The First SaR Mission Ch. 06

-The Full Moon Retreat-

Episode: The First Search and Rescue Mission

Chapter 6:

The face of God...

To the Reader:

Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted to the website. Had quoted the entire poem "High Flight" in the accreditation at the end of the story. Thanks for the time that you have taken to read, rate, and to comment on this story, thus far. You, the reader, are my mentor and teacher and I hope that you have been able to discern some improvement in my skills, over the course of the first five chapters. I am not sure that there will be a great deal improvement going forward with this particular story. As I have mentioned previously, I had already completed the writing of this story, before I began posting it. I have been applying that which I have learned, along the way, only through editing of the existing text. If I am to sustain the weekly postings, then I could not do the rewrite that it would take to go the remaining distance. More than likely, I would create more problems than I would fix. I have begun the writing of the next story and I am incorporating these lessons learned. I still have not given up my love of "character flags", at least, in their minimalist form, as they obviate writing issues that I truly detest. That's an argument for the author forum, though.

By the way: I want to pass along a suggestion. At least one of my readers mentioned that they had impaired eyesight. It is an issue that I have been dealing with for quite a few years, now. I want to offer the solution that allows me to read and write using a computer monitor. I use "Firefox" as my browser and I am not certain that these functions exist on every other browser, but they might. Literotica.com has a nice website, and I am sure that it works for most viewers. Unfortunately, in its native format, the story text is just a streaky, gray blur to me. My solution is to reduce the web page to nothing but text and then to enlarge the character height to about 1 centimeter. Under the "View" tab select "page style". Under the daughter menu that will appear, change the setting from "Basic page style" to "No style". This will eliminate the artful presentation, giving you screen width text. Then, hold down the "Ctrl" key and press the "+/=" key until the text is legible to you. The browser will automatically do 'word wrap' of the lines of text. To reset the browser, simply set the "page style" back to "Basic page style" and under the "View" tab => "Zoom" => "Reset". I hope that this will help someone that needs it.

Chapter 6... For those that can't stand it... Warning! There is, just a dollop of mushiness in this chapter. So, bravely, onward!

[05:20, Wednesday, on the ridge]

Fontain: "Puss N' Boots- One, out."

"Well, Grace, Bax', I think that we are a hit."

"Ok, let's make our little 'living room camp-out tent'."

Unfolding a square of the orange waterproof cloth, Fontain spreads it over the cold, wet stone. Atop this he layers three of the silvery 'Space Blankets', and a final layer of the orange cloth.

Fontain: "Ok, Grace. I want you to lie down on our 'pallet', just to the left of center, and facing east."

"Now, Bax' if you would lie down on this side, also, facing east. Leave just enough room between the two of you for me to crawl in."

Gathering all of the energy bars, hand warmer packs and one last piece of orange cloth, Fontain places them into a saddle pack and carries it over, and sits in front of the two panthers.

Fontain: "Now, guys, let me open those energy bars. You should really try to eat them. We are going to need the 'juice' to keep us warm and get us home... I mean back to camp."

After opening all of the energy bars and dividing them into three piles, one in front of each panther and one in the middle, he stuffs the wrappers into the empty side of the saddle pack, then, he opens nine hand-warmer packs and stuffs those wrappers in with the others. He then removes the orange cloth, zips up the saddle pack and tosses it out of the way. Unfolding the cloth, he takes it and the hand-warmer packets and goes to stand beside Grace.

Fontain: "Ok, Grace, Roll over on your side, toward Bax'."

Grace rolls over...

Fontain lays one edge of the cloth out and tosses three of the hand warmer packets down so that Grace will be laying on them when she rolls back.

Fontain: "Ok, Grace, roll back, please."

Rounding the pallet to stand beside Baxter...

Fontain: "Ok, Bax', your turn."

Baxter rolls over...

Fontain tosses down three hand warmers pulls the cloth over and arranges it.

Fontain: "Ok, Bax', you can roll back, now."

Baxter rolls back and the cloth draws snug over the two panthers, leaving a gap between them.

Fontain stands and walks around, behind the other panthers, tosses the remaining hand warmers into the gap, where he will lay, then he kicks off his rubber shoes, strips out of the jumpsuit and stuffs them in the discarded saddle pack. He gets down on his hands and the balls of his feet and, quickly, there stands a sleek black panther where there had been a naked, shivering man.

