The Year-Rounders

If the sweepers missed something or somebody, whatever or whoever it was (if they were unable to move on their own) would soon be frozen solid for over half a year's time and then later roasted to ashes while the sun slowly crept its way around the other side of the world and back.

In front of all of these traveled a desert-flotsam of crawling machines surrounded by people walking. They carried all of humanity's traveling provisions, and provided resting, and working quarters for jobs that were impossible to carry out by persons on foot. The crawlers were massive and could transport much of the population. They also required however, a massive amount of solar power to make them move. Despite all of mankind's scientific advances in the harnessing of Sol's rays, the power had to be doled out sparingly. If the batteries were to ever wear down for too long, all above-ground crops could be lost. This would pose a deadly threat to most of humanity. Even the most seasoned walkers would be hard pressed to carry enough food and water to survive a non-stop trek, if one had the misfortune of being stranded without vehicle at or near a mid-way point between one oasis and the next.

This would leave only the year-rounders that were stationed in tunnels far below the earth's surface at various points around the planet. They carried on with the operations of growing extra food and providing way stations for the sick or injured to be better treated; or for scientists and engineers to maintain service and manufacture parts for, and advance technology of all of the moving machines above.

Their living and working areas were cramped compared with the huge crawler decks and the open plains above. However, after their tour of duty was done, they could come up topside and begin to walk all over again.

In front of the crawlers marched the front line. Identical to the number and size of the back line, these men and women were scouts, making sure the way was clear for humanity to pass safely.

Forward of the front line rolled the pushers. They could move tons of rock per hour and clear the great road of almost anything, even fill large crevasses. The major problem was that as they passed through familiar places, many times the topography was drastically changed by violent volcanic activity on the hot side- since their last passing. From time to time they discovered a new canyon had opened in their absence or a small mountain had thrust itself up in front of them.

Sometimes there was need for a detour. If a mountain too steep to traverse lay in their path, they would have to gain extra time by doubling walking speed for a period- all the while drifting north or south, depending on the direction of the detour. Then once they were ahead of their own safe zone, they would round the obstacle and travel like mad to get back onto the great road. Sometimes these detours put the fleet dangerously far back into the cold zone; and they would work for many long hours to catch up to the safe zone again.

Jonah continued with his head down. He had almost been spotted by the back liner called Maxwell again. Maxwell turned his head in the direction of greenhouse crawler three to check on the progress of the straggling youth. Just then, Jonah dropped out of sight.

He had stepped into a dark shadow behind a mound of rock. As he put his feet a few steps forward, he gazed up at the top of the mound. He imagined a bird seated up there; not a chicken or turkey, but a real bird, like there used to be.