Read Redwood: Servant of the State for Free Online Page B

them?”
    I nodded. “Yeah, someday. Not sure I want to meet the Rangers, though.”
    “You’ll like them. Good people. Most of them are Aggies. Besides, you need to go. They’ll figure out what to do about you.”
    After breakfast I helped him move outside all the food and cigars we’d been accumulating in the rec room. He laid a giant net on the ground, then put four wooden pallets in the middle. We stacked things on the pallets: boxes of cigars on one, boxes of fruits and vegetables on the others.
    When we were done he gathered up the net and tied it off on top with a sturdy rope.
    “Now we wait.”
    We wandered over to the lounge chairs and waited.
    -+-
    About an hour later he pointed to a distant speck in the sky. As it drew closer, I made out the dimensions of a giant bird flying toward us.
    “A synthetic bird?”
    He nodded. “Yup. That’s what the Rangers use. Minimizes ecological disturbance.”
    As it got closer, I could make out the synthetic bird was carrying something in its claws. When it approached for landing, I could see the Ranger on its back, behind the neck. It neatly dropped a pallet with boxes of stuff wrapped up in a net, then with a single whuff! of its wings, it flew over the deposited load and landed gently on the ground before us.
    The Ranger crawled out of his perch and climbed down off the bird. Soon as he turned around he stared at me for a moment, then made his way toward us.
    “Glad to see you Jenkins! M’boy here’s about to eat me out of house and home.”
    Kalinowski stepped forward to meet Jenkins, while motioning for me to stay put. They talked quietly over by the bird, each casting glances my way while evidently discussing my fate. I couldn’t hear what Kalinowski was saying, so I focused on Jenkins’ expressions to try and gauge his reactions. At first Jenkins’ eyes were narrow, as if listening intently. Then they grew wide as Kalinowski said something that either surprised or impressed him. Or both. Finally they grew thoughtful, and he looked at me as if appraising my potential, like a shopper who finds an odd object at the black market and begins thinking of ways to use it before deciding to buy or not.
    Jenkins looked to be in his mid thirties. Dark hair, light brown skin just like most people. Medium height, but he was built well. He was in great shape and looked like he stayed active. I’d only read about Rangers, never seen one before. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, impatient.
    Finally the two men headed toward me.
    “Colt Jenkins, meet Marcus Savitch.”
    We shook hands and I didn’t even bother to comment on the Aggie ring. I’d come to expect it. Nothing but Aggies out here, I thought. He had a smaller ring on his left hand, which I noticed but I didn’t think much of, at the time.
    “I’d like you to come back to the Ranger station with me, Mr. Savitch. If you’re willing.”
    I nodded, thinking quickly. I didn’t know I really had a choice. Was he just being polite? Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I’d probably never get to the trees if I didn’t go with him.
    “Of course.”
    -+-
    After saying our goodbyes to Kalinowski, we climbed up onto the synthetic bird. I sat behind Ranger Jenkins, and the synthetic skin under the feathers automatically indented, making a seat for me. Once I got settled, it tightened up slightly on my legs and around my waste.
    “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Savitch. It’s just to hold you in, so you don’t fall off.”
    A hologram control panel appeared in front of Jenkins, and he said, “Bird, grab the load in front of us and return home.”
    The bird turned his head so its left eye made contact with Jenkins’ and it squawked.
    Well, that’s different from the usual response beep, I thought.
    It spread its wings and whuffed! them down. We rose in the air and its claws grabbed the net filled with supply pallets. The wings flapped harder and faster.
    Whuff! Whuff! Whuff!
    We were up and away,