He turns around and 'cat crawls' in between Grace and Baxter.

Fontain: "See there snug as three peas in a pod or cats in a rug, maybe."

He joins the other panthers in chewing on the energy bars.

Fontain: "Grace you were right. These things are so sweet they nearly make my teeth hurt. Oh well, I guess we should be thankful that they didn't put Alpo in the packs!"

Grace: "It might have tasted better."

Baxter: "Those hand-warmers feel, really, good. I got a couple of mine worked around, so, that I could get my paws on them."

Grace: "Yeah, I wish they were bigger, but they do feel nice."

Fontain: "I hope that they don't get too hot. I don't want to wake up with my fur on fire!"

"I don't know what time it is, but figure that we have an hour or two before sunrise. I think that I'm going to take a nap. I'm feeling a little sleep deprived."

Grace: "Harry, why did you want us to face east?"

Fontain: "The sun will be in our faces when it rises. I want the sun to wake us. If there is going to be any wind, then it will come up with the sunrise. We need to get out of here before it gets too strong."

Grace: "Oh!"

The cats closed their eyes and for the next five minutes contented purring could be heard, and then complete silence...

[05:30, Wednesday, ops room]

Jack: "Let's see, now, where we. Alright, once your group is properly positioned and you are ready to start your search; I want the members of your group to spread out to the left and the right from the start point, separating so that there are about two-hundred yards, (that's two football fields), between the members of your team. That's close enough so that the other members of your team could hear you if you needed them, but, far enough apart that the entire ten-mile wide search grid will be covered, fairly, evenly."

"Now, to make sure that your swath of the search grid is searched thoroughly, I want each of you to 'range' right and left by two hundred yards each way, in a sort of 'zigzag' pattern, while trying to maintain a, generally, straight direction of travel. Now, I know that sounds complicated, but, get together with your group members and discuss it. You will figure it out. And the person controlling the search from here will give you guidance if you get too far off course. Now, one thing about the "zigzagging"; set a comfortable pace, don't run. The overall search does not have to move forward all that fast. We will be searching a ten-mile wide swath. We are covering a tremendous amount of ground, even at a slow forward pace. If you work too hard, then you will wear yourself out, too fast and you will eventually fall behind or race ahead. If you need to speed up or slow down your forward movement, someone will tell you over the radio. Remember they will be able to see where you are on the map."

"I would rather maintain an organized search. It must not sink into chaos! Last thing, here. You are wolves. Your sense of smell, your sense of hearing and the acuity of your eyesight is such that you make the best bloodhound on earth look like a blind, deaf, gopher with a bad sinus condition."

There is laughter throughout the hall.

"Have you ever considered how historic this search is? Not in the history of the world... has a hunting wolf pack of this size and this organized for a single purpose, existed! NEVER!"

"Ok. On to something else. Assuming that this downed aircraft is in our search area; WHEN, we find it, first, of all; STOP and think. Keep a cool head. When you are sure that you have found something important, especially if you know that there are survivors... make absolutely certain that the first thing that they see are your packs that have "SEARCH & RESCUE" printed on them. We do not want to scare them to death, but, more importantly, if they have a gun, I don't want them taking pot-shots at my pack members! Once that they know that you are not a pack of wolves that are about to attack them, then, get your saddle packs off, hide, (don't let them see you shift, the first time), then shift, ...and GET DRESSED! Put the VyTeck jumpsuit on or, at the very least put the Speedo on. These, as far as we know, are humans. A bunch of naked people running toward them from the woods might just scare them to death as fast as being surrounded by a pack of huge, hungry-looking wolves."

