃
〃Most of us in Eden； those that don't have a famous family name； are named by puter at our first birthday。 The names are the result of a registrar picking the keys of the birth registry puter at random； until a systems message is printed。 That bees the child's name。〃
〃Please go on；〃 Rath said； 〃and no more interruptions。〃
Danik related that the rest of the desperate party of Edenites had gone on； hopefully straight north； and reached an immense； beautifully arched； perfectly preserved stone bridge going nowhere； sitting in a shallow desert lake。 There； two more friends of Danik's pany had expired as they all huddled together for warmth in an old concrete…slab pile。 The dead were entombed behind a loose foundation stone in the bridge。 The temperature had dropped from that day onward。 On the last leg of the journey to Colorado； Danik and his last surviving panion； Run Dutil； had tried to make notes and measurements of their course； using a toy pass Run Dutil had found in a collapsed building near the strange stone bridge。
The snows kept falling； and they found shelter。 Dutil had died in a strange building filled with plastic statues of Presidents of the United States。
〃That's all I can recollect。〃 Danik ended。 〃If I had only taken that notebook of Dutil's out of his dead frozen hand … but I didn't。 I didn't even bury him； I … I left him sitting there。 I was。。。 so weak。 I can't give you a clue as to where that strange building with plastic Presidents is。〃
At the mention of the last odd sight。 Rona shouted out； 〃I think I know the place he means … it's the Presidential Museum outside of Colorado Springs。 Once； years ago； when I was a teenager； I went there with a scouting team。 We were looking for signs of a new Soviet…made road…and found it too…blew it to hell。 But anyway； we came across this old building half collapsed。 We went inside and there was a plastic JFK in his rocker； and a glass case containing plastic statues of the three men who made the first Moon trip…Armstrong； Aldrin； and Conrad。〃
〃That's it；〃 Danik said； elated。 〃You're right。 There were those astronaut statues too。〃
〃Great；〃 exclaimed Rath； 〃So； Rockson； we can get your attack team to Colorado Springs … a mere two days' journey。 Then the notebook can steer you on the rest of the way。〃
Rockson was only somewhat encouraged。 〃If the notebook is still there； and if Dutil's scribblings … he didn't have any training in direction finding … make sense。 Two big ifs； Rath。〃
Rona reached across the table to touch the cold thin hands of the stranger。 She smiled warmly； asked。 〃Mr。 Dutil； is there anything else； anything at all？〃
Dutil spewed out a few other descriptions of the trek … just terrain descriptions。 Crumbling cliffs； a twisting canyon of sandstone。
Rock couldn't hazard a guess at Danik's route。 Unless Danik remembered where he'd started out from； as a reference point； they hadn't much to go on。 And if he knew that； they'd be busying themselves to get there。
〃I agree； we go to the President's museum and then look for the notebook；〃 Rock said。 〃We'll at least give Run Dutil a decent burial； if the animals haven't had him by now。 If the notebook has anything useful in it we can proceed from there。 But I need some ideas for travel in this damned weather。〃
〃I know a way for us to get to the President museum； and to get all the way to Eden； despite the snow；〃 Rona stated firmly。
〃How？〃
〃Uh…uh。 First you promise to take me if I have a way for us to get there； then I tell you。 Agreed？〃
Rockson wanted to know her idea。 He said； 〃Agreed。〃
Rona told him 〃Dogs。 We make sleds and use dogs just like you did in Alaska。〃
〃Rona； there are no dogs here in Century City。〃
〃Yes； there are。 You remember those snow…wolf pups that were a gift of the New Omicron City Council upon your safe return from the Alaskan mission？〃
〃Yeah … some gift。 They near took one of my fingers off … you can still see the stitches。 I sent them down to the kennel area for study。 Haven't heard a thing …〃
〃They're all grown up； and since they never lived in the wild； they're mellowed。 They're positively almost like dogs。 Still a bit wild … they have three rows of teeth … but I think they might do handily to pull sleds。 They have lot of spirit； anyway。 Maybe。。。〃
〃Hmmm。 Maybe won't do … besides； they would be only one year old now。〃
Rona was undaunted。 〃I went to see them this morning。 They're really big；