"Then, before you do anything else, call the controller on the radio. Tell them your team number, where you are, as well as you can, then, tell them what you have found, debris, the crash site, obvious survivors, apparent deceased crash victims, etcetera and anything else that might be important. If there are survivors, now, go talk to them. If they are conscious, explain to them that you are a team of "search and rescue" 'Werewloves', that you will not harm them, that you are there to help them and to arrange to get them to safety. Also, explain to them that when you shift from wolf to human, that you will be nude and that if you have to shift back to a wolf, that you must strip naked before shifting. Now, another very important issue: it will be very likely that some or all survivors will be injured. There is no way to know how serious their injuries might be. When you find them, do your best to assess their injuries and report it back to base camp. If we can't get a chopper in there immediately, maybe we can get a doctor to them. If we can't manage that, then we could send in wolves carrying first aid and medical supplies. At that point, we will try to find the nearest team members with medical or first aid training. Basically, we will have to play the cards that we are dealt. We will figure it out as we go."

" Ok, I want to give the press a few minutes to ask questions. If you feel comfortable answering those questions, then please do. If not, then I insist that you not be hounded. You are free to speak your mind on any subject you are asked, but you are not required to. Is that understood?"

"Alright, let's get this done. The sun is about to come up and I want to get the teams started toward their kickoff points."

"OK, Mari, you have the helm."

Mari: "Alright, ladies and gentlemen of the press, if you will come forward I will take questions, as will Jack and you may pose questions to the volunteers."

Mari: "I'm not sure how to organize this. Let's try this on two fronts. First, if there are some of you that would like to interview one of our volunteers, raise your hand and we'll see if we can get a volunteer to volunteer."

About half dozen hands go up...

Mari: "Now, who, in the search teams is willing to be interviewed?"

About seventy-five wolves raise their hands...

Mari: "Oh, my! Ok, well, why don't those of the press that want to interview them pick out one or two volunteers and move off to the side or a quiet corner and conduct your interviews."

People and cameras shuffle around the room...

Mari: "Now those of you that have questions for Jack, I, or someone in the remaining team members come forward and we'll start."

Mari: "I'll just start recognizing hands."

Mari: "Yes, over here."

George Grom, Syndicated Press: "For Jack; Sir we understand that you run a nudist colony. Can you explain what "The Full Moon Retreat" is, please?"

Jack: "Well, sir, it is far more complicated than that. However, when Weres shift from their animal form to their human form, you might say that they are re-born, and, just as you were born naked, so are they. Conversely, when they shift from their human form to their animal form, as a general rule, they are much more massive creatures, so, it is necessary for them to remove all of their clothing before they shift. In addition, we provide a safe patch of forested land where their animals can run and play. Add to that humans and most animals are social creatures and we provide a group environment where they can socialize. Thus, by definition, you have a nudist resort in the woods. By the way, we are members of the AARN, that is the American Association for Nude Recreation, and we welcome those of the totally human bent and we all get along, just fine. So, for Weres it is a practical way to live and recreate and for all nudist, there is an enjoyment that would take even more words to explain. I hope that answered your question."

Mari: "Yes, your question, please?"

Cynthia Chandler, CCN News; "For Jack: Sir, Aren't Werewolves dangerous?"

Jack: "Wolves are very high on the predator list. They are often called 'apex' predators. However, there aren't that many of them, anymore. The reason is, that there is a predator that is much higher on that list, and that is a human. A Werewolf is both, a wolf and a human, so, yes there is the potential to be dangerous. That is why Werewolf 'packs' exist. Like any family, they socialize and stabilize Werewolves and teach them to fit into the world we all live in. We police our own, because, you would not want to."

Reporter Rob Landen, NCN News: Interviews Nancy Warnock, Werewolf, of team 17.

Landen: "What is your name, ma'am and are you a Werewolf?"

Nancy Warnock: "My name is Nancy Warnock and yes, I am a Werewolf."

Landen: "Ms. Warnock, What is it like being Werewolf?"

Warnock: "I imagine that it's a lot like not being a Werewolf, with some bonuses. As a young child, I enjoyed playing 'dolls' and 'dress-up', I imagine like other little girls, but, I also, enjoyed chasing my brothers around the yard so fast that it felt like I was flying... on four furry paws. I remember how nice it felt when we had worn ourselves out, to curl up, all warm fuzzy, in a puppy pile. I remember when I learned my A-B-Cs, and to spell and write my name. A little later, I remember that I was taught not to talk about Werewolves and such. I remember that I would have to hold back, so that, I didn't out run my friends on the playground. A few years later, I had to avoid some sports and in 'P.E.', I remember how hard it was to look like I was running as fast as I could when I could have easily lapped the other students on the track, without even breathing very hard. I hyperventilated several times trying to look as if I was 'winded'. I could have climbed up and down the rope, to the roof, easily, hand over hand, not using my legs, at all."

"And dating...oh, boy. I couldn't let it get too serious. What was I going to do? Take him home to the den to meet the family...woof! When I was an older teen, I dated other pack members. Wolves love to run, you know. We would fly through the forest on four legs, for hours. Sometimes we would find ourselves many miles from the den and would have to turn and hurry back home before daylight. Daylight was when Dad insisted that I had to be home from my dates. Well, We're wolves, you know. All in all, I wouldn't change most things about being Werewolf. I'm happy."

Landen: "Nancy, do you have a 'significant-other', are you engaged or married?"

Warnock: "No. It doesn't work that way for Weres. You see, in late puberty, I was seventeen, we develop a sense of what our mate will smell like. Every person, human or Were, or animal for that matter, has a unique fragrance, and, yes, for some it's more of an odor, but, we know our mate when and if we...'smell' them. When we are around humans, we don't use the 'sniff test', here in America. When alone, we will often greet Weres that we haven't met before by sniffing behind their ear or at the junction of their neck and shoulder. And, Before anyone asks, No! We don't sniff their butt! Yeah, I'm a Werewolf and I've heard them all! Have you ever noticed that, in Europe and the Middle East, the two-shouldered hug is the standard greeting? Ever wonder where that came from? Hmmm? Sniff, sniff. There will only be one mate for a wolf, Were or otherwise. If we find what is called our 'true mate' we mate for life. And, true mates will not be able to resist one another. The attraction is strong enough that, if they are kept apart, they might, well, both, go insane." "A Wolf that loses a mate can, literally, die of loneliness or they often commit suicide. It's usually accepted by others as unavoidable. But, all of that only happens if you find your 'true mate'. Tragically, only, maybe, twenty-five percent of us find our true mate."

Landen: "Well, what is the difference? Why does it have to be a 'true mate'? Why not someone that you, just fall in love with?"

Warnock: "Oh, there is a difference. For starters, only true mates can have children. That's right. She can't get pregnant and he can't get her pregnant. Shootn' blanks at an empty nest! Then, there is the 'mate bond'. There are other kinds of bonds, but the mate bond is usually the strongest. With a bond, mates can hear one another's thoughts. I don't mean you, just know her moods or you can guess what he's thinking. They can communicate without speaking. You had best not come home to wolf wifey and tell her you "were, just working late at the office," when you were up to something else. She will leave claw marks in your ass that won't heal for a while! Actually, that mostly can't happen, anyway. True mates find that, (how should I say it), there isn't enough starch there to get you into trouble. Basically, there is no attraction for any other than your mate, once they are actually mated. It works both ways, though. Another thing that happens is that both mates become very, very possessive and protective of one another. Getting between mates can be lethal. So, there is a difference."

Landen: "Ms. Warnock, Did you, and if so, why did you volunteer for this search and rescue mission."

Warnock: "Uhm, I thought that I had explained that, but, let me, sort of, put a ribbon on it. We Weres are born into a pack. You may have fifty or a hundred brothers and sisters, some older, some younger and maybe as many Moms and Dads. Very few of them are biologically related to you, but that doesn't matter. They are all family. Any one of those Moms and Dads is willing and expected to bust your butt for misbehaving. And, likewise, anyone of them will hold you while you cry over a skinned knee. It's, because, we are family. When the Alpha used the pack bond, think of it as a P.A. system in your head, anyway, he used the pack bond to announce that 'the pack has been asked to help in a search and rescue mission'; that was like, 'Yeah, and,'... Then he said that "we have a light plane down and missing." And that was like... 'I guess I should go offer to help'. And, then he said, 'there is a family of four onboard.' I heard shovels hit the ground, pots and pans being tossed into sinks, people all over the compound turned around in mid-stride and headed for the dining hall, that's our standard assembly area. So, we get 'family.' And, we get 'family in trouble and needing help.' Did you know that the betas had to ask for volunteers to stay behind when all of the buses, trucks, and cars were full up? There were some that offered to drive themselves up here."